Culture in London

Celebrate Lunar New Year, aka Chinese New Year, with parades, lion dances, workshops and celebratory menus across London. We’ve got everything you need to know right here. Take a closer look at some of the traditional dishes eaten over the New Year - plus where to find them in some of our favourite restaurants' specials and set menus - along with some great value events and activities to welcome in the Year of the Horse. Traditional Lunar New Year dishes We've chosen a selection of dishes traditionally eaten at New Year to bring good fortune for the coming year. They each have a symbolic meaning, usually because the name of the dish sounds like an auspicious idiom or phrase in Chinese such as luck, wealth or unity, or sometimes due to the shape or colour of the dish - see dumplings and spring rolls below. Prosperity Toss salad - prosperity Those celebrating the Lunar New Year in Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan or Singapore might start with a Prosperity Toss salad, consisting of raw fish (such as salmon), shredded vegetables and toppings. Each ingredient is chosen for its symbolism: raw fish for abundance; pomelo and carrots for luck; green radish for eternal youth; red pepper, oil, crushed peanuts and golden crackers for wealth; white radish and sesame seeds for good business prospects; and plum sauce for family unity. Now comes the fun bit. Every diner around the table uses chopsticks to toss the salad high into the air seven times, calling out ‘Lo hei!’, or ‘Rise!’ along with traditional good wishes for the new year. The louder you shout and the higher the salad goes, the more effective the wishes for good fortune. Don’t worry about the mess; the more it spills over the plate, the more your abundance will spill over in the coming year. Spring rolls - wealth Spring rolls get their name because they are traditionally eaten during the Spring Festival (i.e. New Year) to welcome new beginnings. They symbolise wealth because of their golden colour once fried. Dumplings - wealth Dumplings are traditionally eaten on New Year's Eve, particularly in Northern China, and symbolise wealth. Chinese dumplings are said to resemble Chinese gold or silver ingots, the currency of imperial China; not the rectangular gold bars familiar from heist movies, but boat-shaped, with turned-up ends. The filling is usually pork and prawn, or pork and chive; according to custom, the more you can eat, the wealthier you will be - so tuck in. Whole steamed fish - abundance and fertility One of the key dishes for a New Year’s Eve feast, it is important that the fish is served with head and tail intact as this signifies a good end to the old year and a good beginning to the next. Carp or catfish are traditional; the word for fish sounds like ‘surplus’, so this symbolises always having more than you need. Poached whole chicken - unity and togetherness This is traditionally poached whole (complete with head and feet) to symbolise unity, and served along with ginger and spring onions. Longevity noodles - happiness and a long life A symbol of longevity, these long noodles are served uncut. Cooked with care to keep them intact, whoever manages to eat them without the strands breaking will be lucky and live a long life. They are either boiled and served in a broth, or stir-fried; prawns are often used in this dish as in Cantonese the word for 'prawn/shrimp' is 'ha', which sounds like laughter and so symbolises happiness. Buddha's Delight - fortune and renewal This vegetarian dish technically includes 18 ingredients (in honour of the 18 original arhats, or followers of Buddha) including shiitake mushrooms, cloud ear fungus, Chinese leaf, carrot, spring onions, sugar snap peas, dried bean curd, lily buds, bamboo shoot, taro root and fried tofu. This may form part of the main New Year's Eve dinner, or be eaten as a welcomingly plain detox dish on New Year's Day. Glutinous rice balls - family togetherness and reunion These plump, slightly chewy treats sometimes have a red bean or sesame paste filling and are served warm in a light, syrupy broth as part of a New Year's Eve feast. Their round shape symbolises unity and togetherness, plus the idioms for 'round' and 'unity' sound the same in Chinese. Oranges and similar citrus fruits - wealth and success Oranges, tangerines, pomelos and kumquats are considered lucky for their round, full shape, their golden colour and for the similarity of sound of their names to various auspicious idioms relating to luck, wealth and prosperity. They are displayed in homes and businesses throughout the New Year celebrations, often given as gifts, and eaten as the final course of the New Year's Eve dinner. Where to eat in London Bao London: Shoreditch, Marylebone, King's Cross, Battersea, City Head to Bao for New Year and you can get involved with their prosperity toss salmon noodle salad, as well as chilli crab rice or noodles, braised pork belly and cute little horse-themed crispy bao with a chocolate dipping sauce. Price: From pp Dates: 10th-26th February 2026 Book here. Plum Valley Plum Valley’s Chinese New Year menu features a prosperity toss salad, lucky custard buns, coconut glutinous rice cake, and turnip cake with Chinese sausage and dried shrimp. Price: à la carte; from Dates: Daily Book here. Chop Chop by the Four Seasons, Leicester Square We are big fans of this excellent Cantonese restaurant in the Hippodrome Casino, which is one of London's late-night dining stars. Lucky New Year dishes on the menu include spring rolls, pork and prawn dumplings, whole soya chicken and whole steamed seabass. Cheapo Top Tip: If you were born in the Year of the Horse (1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002), bring valid proof of age and claim a special 20% discount from Feb 16th-19th, 2026. Price: à la carte; from Dates: Daily Book here. Rasa Sayang, Chinatown The famous Yu Sheng propensity toss is back at Rasa Sayang. Expect all the ingredients ready to hit the air, including carrots, radish, pickled ginger, fried yam sticks, pomelo, jellyfish, crispy wonton skin and of course fresh sliced salmon. Price: From Dates: 14th Feb-3rd March 2026 Book here. Noodle and Beer, Chinatown and Spitalfields Sichuan noodle restaurant Noodle and Beer is celebrating the Year of The Fire Horse with a menu of seven specials (a lucky number in Chinese culture), the names of which are all associated with luck and good fortune - including glutinous rice balls. Both sites will be decked out with decorations to celebrate the year of the fire horse and auspicious red envelopes will be handed out to all diners on the eve of Chinese New Year (Monday 16th Feb) and Chinese New Year (Sunday 17th February) at both restaurants. Each envelope contains a token - a free drink, dining discount or secret gift. In addition, there will be interactive activities for both adults and children from calligraphy to horse block painting. Price: Specials from Dates: 16th February-3rd March 2026 Book here. What to do in London Check out our Events section for all the cool stuff happening over the Lunar New Year: from parades and dragon dances to banquet-themed displays and Mahjong classes, we've got you covered.

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