Burns Night in London

Scottish scran purveyors Auld Hag return to Lock Warehouse this weekend with an all-singing, all-stomping celebration of Robert Burns. Expect live poetry, theatre and songs woven through the night, building to a full-throttle rendition of Tam o’ Shanter. A piper leads the Address to a Haggis, followed by a feast of haggis, neeps and tatties, then a ceilidh that keeps the floor busy till late. Wee pies are also served throughout the night (expect cotch, smoked haddock and macaroni) and there’s a headline set from Katie Gregson-Macleod, plus plenty of whisky and gin cocktails, as well as the beer and cider from top Scottish breweries at the bar. Wear tartan and bring your dancing shoes.

Julie’s, west London’s posh boho bistro, is celebrating Burns Night with an evening of Scottish cuisine. Sit down in the restaurant’s famously plush dining room to tuck into dishes including lamb belly and haggis scotch egg, crispy langoustines with black pudding, and the classic Haggis with neeps and tatties. For pudding, there’ll be a traditional Clootie dumpling served with whisky ice cream. Woolf it all down with fine wines, Scottish whiskies and even an Irn Bru daiquiri, all while being serenaded by a traditional bagpipe performance. You’ll be reciting Tam o’ Shanter before the evening’s through. 

Big Penny Social, the massive taproom and community events space off Blackhorse Lane, knows a thing or two about throwing huge frolicking events, so expect a belter for its Burns Night celebrations. The largest beer hall in London will be inviting over 1,000 Londoners to strip the willow across a selection of ceilidhs over five days, with an added Burns Night supper on Sunday. As well as a traditional live band and caller to lead you through the Gaelic dances, there’ll be bagpipes, a bar stocked full of Scottish whisky and haggis on the menu. 

London’s biggest Burns Night event is back. The Ceilidh Club runs Ceilidhs in the capital all year long and has been doing so since 1998 – so, if you’re looking for a proper authentic Burns’ celebration, this is the place. It’s a night of jigs, reels, poetry, Haggis, bagpipes and proper Scottish trad. A live caller will talk you through the steps and will have you doing the ‘Flying Scotsman’ in no time, ready to belt out Auld Lang Syne at the end.

For most of the year, the Gladwin brothers serve up sustainable produce from their very English farm in West Sussex. But this January, they're heading northwards with a Scottish menu of Burn's Night fare. All the traditional trimmings will be present at their Soho bar restaurant Sussex: whisky cocktails, a two-step highland fling, a live bag-piper and of course creative takes on classic dishes like haggis and cranachan, preceded by creative starters including a mushroom marmite eclair. If you want a simpler way of marking Rabsy's birthday, then head to other Gladwin brother joints such as The Shed, Notting Hill or The Pig's Ear Chelsea, where you can order just a dish of haggis, neeps and tatties for £18.

The Galvin brothers' Michelin-starred collection of restaurants are all putting their best foot forward for Burns Night this year, with special menus, pipers and readings of the legendary poet's work. You'll find the most lavish bash at Galvin La Chapelle,  which will serve up an elaborate fine dining menu including Isle of Harris gin-cured salmon with Oscietra caviar, followed by rump of lamb with haggis (tickets £105). Galvin Bistrot & Bar will present a more comforting, convivial take on tradition in a bistro-style setting (tickets £75) while Galvin Green Man in Chelmsford will offer a more classically Scottish four course menu (£55). 

We can all agree that Scotland has some of the best produce and food in the British Isles (and yes, we’re including deep-fried Mars bars). For Burns’ Night, Mayfair’s historic Connaught Grill is celebrating the brilliance of the Scottish larder with a five-course Burns Menu. Curated by executive head chef Ramiro Lafuente Martinez, it’ll be full of dishes made with premium Scottish produce alongside whiskey from the prestigious Aberfeldy Distillery on pour. Courses include Scottish glazed haggis dumpling, cured Scottish salmon gravlax, marinated Highland venison loin, Scottish goat’s cheese, and the Scottish classic dessert Cranachan. You can even pair it with expertly chosen cocktails, drams and wines. Burns, but make it luxe. 

Burns Night menu is priced at £140pp or £280pp with an additional drinks pairing. Available alongside the à la carte from 19-25th January. On 22 January, only the Burn’s Night menu will be served.

Celebrate Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns by donning a kilt and pounding the streets of London. Led by a kilt-wearing personal trainer, this 10k will begin at the Robert Burns Statue in Victoria Embankment Gardens, taking in Scotland-themed sights including Scotland Place, Scotland Yard, the London Scottish Regiment & Museum and Scotland House before ending up back at Rabbie’s bust. There’ll be a price for the best Scotland-themed get-up, and afterwards you can join fellow runners for a dram at a nearby pub.

Find more Burns Night events in London

Ria’s Pizza is putting on a big Burns blowout at both its Soho and Notting Hill branches. The set Scottish menu starts off with haggis pops followed by a deliciously filthy haggis-neeps-and-tatties pizza pie. Then for dessert there’s deep fried Mars bars and Irn Bru ice cream from cult brand Big Kid. And of course, the most appropriate way to wash all of that down will be with Ria’s specially made whiskey cocktails.

Burns Night gets a polished London spin at The London EDITION, where Jason Atherton’s restaurant the Berners Tavern hosts its annual salute to Robert Burns. The room is dressed in tartan, thistles and heather, setting the scene for a hearty feast of Scottish classics: on the menu is gin-cured Loch Duart salmon, haggis with neeps and tatties (with a vegetarian option), and Cranachan to close. Live piping and a ceilidh band keep things lively throughout the evening, while a Burns Night–exclusive whisky and lemon sherbet cocktail adds to the revelry. If you miss it, the food continues throughout the weekend, too.

Hackney’s very own ceilidh band Cut A Shine has made a name for itself with its regular dances in the beautiful Round Chapel on Glenarm Road. So, expect the group to pull out all the stops for Burns Night. Its four-day Burns celebration promises nights full of non-stop dancing as well as a food stall selling traditional Scottish scran (but make sure you order your food in advance). There’s also a dedicated whisky bar if you need some Dutch courage before pulling out your moves. Get practising your strip the willow and dashing white sargeant now. 

Inside Kaya Great Northern Hotel you'll find RAILS, a plushy little restaurant with brown leather banquets and a French-inspired menu inspired by its location right by the Eurostar terminal. For Burns Night they're looking North instead of South, with an affordable and imaginative take on Scottish tradition. The set menu begins with an ‘Ae Fond Kiss’ cocktail, blending Scottish whisky, passionfruit and chilli, followed by classics including Cullen skink soup, haggis with neeps, tatties and whisky sauce, and a traditional cranachan dessert.

Talking Heads star David Byrne might be more commonly associated with New York, but the musician has Scottish roots – he was, in fact, born in Dumbarton. That and his surname make him the perfect figure to centre a Burns Night celebration around, which is exactly what promoters Dancing Barefoot are doing at Moth Club. The night will feature a rotating cast of house bands and guest singers, all paying tribute to Byrne with covers of his solo material, Talking Heads songs and other related tracks. Taking to the stage will be members of Dream Wife, Gently Tender, Goat Girl, Mary In The Junkyard, Nuha Ruby Ra, The Last Dinner Party, and more.

Send your sporran flying at this big queer Burns Night ceilidh. Man Up 20245 finalist Gay Gordon will host the knees-up which calls on dancers to bring their boldest, most daring moves to the floor. Forget bagpipes, these Virginia Reels and Strip the Willows will be done to the ‘brattiest of pop bangers’, while the Tough Boys dance collective will be leading you through the steps. Food will be provided by London’s only Scottish deli Auld Hag and all the money raised will go to Medical Aid Palestine. And the dress code? Your sluttiest tartan. 

Both Sam’s Waterside in Brentford and Sam’s Riverside in Hammersmith will be pulling out all the stops for Burns’ Night this year with curated three-course menus, whisky cocktails, plus live bagpipes from Robin Turnball, who’ll be travelling between the two venues to reel off some sporran-raising tunes. 

At Sam’s Riverside, enjoy a welcome dram of Woven whisky, before diving into Head Chef Karol Mielczarek’s cullen skink, cured salmon, lamb and neeps and tatties terrine. Over at Sam’s Waterside in Brentford, Head Chef Abbie Hendren is also cooking up a feast of Scottish morning rolls and salted Stirling butter, tattie soup, Aberdeen Angus beef carpaccio and a saddle of Highland venison. There’s also whiskey cocktail parings to go with each dish.  

Go trad for Chop House & Tavern’s Burns Night experience which will be serving a menu centred on haggis with neeps and tatties, alongside hearty winter dishes and drams of whisky. Book in for the special Burns Night supper at their sites in Liverpool Street and Paternoster Square, at its Butler’s Wharf restaurant however, it’s pulling out all the stops with live bagpipes and a rousing recital of Robert Burns’ Ode to a Haggis (only available on Sunday January 25).

Almost all of the classic traditions of Burns Night will be honoured at The Duke Organic’s knees-up. The gastropub’s special £60 set menu will serve up cullen skink, haggis, neeps and tatties and a cranachan and clootie dumpling (all organic of course, with veggie and vegan options available too). As guests woolf down the Scottish scran and sip on drams of whisky, there’ll be live bagpipes, a reading of Burns' Address to a Haggis and the ceremonial piping-in of the haggis taking place at 8pm.