Top spots to celebrate Chinese New Year in Dubai

Restaurants are ringing in the Year of the Horse with dim sum, Peking duck, lion dances and more

From colourful dragon dances to mega feasts designed for sharing, Chinese New Year in Dubai unfolds as a citywide celebration of culture, collective and good fortune. As the Year of the Horse gallops in, restaurants, hotels and other venues across the city are marking the occasion with special menus, immersive décor and time-honoured traditions, all delivered with Dubai’s signature flair.

LING LING DUBAI

In a fun twist to CNY celebrations, Ling Ling Lounge is encouraging its guests to obtain symbolic gold coins and exchange them for signature mocktails, cocktails and bites. Guests can purchase four gold coins for just Dhs100 per person, redeemable against the Lunar New Year bar menu with one coin per item. The extensive menu includes eight beverages and small plates to choose from, including salt & pepper calamari, short rib and fried chicken bao buns, black pepper asparagus dumplings, taro truffle dumplings, Vietnamese vegetarian spring rolls and Malaysian chicken robata skewers.

Ling Ling Dubai, Atlantis The Royal, February 17 to March 3, Sun to Wed 6pm to 11.45pm, Thur to Sat 6pm to 12:15am, from Dhs100. Tel: (0)4 426 2600. @linglingdubai

HAKKASAN DUBAI

Trust chef Andy Toh to turn the Lunar New Year into high theatre. At the one-MICHELIN-starred Hakkasan Dubai in Atlantis, The Palm, the Year of the Horse unfolds as a nine-course procession of symbolism and polish. It opens with a delicate “fortune money dumpling bag” with king crab, scallops, chilli and crisp water chestnuts bundled as a gilded nod to wealth. Then comes the octopus “yusheng” salad, a riot of seven vegetables and tradition, tossed high for prosperity. The restaurant’s lacquered Peking duck remains a showstopper, followed by red seabream brightened with calamansi soy. Australian wagyu arrives blushed in auspicious red – peppercorn, pomegranate and beetroot – reinforcing themes of luck and abundance. Dessert pays tribute to the Horse in sculptural form, while the Celestial Steed cocktail – all citrus, basil and botanicals – delivers a crystal-clear, aromatic accompaniment.

Hakkasan Dubai, Atlantis, The Palm, February 16 to March 3, 6pm to 11pm, Dhs738 per person. Tel: (0) 4 426 1000. @hakkasandubai

MEI

The new MEI restaurant in Jumeirah Mina Al Salam approaches Chinese New Year with a more modern, indulgent hand. The set menu opens lightly with mixed mushroom salad sharpened by aged vinegar, before moving into premium dim sum. The headline is a Peking duck designed for sharing, backed up by wok-seared Guilin lobster and a lemon sea bass. Traditional performances rotate across the restaurant on February 16 and 17.

MEI, Jumeirah Mina A Salam, Sun to Thur noon to 1am, Fri and Sat noon to 2pm, from Dhs550. Tel: (0)4 435 6888.
@mei.dxb

SHI

SHI’s Chinese New Year menu on Bluewaters leans into polished crowd-pleasers. Dim sum hits the familiar notes with har gau, chicken siu mai and a crisp prawn pancake, before moving into richer territory with Wagyu beef claypot, red snapper dressed in a punchy Gan Shao Yu sauce, and of course a Peking duck dish. Dessert lands on symbolism rather than indulgence with a Yin and Yang finish. While the set menu is available all week, lion dances and fan performances rotate across the venue on February 16 and 17, adding atmosphere without overwhelming the dining room.

SHI, Bluewaters, Dubai, weekdays 1pm to 1am, and weekends 1pm to 2am, from Dhs500. Tel: (0)4 393 9990. @shi.dxb

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Maiden Shanghai

Celebrate Chinese New Year, the Year of the Fire Horse, with a special four-course gourmet set menu that showcases Maiden Shanghai classics such as crystal shrimp dumplings, boom boom chicken and A5 Japanese Wagyu rib-eye. Each dish has been carefully chosen to capture the essence of the season.

Maiden Shanghai, FIVE Palm Jumeirah, Sunday 15 February to 23 February, Dhs299 for a four-course set menu and a la carte beverages, Dhs599 for a four-course premium set menu and a la carte beverages. Tel: (0)4 455 9989. @fivepalmjumeirah

TATTU Dubai

TATTU Dubai marks the Year of the Fire Horse with a slick, two-week celebration (17 February to 3 March) that’s all about shared plates and high-altitude drama. Spanning Level 74’s TATTU Restaurant and the Sky Lounge on Level 81, the experience pairs skyline views with a limited-edition sharing menu of modern Asian favourites – think dim sum, seafood and signature mains built for the table. A glass-horse cocktail spiked with blood orange, lemongrass and chilli sets the tone, while a theatrical, Fire Horse-inspired dessert brings the ritual to a sweet, symbolic close.

TATTU Restaurant & TATTU Sky Lounge, Ciel Dubai Marina, Dubai, daily between 17 Feb to 3 Mar, from 4pm to 8pm, Dhs245 per person. Tel: (0)4 498 5400. @tattudubai

Mosaico

Afternoon tea gets a Lunar New Year glow-up at Mosaico, where Palazzo Versace Dubai swaps finger sandwiches for dim sum in a Chinese-themed high tea. Set in the hotel’s lavish lobby lounge, the experience pairs delicate bites with panoramic skyline views, wrapped in festive décor and traditional entertainment that leans into the spirit of the season. Available from February 15 to 20, between 10am and 7pm, the Chinese New Year high tea is priced at Dhs420 per person.

Mosaico, Palazzo Versace Dubai, Al Jaddaf, from February 15 to 20, Dhs420. Tel: (0)4 556 8888. @palazzoversacedubai

Shang Palace 

At the Shangri-La’s much-loved Shang Palace, Chinese New Year is marked with a celebratory set menu running from February 16 to 20. Expect classic flavours delivered with polish, but it’s the lo hei salad – the symbolic “prosperity toss” – that steals the spotlight. Gather your table, mix with gusto and good intentions, and toast to luck, wealth and longevity for the year ahead. Book for February 17 and the festivities dial up a notch, with a traditional lion dance and a dose of old-school New Year theatre to the dining room.

Shang Palace, Shangri-La, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dhs398 per person. Tel: (0)4 405 2703. @shangpalace.dubai

MOLI

MOLI marks Chinese New Year with a set menu offering that opens with crowd-pleasers such as duck spring rolls, turnip cake and a curated selection of handcrafted dim sum, before moving on to heartier mains including Kung Pao chicken, tender lamb ribs and a warming Sichuan vegetable pot. Set menus are priced from Dhs400 per person.

MOLI, Dubai Hills Business Park, Sun to Thur noon to 1am, Fri and Sat noon to 2am, from Dhs400. Tel: (0)4 276 3338. @molidubai

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