Where to celebrate Burns Night this January

Robert Burns is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and Burns Night is a Scottish custom that’s existed since 1801 to pay tribute. The first Burns supper was held by the poet’s friends on the fifth anniversary of his death, and it’s been a regular occurrence ever since. The event is normally held on his birthday, 25^th January, and happens all around the world; some new features have been added along the way but the sentiment remains largely the same. 

Burns suppers can be formal or informal, but they typically include haggis (a quintessentially Scottish dish), Scotch whisky and a recitation of the icon’s poetry. The story usually goes that guests are played in by bagpipers performing traditional Scottish music. Once they’re seated, there’s often a welcoming speech by the host and the Selkirk Grace is said by the party, then (sometimes after a soup course) the famous haggis is piped in. Before it’s eaten, there’s the quirky Address to the Haggis (written by Burns himself), which is recited by the host or a guest, during which the famous savoury pudding is cut open. Burns Night is a fun and unique occasion, and there are lots of ways and places in London (and just outside) to enjoy it. Here are some options to consider.

For experimental spirits and bagpipes: The Barley Mow

Upmarket pub The Barley Mow in Mayfair will also host a Burns Night Feast on the 25^th, in partnership with Nc’nean Whisky – an independent, organic whisky distiller on the west coast of Scotland whose mission is to create experimental spirits and pioneer sustainable production.

Burns Night dishes will include Cullen Skink, Venison an Haggis Wellington with Neeps and Tatties, Seasonal Greens, Whisky Gravy and Rhubarb Cranachan, Scottish Blossom Honey Whisky and Ivy House Cream – each course paired with an optional cocktail, such as Nc’Nean Whisky Spritz, Nc’Nean Wild Negroni or Mc’nean Morvern Bellini. Vegetarian options will also be available, as well as the regular Barley Mow menu. There will be Scotland-inspired bar snacks – and there will be bagpipes!

For further information or to book a table at The Barley Mow Mayfair, 82 Duke Street, London W1K 6JG, visit the pub’s website here. For further information about Nc’nean Whisky visit here.

For serious luxury: Hide

Ollie Dabbous’s Hide in Piccadilly are collaborating with Dalmore whisky on a dinner to celebrate the unveiling of the 2022 collection of vintages: The Dalmore 2003 and The Dalmore 2007. The event will take place on Burns Night in the elegant Hide & Seek Room, and Dalmore’s Toby King will be on hand to walk guests through the history of the whiskies, which dates back over 175 years

The evening will begin with a welcome Dalmore cocktail, followed by a taste of the Highlands with a five-course menu created by Ollie Dabbous for the occasion. A wine and whisky pairing will be served alongside the menu, including, of course, a toast to the esteemed poet on his birthday. Guests will also be able to sample The Dalmore 12YO and The Dalmore Port Wood Reserve, as well as The Dalmore King Alexander III. Tickets are priced at £450 per person with a welcome cocktail, the tasting menu, wine and whisky pairing, coffee, petit fours, service charge and a bottle of The Dalmore 2007 to take home thrown in.

For further information or to book a table Hide, 85 Piccadilly, London W1J 7NB, visit the restaurant’s website here. For further information about Dalmore Whisky visit here.

For a traditional meal: Local & Wild

To mark Burns Night this year the Local & Wild restaurant group (headed up by dynamic brother duo Oliver and Richard Gladwin) will be partnering with Bruichladdich Whisky on a special two-course menu, available on 25^th January. The event will take place across all of their London restaurants including The Shed in Notting Hill, Sussex Soho and Rabbit on the King’s Road in Chelsea, and will feature old-school Scottish fare: there’s a main course of Homemade Baked Haggis, Neeps and Tatties (that’s swede or turnip and potatoes to the uninitiated) with a Bruichladdich whisky jus, followed by a pudding of Cranachan, Heather Honey and Raspberries. There will also be a limited edition cocktail on offer, featuring whisky from the same maker.

For further information about the Local & Wild Burn’s Night events or to book a table, visit the group’s website here. For further information about Bruichladdich Whisky visit here.

For whisky cocktails and poetr: The Sun Tavern

This January, East London cocktail bar The Sun Tavern will be raising a dram to Scotland in a one-off collaboration with Aberfeldy Whisky to create an exclusive cocktail menu available just for the day. Bartenders will be showcasing Aberfeldy cocktails throughout the evening, among them the Sweet Afton, the Bobby Burns and the Cranachan (referencing the Scottish dessert with oats, honey, raspberries and whey), and there will be free Haggis Bites from Broadway Market stalwarts Deeney’s. Loyal fans of the tavern will be familiar with their staple Beer and a Bump – this year a shot of Aberfeldy washed down with the Umbrella Project’s London Ginger Beer. 

Alongside the drinks, Rennie, of Scottish indie band The View, will be on the decks until midnight, and there’ll be an Address to the Haggis and renditions of more of Burns’s work to round the night off.

For further information or to book a table at The Sun Tavern, 441 Bethnal Green Road, London E2 0AN, visit the bar’s website here. For further information about Aberfeldy Whisky visit here.

For a celebration at home: Coachbuilt Whisky

For those who fancy a cosy night in or hosting a Burn’s Night supper at home, Coachbuilt Whisky have a brand-new vintage, launched in March 2022, which can be ordered in for the occasion. The award-winning blend, created by renowned whisky expert George Koutsakis and Formula 1 Champion Jenson Button, incorporates liquids from all five iconic whisky-producing regions of Scotland: Islay, Speyside, Campbeltown, Highlands and Lowlands. Each region showcases very different flavour attributes, such as Cambletown’s smokiness, Speyside’s characteristic caramel notes and Islay’s hints of pear. Combined and aged in premium sherry casks, the result is a complex flavour profile that the makers say has rich depth and character.

For further information about Coachbuilt or to order, visit the company’s website here.

For a different tipple: Carousel x Heron, The Dipping Lugger and Epicures

Of course, not everyone is a fan of the fiery drink, and Carousel in Fitzrovia are offering alternative options from Scottish gin maker The Botanist for a special Burns Night this year. Made at the Bruichladdich Distillery on the Scottish island of Islay, this is an appropriate tipple for the occasion. The concoction is described as “truly unique”, with 22 local herbs and flowers distilled with nine classic gin botanicals. The botanicals are gathered responsibly from the hills, shores and bogs of the Hebridean island.

On 25^th January, Carousel will be joining the teams from Edinburgh’s Heron and Taisteal and Ardnamurhcan’s Mingary Castle for a multi-course ode to Scotland’s national bard, including Isle of Mull Cheddar Beignets and Pickled Pear, West Coast Crab Tart, Preserved Lemon and Sea Herbs, Venison Loin and Pithivier, Turnip Purée and Chicory, accompanied by gin cocktails from The Botanist.

For further information or to book a table at Carousel, 19-23 Charlotte Street, London W1T 1RL visit the restaurant’s website here. For further information about The Botanist Gin visit here.

For supper clubbers: The Prince Alfred

Victorian pub The Prince Alfred, in Maida Vale, is hosting a Burns Night Scottish feast in the form of a supper club. Priced at £40 per person, the event will celebrate in truly legit style with a three-course menu (including, of course, haggis, neeps and tatties, and a Cranachan dessert to finish), with the setting offering a concurrent chance for diners to meet other likeminded foodies. The meal will be paired with single malt Scotch whisky the 12-year-old Glenfiddich – served either neat or on the rocks.

For further information or to book a table at The Prince Alfred, 5a Formosa Street, London W9 1EE, visit the pub’s website here.

For an authentic tasting menu: Galvin Bistrot

Galvin Bistrot & Bar are rounding off January with a Burns Night tasting menu on 25^th January. Headed up by chef Joe Albina (who has previously worked with D&D London, Pierre Koffmann and Marco Pierre White), the venue launched in October 2020 next to Chris and Jeff Galvin’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Galvin La Chapelle. It usually serves frequently changing seasonal dishes alongside Czech Pilsner and selected French wines, but the dedicated six-course Burns Night menu will be a Scottish feast, featuring Cullen skink (a haddock soup), haggis, neeps and tatties, Isle of Mull cheddar and raspberry Cranachan trifle. It costs £60 per person with wine or whisky pairings added on top. 

For further information or to book a table Galvin Bistrot and Bar, 35 Spital Square, London E1 6DY, visit the restaurant’s website here.

For a countryside affair: The Crown

Lastly, for those who love a country pub and might even want to make a cosy mini break of Burns Night, The Crown at Bray in beautiful Berkshire (less than an hour and a half outside London) is holding celebrations with traditional food and music in honour of Scotland’s great poet. The inn has been nominated as one of the UK’s top 50 gastropubs, with Heston Blumenthal at the helm offering modern British food with pizazz that belies the countryside setting. They will host a classic supper on 25^th January, featuring haggis, whisky and everything in between.

For further information or to book a table at The Crown at Bray, High Street, Bray, Maidenhead SL6 2AH, visit the restaurant’s website here.

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