9 Places to Eat in London for Diwali 2026
Diwali is about much more than lighting diyas and watching fireworks.
For many people, some of the best memories of the Festival of Lights happen around a table sharing food, trying sweets, ordering one more dish because everyone wants to taste it, and spending time with family and friends.
And London gives you plenty of ways to do exactly that.
With Diwali falling on Sunday 8 November 2026, restaurants across the capital are getting into the spirit with special tasting menus, sharing feasts, regional Indian dishes and one-off celebrations. Some are sophisticated fine-dining experiences, while others are much more relaxed and designed for sharing with a group.
So if you're looking to eat out for Diwali this year, here are 9 places in London worth knowing about.
1. Jumeirah Carlton Tower – A Taste of Diwali
Knightsbridge
If you're looking for something particularly special this Diwali, start with A Taste of Diwali at Jumeirah Carlton Tower.
This is a particularly interesting addition to this year's London dining calendar because Jumeirah Carlton Tower is bringing together five renowned chefs of South Asian heritage alongside its Executive Chef Mario Perera for an immersive culinary celebration.
Taking place at The Chinoiserie Bar from 16 October to 8 November 2026, A Taste of Diwali is designed as a culinary journey through the flavours and stories of South Asia. Each participating chef contributes a signature dish inspired by their own culinary journey and history.
The chefs involved are:
Executive Chef Mario Perera - Jumeirah Carlton Tower
Executive Pastry Chef Martin Haidar - Jumeirah Carlton Tower
Cyrus Rustom Todiwala OBE DL - Café Spice Namasté
Asma Khan - Founder of Darjeeling Express
Dipna Anand - Co-owner of Brilliant Gastro
Sameer Taneja - Executive Head Chef of Michelin-starred Benares in Mayfair
That is quite a line-up for one Diwali experience.
Rather than presenting the food as one chef's interpretation of Indian cuisine, the residency brings together different backgrounds and culinary stories. The official description highlights connections stretching from the streets of Mumbai to the architecture of Kolkata, giving the menu a distinctly South Asian sense of place.
Guests can choose between a limited-edition tasting menu and an à la carte selection featuring five signature dishes, with bespoke cocktails also available. The Chinoiserie Bar is also being given a contemporary Indian-inspired tablescape for the residency.
The experience culminates in a special Diwali celebration on 8 November, making the final day particularly significant.
A current booking listing puts the three-course Diwali menu at £75 per person, with drinks and extras additional.
If you're looking for a Diwali meal that feels like a proper occasion rather than simply booking an Indian restaurant, this is one to consider.
When: 16 October – 8 November 2026
Where: The Chinoiserie Bar, Jumeirah Carlton Tower, Knightsbridge
Best for: A special Diwali celebration and a chef-led culinary experience
A Taste of Diwali – Jumeirah Carlton Tower
2. Jamavar – A Diwali Darbar
Mayfair
For a more luxurious Diwali feast, head to Jamavar.
The Michelin-starred Mayfair restaurant is celebrating the festival with A Diwali Darbar from 28 October to 8 November 2026.
The restaurant says the menu is inspired by the grand celebratory tables of India's royal courts, bringing together regional dishes, festive favourites and the spirit of Indian hospitality. The feast is priced at £138 per person, with a vegetarian version also available.
The meal begins with Jamavar's Jewel Box, featuring mirchi pakora, masala kaju, mathri, papads and chutneys, before moving into dishes such as Nazakat ke Bhalle and tandoor specialities.
For the main part of the feast, expect dishes including Achari Gosht with Hampshire lamb, Kadhi Pakore, Saag Makkai Mutter, Kale Chana Pulao, Boondi Raita and breads, before finishing with Shahi Kala Jamun.
This is one for people who want to make Diwali dinner feel like an event.
Dress up, book a table, take your time and enjoy a proper feast.
When: 28 October – 8 November 2026
Price: £138 per person
Where: 8 Mount Street, Mayfair
Best for: Luxury Diwali dining
3. Ambassadors Clubhouse – A Punjabi Diwali Feast
Mayfair
If you want to explore the flavours of Punjab this Diwali, Ambassadors Clubhouse offers something rather different.
The Michelin-starred Punjabi restaurant on Heddon Street is running its Diwali Feast from 26 October to 15 November 2026. The restaurant says the menu is inspired by Northern India's festive traditions and royal recipes.
Ambassadors Clubhouse takes its inspiration from the grand party mansions of Northern India, so the experience is deliberately generous and celebratory.
That makes it particularly suitable for a group of friends or family who want a lively evening rather than a quiet tasting-menu experience.
And because the Diwali Feast continues until 15 November, you don't necessarily have to squeeze your celebration into Diwali weekend.
When: 26 October – 15 November 2026
Where: 25 Heddon Street, Mayfair
Best for: Punjabi flavours and lively group celebrations
4. Amaya – Diwali: Light, Fire & Flavour
Belgravia
Some restaurants celebrate Diwali through traditional dishes.
Amaya is putting its own identity into the celebration.
Its Diwali: Light, Fire & Flavour experience runs from 30 October to 8 November 2026, bringing the Festival of Lights together with Amaya's signature approach to Indian grilling and live-fire cooking.
If you're someone who loves food cooked over fire, this could be one of the more interesting Diwali dinners in London.
The restaurant's style is built around grilling, roasting and Indian flavours rather than simply presenting a standard curry-house menu.
And the combination of fire and the Festival of Lights feels particularly appropriate.
It's a good option for couples, friends or anyone looking for a more refined evening in Belgravia.
When: 30 October – 8 November 2026
Where: Belgravia
Best for: Live-fire Indian cooking and a stylish dinner
Amaya – Diwali: Light, Fire & Flavour
5. Chutney Mary – Diwali in St James's
St James's
If your idea of Diwali involves dressing up and heading somewhere glamorous, Chutney Mary is another option worth considering.
The St James's restaurant is hosting its Diwali celebrations from 30 October to 8 November 2026, with a festive menu centred around refined Pan-Indian cuisine, festive curries and Diwali mithai.
The emphasis on mithai is a particularly nice touch because sweets are such an important part of Diwali celebrations.
Rather than treating dessert as simply the final course, the menu brings festive Indian sweets into the experience.
The location also makes it easy to turn dinner into a wider West End evening. You could start around Piccadilly, have dinner in St James's and continue towards Trafalgar Square or Covent Garden afterwards.
When: 30 October – 8 November 2026
Where: St James's
Best for: An elegant Diwali dinner
Chutney Mary – Diwali celebrations
6. Cinnamon Bazaar – A Sharing Feast in Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Diwali is traditionally a time for gathering, so a sharing menu makes a lot of sense.
At Cinnamon Bazaar in Covent Garden, a specially curated Diwali menu is running from 19 October to 14 November 2026.
The restaurant describes it as a celebration built around vibrant flavours, festive indulgence and dishes designed to be shared and enjoyed together.
Current listings put the Cinnamon Bazaar experience at £39 per person, with an eight-dish sharing feast and a Diwali-inspired cocktail included.
This is one of the more accessible choices on the list compared with the luxury tasting menus.
And the location is a bonus.
You can make a whole evening out of it dinner at Cinnamon Bazaar followed by a walk through Covent Garden, Seven Dials and the West End.
When: 19 October – 14 November 2026
Price: From £39 per person
Where: 28 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden
Best for: Groups, sharing and a central London evening
Cinnamon Bazaar – Diwali at Covent Garden
7. Trèsind Mayfair – A Contemporary Diwali Experience
Mayfair
If you want to see what happens when traditional Indian flavours meet contemporary fine dining, Trèsind Mayfair is one of the more unusual options this year.
The restaurant is hosting its first London Diwali celebration with a dedicated tasting menu from 3 to 7 November 2026.
The menu costs £115 per person and is available for both lunch and dinner.
The menu takes familiar Indian references and reworks them in a more contemporary style.
Among the dishes are pani puri with preserved pear and feta cream, a beetroot chop, a reimagined jalebi chaat, tandoori tiger prawn and a choice of mains including butter chicken, Goan lamb vindaloo or sea bass with coconut-rich kiri hodi.
Vegetarian diners also have their own menu journey, including paneer tikka paturi and vegetable-based mains.
The experience finishes with ghewar, rose and cardamom ice cream, caramelised milk and soan papdi.
It is definitely not the most traditional-looking Diwali menu on this list — and that's exactly why it is interesting.
When: 3–7 November 2026
Price: £115 per person
Where: Mayfair
Best for: Contemporary Indian fine dining
8. Trishna – A Michelin-Starred Diwali Feast
Marylebone
For seafood lovers, Trishna gives you another reason to consider Diwali dining in London.
The Michelin-starred Marylebone restaurant is offering a five-course Diwali menu from 2 to 8 November 2026, priced at £120 per person, with a vegetarian option also available.
The menu takes a more luxurious route, with dishes including seafood paniyaram with Oscietra caviar, grouse cooked with single malt and half a lobster tail with lemon butter.
Dessert takes a playful turn with a gulab jamun tiramisu, finished with Mysore pak crumble and filter coffee granita.
This is another option where the menu is less about recreating a traditional family Diwali meal and more about celebrating Indian flavours through a fine-dining lens.
If you're looking for something special for a date night or a smaller celebration, it is worth considering.
When: 2–8 November 2026
Price: £120 per person
Where: 15–17 Blandford Street, Marylebone
Best for: Fine dining and seafood lovers
9. KOKUM – A South London Diwali Feast
East Dulwich
You don't have to head into Mayfair to have a great Diwali meal.
KOKUM in East Dulwich is offering a limited-edition Diwali feast from 3 to 8 November 2026, priced at £45 per person.
The menu is specifically designed for sharing, making it a natural choice for family and friends.
The current menu includes dishes such as crispy spinach and kale chaat, paneer tikka angara, pani puri and achari chicken tikka, followed by mains including KOKUM's butter chicken and dal makhani, served with rice and breads.
Dessert is mango and cardamom shrikhand.
There is also a special Nani's Nightcap cocktail for the occasion.
At £45 per person, it sits comfortably below some of the high-end Mayfair tasting menus while still giving you a dedicated Diwali experience.
And if you're based in South London, that makes it a particularly useful option.
When: 3–8 November 2026
Price: £45 per person
Where: 58–60 East Dulwich Road
Best for: Sharing with family or friends and South London diners
Which Diwali Dining Experience Should You Choose?
There isn't really one "best" place here because these restaurants are offering very different experiences.
If you want the most distinctive chef-led experience, Jumeirah Carlton Tower stands out because of the number of chefs and individual culinary stories brought together under one residency.
For luxury dining, Jamavar, Trishna and Trèsind Mayfair are strong choices.
For Punjabi flavours, Ambassadors Clubhouse is the obvious one.
For Indian grilling, Amaya brings something different.
For an elegant West End evening, Chutney Mary works particularly well.
For sharing with friends, Cinnamon Bazaar and KOKUM are both worth considering.
And if you're trying to keep the cost a little more manageable, Cinnamon Bazaar at £39pp and KOKUM at £45pp are two of the more accessible dedicated Diwali menus in this guide.
Don't Forget to Celebrate Outside the Restaurant
Of course, eating is only one part of Diwali in London.
If you want to combine your meal with a public celebration, Diwali on the Square at Trafalgar Square takes place on Sunday 25 October 2026, with free entry, performances, workshops, food stalls and other activities.
There are also celebrations at places such as Marble Hill, the National Maritime Museum and Neasden Temple around the festival.
That means you could easily build your own Diwali day in London.
Start with a public celebration.
Explore the city.
Stop for sweets or a chai.
Then finish with a proper Diwali dinner.
It doesn't have to be one single event.
That's part of what makes celebrating Diwali in London so enjoyable you can experience different parts of the festival throughout the city.
A Quick Tip Before You Book
Diwali falls on 8 November 2026, and that is also the final day for several of the menus featured here.
So if you specifically want to dine on Diwali itself, don't leave the reservation until the last minute.
Some of these experiences run for a week or more, meaning you can celebrate before or after the actual date and still enjoy a dedicated Diwali menu.
Also check whether the advertised price includes drinks, service charges or additional sides before booking. These details vary considerably between restaurants.
Final Thoughts
Diwali in London isn't just about finding somewhere that serves Indian food.
It's about finding somewhere that makes the meal feel like part of the celebration.
This year, you can choose from royal-inspired feasting at Jamavar, Punjabi hospitality at Ambassadors Clubhouse, live-fire cooking at Amaya, contemporary Indian fine dining at Trèsind, a Michelin-starred seafood-focused menu at Trishna, relaxed sharing at KOKUM — or the particularly special A Taste of Diwali at Jumeirah Carlton Tower.
And that last one deserves a special mention because of the way it brings together chefs from different culinary backgrounds under one roof.
From 16 October to 8 November, The Chinoiserie Bar becomes the setting for a culinary journey celebrating the flavours and stories of South Asia, with five renowned chefs joining Executive Chef Mario Perera and each bringing a signature dish inspired by their own journey and heritage.
So whether you're celebrating with your family, planning a dinner with friends, organising a date night or simply want to try something new this Diwali, London has plenty of tables worth booking.
Sometimes the best way to celebrate the Festival of Lights is simple:
Good food.
Good company.
And a table that everyone wants to stay around for just a little longer.
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