As the Chinese Spring Festival approaches, restaurants in Ningbo City, east China's Zhejiang Province, are seeing a surge in early bookings for Chinese New Year's Eve dinners, with popular private rooms fully booked well in advance.
The New Year's Eve dinner, when families gather to celebrate the Spring Festival, is regarded by some as the most important meal of the year for Chinese people, held on the eve of the first day of the Chinese New Year.
Xia Lijie, general manager of a restaurant in Ningbo, said their menu for this year's Chinese New Year's Eve centers on seafood, complemented by spicy dishes favored by younger diners and traditional Ningbo delicacies, aiming to cater to diners of all ages. The reservations are highly competitive, especially for private rooms, he said.
"We have 27 dining-tables in 26 private rooms, and all of them were booked by August or September of 2025," said Xia.
Tang Shoumei, general manager of another restaurant in Ningbo, confirmed that seats in both banquet halls and the main hall are in high demand.
"About 60 percent of our banquet hall reservations are already secured. The prices of the dishes this year are a bit more cost-effective than in previous years," said Tang.
To better accommodate the increasing number of families celebrating together, some restaurants are trying out staggered dining hours for the first time, effectively easing peak hours and ensuring a smoother celebration for all diners.
Restaurants in Ningbo see surge in bookings for Chinese New Year's Eve dinners
