The Holi festival of colours returns this week in a celebration of spring, rebirth and love. A beloved festival the world over, marked by Hindus, Sihks, and Jains, the festival is a joyful time to mark the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It is also a celebration of good triumphing over evil.
Celebrated from sundown on March 8, many places will host events and parties all week and into the weekend. Often known as the “festival of colours”, the celebrations are particularly famous for the paint that is hurled during it; the tradition is said to be a nod to pranks Krishna played as a child, when he would cheerily throw coloured water over his milkmaids.
Restaurants and other spots alike are all getting involved this year; here’s everything you need to know.
Restaurants
London can proudly claim a diverse range of regional Indian restaurants and Holi presents the perfect opportunity to reconnect with some of the best the city has to offer.
Vivek Singh is one of the capital’s foremost culinary talents and his restaurant empire knows how to do Holi in serious style. Dubbed “The House of Holi”, there will be a range of celebrations and events at Cinnamon Kitchen (9 Devonshire Square, EC2M, cinnamon-kitchen.com) over in the City, with a number of special menus available at branches in Battersea (Nine Elms, SW11, cinnamon-kitchen.com), Covent Garden (Maiden Lane, WC2E, cinnamon-bazaar.com) and Victoria (Old Westminster Library, SW1P, cinnamonclub.com).
The Paint Pod is up now and running until March 12 with sessions available from £25 with a cocktail, or there’s a dining option including a nine dish sharing feast at £60 per ticket. For a longer sit-down supper, there’s a five-course supper club dinner available for £70 a ticket, featuring classic Cinnamon Kitchen dishes including Bengali steamed fish with coconut, kadhi pithod saag and Kolkata style lamb curry.
If, though, you’re looking to celebrate Holi without a faceful of powdered paint, Singh is also offering an exclusive in-person masterclass. The experience will last around six hours and guests will have the chance to truly understand the joy of regional Indian cookery, developing a knowledge of spicing, flavour profiles and festival food, and both breakfast and lunch are included in the £250 ticket.
Over in Covent Garden, Fatt Pundit (Maiden Lane, WC2E, fattpundit.co.uk) serves a Kolkata based cuisine championing the Hakka people who settled in India from China around 250 years ago. The Indo-Chinese menu is unique in London and to celebrate Holi, the restaurant is revamping its signature Momo dish. The dumplings, filled with beef, kid goat, vegetables or chicken, are made colourful to reflect the celebration of colour during Holi, but taste as delicious as ever. They’re available all week until March 12.
South-east London has a number of exciting Indian restaurants and Babur (Brockley Rise, SE23, babur.info) is no exception. It will be hosting a huge Holi hullaballoo in a covered marquee space behind the restaurant on March 8, with feasting tickets available at £50 a head. Indian dancers, paint throwing and new signature dishes celebrate the festival, with the new menu additions staying for three weeks until the end of the month. Of the new dishes, both the shaker kandhi ki chaat (a pastry stuffed with sweet potato and pomegranate) and the gulnar jalpari (lemon sole with prawn and a red pepper sauce) sound particularly promising.
Extra dishes abound too at the well-respected Kahani (Wilbraham Place, SW1X, kahanilondon.com) just off Sloane Square. Chef Peter Joseph has launched a new celebration menu this week available until March 10. Smoked malabar prawns with tumeric, Kashmiri chargrilled chicken chops and Somerset lamb with nagercoil clove all feature.
Events
There are a number of spectacular Holi events across the capital, though with the festivities just around the corner, tickets are increasingly limited.
Holi: Festival of Colours takes place over at Blackheath Halls (Lee Road, SE3 , blackheathhalls.com): a family-oriented experience but without the signature paint throwing, this celebration is deigned to get families of all ages involved in the fun. There will be music, a recital from Ranjana Ghatak, dancing and vegan snacks served throughout. It takes place in the evening on March 18 with tickets ranging from £15 to £25 a pop.
Elsewhere, the City Pavillion in Dagenham is hosting a blowout bash. The London ki Holi festival (Collier Row, RM5, fatsoma.com ) is an eight-hour party starting at midday on Saturday March 11, with organic colour powder throwing, dancing, music, and DJs as the day goes on. Towards the late afternoon and early evening, an indoor Bollywood-themed rave is set to carry the party into the evening. With hair and make-up stands, complimentary sweet cones and ice golas, performers, family entertainers and street food stalls all on offer, this one feels like one of the biggest celebrations around (tickets from £22).
Taking place on Sunday March 12 is the Magic of India Holi Party (Swiss Cottage fountain area, NW3, magicofindia.org). Located in Swiss Cottage by the famed Cherry Blossom trees, this classic Holi party will have it all: traditional street food, colour throwing, drummers, dancing, DJs and “surprise performances” (we don’t know either) all play a part in this festive event. Tickets are £30 each and food from the myriad stalls and stands will be extra.
