Sydney is buzzing with energy this Lunar New Year, offering a feast of cultural experiences, delicious menus, and family-friendly activities. Here's your guide to celebrating the Year of the Snake in style.
A Pan-Asian Feast at Lilymu, Parramatta
Located in the heart of Parramatta Square, Lilymu is pulling out all the stops with a bespoke Lunar New Year Banquet. For $108 per person, indulge in a mouth-watering menu available from 25 January to 2 February. Highlights include an assiette of dumplings with Layu and black vinegar, roast barramundi paired with ginger and shallot, and the show-stopping beef short rib with gochujang and perilla.
Adding to the festivities, guests will receive a traditional Red Pocket containing a $20 dining voucher for future visits. To top it off, Lilymu will host lion dance performances at midday on Saturday 1 February and Sunday 2 February, bringing a touch of ancient tradition to the modern dining experience. Find out more here.
Celebrate at The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre
Step into the festive spirit at The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre, where the iconic Lucky Prawn restaurant is serving up a feast to remember. From 29 January to 1 February, guests can book lunch and dinner seatings to enjoy a special Lunar New Year banquet. The menu features crowd favourites such as Prawn Toast, XO Pippies, Prawn Wontons, and Snake Beans, all crafted to honour the flavours of the Year of the Snake.
For a daytime treat, don’t miss Lucky Prawn’s popular monthly Yum Cha on Sunday 2 February from 11am to 3pm. Indulge in Cantonese classics like Sweet & Sour Pork, Sang Choi Bao, and Special Fried Rice, alongside other signature dishes.
Adding to the excitement, the Jin Wu Koon Lion Dancers will perform traditional routines on Thursday 30 January at 7pm and Sunday 2 February at 3pm, bringing good luck and festive cheer to all attendees. Find out more here.
Darling Square: A Gastronomic Celebration
Darling Square’s vibrant precinct is also embracing the festivities, with Lunar New Year specials across its range of retailers:
- Dopa Donburi & Dessert has teamed up with Gimme One Fried Skewer to present a fiery lineup of spicy karaage dishes. Spend $20 or more on their special menu between 13 January and 9 February, and you could win a $1,000 Dopa voucher and exclusive merchandise.
- Dapur Sate is inviting families and friends to share a Munch Box ($69), featuring coconut rice, savoury chips, spring rolls, and 15 satay skewers in three delectable flavours. Each box comes with a lucky red envelope containing a Dapur Sate voucher, available from 15 January to 15 February.
- Shortstop Coffee & Donuts has created a limited-edition mango and black sesame donut. Filled with mango jam and glazed to perfection, this treat is available in limited quantities daily—don’t miss it!
- Lillianna Home & Gifts is celebrating with a collection of Lunar New Year-themed gifts, including Year of the Snake red envelopes and keychains.
- IIKO Mazesoba is celebrating Lunar New Year with a bold, Japanese-inspired menu paying tribute to the spirit of the snake. Highlights include spicy Hebi mazesoba variations with tuna, zenbu, or Szechuan chicken karaage, alongside a Szechuan chicken karaage dish. For a sweet finish, enjoy a chocolate milk pudding, paired with a refreshing orange shochu cocktail.
Banquets Galore: Celebrate in Culinary Style
Sydney’s culinary scene is turning up the heat with a range of Lunar New Year banquets to consider:
- XOPP by Golden Century offers four decadent banquet menus featuring classics like Peking duck pancakes, XO pipis with crispy vermicelli, and stir-fried mud crab. Book here.
- Lilong by Taste of Shanghai presents a menu brimming with Shanghai’s iconic flavours, including xiao long bao, pan-fried pork buns, and live seafood dishes. Book here.
- Holy Basil invites you to savour a vibrant Thai and Laotian banquet for $55 per person—a perfect choice for an intimate celebration. Book here.
- Hello Auntie promises a modern Vietnamese feast, with standout dishes like lobster wonton and beef tartare, alongside their signature banh xeo. Book here.
- Beom Beom serves up a Korean soul food extravaganza, featuring garlic pork bossam, spicy bibim noodles, and their signature hay-smoked short rib galbi. Book here.
- At Royal Palace Seafood, Haymarket, indulge in a premium take on the traditional Poon Choi, a lavish layered dish with abalone, prawns, roast duck, pork belly, and scallops ($888, takeaway only, pre-order three days in advance). The restaurant is also offering house-made New Year cakes, including rice cake ($6), water chestnut cake ($13.80), turnip cake ($18.80), and fried taro cake ($18.80). For a grand celebration, book a Chinese New Year banquet, with suckling pig, snow crab, and steamed abalone—priced at $1,088 for six people or $1,988 for ten.
Market City: A hub of celebration
Market City is offering a diverse programme of events during Lunar New Year:
- Celebrate Lunar New Year at FUJI located on Level 3 of Market City with a festive menu designed to bring prosperity and joy. Enjoy the Five-Fruit Sweet Soup ($6), a symbolic dessert featuring red dates, coix seeds, taro balls, lotus seeds, ginkgo nuts, and white fungus—representing five blessings and a sweet year ahead. Another highlight is the Ginkgo Taro Paste ($15), a traditional Chaoshan banquet dish made from steamed and mashed taro, stir-fried with scallion oil and sugar for a rich, smooth texture, symbolising good fortune.
- High Pole Lion Dances: Watch the breathtaking Jin Wu Koon troupe perform acrobatic lion dances on three-metre-high poles in Centre Court. Performances are free and include lucky red envelope giveaways and Year of the Snake plush toys. (Saturday 1 February at 2pm and 6pm; Sunday 2 February at 2pm.)
- Interactive Workshops: From Chinese calligraphy to lion dance sessions, Market City offers immersive experiences for kids and adults alike. Workshops run on various dates from 10 January to 8 February.
- Exclusive Dishes: Savour Lunar New Year-inspired creations from The Dolar Shop Hot Pot and FUJI seafood restaurant.
- Street Festival Fun: Don’t miss the Lunar Streets festival on 1 February, where the City of Sydney’s celebrations spill into surrounding streets. Enjoy street stalls, cultural performances, and community entertainment that capture the spirit of the festival.
Devon Café, Barangaroo is celebrating the Year of the Snake with festive specials available until the end of February. Its Lobster Long Life Noodles combine Balmain bug, bottarga, tomato dashi, and coriander noodles—symbolising prosperity and longevity. Also on the menu is the Golden Salmon Tartlet, featuring aburi salmon mentai, koshihikari rice, avocado, ikura, and 24k gold leaf.