Where to celebrate Burns Night in London

How better to shake off the January Blues than with a knees-up Burns Night celebration, complete with whisky, haggis and bagpipes (if you’re lucky)? On Sunday 25th January, London’s finest restaurants and bars will pay tribute to the great Rabbie Burns, who sits proudly atop the pantheon of Scottish poets. Here, we’ve compiled a few suggestions for how to celebrate.

Oriole, the subterranean Covent Garden speakeasy from the team behind Nightjar and Bar Swift, is marking the occasion of Burns Night with a week-long celebration. From the 21st to the 25th January, guests can enjoy a whisky flight from Highland Park, which showcases whisky drams of different age expressions, spanning 12, 15 and 18 years. At £15 per flight, it’d be rude not to.

There’s nowhere better to ring in Burns Night than a proper pub lock-in, and this year the Walmer Castle in Notting Hill delivers. From 19 January, they will be running a week-long celebration of Robert Burns, featuring limited-edition Burns-themed cocktails, craft ales, and Scottish specials. Pair your obligatory whisky with traditional Cullen Skink, Aberdeen Angus beef brisket with crispy haggis, and of course a raspberry cranachan finished with a touch of Scotch whisky. To transform Notting Hill into the Scottish Highlands, expect the stirring sounds of Jamie Kelley on the bagpipes, with each evening kicking off with the traditional Address to the Haggis.

Soho’s Ham Yard Hotel is joining forces with The Macallan for a one-off dinner on the eve of Burns Night. The evening will kick off with canapés and a whisky cocktail, priming diners for an indulgent five course feast that showcases traditional Scottish flavours and includes dishes like Loch Fyne smoked salmon; haggis, neeps, and tatties; and the main course, venison wellington. The Macallan's Brand Ambassador George Michie will be on hand to present a selection of expertly paired whiskies, exploring the distinct character of each.

For a Burns Night experience fit for Rabbie himself, make your way to Bentley’s Oyster Bar and Grill. A traditional Haggis Address will be performed by the restaurant’s resident piper, Maggie McNaulty, before a meal of Cullen skink, roast Orkney scallops, Highland venison loin with haggis neeps and tatties, and Tipsy Laird trifle – not to mention plenty of whisky.

Hackney live-fire destination Acme Fire Cult is celebrating Burns Night the only way it knows how, with an indulgent feast. The evening begins with its inimitable Marmite Bread with pecorino and coal-roasted leeks with pistachio romesco, before the main event of haggis with an Ardbeg cream sauce, alongside traditional neeps and tatties. Dessert is Acme’s famed Sticky Toffee Pudding, finished with a special Ardbeg miso caramel, and all guests will be treated to a welcome cocktail. Topping off the festivities are drams of Ardbeg Anthology 15-year-old Beithir’s Tale, a seriously limited release that signifies a first for the Scottish distillery..

Nessa is known for its creative takes on classic dishes (its Viennessa is a spruced-up version of the iconic dinner party dessert) so it’s only right for the Soho restaurant to have something inventive up its sleeve for Burns Night. And that it does. Executive Chef Tom Cenci is marking the occasion with a special haggis brioche, a Scottish-inspired iteration of its signature black pudding brioche. Served with brown butter noisette alongside neeps and tatties and gravy, the dish is best washed down with a glass of Scotch single malt whisky from the Nessa bar.

South Kensington gastropub The Hunter’s Moon will be hosting its annual Burns Night celebration, a Scottish knees-up complete with bagpipes, whisky cocktails and plenty of scran – think Loch Duart salmon and Cullen skink velouté, followed by roast venison loin with haggis, neeps and tatties, and a brown sugar tart to finish.

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