Florals for spring? When it’s cherry blossom, we’re all over it. Hanami, where people gather under the blossoms to eat, drink and appreciate the flowers, is a huge tradition in Japan but if you can’t jet off, there are plenty of places in London where you can celebrate cherry blossom season with beautiful blooming installations, spesh Japanese dishes and cocktails to match.

Mei Ume

Mei Ume at Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square is celebrating cherry blossom season covering the restaurant entrance and bar with the blooms. The kitchen is also serving up a seasonal Japanese menu featuring the likes of prawn maki, beef tataki, deep fried squid, miso grilled aubergines, wagyu beef gyoza, tori yaki udon and salmon donburi. You can pair that with the spesh Sakura-yu cocktail made with vermouth, vodka and sparkling sake.

Mon 14th March – Fri 29th April 2022
Four Seasons at Ten Trinity Square 10 Trinity Square, London  , EC3N 4AJ
meiume.com

Mariage Frères

Luxury French tea emporium Mariage Frères is bringing cherry blossom to Covent Garden with a sakura menu in the Salon de Thé. Both dishes on the two-course menu make use of their Sakura, Sakura! green tea blend with cherry blossom fragrance, so you can tuck into seared cod infused with green tea and served with white asparagus & amarena cherry, and an almond mousse infused with green tea and cherry, sat on a white almond dragée base, alongside a cocktail made with champagne and sakura blue tea.

Mon 21st March – Sun 3rd April 2022
38 King Street, London WC2E 8JS
mariagefreres.com

Chotto Matte

For cherry blossom season this year Chotto Matte is serving up a a Sakura Dressed Sushi Selection, which features salmon & caramelised shallots, kingfish & cherry salsa, scallop with nori jam, seabass with ponzu jelly, smoked o-toro & foie gras, and snow crab legs with tobiko caviar. And from 24th – 27th March the restaurant will be putting on late night music and entertainment inspired by the cherry blossom celebration tradition.

Mon 21st – Sun 27th March 2022
11-13 Frith Street, London, W1D 4RB
chotto-matte.com

Sumosan Twiga

Sumosan Twiga is only celebrating cherry blossom season for one night but boy are they going all out for it – as well as lots of pink flower decorations, the restaurant will also play host to dancers, violinsits and DJs. You’ll be able to feast on an extended Japanese menu, including sushi, sashimi, tuna tartare, prawn noodle, and miso black cod, and there’ll be a new limited edition Roku gin, sake yuzu and sencha & tonka tea cocktail to go with it.

Thurs 24th March 2022
165 Sloane Street, London, SW1X 9QB
sumosantwigalondon.com

Brogdale Collections

You can get a real Hanami experience if you’re willing to head out of town (you only need to go as far as Kent though, not Japan). Brogdale Collections, a huge 150 acre orchard, is hosting spring blossom tours so you can see their collection of blossoming fruit trees, including cherry (obvs), apple, pear, plum and quince.

April & May 2022
Brogdale Road, Faversham, Kent, ME13 8XZ
brogdalecollections.org