Preparations for Lunar New Year are well underway, with many readying themselves to embrace the Year of the Wood Snake. This year’s Chinese zodiac animal represents wisdom, charm, elegance and transformation, and these characteristics are interpreted across some of London’s favourite foodie hotspots from playfully serpentine bao buns to specialty coffees, carefully orchestrated tasting menus to afternoon teas. With so much going on in the city we have put together Wallpaper*s own guide to navigating the Lunar New Year (from 29 January until 8 February 2025).
Our guide to celebrating the Lunar New Year
Where to snack
BAO London's serpentine pastries
One of London’s cult favourite steamed bun hotspots, BAO London is known not only for its pillowy Taiwanese bao buns, but also for its playful interpretations of Chinese zodiac animals, from its dragon buns last year to tiger claw shaped pastries the year before. Of course, this year does not disappoint with a limited number of pistachio-filled Year of the Snake baked goods, which are carefully piped like a serpent.
Year of the Wood Snake Bao Bakery Goods are available from 20 January baolondon.com
Shangri-La's Lunar New Year afternoon tea
If your sweet tooth needs more than a pastry to satisfy, then an afternoon tea might hit the spot. Located at Shangri-La’s Ting restaurant, its Lunar New Year afternoon tea honours the traditions of the season. The menu includes snake-like treats such as the ‘Red Serpent’, a dark chocolate mousse with Sichuan pepper and yuzu to the Mandarin, a spiced milk chocolate mousse with mandarin, its flavours selected to symbolise luck and prosperity.
Priced from £78 per person at ting-shangri-la.com
Where to dine
Gouqi's special edition set menu
There is an array of Chinese restaurants to choose from in London and we are almost spoiled for choice, especially with those boasting exquisite contemporary interiors and authentic food inspired by the modern metropolis of Shanghai or Chongqing. We have put together our pick of the best Chinese restaurants in London, each offering a unique take on the Lunar New Year with a tailored menu to fit the occasion. One of those to note is Gouqi’s Chinese New Year set menu offering dishes from Dried Oyster, Fat Choy & Fried Bean Curd Fortune Dumpling to Crispy Pipa Chicken with Szechuan Sesame Sauce.
Hunan crafts a Lunar New Year tasting selection
For those who hate making a decision when it comes to food Hunan’s solution is to do away with the menu altogether. A Wallpaper* favourite, the Chinese restaurant tailors its food to what you like and don’t like to eat, and carefully crafts 12 to 18 miniature dishes to try. To celebrate the Lunar New Year Hunan have put together a set dinner menu varying from Steamed black cod with chilli dressing and Lo mai gai, lotus leaf wrapped pork for mains to home made mochi with black sesame and ginger broth for dessert.
What to drink
Bespoke cocktails at Hakkassan
Toast the year in chic style with bespoke cocktails at Hakkassan. The modern Cantonese restaurant offers a menu of tailored cocktails ,partnered with Hennessy. ‘The Snake’, created by mixologists Marcio Macedo & Peter Szamra, is a mix of Hennessy V.S.O.P, Campari, Sichuan pepper & strawberry, coconut, pomegranate, grapefruit, and supasawa. With an alcohol free iteration also available. For something less sweet the ‘X.O Old Fashioned’ is a blend of Hennessy X.O, kumquat saccharum, and Peychaud Bitters. To further immerse yourself within the celebrations, the restaurant also invites guests to write wishes for the year ahead on its ‘wishing ribbons’ and hang them on its handcrafted ‘wishing trees’.
Mothaiba's pandan leaf infusion
If you are planning on hosting your own Lunar New Year festivities then Mothaiba is a pandan vodka – made with pandan leaves from Vietnam – made for a perfect martini to toast good fortune in the Year of the Wood Snake. Mothaiba – named after the expression ‘Mot Hai Ba!’ that people exclaim before a toast in Vietnam – is also infused with makrut lime leaves, lime zest and ginger to create a crisp and refreshing flavour.
Origin's limited edition coffee blends from China, Thailand and Taiwan
Origin has launched a limited-edition coffee collection featuring three intriguing coffees from Qing Yè from Taiwan, Fuyan from China, and Sirinya from Thailand. Fuyan offers notes of plum, orange, and brown sugar, while Sirinya offers flavours of Pink Lady apple, apricot, and raisin. The special-edition Qing Yè offers a flavour profile of apricot, cranberry, and Earl Grey tea, with a medium body, vibrant acidity, and floral finishing notes.
The Lunar New Year coffee collection at Origin. Prices range from £20.60-£28.00 origincoffee.co.uk
What to buy
BAO x Dover Street Market's tasty treats, merch, and a quirky installation
One of London’s cult favourite steamed bun hotspots, BAO London, launches BAO & Friends across Dover Street Market (DSM) in London, Ginza and Singapore to welcome in the Lunar New Year. Partnering with DSM, BAO unveils its ‘Convenience Store’ installation in London and Ginza, Tokyo for one week only. The design of the quirky pop-up came from the local stores throughout Taiwan, with the BAO & Friends ‘Convenience Store’ displaying limited edition Year of the Snake items and BAO’s signature ‘Lonely Man’ illustrations across products such as embroidered caps to engraved Zippo lighters. Accompanying the collaboration are pieces from well-loved brands including a snake necklace by Simone Rocha to Lunar New Year T-shirts and totes from Carhartt WIP, to rubber clogs by Deathmask, to name a few.
The BAO Convenience Store at Dover Street Market London, Ginza and Singapore will be open from 16 January for a week, selling limited edition DSM Exclusive collaborations in addition to BAO’s own merch and special items. Also available on the DSML e shop doverstreetmarket.com
Fortnum & Mason's piped biscuits are too pretty to eat... almost
Fortnum and Mason of course has a selection of hampers, gifts and confectionery to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Highlights include Lunar New Year Iced Biscuits, intricately decorated gingerbread biscuits featuring a lantern, a Koi Karp, a fan, a boat and a snake; and a ‘Cup of Good Fortune’, a sweet blend of Bai Mu Dan white tea with Rose Petals and Lychee flavouring, packaged in a red and gold tin.
Lunar New Year Iced Biscuits £19.95 and Cup of Good Fortune Loose Leaf Tea Tin £16.95 available at .fortnumandmason.com
What to see
Yauatcha's traditional lion dance performance and pineapple buns
Alongside a new limited edition menu, zesty pineapple pastries and snake-inspired decorations Yuatacha, Soho’s Cantonese dim sum teahouse will also be hosting a traditional lion dance. On 1 February the performance is set to bring in good luck and fortune to the new year.
Chinatown's annual parade
If you are willing to brave the crowds, Chinatown offers a variety of celebrations and performances bringing together east and south east Asian traditions and culture through festivities, dishes and decorations. Its annual parade will take place on 2 February, starting from East of Trafalgar Square to Chinatown, with an abundance of lion dance performances beforehand.
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