As the world sheds the Year of the Snake and welcomes the ‘horsepower’ of the Year of the Horse, we’ve highlighted the best ways to mark Chinatown London’s most important and exhilarating time of the year.
Chinatown London proudly hosts the biggest Chinese New Year celebrations outside of China. It is the largest Chinatown in Europe with over 150 restaurants, bars, shops and businesses spread across the destination’s 12 streets including Gerrard Street – deemed one of Time Out’s ‘Coolest Streets in the World’.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming excitement and celebrations expected to take place across the neighbourhood.
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8 Ways to Celebrate Chinese New Year in Chinatown London:
Get together with friends and savour a celebratory feast at one of Chinatown’s most popular Cantonese restaurants, including Canton, Lotus Garden and Four Seasons.
Enjoy lion dance performances around the destination on Saturday 21st February – great fun for families and little ones.
Watch the official Chinese New Year Parade, organised by the London Chinatown Chinese Association, on Sunday 22nd February.
Pick up red envelopes to gift loved ones, as well as CNY decor at one of Chinatown’s specialist ESEA supermarkets such as Lucky Foods and Oseyo.
Eat longevity noodles at the likes of Kung Fu Noodle and Song Helou – the longer the noodles, the more luck you will have this year!
Tuck into traditional Jiaozi dumplings, boat-like shape resembling Chinese Ingots at Dumplings Legend.
Get tossing! Yu Sheng, also known as the ‘Prosperity Toss’ salad is a unique “lucky” dish of the Singaporean celebrations of CNY, available at Rasa Sayang.
Discover limited-edition CNY specials and menus, with themed treats expected from Bun House, Sakurado and Taiyakiya.
6 Alternative Things to do Throughout CNY:
Cheers to a prosperous 2026 at one of Chinatown’s speakeasies and hidden bars. Tucked above Gerrard St, recently refurbished Experimental Cocktail Club serves up classic and original cocktail creations. A few doors down you’ll find Opium – a shabby-chic cocktail lounge serving late night dim sum. At Speedboat Bar, celebrate the festivities with beer towers, whisky sodas and chasers – whilst shooting a game of pool.
Embrace the Year of the Fire Horse with flaming hot and mouth-numbing dishes across the destination. Brave Sichuan spice at Noodle & Beer, spoon up steamy bowls of fiery broth at Zhang Liang Malatang and for a quick bite that packs a punch, munch on Bunsik’s Buldak mayo Korean fried chicken wings.
Explore new flavours with a spread of ESEA regional dishes including Filipino desserts like Halo Halo and Ube Bilog from Mamasons, moreish Japanese katsu curry at Misato and fresh fragrant Vietnamese street eats including summer rolls and crispy lemongrass tofu at Pho & Bun.
Put your cooking skills into practise and fire up the grill for delicious K-BBQ flavours at Pochawa Grill and Olle – popular with K-Pop artists including BTS and Black Pink – or for sizzling Japanese delights opt for High Yaki.
Sing your heart out at one of Chinatown’s best hangouts for karaoke. Grab the mic and give your best performance at the likes of Dumplings’ Legend, Plum Valley, Pochawa Grill – to name a few!
Shop, shop, shop! Browse the array of retail offerings across the destination with everything from viral collectables at POP MART and Miniso to holy grail K-beauty staples and cosmetics at P2BUs.
The Chinese New Year Parade:
Chinatown London is the best place in Europe to experience the vibrant energy and rich traditions of Chinese New Year. Here, cultural celebrations come alive in the heart of the West End, and visitors can immerse themselves into the excitement and energy of the festivities. Lion dance performances and the annual Chinese New Year parade in partnership with the London Chinatown Chinese Association (LCCA) – both taking place 21st- 22nd February.
Claim Your Luck’ from the Chinese New Year Spinning Wheel
A brand-new interactive experience, the ‘Claim Your Luck’ spinning wheel will be popping up daily across Chinatown. Starting in Covent Garden (4th- 9th February), the wheel will then roll into Chinatown from 11th–15th February.
The first 50 customers to make a purchase at each participating location will be invited to spin the wheel, which features a variety of symbols inspired by the traditional Chinese game Mahjong, believed to bring luck and fortune for the coming year. Prizes include 20% off the total bill, free desserts, £10 vouchers and more!
Dates & participating restaurants:
11th Feb – Rasa Sayang 5 Macclesfield St, London W1D 6AY
12th Feb – Orient London 15 Wardour St, London W1D 6PH
13th Feb- China Modern 2 Newport Pl, London WC2H 7PR
14th Feb – Mrs Bakery 12 Newport Pl, London WC2H 7PR
15th Feb – JinLi 16-18 Newport Pl, London WC2H 7PR
A Guide to CNY dishes:
Throughout the Chinese New Year period, restaurants across Chinatown London will be serving celebratory dishes, each with their own traditional symbolism over the festive period.
Chicken
Chicken is a homonym – in Chinese, the pronunciation of ‘Chicken’ 鸡/jī/ is similar to ‘Luck’吉 /jí/. As such, chicken dishes are very popular and are usually served on the eve of CNY for dinner, one of the most important meals over the fortnight’s celebrations. Chicken feet are said to help you grasp onto wealth, whilst the wings help you to fly higher and the bones represent achievement. Enjoy an array of delicious chicken dishes including Hainanese chicken at C&R Café or a comforting classic of hearty, chicken sweet corn soup at Golden Phoenix.
Jiaozi dumplings
In Northern China, dumplings are traditionally eaten on the eve of Chinese New Year, however most people enjoy this comforting dish throughout the celebratory period. It is believed that the more dumplings you eat during CNY, the more money you will make that year. Jiaozi dumplings especially, are considered to be lucky, due to their boat-like shape resembling Chinese Ingots. Chow down some delicious dumplings at Tao Tao Ju, Leong’s Legend or Orient London – perfect for sharing!
Lobster
A popular delicacy for CNY family feasts, lobster is a staple dish. In Chinese culture, lobsters are thought to resemble dragons, which are a significant symbol during the festivities. When cooked, they turn red which is known as the colour of luck. Head to Dumplings’ Legend, for their delicious lobster noodles with ginger and spring onions.
Nian Gao
As with most Chinese dishes, the north and south have different variations of the iconic Nian Gao (also known as Chinese New Year cake) – though it’s always a sticky-sweet cake prepared from glutinous rice. Chinese families will buy or make this treat for their CNY celebrations, in the hopes of having a better year ahead. It’s also a popular gift to give when visiting family and friends during the festivities. Tuck into this sweet treat at the Chinatown Bakery and Plum Valley.
Noodles
Longevity noodles are considered the key to a long and healthy life. Slurp up Oyster thin noodle soup at Old Tree Daiwan Bee or delicious Pho (16 hrs slow boiled beef-marrow-bone broth) served with rice noodles at Viet Food. Pop into to Oseyo, where you can stock up on a variety of noodles to take home and enjoy.
Tangyuan
Tangyuan, also known as ‘soup ball’, is associated with reunion and family togetherness. This is a celebratory dish, particularly popular in Southern China and is made from glutinous rice flour and served in boiling water or sweet syrup, with many fillings – sweet and savoury. Try for yourself at sweet spots Candy Café or Meet Fresh.
Whole Fish
An indispensable guest at the CNY dinner table, the fish, represents a whole and healthy family. Traditionally the centrepiece of the table and eaten across Chinatown London during the festivities, fish also symbolises an increase in prosperity. When served, the fish should be placed with the head facing towards the distinguished guests. Both New China and Jin Li serve a delectable whole steamed seabass with ginger and spring onions
Yu Sheng
Welcome the Year of the Horse with this prosperous salad that symbolises longevity, peace and opulence, best enjoyed with friends and loved ones. The ritual of eating Yu Sheng is very important in itself. In a celebration called Lo Hei (translating literally to toss high); people gather around the table together and toss the ingredients into the air with chopsticks, whilst shouting out auspicious wishes to usher in prosperity for the New Year. Set yourself down at Rasa Sayang to experience this fresh, vibrant dish.
