Best Restaurants For New Year's Day In London

A unique fusion restaurant located close to Green Park, May Fair Kitchen serves both a refined Japanese izakaya-style menu and a selection of classic Italian dishes. They also offer one of the city's most decadent afternoon teas, created in collaboration with Charbonnel et Walker. 

Take a seat in their elegant dining space, flaunting black marble tables, leather seating and sultry low lighting. While you're here, enjoy a carefully curated selection of dishes, including yellowfin tuna sashimi, stone-baked Neapolitan pizzas and chargrilled cabbage with jalapeno truffle butter.

A fine dining destination in the heart of Westminster, Yaatra Restaurant is a top choice for a sophisticated start to 2025. The elegant building was created in 1906, once a fire station, but now it's a modern venue decked out in white tiled walls, vibrant orange furnishings and golden lampshades.

They specialise in high quality Indian cooking, led by Executive Chef Amit Bagyal - who has previously worked at Michelin-starred Benares and Kanishka Mayfair. You can hire private rooms for between eight and 50 guests, or take a seat in their main space to enjoy the likes of tandoori tiger prawns, butter chicken and roasted sweet peppers. Or for something a little more decadent, try their seven-course tasting menu for £80 per person.

Got a hankering for dim sum? Ping Pong Southbank, St Christopher's Place and Soho are a few of the London restaurants open on New Year's Day and they are serving up signature dumplings to the masses. Refuel on hearty winter sharing plates, share some crispy duck and get stuck into shanghai xiaolongbao, because you deserve it. 

When it comes to the best restaurants open on New Year's Day in London, Tuttons - one of the most famous and long standing restaurants in Covent Garden, found right in the historical piazza - is the perfect pick. With seasonal menus focussed on the best of British ingredients and suppliers, you can grab a meal of recognisable yet elevated grub.

The New Year's Eve set menu includes everything from confit pork belly with seared scallop, red wine-braised cabbage, celeriac purée, black pudding, cider jus and crispy sage to classic crème brûlée.

Located in the vibrant Soho district, Machiya offers a taste of traditional Japanese dining with a focus on high-quality ingredients and authentic recipes.

Specializing in katsu, ramen, and donburi, the menu features a selection of comforting dishes, carefully crafted to deliver both traditional flavours and contemporary twists. It brings a unique dining experience for New Year's Day with its warm, minimalist décor, which blends Japanese aesthetics with a cosy,  modern atmosphere. 

If you didn't book your New Year's Eve dinner in London for 2024 here, head down to this elegant Mayfair venue for some fine dining on 1st of January. This five-star boutique hotel is renowned for its impeccable service, elegant decor, and prime location near attractions like the British Museum.

The Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel offers sophisticated dishes as part of its festive a la carte menu, such as Hereford aged t-bone steak (£85), spiced roasted cauliflower (£24) and their touted 'best Dover sole in London' (£65). 

Americana London is a vibrant Southern American restaurant nestled in the West End, offering a warm, welcoming atmosphere perfect for both casual meals and special occasions.

The menu features classic dishes like smoky slow-barbecued lamb shoulder and flame-grilled pork belly, along with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. The space boasts a private dining area and a hidden cocktail bar for a unique experience. Guests can also enjoy live music nights, including jazz and Latin-themed performances, making it an ideal venue for New Year's Day.

For a taste of the finest British steak and sustainable seafood, check out Hawksmoor. Their Wood Wharf restaurant bar, which floats on the water right in Canary Wharf, is the setting we'd most recommend - however their locations in Seven Dials, Air Street and more are just as swanky.

Menus include roasted scallops in white port and garlic butter, Winslade Wellington, and everything from chateaubriand to bone-in prime rib, sirloin and fillet for your steak cuts. On the side? Beef dripping chips, creamed spinach, and mac and cheese.

Davy's at St James is a place to pair amazing British food with expertise in fine wine this New Year's Day. The underground restaurant and wine bar is making sure you get your fix of award-winning steaks from Donald Russell and bottles from Davy's Wine Merchants, with menus even including wine pairings for select dishes.

Cures for a heavy head come from Inamo's Soho and Covent Garden locations, where they'll be slinging sushi and offering interactive techy experiences that are sure to bring you back to life.

Venture down on New Year's Day to take in gorgeous dark wooden furnishings and tables where you can play battleships while you wait for your food. Feast on beef tataki, spicy aubergine and yuzu pork belly. To round it off? A little hair of the dog from the expert cocktail creators. 

Old Compton Brasserie is a Soho institution that's full of vibrant, colourful decor - including work from local artists and pop art-style paintings of iconic names like Twiggy and Kate Moss. Expect leather booths and marble-topped tables, alongside a cracking list of cocktails curated by master bartender Mr Fox.

On the 1st, tuck into a wide range of European dishes - ranging from lamb shank with potato puree to seafood linguine and baked camembert sharers. Or if you're looking to cure a hangover, try out their brunch menu for eggs Benedict or bacon bubble and squeak.

Soho institution Mele E Pere is the home of homemade pasta and 48-hour-proved pizza, with over a decade of experience serving traditional Italian cooking. Grab the likes of pappardelle with duck and black truffle ragu, aubergine parmigiana and spicy Tuscan salame-covered pizza, with the city's largest collection of vermouth to wash it all down with.

Located in Holborn, Colonel Saab is a stunning Indian restaurant that's filled with century-old antiques owned by Maharajas and all kinds of intriguing, colourful artefacts. Surround yourself with their bright orange walls and elegant chandeliers as you relax in their leather booths, while sipping on an expertly created cocktail from award-winning mixologist Anthony Bertin.

Their food menu has been curated by bestselling food author Karen Anand, featuring the likes of spiced crispy baby potatoes, madras pulled chicken and home-style Indian lamb curry. They also offer an Indian twist on afternoon tea for only £25 per person, with the option to add on prosecco or Champagne.

Located in the vibrant heart of Fitzrovia, Burr & Co is a chic and contemporary café that offers a perfect blend of great coffee, delicious food, and a welcoming atmosphere. Known for its sleek, modern interiors and friendly service, it's a popular spot for both locals and visitors looking for a relaxed yet refined place to unwind.

Burr & Co has a healthy variety of dishes to get stuck into for New Year's Day. Re-energise yourself with overnight oats and rye porridge, or treat your body to The Triple, which includes fried eggs, potato crisps and parmesan croutons. Better yet? The menu is available all day long.

Sometimes a traditional roast won't do, so you set your sights on Italian restaurants for New Year's Day in London. This stylish venue features sleek interiors, with a sophisticated yet warm ambience that's perfect for everything from intimate dinners to family meals.

The menu at Bocconcino is a celebration of Italy's finest ingredients, with a focus on fresh, seasonal produce and classic dishes prepared with contemporary flair. On the 1st of January, it'll be serving up gorgeous silky strands of seafood linguine, yellowtail baked with cherry tomatoes and fresh pizza, as well as classic cocktails and wines.

Pizza Pilgrims brings the true taste of Naples to the city and you can't go wrong with one of its affordable pizzas at its London venues on New Year's Day. Specialising in Neapolitan-style pizzas, the menu features freshly made sourdough bases topped with high-quality, authentic ingredients.

Whether you're indulging in a classic margherita or trying something a bit more adventurous like the double pepperoni and spicy honey, each pizza is made to perfection in a traditional wood-fired oven, ensuring a crispy, yet soft crust and vibrant, fresh flavour.

Located in the heart of London's West End, Whitcomb's At The Londoner is a sophisticated and elegant restaurant housed within the iconic hotel. The space exudes old-world charm with a modern touch, offering a blend of classic luxury and contemporary style, perfect for both locals and visitors seeking a refined dining experience.

Enjoy two courses for £42 or three for £48 and begin with steak tartare before feasting on pan-fried sea bass or marinated baby chicken. Both set menus are served with a glass of Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs or a spiced French martini.

Nestled within the Karma Sanctum Soho, Wild Heart will be dishing up delicious New Year's Day dinners for eager eaters who wish to dine privately. With many a rock 'n' roll patron gracing their establishment, these guys are sure to have the perfect bank holiday fix for you.

Its main menu includes delectable Asian-inspired plates like chicken gyozas, seared miso marinated sirloin, and pumpkin katsu curry. For dessert, you can expect to wolf down a deliciously indulgent tofu and chocolate mousse. 

Hakkasan Mayfair is a high-class Asian fusion restaurant with a modern Cantonese leaning - first earning a coveted Michelin star in 2003. The signature dishes of head chef Tong Chee Hwee have gone onto inspire the brand's other international restaurants, so you can be sure to get a taste of the original flavours here on New Year's Day.

With both a range of signature set menus to choose from, as well as a la carte featuring the likes of 24-hour slow roasted Iberico pork char siu, black truffle-roasted duck, and charcoal-grilled Japanese Wagyu beef sirloin in sake and black truffle honey sauce, you're spoilt for choice.

The Boundary is located in the heart of Shoreditch, East London, housed in a Victorian building that dates back to the late 19th century. The building was originally designed as a warehouse and has since been transformed into a stylish hotel and restaurant, blending rich history with modern design.

Hunting for the best restaurants for New Year's Day in London with a rooftop? The Boundary will have multiple areas open, so you can kick back with a cocktail and offerings hot off the robata grill, or delicious small plates of crispy squid, confit duck leg or juicy burgers.