Chinese New Year 2026 marks the arrival of the Year of the Horse, a zodiac symbol associated with energy, optimism and forward momentum qualities that naturally lend themselves to celebration around the table. Lunar New Year dining is steeped in symbolism, where every dish carries meaning: dumplings for wealth, fish for abundance, noodles for longevity and sweet treats for prosperity in the year ahead.
Across London, restaurants are embracing these traditions with festive menus designed for sharing, featuring ingredients and flavours chosen to honour the rituals of renewal and good fortune. Whether it’s a lavish banquet, celebratory dim sum or modern interpretations of classic dishes, Chinese New Year dining is about gathering, generosity and starting the year on a delicious note.
This round-up highlights the restaurants bringing the spirit of the Year of the Horse to life
For a Personalised Fortune Cookies: Thai Square Covent Garden
What: Thai Square is celebrating Lunar New Year with symbolic dishes drawn from its à la carte menu, paired with a playful festive twist. Each diner receives a fortune cookie containing personalised messages and prizes, reinforcing the celebratory spirit of the season. Located in the heart of central London, Thai Square Covent Garden is the perfect spot to celebrate the Lunar New Year with a range of Chinese-inspired dishes and fortune cookies where prizes are to be won! Available from Tuesday 17th February to Tuesday 3rd March, each table dining at Covent Garden will receive a cookie containing a unique message and exclusive offers, including: 15% off your food bill, 1 free Chang Beer and £5 off any noodle dish.
Eat & Drink: There is plenty on the menu at Thai Square but some of the highlights include. Ruby Duck (Roasted Duck in Red Sauce): A vibrant centrepiece symbolising abundance and harmony. The red sauce represents good fortune and career success for the year ahead. Seafood with Lemongrass: A premium selection representing completeness. In Chinese culture, seafood symbolises wealth flowing continuously into the home. Prawns with Glass Noodles: Prawns represent vitality and progress, while uncut glass noodles symbolise longevity and enduring relationships. Steamed / Chu Chi Sea Bass: A traditional must-have. The word for fish (yu) is a homophone for “surplus,” signifying abundance year after year. Golden / Red Curry: These “lucky” colours represent wealth and prosperity, while the rich curry base symbolises stability and strength.
Where: 166-170 Shaftesbury Ave, London WC2H 8JB, United Kingdom
For Dinner with a Show: Chop Chop at The Hippodrome
What: Chop Chop by The Hippodrome, is gearing up for one of the West End’s liveliest Lunar New Year celebrations with high-energy lion dance performances, lucky red envelope and Chinese calendar giveaways and some of the most authentic Cantonese food in the capital. To celebrate the Year of the Horse, diners born under this zodiac sign (1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990 & 2002) can enjoy 20% off the full menu from Monday 16th – Thursday 19th February with valid ID. Book in on opening night to catch a vibrant lion dance performance in the heart of the restaurant and a red envelope giveaway, adding a touch of tradition and good fortune to the evening.
Eat & Drink: Perfect for Lunar New Year feasting, the menu features premium dim sum, handmade dumplings, sharing plates and Chop Chop’s legendary Hong Kong-style roast duck – hailed as the “the best in the world” by the Financial Times. Designed for sharing, the menu offers generous platters and plates ideal for gathering friends and family around the table. Desserts are made in collaboration with Japanese patisserie Sakurado, including a pistachio mille crêpe cake and yuzu cheesecake.
Where: Cranbourn Street, Leicester Square, London WC2H 7JH
For Festive Dumplings: Fatt Pundit
What: Fatt Pundit is marking Lunar New Year with a limited-edition red momo dumpling inspired by the colour most associated with luck, celebration and prosperity. The dumpling blends Indo-Chinese flavours with festive symbolism, creating a playful nod to tradition while staying true to the restaurant’s bold culinary identity. The red colouring reflects Lunar New Year customs where vibrant hues symbolise happiness and good fortune. This special item complements the restaurant’s sharing-focused dining style, making it well suited to group celebrations.
Eat & Drink: Fatt Pundit will be serving a striking Red Momo, a festive twist on their signature momos and a nod to the lucky red hues of Lunar New Year. Filled with Sichuan chicken, infused with aromatic Sichuan peppercorns and wrapped in a vibrant red dough. The dumplings are served in a luxurious burnt butter, beetroot, and smoked tomato sauce.
Where: Soho- 6 Maiden Ln, London WC2E 7NA, United Kingdom or Covent Garden- 77 Berwick St, London W1F 8TH, United Kingdom
For a Curated Feast: Dim Sum Library
What: Dim Sum Library is inviting Londoners to skip the Chinatown queues and celebrate the Year of the Horse with a limited-edition experience in Covent Garden.
Running 16 February – 3 March, the restaurant will mark the season with a dedicated Chinese New Year set menu, ritual-led tea moments, playful lucky activations and limited-edition cocktails created with Peddlers Gin.
Eat & Drink: The limited-edition offer includes classic Chinese New Year staples such as Lo Hei salad with lobster, scallops, prawns, salmon and topped with Amber Walnuts, white pepper, sesame, five spices powder and sweet plum sauce. The feast continues with signature dim sums Wagyu Beef Puff, Crystal Har Gau and Black garlic siu mai, followed by Black truffle crispy-skin chicken cooked to perfection and Steamed Alaskan black cod fillets with Chinese chives & Sichuan pepper. On the drinks side, Tea Tales for Two offers a ritual-led tea service: a moment to truly pause, pour and toast the New Year, encouraging guests to linger together a little longer at the table.
Where: 136 Long Acre, London WC2E 9AD
For a Latin Twist: Chino Latino
What: Chino Latino, the pan-Asian and Latin American restaurant at Park Plaza London Riverbank, is celebrating with a special limited-time menu available from 17th February – 3rd March. To welcome the Year of the Horse, the menu reflects Chino Latino’s signature fusion of East Asian flavours with vibrant Latin American influences. Created for sharing and feasting, the dishes showcase premium ingredients, offering a unique and celebratory dining experience with incredible views of London.
Eat & Drink: Highlights include lobster, crab and prawn dumplings with yuzu butter and avruga caviar, scallop and prawn siu mai, crispy fried seabream, and indulgent main dishes such as wagyu beef ishiyaki and black cod with spicy miso. Guests can opt for the Chinese New Year set menu (£75 per person), or the Kei Mono menu (£55 per person, minimum two), featuring a curated selection of Chino Latino favourites
Where: Park Plaza, Riverbank, 18 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TJ,
For Symbolic Plates: HUŌ and ULI
What: HUŌ and sister restaurant ULI will be launching a limited-edition menu of celebratory dishes designed to usher in prosperity, fortune, and fresh beginnings. Available alongside the core menu, the specials pay homage to the Year of the Horse through symbolic ingredients and traditional flavours, making it the perfect way to welcome the new year. Renowned for their clean contemporary approach to Chinese and Southeast Asian cuisine, ULI and HUŌ prepare everything from scratch using traditional Thai, Chinese, Malaysian, and Singaporean recipes. With locations in Marylebone, Chelsea, Notting Hill, and their newest opening Belsize Park, ULI and HUŌ offer the ideal setting to celebrate the season.
The Chinese New Year specials menu will be available for lunch and dinner across all ULI and HUŌ locations from 17th February to 3rd March with prices ranging from £11 to £44.20.
Eat & Drink: The Chinese New Year specials menu shines a spotlight on a limited-edition Dim Sum Basket, featuring a luxurious twist on the restaurant’s signature dumplings. Symbolising wealth and abundance, the basket includes Chicken Siu Mai with XO Sauce, Prawn and Truffle Har Gau, and Aubergine and Spinach Dumplings. Standout dishes from the special menu also include Crispy Duck Spring Rolls, representing wealth and fresh beginnings, and a Whole Dover Sole served with soy, ginger, and scallions, symbolising surplus and good fortune. The specials are designed to pair seamlessly with the à la carte menu, which also features traditional Chinese New Year favourites such as longevity noodles.
Where: HUŌ- 29 Belsize Ln, Belsize Park, London, NW3 5AS and 9 Park Walk, London SW10 0AJ/ ULI- 15 Seymour Pl, London, W1H 5BE and 5 Ladbroke Rd, London, W11 3PA
Where to Book Your Chinese New Year Dinner in London
Chinese New Year dining is about symbolism, generosity and sharing from dumplings representing wealth to seafood symbolising abundance. London’s restaurants embrace these traditions with menus designed to mark the start of a prosperous year. Reservations are strongly recommended, as Lunar New Year is one of the capital’s most popular dining celebrations.
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