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A spread of colorful dishes with a rangoli art display of colored powders on a dish.
Musaafer’s 5-course Diwali tasting menu draws inspiration from whimsical rangoli art.
Raydon Creative

Where to Celebrate Diwali in Houston

Enjoy dance parties, night markets, and lots of buttery mithai during the Festival of Lights

by Megha McSwain Updated
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Musaafer’s 5-course Diwali tasting menu draws inspiration from whimsical rangoli art.
| Raydon Creative
by Megha McSwain Updated

Diwali, the five-day festival of lights, is one of the most momentous occasions of the year for Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains. In addition to representing the start of a new year, the festival symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and good over evil and is traditionally celebrated by illuminating the home with lights, candles, and sparklers. All sorts of treats are synonymous with the holiday, with salty snacks and platters of melt-in-your-mouth milk-based confections, known as mithai. These colorful morsels made with nuts, sugar, and butter are displayed prominently on dessert tables at Diwali and packed in festive gift boxes for exchanging with family and friends.

This year Diwali is observed on Sunday, November 12, decided upon based on the lunar calendar, and many Indian restaurants and sweet shops are ringing in the holiday with food and drink specials, parties, and celebrations all week (and weekend) long.

With elaborate feasts and parties to ornate and well-stocked mithai boxes, these restaurants and bakeries are lighting up the city this Diwali. Here’s a map that’ll help you prepare.

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Amrina

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The Woodlands hotspot Amrina is celebrating in grandiose fashion with its annual Diwali extravaganza on Sunday, November 5, from 7 to 11 p.m. Along with festive Diwali decor adorning the dining room, the restaurant will feature live entertainment and upbeat Bollywood music during dinner. Guests looking to splurge can reserve a VIP table in the private Kahani Room and enjoy personalized service, plus a special dessert course finished off with sparklers. 

3 Waterway Square Pl #100, The Woodlands, TX 77380
(936) 444-4150
(936) 444-4150
A table of guests at Amrina enjoying lit sparklers.
Amrina’s VIP Diwali celebration concludes traditionally, with sparklers.
Amrina

Also featured in:

Da Gama

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On the weekend leading up to Diwali, Da Gama is hosting a mini night market in the airy outdoor space behind the restaurant facing the Heights Trail. From November 9 through November 12, during the hours of 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the market will feature vendors selling jewelry, crystals, candles, and plants; plus a henna artist and live music on Saturday. The restaurant will also offer Diwali-themed food and drink specials, with the option to dine in or visit the walk-up window and indulge in street foods on the go, like vada pao, pani puri, and dholka.

600 N Shepherd Dr Suite 520, Houston, TX 77007
(281) 888-7806
(281) 888-7806
Yellow rice and shredded meat in a bowl with a lid.
Along with a night market on the weekend leading up to Diwali, Da Gama will offer food and drink specials at the restaurant.
Da Gama

Also featured in:

Kati Roll Wala

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The dedicated kati roll kiosk inside Downtown’s Lyric Market is offering a host of Diwali specials for a full week. From November 5 to November 12, indulge in bargains on kati rolls, mango lassi, and a variety of specialty dessert offerings, like white chocolate rasmalai squares, paan chocolate nibbles in white chocolate, and multi-seed jaggery mix.

Lyric Market, 411 Smith St, Houston, TX 77002
(713) 405-1427
(713) 405-1427

Cacao & Cardamom Chocolatier

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With South Asian-inspired flavors and whimsical designs, Cacao and Cardamom’s craft chocolate is a welcome alternative to gifting traditional mithai during Diwali. The boutique makes it convenient to shop gifts with customizable bundles and boxes available in varying sizes, and as a bonus, it has vegan options too. Hosting a Diwali party? Consider the 2-piece Diwali favors, available in sets of 10, to gift your guests.

5000 Westheimer Rd #602, Houston, TX 77056
(281) 501-3567
(281) 501-3567

Pondicheri

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In Indian cuisine, laddus are synonymous with celebration, and gifting a box at Diwali is not uncommon. Pondicheri is making it a cinch to do so with its Diwali Dabba, a solid brass box featuring an assortment of the restaurant’s signature laddus. Inside, find such decadences as the Sindhi laddu, the besan laddu, and the Pondi bar laddu, a sweet and crispy mix with marshmallows that strays from tradition. As a bonus, Pondicheri’s Diwali Dabbas can be shipped nationwide.

2800 Kirby Dr b132, Houston, TX 77098
(713) 522-2022
(713) 522-2022

Also featured in:

Musaafer

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From November 3 through November 12, Musaafer will showcase a 5-course Diwali tasting menu inspired by the vibrant patterns of Rangoli, a traditional Indian folk art in which designs are created using dry rice, colored sand, and fresh flowers. The edible patterns are a feast for the eyes and palate, and reflect the many nuances of the holiday. Beyond the unique dining experience, Musaafer will also host a Diwali-themed Bollywood Burnout party on November 10, with live DJs, dancers, and musical performances. General admission is $35.

5115 Westheimer Rd Suite C-3500, Houston, TX 77056
(713) 242-8087
(713) 242-8087
A dancer with a traditional headpiece and a red bandeau, dancing with batons.
Musaafer’s Diwali-themed Bollywood Burnout party features live DJs and performances.
Raydon Creative

Also featured in:

Verandah

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This posh Upper Kirby bistro is highlighting a number of Diwali specials, kicking off on November 12 and lasting through November 17. A la carte menu items include savory eats like dal kachori, cheese and peppers fondue, samosas, and katahal ke kathi — a dish that puts a playful Indian twist on tacos. Sweets are abundant too, with desserts like zarda pulao, sweet rice with saffron and nuts. Verandah chef and owner Sunil Srivastava recently launched a line of sauces, which are also available to purchase in packs of two in Diwali gift bags at Costco locations in Sugar Land, Galleria, and Katy beginning November 2.

3300 Kirby Dr Suite 7-A, Houston, TX 77098
(281) 501-0258
(281) 501-0258
Katahal ke Kathi, or Indian-style tacos.
One of Verandah’s Diwali specials is the Katahal ke Kathi, which are Indian-style tacos.
Verandah

Also featured in:

Kiran's

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Fine dining stalwart, Kiran’s will celebrate Diwali with a buffet spread on November 8 that will offer a full array of festive foods for $85 for adults and $35 for children. Among the dishes are potato and cashew samosas, sweet potato chaat, vegetable biryani, channa, poori, papadums, and a bounty of sweets including rasmalai, gajar ki halwa, and barfi. The restaurant is also allowing guests to dine in or carry out the Diwali dishes a la carte, through November 12.

2925 Richmond Ave. Suite 160, Houston, TX 77098
(713) 960-8472
(713) 960-8472

Also featured in:

Raja Sweets

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This decades-old, family-owned restaurant and sweet shop located within the Mahatma Gandhi District is known for its variety of mithai offerings, displaying upwards of 30 different types on any given day — all made fresh, from scratch. From perfectly rolled laddus to bite-size pieces of almond fudge and chocolate barfi, Raja Sweets is a one-stop shop for creating a top-notch Diwali gift box. Brave the line, or save time by pre-ordering by phone in advance.

5667 Hillcroft St, Houston, TX 77036
(713) 782-5667
(713) 782-5667

Also featured in:

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Amrina

3 Waterway Square Pl #100, The Woodlands, TX 77380

The Woodlands hotspot Amrina is celebrating in grandiose fashion with its annual Diwali extravaganza on Sunday, November 5, from 7 to 11 p.m. Along with festive Diwali decor adorning the dining room, the restaurant will feature live entertainment and upbeat Bollywood music during dinner. Guests looking to splurge can reserve a VIP table in the private Kahani Room and enjoy personalized service, plus a special dessert course finished off with sparklers. 

3 Waterway Square Pl #100, The Woodlands, TX 77380
(936) 444-4150
(936) 444-4150
A table of guests at Amrina enjoying lit sparklers.
Amrina’s VIP Diwali celebration concludes traditionally, with sparklers.
Amrina

Da Gama

600 N Shepherd Dr Suite 520, Houston, TX 77007

On the weekend leading up to Diwali, Da Gama is hosting a mini night market in the airy outdoor space behind the restaurant facing the Heights Trail. From November 9 through November 12, during the hours of 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the market will feature vendors selling jewelry, crystals, candles, and plants; plus a henna artist and live music on Saturday. The restaurant will also offer Diwali-themed food and drink specials, with the option to dine in or visit the walk-up window and indulge in street foods on the go, like vada pao, pani puri, and dholka.

600 N Shepherd Dr Suite 520, Houston, TX 77007
(281) 888-7806
(281) 888-7806
Yellow rice and shredded meat in a bowl with a lid.
Along with a night market on the weekend leading up to Diwali, Da Gama will offer food and drink specials at the restaurant.
Da Gama

Kati Roll Wala

Lyric Market, 411 Smith St, Houston, TX 77002

The dedicated kati roll kiosk inside Downtown’s Lyric Market is offering a host of Diwali specials for a full week. From November 5 to November 12, indulge in bargains on kati rolls, mango lassi, and a variety of specialty dessert offerings, like white chocolate rasmalai squares, paan chocolate nibbles in white chocolate, and multi-seed jaggery mix.

Lyric Market, 411 Smith St, Houston, TX 77002
(713) 405-1427
(713) 405-1427

Cacao & Cardamom Chocolatier

5000 Westheimer Rd #602, Houston, TX 77056

With South Asian-inspired flavors and whimsical designs, Cacao and Cardamom’s craft chocolate is a welcome alternative to gifting traditional mithai during Diwali. The boutique makes it convenient to shop gifts with customizable bundles and boxes available in varying sizes, and as a bonus, it has vegan options too. Hosting a Diwali party? Consider the 2-piece Diwali favors, available in sets of 10, to gift your guests.

5000 Westheimer Rd #602, Houston, TX 77056
(281) 501-3567
(281) 501-3567

Pondicheri

2800 Kirby Dr b132, Houston, TX 77098

In Indian cuisine, laddus are synonymous with celebration, and gifting a box at Diwali is not uncommon. Pondicheri is making it a cinch to do so with its Diwali Dabba, a solid brass box featuring an assortment of the restaurant’s signature laddus. Inside, find such decadences as the Sindhi laddu, the besan laddu, and the Pondi bar laddu, a sweet and crispy mix with marshmallows that strays from tradition. As a bonus, Pondicheri’s Diwali Dabbas can be shipped nationwide.

2800 Kirby Dr b132, Houston, TX 77098
(713) 522-2022
(713) 522-2022

Musaafer

5115 Westheimer Rd Suite C-3500, Houston, TX 77056

From November 3 through November 12, Musaafer will showcase a 5-course Diwali tasting menu inspired by the vibrant patterns of Rangoli, a traditional Indian folk art in which designs are created using dry rice, colored sand, and fresh flowers. The edible patterns are a feast for the eyes and palate, and reflect the many nuances of the holiday. Beyond the unique dining experience, Musaafer will also host a Diwali-themed Bollywood Burnout party on November 10, with live DJs, dancers, and musical performances. General admission is $35.

5115 Westheimer Rd Suite C-3500, Houston, TX 77056
(713) 242-8087
(713) 242-8087
A dancer with a traditional headpiece and a red bandeau, dancing with batons.
Musaafer’s Diwali-themed Bollywood Burnout party features live DJs and performances.
Raydon Creative

Verandah

3300 Kirby Dr Suite 7-A, Houston, TX 77098

This posh Upper Kirby bistro is highlighting a number of Diwali specials, kicking off on November 12 and lasting through November 17. A la carte menu items include savory eats like dal kachori, cheese and peppers fondue, samosas, and katahal ke kathi — a dish that puts a playful Indian twist on tacos. Sweets are abundant too, with desserts like zarda pulao, sweet rice with saffron and nuts. Verandah chef and owner Sunil Srivastava recently launched a line of sauces, which are also available to purchase in packs of two in Diwali gift bags at Costco locations in Sugar Land, Galleria, and Katy beginning November 2.

3300 Kirby Dr Suite 7-A, Houston, TX 77098
(281) 501-0258
(281) 501-0258
Katahal ke Kathi, or Indian-style tacos.
One of Verandah’s Diwali specials is the Katahal ke Kathi, which are Indian-style tacos.
Verandah

Kiran's

2925 Richmond Ave. Suite 160, Houston, TX 77098

Fine dining stalwart, Kiran’s will celebrate Diwali with a buffet spread on November 8 that will offer a full array of festive foods for $85 for adults and $35 for children. Among the dishes are potato and cashew samosas, sweet potato chaat, vegetable biryani, channa, poori, papadums, and a bounty of sweets including rasmalai, gajar ki halwa, and barfi. The restaurant is also allowing guests to dine in or carry out the Diwali dishes a la carte, through November 12.

2925 Richmond Ave. Suite 160, Houston, TX 77098
(713) 960-8472
(713) 960-8472

Raja Sweets

5667 Hillcroft St, Houston, TX 77036

This decades-old, family-owned restaurant and sweet shop located within the Mahatma Gandhi District is known for its variety of mithai offerings, displaying upwards of 30 different types on any given day — all made fresh, from scratch. From perfectly rolled laddus to bite-size pieces of almond fudge and chocolate barfi, Raja Sweets is a one-stop shop for creating a top-notch Diwali gift box. Brave the line, or save time by pre-ordering by phone in advance.

5667 Hillcroft St, Houston, TX 77036
(713) 782-5667
(713) 782-5667

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