The Ritz London’s New Year’s Eve gala on Thursday 31 December 2026 costs £1,500 per adult. It is the highest price in this guide, and the hotel’s own page asks for it in full, in advance. Three other hotels have set out their plans. At The Dorchester, dinner on The Promenade is £675 with wine, and Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester has two sittings at £350 and £700. Raffles London at The OWO charges £550 for the night in its Spy Bar. The Savoy has announced a gala with a circus theme and no printed price.
The prices, hotel by hotel
| Hotel | Where | Price per person | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Ritz London | The Ritz Restaurant | £1,500, children £750 | Six-course gala dinner, Champagne, orchestra, black tie |
| The Dorchester | The Promenade | £675 | Dinner with a wine flight and a glass of Ruinart Rosé |
| The Dorchester | Alain Ducasse, late sitting | £700 | Seven courses with wine pairing and a midnight toast |
| The Dorchester | Alain Ducasse, early sitting | £350 | Five courses, tables returned by 8.30pm |
| Raffles London at The OWO | The Spy Bar | £550 | Champagne on arrival, caviar, oysters, a DJ |
| The Savoy | Midnight Under the Big Top | Not published | Reception, five-course dinner, live band |
The Ritz: six courses, an orchestra and a piper
The gala is held in The Ritz Restaurant, which has Two MICHELIN Stars, and the hotel describes the dinner as a six-course menu from that kitchen, served with what it calls Prestige Champagne. The London Dance Orchestra plays. The programme also lists a lone piper and a military marching band, the countdown to midnight is live, and a second act, Majella Presents, performs “until the early hours of the morning”. The dress code is black tie. Children up to the age of 15 pay £750. The hotel takes a full, non-refundable payment to confirm a table.
The Dorchester: The Promenade at £675, Alain Ducasse in two sittings
The Dorchester prints its menu for The Promenade, the long room that runs through the ground floor, in a sample menu for New Year’s Eve 2026. The price is £675 per person, with a discretionary service charge of 15 per cent added to the bill. It includes a welcome glass of Ruinart Rosé with canapés and a wine flight chosen by the hotel. The menu offers choices at each stage: tuna tartare or roast Portland scallop to start, a lobster pithivier or a Yorkshire partridge risotto, then Dover sole, loin of venison or veal. A Champagne granita comes before the hotel’s sourdough chocolate crémeux, and Brie de Meaux with truffle closes the meal. A vegan menu costs the same.
Higher up the scale, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester splits the night in two. The early dinner is five courses at £350, and tables are asked to leave by 8.30pm. The late dinner is seven courses at £700, wine pairing included, and it ends with a Champagne toast at midnight.
Raffles London at The OWO: the Spy Bar at £550
Raffles, in the Old War Office on Whitehall, lists four ways to spend the night on its festive page. The one with a price is the Spy Bar, in the basement: £550 per person, with a glass of Louis Roederer on arrival, caviar, oysters, sliders and chocolate truffles through the night, a DJ playing vinyl and a keepsake to take home. The hotel also promises a view of the fireworks at midnight.
The restaurants have menus and no published prices. Mauro Colagreco, the hotel’s Starred restaurant, serves a New Year’s Eve menu with a glass of Champagne. Saison, the chef’s all-day restaurant, has a menu built around bluefin tuna and beef Wellington, and The Drawing Room has a dinner with live performances.
The Savoy: a gala under the big top
The Savoy calls its night Midnight Under the Big Top. The hotel’s page describes a Champagne and canapé reception, a five-course dinner and a live band, with the fireworks at midnight. Tickets are sold through a separate booking link, and the page gives no price. The Gallery has a high tea and a five-course dinner of its own, and the American Bar stays open with cocktails and live music.
The fireworks: tickets at £55 and £40, and five closed bridges
London’s fireworks are a ticketed event. The Mayor’s office sells the tickets through one official seller, at £55 or £40 depending on the viewing area, with £20 off for London residents, as the official page sets out. The viewing areas open at 8pm and close to new arrivals at 10.30pm. Everyone needs a ticket, children included.
The closures matter more to hotel guests than the tickets do. Westminster, Golden Jubilee, Lambeth, Blackfriars and Waterloo bridges cannot be used before or after the display, and vehicles are restricted around the river from 2pm on 31 December until about 6am on New Year’s Day. The Savoy and Raffles are both close to the river. A taxi to either after lunch is a slow idea.
The Luxury.it perspective
The four hotels sell four different nights. The Ritz sells the full gala, with an orchestra and a dress code, and prices it accordingly. The Dorchester sells dinner, at two levels and in two rooms. Raffles sells a party, and The Savoy a show. The early sitting at Alain Ducasse is the practical choice for anyone with a second plan for midnight, and at £350 it is the lowest price here. Mayfair has one advantage on this night: it is away from the closures along the river. Raffles and The Savoy are two of London’s six Three-Key hotels, as in our guide to London at Christmas. For the same night across the Channel, see New Year’s Eve in the Paris palaces.
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