The Neptune Clipper New Year’s Eve begins ashore and finishes on the river. Dinner is at Browns, Butlers Wharf (26 Shad Thames, SE1 2YG) from 5:00pm on 31 December 2026 — a complimentary drink and a three-course meal of seasonal British and continental dishes — then boarding at London Bridge Pier at 9:00pm for a 9:45pm departure. A drink is included on board, a live band plays, and the boat returns to London Bridge Pier at approximately 1:30am. Cancellation is free up to 30 days before the departure date.
Dinner at Butlers Wharf, then the South Bank fireworks
The two Browns evenings put you on the south bank of the river rather than in the City: dinner at Butlers Wharf, in the old warehouse district beside Tower Bridge, and boarding a few minutes away at London Bridge Pier. The fireworks are launched from the South Bank, which is the stretch the boat works during the countdown.
Against its sister evening on the Mercury, the Neptune is the earlier of the two: boarding at 9:00pm and away at 9:45pm, so there is a longer spell on the water before midnight. It also comes back a quarter of an hour sooner.
How the night unfolds
5:00pm — Browns, Butlers Wharf
A complimentary drink at 26 Shad Thames, then a three-course dinner of seasonal British and continental dishes. Roads across central London close early on 31 December, so allow far more time than usual and check the Transport for London closures before you travel.
9:00pm — boarding at London Bridge Pier
The pier is a short walk from the restaurant. Boarding opens at 9:00pm; the boat cannot wait for latecomers.
9:45pm — away, with the band playing
A drink is included as the Neptune casts off, with a live band on board and the bar open for everything else.
Midnight to 1:30am — fireworks, then back
Midnight over the river with the South Bank display, then the return to London Bridge Pier at approximately 1:30am.
Before you book
Tables at Browns are shared with other guests, and separate bookings are not guaranteed a table together: if your group wants to eat side by side, make the reservation in a single transaction. Allow for the walk between Butlers Wharf and the pier: it is short, but it is outdoors at the end of December.
Cancellation is free up to thirty days before the departure date, which is unusual for New Year’s Eve on the Thames; after that the booking is final. The drink at dinner and the drink on boarding are included and everything else is bought at the bar. The crew work to hold the best position they can for the fireworks, but river traffic, weather and tide decide where the boat sits, and the captain’s decision on the night is final.
