A week of events marking the Festival of Colours, Love, and Spring is coming to the city
Fancy a paint fight? Signifying the triumph of good over evil, Holi is a Hindi holiday that celebrates the love between Radha and Lord Krishna. Traditionally a two-day celebration in India, it’s celebrated differently worldwide but almost always includes a colourful paint fight. In London, over a week’s worth of festivities are taking place, with events ranging from colour fights to Holi supper clubs – here’s how to get involved.
House of Holi at Cinnamon Kitchen
Cinnamon Kitchen City is back with its annual House of Holi pop-up. For £15 per adult and £10 for children, shower yourself in a rainbow of colours for 30 minutes in the pod designed for the paint dust fight, and you can also add on a cocktail and a five-course feast in the restaurant if you want to continue the fun. On Thurs 13th March, Vivek Singh is hosting a spesh holi supper club, featuring dishes like Bengali steamed fish with coconut, mustard and chilli; chickpea gnocchi, yoghurt and spinach sauce; and Kolkata-style rich lamb curry.
Sat 8th – Sun 16th March 2025
9 Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4YL
cinnamon-kitchen.com
Kanishka
Atul Kochhar is putting on a four-course menu for Holi at Kanishka this year. Available for just two days, the menu (costing £48 per person), includes a selection of nashta (canapés); salmon shami; lamb seekh kebab; aloo chaat; chicken Chettinad and tiger prawns moilee with black dal, naan and rice; and gujiya sweet fried dumplings with thandai ice cream.
Thurs 13th & Fri 14th March 2025
17-19 Maddox Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 2QH
kanishkarestaurant.co.uk
Eat Momo
Eat Momo is celebrating Holi by giving its signature dumplings a colourful makeover. The team have worked with chefs Kushal Rai from The Cocochine and Esther Lalthlanpuii from A Wong to create colourful dough made with turmeric, spinach and beetroot. The Holi momos will be filled with spiced chicken and coriander and vegetables with ginger, and served with tomato chutney and spicy chilli pickle for dipping.
Mon 10th – Sun 16th March 2025
Arch 229, 1 Bank End, London, SE1 9FJ
eatmomo.uk
London Ki Holi Festival
Head to Hainault Skate Park for the city’s biggest Holi festival, where you can play with unlimited colours, watch Bollywood dance perfomances and Holi fireworks, dance to DJs at the laser and light Holi rave, see Navin Kundra performing live, and feast on a range of street food. Kids under four go free with a range of ticket options starting at £15.
Sat 15th March 2025
Hainault Skate Park, Elmbridge Road, London IG6 3HW
fatsoma.com
Fatt Pundit
This Indo-Chinese restaurant is doing its momo dumplings with colourful twist for Holi this year. Using beetroot, spinach and saffron, the normally white steamed Nepalese dumplings become full of colour. Filling options include chicken, beef, kid goat or vegetables, and you can get them as a snack at the bar or as a starter to your meal.
Weds 12th – Sun 16th March 2025
Fatt Pundit Soho and Fatt Pundit Covent Garden
fattpundit.co.uk
Babur
Forest Hill institution Babur is celebrating Holi with a five-course tasting menu inspired by Hindi songs and gulal, the colour powders thrown during the festival. The menu includes dishes like Rang Barse Dahi Vada, a lentil doughnut with sweet yogurt, tamarind, pomegranate and mint chutney; Pichkari Butter Chicken Tart, named after the water gun used to spray colour during Holi; and Rangoli Gulab Jamun Ki Chat – multicoloured milk dumplings with saffron rabdi, betel leaf and sugared rose petals. The restaurant is throwing a Holi party on 13th March, which includes a welcome drink of Thandai and live entertainment as well as the tasting menu, with the menu also running until 16th March.
Thurs 13th – Sun 16th March 2025
119 Brockley Rise, London SE23 1JP
babur.info