The best feasts to celebrate the Chinese New Year

During the weekend of February 10th to 12th, you'll see red lanterns popping up all over Paris to celebrate Chinese New Year and mark the transition to the Year of the Wooden Dragon, heralding renewal and strength. How about reserving a nice dinner under the guise of wishes for happiness and prosperity? Whether it's at a street food market, in karaoke mode, in front of a lion dance, or at a royal feast, here's a short list of the best spots to soak up good vibes.

 What Big Mamma is to Italian cuisine: a huge success in trendy settings, with an ultra-fancy Parisian clientele always in attendance. So when Bao Family celebrates the New Year, it's bound to be really cool with a great atmosphere. This year, the group is focusing on collaborations to showcase Chinese culture in all its forms to Parisians. Guests can enjoy the stylish collection created with Puma, available at the pop-up shop set up throughout February at Bao Express (especially loving the Puma x Bao Family x Tang Frères jersey, €65), or indulge in a fantastic film program from February 9th to 16th at Hôtel Paradiso with MK2 (hello romantic evening in the room watching 'In The Mood For Love' with a great Bao Family dinner). There will also be exciting food happenings, including an exclusive bao created with Bunhouse available at all Bao Family locations, as well as a food market from February 9th to 11th on Rue au Maire, where each restaurant will offer a delicious treat for €2. And of course, we're also looking forward to the lion dances and XXL feasts planned for February 10th at all their restaurants…

Gros Bao, 72 Quai de Jemmapes, Paris 10th arrondissement Petit Bao, 116 Rue Saint-Denis, Paris 2nd arrondissement Bao Express, 10 Rue Bréguet, Paris 11th arrondissement

Hôtel Paradiso, 135 Boulevard Diderot, Paris 12th arrondissement

© Geraldine Martens and Instagram/@supkroll

It's an experience to try at least once in a lifetime. For a festive dinner worthy of the great imperial families, head to the stunning setting of La Bauhinia, the elegant restaurant at the Shangri-La Paris, which will host the highly festive 'Celebration Brunch' by chef Quentin Testard on Saturday and Sunday, under the glass dome of the restaurant. The menu features culinary delights such as an epic chop suey, sweet and sour Bigorre black pork, and crispy chicken and buckwheat noodles, to be enjoyed while watching the fascinating lion dances adding ambiance to the most unusual brunch of the weekend. Of course, guests will leave with their red envelope, a traditional lucky charm containing a (very good) surprise.

Brunch available on Saturday, February 10th and Sunday, February 11th at La Bauhinia, €178, online reservation. 10 Avenue d’Iéna, 75116 Paris.

© Skiss and © Roberta Valerio

The epitome of kitsch, this is where it's happening. Nestled in the heart of Belleville, Chinatown stands out as the unexpected haunt of Parisian fashionistas, starting with Eugénie Trochu and the Vogue team, who belt out tunes with a microphone in hand in front of screens that broadcast you in the two huge dining rooms of the restaurant. Needless to say, this is the go-to spot for a crazy evening.

Make sure to reserve this spot, as it's often packed, especially on a festive evening, to gather around large round tables with a rotating platter to share all kinds of Asian specialties (endless spring rolls, dim sum, beef with onions, spicy soup, Cantonese rice, spring rolls, chicken curry) and choose songs from a long repertoire as you like.

Belleville Chinatown, 27 Rue du Buisson Saint-Louis, Paris 10th arrondissement, open Tuesday to Thursday from 6:00 pm to 12:30 am, Friday and Saturday from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and from 6:00 pm to 1:30 am. Reservations: 01 42 39 34 18.

It's like being on the streets of Hong Kong or Shanghai... Can you smell the aroma of crispy chicken and exquisite steaming Beijing buns? To celebrate Chinese New Year in style, the unmissable Food Market team is back with its 'Asian street food market' in Belleville, offering a wide range of Asian flavors, all to the rhythm of lion dance performances. Indulge in delights from stands featuring baozis, nian gaos, and gua baos by Panda Panda, Trois Fois Plus de Piment, Mala Boom, and Coupi Bar... Mmmh!

The Chinese New Year Food Market will take place on Thursday, February 15th, from 6:00 pm to 10:30 pm on Boulevard de Belleville. Metro: Couronnes and Ménilmontant.

Their traditional Peking duck is a dish you won't forget. In the heart of the Golden Triangle, the gastronomic table of Imperial Treasure restores its nobility to the specialties of the Celestial Empire... and proves to be a refined cocoon to celebrate the new year. On the menu, you'll find grilled chicken dumplings, sautéed lobster with black pepper sauce, seafood dumplings, red bean soup, diced beef fillet and fried rice, not to mention the iconic Peking duck (in our eyes, the best in Paris) carved right before your eyes, with its crispy skin dipped in sugar and then wrapped in a bed of freshly cut vegetables to roll in a rice pancake. A must-try once in a lifetime!

Imperial Treasure, 44 Rue de Bassano, Paris 8th arrondissement. Menu at €198 per person (for all guests at the table) available as a set menu on Friday, February 9th, and by reservation on Saturday, February 10th, and Sunday, February 11th. Reservation by phone at 01 58 56 29 13.

© Gilles Trillard and Raphaël Pincas

We celebrate the reunion dinner in the sublime restaurant of The Peninsula, while respecting the Asian traditions that remain timeless. The culinary journey begins with an assortment of barbecue selections curated by Chef Tak Lau Yuen. Next comes an Atlantic salmon prepared in the traditional Lo Hei style (a mix of vegetables and fish), followed by the chef's selection of dim sums (abalone, truffle scallops, and lobster in rich broth), flame-cooked sea cucumber, crispy sea bass with pineapple and fresh peppers, sautéed beef fillet with black truffle, and of course, the famous longevity noodles with the savory taste of crab and caviar. For dessert? Divine Cantonese specialties: glutinous rice pearl infused with ginger syrup, sesame crisp with lychee, and the traditional Chinese New Year glutinous rice cake, the Nian Gao. A surprise for the guests awaits in the red envelopes...

Special dinner at Lili (€278 per person) at The Peninsula Paris, 19 Avenue Kléber, Paris 16th arrondissement, on Friday, February 9th, starting from 6:30 pm, Lion Dance from 8:00 pm, reservations at 01 58 12 67 50 or by email at lilippr@peninsula.com.

© Louise Marining

You can't dream of a more picturesque and exotic address to celebrate the New Year than in the Chinese community of the 13th arrondissement, where people inevitably gather at Chine Massena. This institution offers a journey to the Chinese restaurants of Hong Kong with its bright pink ceiling, family banquet hall vibes, and dim sum carts.

What's on the menu? For the New Year, it's all about indulging in roasted piglet, lobster, and meatballs with the whole family. For those who prefer ordering à la carte, the Peking duck prepared in three ways remains a must-try. Kids will love ordering and reordering these little baskets filled with various delectable bites (vegetable and shrimp dumplings, siu mai, fried shrimp dumplings, pork or coconut buns for dessert), spinning the central rotating platter, and running through the aisles to see the lobsters.

Chine Massena, 13 Place de Vénétie, Paris 13th arrondissement, open every day from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm and from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm. Reservations at 01 45 83 98 88.

As night falls, the Guimet Museum comes to life. The National Museum of Asian Arts, which houses the most extensive collection in Europe, will host several events during the weekend of February 10th. Mark your calendars for 5:30 pm: a stunning Dragon-themed illumination projection on the museum facade, creative workshops throughout the weekend, a Lion Dance performance on Saturday, February 10th, and an exceptional Lunar New Year celebration on February 21st, in collaboration with the Banh-Mi collective. The program includes foodie short film screenings, a performance combining lion dance and hip-hop, and an epic feast-apéro.

©Cominvader / © Paris Lion

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