Where to Find the Best Feeds for Lunar New Year in Sydney
Lunar New Year is all about good food, great company and plenty of luck to go around, and Sydney’s dining scene does not disappoint.
When is Lunar New Year in 2026?
Lunar New Year 2026 is on Tuesday 17th of February, but Sydney doesn’t celebrate for just one day — the city transforms for the Sydney Lunar Festival. From the 14th of February 2026 to 1st of March 2026, enjoy one of the biggest celebrations outside Asia, with lantern-lined streets, dragon boat races, markets, opera house projections and lion dancers that bring every corner of Sydney city to life. It’s the best time to eat your way across the city, with restaurants rolling out limited-edition banquets and dumpling feasts and dessert specials. Whether you’re here for the culture, the colour or the food (always the food), Lunar New Year in Sydney is a joy-packed way to reset, reconnect and start the Year of the Horse.
Where to Eat in Sydney for Lunar New Year 2026
From casual dumpling bars to indulgent harbour-side fine dining, and even a New York-style steakhouse, there’s a table to satisfy every craving. Here’s where to find the best food for Lunar New Year 2026 in Sydney.
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It's perfect for dumplings with a side of waterfront luxury.You need to try the jade prawn dumplings or crispy eggplant.Look out for polished interiors and an extensive wine list.Read moreServing up handmade dumplings and creative cocktails, Lotus Barangaroo is a go-to for casual dining, and for good reason. Warm service, perfectly crafted dim sum, fresh local produce, sparkling water views… do we need to keep going? At Lotus, the Lunar New Year is often synonymous with an indulgent festive menu featuring crowd-favourites like prawn and cuttlefish dumplings and steamed whole red snapper. Plus, the cocktail list features creative twists on classics, perfect to pair with your feast. Prosperity Banquet starts from $189pp.
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Read moreJoin The Malaya this February to welcome Lunar New Year and celebrate the Year of the Horse with food, colour and tradition. Festivities include traditional lion dance performances on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 February, bringing loud, lively and family-friendly energy to the dining room. From 9 February to 7 March, a special limited-time $130 Lunar New Year banquet will be available, designed as a generous shared feast featuring celebratory dishes. Adding extra indulgence, local mud crab is in peak season, served dry-style with fragrant Kam Heong sauce for a truly special occasion.
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Read moreIn Sydney's Western gem of Parramatta, Lilymu is the place to go for good vibes, inventive plates, and festive Chinese and South-Eastern flavours. And what more could you ask for for Lunar New Year? There’s usually a special banquet to mark the occasion, meticulously crafted to bring prosperity (and a seriously good feed) to every table. And the traditional lion dance performances are the absolute perfect finishing touch.
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It's perfect for moody dinners with luxe vibes and modern Cantonese flair.You need to try the signature cocktails and broad live seafood offeringLook out for velvet booths, dim lighting and a knockout cocktail list.Read morePearl Dining is a Cantonese restaurant and bar in the CBD, seating 84 guests in its moody, velvet-draped dining room. Think plush booths, dim lighting, and a knockout cocktail list. The menu celebrates traditional Cantonese cuisine but brings a contemporary flair to the dishes we all know and love, from roast duck and char siu pork to san choy bao and steamed prawn dumplings. In previous years, Pearl has organised Lunar New Year events with special banquets to usher in good fortune, so keep an eye on their calendar. The banquet starts at $138pp, bookings essential.
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Read moreTucked away in retail mecca Westfield Sydney, New Shanghai is a full-on Chinese dining experience. Known as a pork bun empire, this Chinese restaurant serves up a menu packed with festive favourites. Come Lunar New Year, it comes alive with banquet spreads, hypnotising lion dance performances, and scratchies for those feeling lucky. Not in the CBD? No stress, most New Shanghai locations should be marking the Lunar New Year with their own celebrations.
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Read moreHo Jiak Town Hall is hosting a vibrant Lunar New Year lion dance performance on the 21st February, bringing colour, sound and festivity to the heart of the city. Guests can enjoy an energetic traditional lion dance accompanied by drums and cymbals, symbolising good luck, prosperity and protection for the year ahead. The performance will weave through the restaurant, blessing the space and diners, creating an immersive cultural experience that pairs perfectly with Ho Jiak’s bold Malaysian flavours and celebratory atmosphere. Minimum spend of $25 per person.
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It's perfect for sharing a multicultural Asian street‑food feast in lantern-lit lanes.You need to try chicken laksa, pancake roti or mango sticky rice.Look out for hawker-style stalls, hanging lanterns and a buzzy communal vibe.Read moreIf you can’t decide whether you’re craving Chinese, Vietnamese or Korean, Spice Alley is the spot for you. Tucked away in the Kensington Street precinct in Chippendale, just five minutes away from the CBD, this bustling alley brings together a mix of Asian street food favourites. Here, Lunar New Year is a big deal, complete with the mesmerising lion dance, red envelopes hanging from trees and, of course, plenty of food to ring in the festivities.
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Read moreOffering a modern take on provincial Chinese food and generous servings designed to share, Spice Temple is perfect for big groups. And with a 100-bottle Chinese wine list, you’ll easily find a bottle to toast the year ahead. Lunar New Year is always a vibrant time at Spice Temple, with special feasts full of symbolic and auspicious dishes to kick off the year right. Expect red lanterns, clinking glasses, and festive cheer to fill the room with good vibes.