Food festivals in London worth planning a trip around, by month.
Food festivals in London worth planning a trip around, by month.
London Restaurant Festival has run city-wide festival menus, restaurant-hopping tours and chef masterclasses across London every October for 17 years.
TipFestival menus are booked through OpenTable and go live before the ticketed events. The restaurant-hopping tours sell out first.
The Mayor of London's free Diwali festival in Trafalgar Square, with a main stage, 200 dancers and vegan and vegetarian food stalls, Sunday 25 Oct 2026.
TipArrive at 13:00 for the opening dance and to eat before the stalls get busy; no ticket or booking needed.
Eat & Drink Festival Christmas fills Olympia London on 26 to 29 November 2026 with artisan producers, festive street food, drinks tastings and chef demonstrations in the Christmas Kitchen.
TipAdvance adult tickets start at £16 on weekdays and £18 at weekends, and Kensington (Olympia) station is beside the venue. Entry also covers the Ideal Home Show Christmas.
London's Lunar New Year festival fills Chinatown and Trafalgar Square with lion dances, food stalls and hot food, and is free to attend.
TipThe Trafalgar Square stalls are the easiest food; Chinatown restaurants take walk-ins only very early or very late on parade day.
London Cocktail Week, the city-wide festival running since 2010, skips 2026 and returns in the week of 15 March 2027 for its 17th edition, with wristbands for offers in bars.
TipThere is no October edition in 2026: the new owners moved the festival to a spring slot because October is crowded with trade shows such as Bar Convent Berlin.
London Coffee Festival at the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane in east London, trading since 2011, runs four days of specialty coffee tasting.
TipThe first two days (Thursday and Friday) are Industry Days and the public celebration is on Saturday and Sunday; tickets for the 2027 edition are not yet on sale.
Taste of London has run five days of tasting plates from the city's best restaurants in Regent's Park each June since 2004, alongside 150 artisan producers.
TipWeekend tickets sell out a fortnight ahead; weekday lunch slots are easier. The chef demonstration arena is the marquee programming.
Notting Hill Carnival in west London, trading since 1966 over the August bank holiday weekend, fills 50 blocks with Caribbean street food, sound systems.
TipSunday is family day, Monday is the main parade. Jerk chicken counters line every block; expect £10-15 per plate.
Meatopia London is a live-fire festival at Tobacco Dock, 3 to 6 September, where chefs from the UK, Europe and beyond each cook one dish over wood or charcoal.
TipThree sessions per day (lunch, afternoon, evening). Friday evening session is the built chef session; Sunday lunch is family-friendly.
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Guided tour · 3.5 hours
Discover the flavors and street art of London’s East End on a guided food tour. Enjoy iconic eats and tasty treats, and explore Spitalfields Market, Brick Lane, Shored...
Guided tour · 3.5 hours
Discover the diverse food scene of London's West End on a guided tour. Taste Soho after dark with global bites, cocktails, and rock ‘n’ roll history in London’s most v...
Guided tour · 3 hours
Enjoy a 3-hour culinary tour of London's best Indian food. Explore East London with only a bit of walking as your guide leads you to the secret culinary delights surro...
