The best feasts to celebrate Chinese New Year

© Sadik Sans Voltaire © Alizée Cailliau © Le Food Market 
On Wednesday, January 29th, you'll see red lanterns popping up all over Paris to celebrate Chinese New Year, ushering in the Year of the Wood Snake, a symbol of renewal and strength. Why not treat yourself to a delicious feast under the guise of wishes for happiness and prosperity? Whether at a street food market, with a touch of karaoke, during a lion dance, or with a royal banquet, here’s a list of the best spots to soak up those good vibes.

Gros Bao, Bleu Bao, Bao Express... Do we even need to introduce the trendiest Chinese restaurants in the capital, made ultra-cool by Céline Chung and her partner Billy Pham? When the Bao Family celebrates Chinese New Year, it’s always a guaranteed memorable fiesta. This year, the team is going all out with an exceptional menu available only on January 29th, featuring spring rolls, plump mini baos, snake cucumber (in honor of the year), sublime Peking duck, and other delicacies. Special food happenings include a Chinese New Year menu available from January 30th to February 28th for just €22 per person. Bonus: their Puma X Bao Family collab, a sell-out hit last year, is back in its 2025 edition, still ultra-limited but available at all Bao Family locations.

Gros Bao, 72 quai de Jemmapes, Paris 10e, Petit Bao, 116 rue Saint-Denis, Paris 2e, Bao Express, 10 rue Bréguet, Paris 11e, Hôtel Paradiso, 135 bd Diderot, Paris 12e. Hours available online.

It feels like stepping into the streets of Hong Kong or Shanghai... Can you smell the crispy chicken and the steaming Peking buns? To properly celebrate Chinese New Year, the unmissable team from The Food Market is back with their “Asian street food market” in Belleville, showcasing a wide range of Asian flavors alongside the rhythms of the lion dance. Treat yourself to dishes like Korean fried chicken from the Bang Bang x Asahi Super Dry collab, Laotian sausages by Mimi’s charcuterie, bao burgers from Superbao, banh mi from Coupi Bar, Mala Xiangguo from Malaboom, and specialties from Veggitive, Raphaël H, Les Saveurs du Sichuan, Cinq fois plus de piment, Panda Panda, Momola, BOBI Filipino Food, Au ciel, Loaf, and Banh and tra’s chiffon cakes. Yum!

The Food Market Chinese New Year Edition, Thursday, January 30th, 2024, from 6 PM to 10:30 PM on Boulevard de Belleville, Metro: Couronnes and Ménilmontant.
© Guillaume Blot

The place to be this Wednesday, January 29th? Wukong The Grand Master, our favorite Canal Saint-Martin hotspot, which promises to go all out for the Year of the Snake. The menu? Mouthwatering cocktails, grilled Jiaozis eaten with chopsticks, and a sesame peanut chicken salad with a twist. Big eaters will opt for the dim sum assortment, a near-perfect delight. As for drinks, why not try the mysterious In The Mood for Love, a magical potion of plum liqueur, longan, rose eau-de-vie, and Prosecco, or the tangy Young & Dangerous, which pairs divinely with the bites? The grand finale? A dragon dance, an Asian-themed DJ set, and for strategic minds, table games like mahjong, chess, and checkers.

Wukong The Grand Master, 32 rue Beaurepaire, Paris 10e. Jiao Zi €9, cocktails €14. Discovery menu €50, Monday to Thursday from 6 PM to midnight, Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 1 AM.
© Sadik Sans Voltaire and Zoé Satche

At the Steam Bar, the immense counter offers a spectacular view of the parade of dishes, baskets, and steaming towers—a true culinary spectacle! At the helm: Chef Chi Cheung Wong, former Dim Sum Master at the Shang Palace in the Shangri-La Hotel. After honing his skills with Michelin-starred chefs (Frank Xu and Yann Morel), he brings his expertise to create the most sublime flavors from the East. From January 27th to February 2nd, the Steam Bar is offering a unique tasting menu for €65, featuring an assortment of dim sums (8 pieces) and gyozas (6 pieces), izakaya-style small plates with fresh tofu and a prawn salad, and for dessert, a warm black sesame and peanut mochi.

Steam Bar, 2 rue du Sabot, Paris 6e. Tasting menu €65, available from January 27th to February 2nd, from 7 PM to 10:30 PM. Reservations available online.

The Hôtel des Grands Voyageurs transports you to a British art collector’s residence, with a warm and intimate decor designed by Fabrizio Casiraghi. For Chinese New Year, the Grands Voyageurs restaurant is hosting a festive week with an exclusive 3-course menu. Start with a vegetable dumpling filled with crunchy vegetables in an ultra-comforting lemongrass and ginger broth. Continue with an addictive trio of beef confit baos slow-cooked with spices and homemade pickles. For dessert, indulge in a coconut-lychee pavlova, both light and sweet, before cracking open your fortune cookie to discover your mantra for the year. Meanwhile, the bar shakes up devilish cocktails like Voyage de Syracius (tequila infused with hibiscus, €16) or the lemon drop with Gin Citadelle and banana liqueur (€16), the perfect prelude to a stop at Poppy, the hidden speakeasy bar, offering an exhilarating piano karaoke session at night.

Hôtel des Grands Voyageurs, 34 rue de l’Abbé Grégoire, Paris 6e. Lunch menu €49 from 12 PM to 2 PM, dinner €59 from 7 PM to 10 PM. Available from the evening of January 27th to February 2nd (inclusive). Reservations online.

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.

Discover also Three New Sizzling Hot Spots and The best restaurants in Paris to stay slim and enjoy yourself.