The most Scottish night of the year is almost upon us. It may be 227 years since the death of the great bard Robert Burns but celebrations of his life and works have gone from strength to strength, with restaurants across London and beyond hosting Burns Supper evenings complete with whisky pairings.
If you fancy ending Dry January with a big old dram of Scotland’s finest, presented while a man in a kilt plays a mangled tune on the bagpipes, then we have you well and truly covered.
1) Mama Shelter London
Mama Shelter London Shoreditch is hosting a Burns supper on 25 January from 6:30-10:00pm. It promises an evening of patriotic performances sure to tug at your heart strings, from powerful pipes to poignant poems. Tuck into a delicious set feasting menu to the cosy backdrop of Mama’s fireside, with the meal priced at £49 per person. Whiskey flights will also be available for those wanting to really warm their cockles.
Menu highlights will include cock-a-Leekie Soup, a classic dish with leeks and corn-fed chicken; haggis neeps and tatties, the national dish of Scotland made here with lamb haggis minced with onions, garlic and spices; and poached dates and honeycomb cranachan, the king of Scottish desserts.
Book here.
2) Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill
Chef Richard Corrigan and the Bentley’s Oyster Bar team will pay homage to their fellow Celts in typically lively fashion. Guests will experience specials including roasted Orkney scallops, Highland venison loin paired with haggis, neeps and tatties, and a tipsy laird trifle to conclude the meal. These specials debut on 22 January, and guests can enjoy Bentley’s resident piper’s Address to the Haggis on Burns Night itself. An array of Scotch will, of course, feature on the menu.
Book here.
3) Nessa
In celebration of Burns Night, Nessa will introduce haggis brioche to the menu for the month of January. A play on the restaurant’s signature black pudding brioche, executive chef Tom Cenci has created the limited edition special, which will be served with brown butter noisette alongside neeps and tatties and gravy. The dish is best enjoyed with a glass of Scotch single malt whisky from Nessa’s extensive drinks list.
Book here.
4) The Cadogan Arms
Partnering with Aberfeldy whisky, The Cadogan Arms in Chelsea will be serving a three-course Scottish feast alongside a live bagpiper and traditional recitation of the Burns’ famous poem ‘Address to a Haggis’. The Burns Night set menu will start with whisky cured smoked Scottish salmon, followed by venison and haggis wellington, and finished with a Scottish raspberry and whisky chranachan.
The Burns Night dining experience will be available at £75 per person for the three-course menu, two Aberfeldy whisky cocktails and a dram of Aberfeldy 12-year-old, served alongside dessert to cheers Rabbie Burns.
Book here.
5) Origin City
Nose-to-tail dining restaurant, Origin City, are creating a special Burns Supper for the occasion as a nod to their strong links with produce and whiskies from Scotland. The evening kicks off at 7pm with a supper club style service, with guests treated to a whisky cocktail on arrival, followed by a traditional four course menu and an address to the Haggis.
All of the meat served comes from the owner’s 600 acre organic farm in Argyll, Scotland, including traditional heritage breeds such as Black Aberdeen Angus, Large Black and Tamworth outdoor-reared pigs, and Texel Lamb. The seafood also comes from their aquafarm, Loch Fyne Oyster. It’s available for £75 per person.
Book here.
6) Brown’s Brasserie
Browns Brasserie & Bar in Covent Garden will be hosting a special evening on the 25th to celebrate Burns Night in style. Immerse yourself in the spirit of Burns Night with a three-course menu, which is available with whisky pairing, highlighting the exceptional flavours of Scotland in the heart of London. The menu will be available for one night only at the recently refurbished Covent Garden site, as well as other select Browns restaurants across the country. Three courses are priced at £36 per person or £52 per person with the added whisky pairing.
Book here.
7) The White Horse
This Burn’s Night, The White Horse in Parson’s Green is celebrating Robert Burns with plenty of Scottish classics. There will be an indulgent 3-course menu with a whisky flight available from 25-27 January. Each menu is served with a flight of three whiskies including Monkey Shoulder, Glenfiddich 12 year old and The Balvenie 12 year old. As an added dedication to Robert Burns, a whisky expert will be present on 26 January to educate guests on tasting notes and how to pair whiskies with the traditional Scottish menu.
Book here.
8) Bureau
Bureau Restaurant in the heart of the new Design District is putting on a special menu with two courses available for just £15 and three for £20. The menu is made up of cullen skink (leek, potato, smoked haddock and cream soup) to start, followed by haggis, neeps and tatties with a whisky sauce, and finished with a dessert of cranachan semifreddo. The menu is available on 25 and 26 January.
Book here.
9) Carousel
Creative culinary hub Carousel is inviting back residency veteran chef Tomás Gormley for his second iteration of Burns Night festivities. Last year, Gormley was one of four Scottish chefs cooking an eight-hands dinner of modern Scottish dishes, and this year he is returning solo to take the helm. Since his last Carousel appearance, Gormley and his co-founder Sam Yorke were awarded a Michelin star for their restaurant Heron, and Gormley has now opened a sister venture Skua.
Limited tickets are available for this special one-off affair and the evening will be fuelled by drinks brand Aberfeldy Highland single malt Scottish whiskey. Guests can expect lobster and squid ink crumpets and venison with quince, endive and bread sauce.
Book here.
10) Duke of Cambridge
Duke of Cambridge in the heart of Islington is celebrating Burns Night on 25 January with a one-off ‘Regenerative Burns Night Menu’ and a live bagpipes performance. Head chef Rico Abella has devised a traditional menu featuring an array of Scottish-inspired dishes with ingredients supplied by the Rhug Estate’s regeneratively farmed meat and Hodmedod’s sustainably produced British pulses and grains.
To start, guests can enjoy cullen skink before tucking into the quintessential Burns Night staple of haggis, neeps and tatties, served with whisky gravy. To finish off, guests can choose between clootie dumpling – delicate steamed Scottish dumplings packed full of dried fruits and spices and served with spiced caramel – or cranachan. During dinner, guests can enjoy a live bagpipes performance from a Scotsman in full highland attire, who will pipe the haggis in. The meal is priced at £45pp.
Book here.
11) Rails Restaurant, Great Northern Hotel
Banish the January blues and don your tartan for a highland menu like no other at Rails Restaurant at the luxury boutique Great Northern Hotel, which is plating up a delicious three course Burns Night Menu for £30 per person. Kick off with cullen skink before you gorge on the traditional haggis with neeps and tattiesand finish with an iconic Scottish cranachan loaded with homemade cream and raspberries. Better yet, pair it all with an overnight stay in one of the chic bedrooms for a Burns Night to remember.
Book here.
12) Ham Yard Hotel
This Burns supper will begin with a canapé and cocktail reception before the five-course Scottish-inspired feast, paired with a selection of whiskies. Hosted at Ham Yard with their friends at Islay based whisky distillery Bruichladdich, guests will learn all about Scottish whisky and discover the nuances between five very different bottles. Executive chef Jamie Atkinson’s menu features Loch Fyne smoked salmon; haggis, neeps and tatties; venison wellington and burnt orange brûlée. The meal will finish with a cheese course paired with a peaty whisky. The meal is priced at £100 and takes place on 25 January.
Book here.
13) Acme Fire Cult
Acme Fire Cult will be celebrating Burns Night with a ticketed paired dinner in collaboration with Ardbeg whisky, the peatiest malt whisky in Islay. Starting at 7pm, the Dalston live-fire restaurant will mark the Scottish tradition by hosting a three-course supper from chefs Andrew Clarke and Daniel Watkins, accompanied by Ardbeg cocktails.
The menu will begin with starters of smoked salmon and whisky-heather honey glaze; cured venison with pickled quince; and bitter leaves, warm crumpets and cultured butter. For the main, guests will enjoy a traditional serving of smoked haggis, neeps and tatties, Ardbeg whisky mushroom sauce with Caledonian cream, with Robert Burns’s famed poem ‘Address to a Haggis’ performed by an actor ahead of serving. There will also be Burns poetry readings throughout the evening, as well as a soundtrack from DJ Pam Hogg. Tickets cost £100 per person (including dinner, two cocktails and a boilermaker).
Book here.
