Chinese New Year 2017 in London

Spicy Rooster at Fu Manchu

Chilli nuts can ring in the year if the rooster with a Spicy Rooster cocktail at late night dim sum parlour Fu Manchu in Clapham. Created by head bartender Paulo Ferreira, the fiery, devil red concoction blends chilli-infused vodka, grenadine, lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white and comes garnished with a red chilli. Only for the brave… Those seeking something milder can get their lips around a delicate, floral Lady Jasmine, or the lip numbing Szechauan Sling.

Waltzing Collins at Hakkasan Mayfair

Hakkasan Mayfair is going big on Chinese New Year with a bespoke limited edition menu priced at £88 or £108 with wine pairings. Anyone who goes for the menu will be served a Waltzing Collins to kick off the night in style.

The Asian inspired drink twists on a Tom Collins with the addition of baijiu, saké, mandarin, lemon, grenadine, cucumber and sparkling wine. Among the dishes you can get stuck into are braised chicken abalone with gold leaf; stir fry lobster in a white pepper sauce and ginger panna cotta with mandarin.

Inspired by the Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees in Hong Kong, guests are invited to share their hopes for the coming year by writing wishes on red and gold ribbons that will be hung in the restaurant. There will also be Chinese dragon dances.

The Rangoon at Mr Fogg’s

Taking any opportunity to throw a party, eccentric cocktail bar Mr Fogg’s in Mayfair has created a bespoke cocktail to mark the year of the rooster. Dubbed the Rangoon, it blends the oriental flavours of Kewichow Moutai, cherry dessert wine, blackberry purée, raspberry jam, fresh lemon juice, home-made lavender syrup and fresh egg white and is served in a china teacup with a sprig of lavender.

Double Happiness at Hutong

If you’re keen to mark Chinese New Year while enjoying some of the most breathtaking views of the capital, then head to Szechuan restaurant Hutong in The Shard where you can chow down on its Double Happiness four-course set menu.

Priced at £88 (eight is considered a lucky number in China as it’s also the symbol of infinity), diners can feast on raw seafood salad with sweet plum sauce; Shanghai wonton in chicken broth; and spicy minced pork with string beans, while enjoying the spectacle of a traditional dragon dance, though to ward off evil spirits. A Chinese calligrapher will also be on hand to sign your menu.

Fire Rooster at Drunken Monkey

Dim sum joint and craft cocktail bar The Drunken Monkey in Shoredtich has created a lip-tingling cocktail to toast the new year with. Christened the Fire Rooster, it marries with jasmine infused Willem Barentsz gin, velvet falernum, lime juice, apple juice, ginger cordial, mint and vanilla sugar. Your cockles will be duly warmed.

Feast on London’s best duck at Min Jiang

Duck is tipped to be the meat on Londoners lips in 2017. For a slice (or ten) of the capital’s finest, head to Min Jiang at the Royal Garden hotel in Kensington, where the birds are theatrically carved at your table.

The duck comes in two acts: act one sees it cut into slices to be crammed into paper-thin pancakes slathered with hoisin and stuffed with shredded leek and cucumber. There’s also an edgier option of minced raw garlic, radish and pickled cabbage. Be sure to take a square of crispy skin and dip it in the accompanying sugar, for a full-on fat-sweet fest.

There’s also the option of a nine-course Chinese New Year feast for £98 that includes braised pork belly with abalone; stir-fried razor clams with asparagus in XO sauce; and a dried scallop soup with ‘sea treasures’.

Taste Ao Yun at Park Chinois

Keen to try the most expensive wine currently being made in China? Then hoof it to Alan Yao’s swish Park Chinois in Mayfair where LVMH’s Shangri-La-made Ao Yun is on pour by the glass for an eye-watering £70 for 125ml or £100 for 175ml. Sip on the luxury drop, said to boast notes of “ripe red fruits, spices and tobacco”, while watching dragon dances and tucking into New Year specials like braised pork belly with tam, roasted duck with Australian abalone and sun dried oyster, dried scallop and sea moss.

Buddha jumps over the wall soup at China Tang 

For those for whom money is no object, you might like to try China Tang’s Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup for a mere £280. Put on the menu especially for Chinese New Year, it combines four different soups including shark fin. The more affordable shumai with preserved oyster and sea moss at £12 might be a more tempting option, and the celeb spotting opportunities are endless at the opulent, 1930s inspired venue.

Red envelopes at Royal China

Widely considered as the place to go for authentic dim sum in London, Royal China will be celebrating the year of the rooster by presenting guests with a red envelope symbolising good luck and protection, some of which contain prizes, from glasses of Champagne and bottles of wine to free meals. Diners can also enjoy dragon dances accompanied by drums, cymbals and gongs and a bespoke menu of limited edition dishes.

Abalone dumplings at Chai Wu

Daring diners can get their kicks at Chai Wu in Harrods, which will be serving abalone dumplings as part of its limited edition Chinese New Year menu priced at £118 per head. Blending traditional and contemporary Chinese dishes like steamed scallops with garlic and vermicelli; Wagyu beef in a red wine and black pepper sauce; chao zhou style steamed black cod; and rice with abalone sauce wrapped in steamed lotus leaves.

Kung Fu Classics at Duck & Rice

And finally… Bruce Lee fans can get their Kung Fu on at Duck & Rice in Soho, which will be screening Kung Fu classics like Kung Fu Hustle, Kung Fu Chefs and Kung Fu Panda (for the kids) every day over the Chinese New Year period. New Year specials at the restaurant include steamed lotus leaf-wrapped sea bass with black bean sauce; and braised moi choi pork belly. Look out for traditional dragon dances and fortune cookies too.