Bright lights, big city: Cinnamon Kitchen is one of the restaurants hosting a Holi feast
(Picture: Johnny Stephens Photography)For the first time in two years, families around London will be able to celebrate Holi without lockdown restrictions — and there’s plenty going on in London to mark the occasion.
Mainly celebrated across March 17 and 18, some of the city’s finest restaurants will be serving up indulgent feasts, while there are a number of community events ready to bring everyone back together again, to celebrate the beginning of spring, and the triumph of good over evil.
Here’s our pick of what to get up to.
Restaurants
One of London’s foremost chefs, Vivek Singh, will be there in person to host this Holi feast at the City branch of his Cinnamon Kitchen restaurants (March 18, £45pp, cinnamon-kitchen.com). Comprising no less than 13 dishes, from a smoked saddle of lamb to 24-hour-simmered black lentils, best to go with an empty stomach. Kricket’s Holi menu will be served at the White City restaurant (March 16, £55pp, kricket.co.uk), with a welcome cocktail preceding the likes of roast duck with blood orange and jaggery glaze, and caramelised white chocolate kulfi.
Up in Wembley Park, twice Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar’s Masalchi will be serving an Indian street food feast for two (March 18-20, £24.50pp, masalchi.co.uk); expect a Chettinaad kozhi curry, gilafi sheekh kebab, and more. Sloane Square spot Kahani is running a Holi set menu (March 14-20, £55pp, kahanilondon.com), offering three courses of classic favourites: lamb rogan josh, chicken bhuna, paneer and more.
There’s a bargain to be had at Tamarind Tiger on Baker Street, which will be selling its lamb and vegan samosas at half price for one day only (March 18, tamarindtiger.com). And for those with a sweet tooth, head to St James’s restaurant Farzi Cafe, which will be serving a special Holi dessert platter (March 10-18, £10pp, farzilondon.com), a delicious mix of mango, pistachio and saffron layers with pineapple basundi. Dishoom, meanwhile, has added a CBD-infused lassi to its drinks menu (March 17-23, £7.50, dishoom.com), combining ginger, mint and spices with three dashes of CBD bitters in place of the traditional bhang.
Events
There are Holi parties and celebrations taking place all over the capital, most of which bring together food vendors, music, dancing, kids’ activities and lots of colour. They’re always popular, which means a fair few have already sold out.
However, at the time of writing, there are still tickets left for the Holi events at Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre (March 20, from £101.50 for groups of four, eventbrite.com), Plaistow Community Centre (March 19, from £25 for those aged 12 and above, tickettailor.com), the Navnat Centre in Hayes (March 26, from £7 for adults, eventbrite.co.uk), Oasis Banqueting in Barking (March 19, £20, eventbrite.co.uk) and Ramgarhia Community Centre in Forest Gate (£5 for adults, eventbrite.com). Be sure to check the finer details of each event before you book, as timings and activities differ.
