Toasting the Bard: Where to eat, drink and celebrate Burns Night 2026

January may feel long and grey, but one undoubted bright spot is Burns Night, the annual celebration held on January 25, marking the birthday of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns.

For whisky lovers, it’s one of the most convivial fixtures of the year: a night where poetry, food and Scotland’s greatest export meet in cheerful, occasionally chaotic harmony.

The appeal is timeless. There’s the Address to a Haggis, the inevitable neeps and tatties, perhaps some highland dancing and bagpipes, and – most importantly – whisky, poured generously and discussed with enthusiasm. 

In 2026, the celebrations look set to be predictably spirited, with hotels, pubs and restaurants across the UK offering events that range from grand Highland ceremony to informal, pub-hopping revelry. Which event will you be going to?

The Windsor Castle, Kensington, January 24-25 

The Windsor Castle, situated on the leafy streets between Notting Hill, Holland Park and Kensington, is serving a three-course set menu that celebrates the very the best of Scottish culture. Raise a dram and enjoy classics such as a Scotch egg; haggis, neeps and tatties; Balmoral chicken; and a traditional cranachan pud. To honour Robert Burns, the menu is paired with a curated whisky flight featuring pours of Glenmorangie, Jonnie Walker and Glenfiddich. 

From £45 per person, book your visit here.

Raise a Dram for Rabbie, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, January 23

For 2026, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s London salute to Robert Burns takes place in the Crypt of St Etheldreda’s, in Farringdon. The night begins with bagpipes, followed by a three-course Burns Night supper, each course paired with one of six hand-picked SMWS whiskies designed to complement the menu rather than overpower it. Music comes courtesy of Tim Hain and Alan Glenive, who weave bluesy, whisky-themed songs through the evening. The Society will also mark the occasion with a special bottling, Cask 39.318 ‘Sing Thy Name!‘, a 13-year-old first fill bourbon barrel released as part of its Winter Series.

£125 for members, £135 for non-members, tickets are available here.

Linn House Burns Night Supper Series, Speyside – January 22 – 24

Set on the quiet banks of the River Isla, Linn House is marking Burns Night with a series of intimate suppers which pair open-fire specialist Ana Ortiz with Michelin-starred chef Sameer Taneja of Benares in Mayfair. Together, they’re combing Ecuadorian smoke, Indian precision and Scottish produce to create a Burns Supper that feels refreshingly new. Each course is matched with aged whiskies from the Chivas Brothers library, including sought-after drams from The Glenlivet and Aberlour, alongside rarer pours seldom found outside the archive.
Tickets are £95 per person. Overnight stays available from £279, including bed and breakfast.

Rails, Pancras Road, London – January 23

Rails restaurant, located in the five star Kaya Great Northern Hotel, is offering a specially curated set menu of Scottish classics and a limited-edition cocktail to celebrate Burns Night. Start with the ‘Ae Fond Kiss’ cocktail, blending Scottish whisky, passionfruit and chilli, followed by a warming bowl of Cullen skink (a soup with smoked haddock, potatoes, and onions). The main course features haggis served alongside neeps, tatties and whisky sauce, before finishing with a traditional cranachan dessert for a perfect finale. 
Book your table here, prices from £38pp. 

Burns Night at Mar Hall, Glasgow – January 23

Mar Hall Golf & Spa Resort provides a fittingly elegant backdrop for a refined take on Burns Night. Set on the banks of the River Clyde, just ten minutes from Glasgow Airport, the mid-19th-century estate is inviting guests to ‘Toast to the Bard’ with a curated evening beginning at 6.30pm. The programme includes a welcome drink, a whisky tasting, live music and poetry, and the traditional toast to the haggis, complete with a bagpiper.  Afour-course dinner follows.

Tickets are £95 per person. Reserve your Mar Hall tickets here.

Burns Night with Young’s Pubs – January 22–25

Young’s Pubs is marking Burns Night on 25 January with a series of events across London and beyond, combining whisky, food and a healthy dose of theatricality. A nice touch for whisky fans: free drams of Glenfiddich 12 Year Old are available via the Young’s On Tap app; more details here.

Bagpipe Pub Tour, Notting Hill – January 25
Starting at The Elgin on Ladbroke Grove, this guided pub crawl takes in the Cock & Bottle and the Duke of Wellington, led by a bagpiper. Each stop includes a whisky dram to toast Burns. It begins at 4pm and costs from £20 per person.

Six-Course Supper at Smiths of Smithfield, Farringdon – January 24
On the No.3 Rooftop, Smiths of Smithfield is hosting a six-course Burns Night feast, complete with bagpipes, poetry readings and a Glenlivet 15 cocktail. Scottish ingredients feature heavily, from Loch Fyne oysters and Highland venison tartare to Ramsay’s haggis and neeps. Dessert choices include a Mars bar beignet or Irn-Bru tablet with malt crumble. Tickets are £55 per person, starting at 6.45pm.

Scottish Cheese & Whisky Pairing at the Richard I, Greenwich – January 23
This more intimate evening pairs Scottish cheeses from The Cheeseboard with warming drams, accompanied by live bagpipes. Tickets are £35 per person, starting at 7pm.

Burns Night Weekender at the White Hart, Barnes – January 23-25
The White Hart stretches Burns Night into a full weekend. Friday brings whisky cocktails, Saturday features a traditional four-course supper with haggis and deep-fried Mars bars (£45pp), and Sunday finishes with a roast offering haggis and venison. It’s relaxed, generous and cheerfully overindulgent.

Beyond London, The Weyside, Guildford (January 22) is offering a three-course riverside supper with live bagpipes and an optional whisky flight (£55pp, whisky flight £15), while The Mitre Inn, Shaftesbury, Dorset (January 23), has a four-course supper with drink pairings, including haggis scotch egg, Cullen skink and venison with haggis fritter (£49pp).

Burns Night Dinner with Bruichladdich – Covent Garden, January 23

For Islay devotees, Bruichladdich’s Burns Night dinner at the Covent Garden Hotel offers a contemporary take on the traditional supper. Held in Brasserie Max’s private dining room, the evening begins with a Penicillin cocktail made using The Classic Laddie.

A four-course menu by Head Chef Martin Sweeney is paired with some serious whiskies: traditional haggis with Bruichladdich 18, Highland venison with Port Charlotte 18, and dessert alongside Octomore 15.2. Live spoken word from award-winning Scottish poet Kevin McLean provides a modern poetic counterpoint. 

Tickets are £100 per person. Make your Burns Night bookings here.

Galvin Group Burns Night celebrations – January 25–26 

The Galvin restaurants are hosting Burns Night events across several venues, each combining Scottish tradition with the group’s polished, produce-led cooking.

Galvin La Chapelle – January 25
An elevated menu includes gin-cured salmon with Oscietra caviar, Scottish langoustine, rump of lamb with haggis and whisky caramel, and a Tipsy Laird dessert. Tickets are £105, with bookings here.

Galvin Bistrot & Bar – January 25
A more relaxed Scottish tasting menu at this eatery, based in Spital Square, London, features Cullen skink, haggis with neeps and tatties, Isle of Mull cheddar and raspberry cranachan. Tickets are £75, with optional wine or whisky pairings at £40. For bookings click here.

Galvin Green Man, Chelmsford – January 26
A countryside Burns Night supper with whisky-cured salmon, Cullen skink, haggis with neeps and tatties, and cranachan with butterscotch sauce. Tickets are available here, priced £55.

Across all Galvin venues, a live bagpiper and Burns poet will guide the ceremonial moments, including the Address to a Haggis.

Whether you favour a grand hotel, a spirited pub crawl or a meticulously paired whisky dinner, Burns Night 2026 offers plenty of ways to celebrate Scotland’s national poet.