Halloween, as we know it, is all about trick-or-treats, fun parades featuring zombies, ghosts, ghouls and other creatures of the night as well as crazy costume parties. A celebration that’s observed on October 31, it marks the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. Halloween celebrations across the world are known for a bevvy of rituals inspired by folk traditions of Celtic-speaking countries. Believed to have originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which used to be celebrated on October 31 and November 1 in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, Halloween today has taken on more secular and commercial colours. Not only is it currently one of the most important holidays across America, it is also observed with equal vibrancy in the rest of the world, including countries like Mexico, Spain, Ireland and Canada. What’s more, Halloween celebrations have also made their way into India and restaurants and watering holes in Delhi are all geared up to welcome revellers with all things spooky. Here’s a look at the hottest places in Delhi-NCR where you can soak up the Halloween spirit in style.
Price: Meal for Two Rs 7000, plus taxes, without alcohol
The spirits are descending this Halloween at 1911 in The Imperial, where a lavish buffet awaits you. Featuring dishes made with pumpkin, exotic vegetables, meats and seafood on the barbeque along with thematic desserts, the buffet promises to give your Halloween celebrations a ghoulish edge. The best part of the deal? You don’t even need to get into a scary creature costume in order to tuck into their array of delicacies, which includes Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque with Sour Cream, Maple and Clove Roasted Ham with Herb and Devil Sauce, Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Crust, Savoury Pumpkin and Cornbread Muffin, Spider Web Cake and more.
Ministry of Beer, located in both Gurgaon and CP, has come up with a customised menu to ease you into the Halloween spirit. The dishes on offer have whacky names to go with the horror theme of the festival, such as Halloween Pumpkin Soup, Boil and Bubble Soup, Chopped Bat Wings, Alien Eye Cheese Balls, and much more. The Mains section of the menu is equally colourful, with gory entries like Dracula Delight Salad, Devil Pepper Chicken, Ghost Curry, Witches Brew Dal and Eyeball Curry. Quite aptly, the evil chocolate cake hazelnut sauce and toxic lemon tart end your meal on a sweet note. Also putting a fun spin on your Halloween drinks here are cocktails called vamp’s blood, voodoo punch, rotting martini, red devil and macchiato martini. Amplifying the Halloween vibe is a Horror Movie Night, scheduled on October 31.
Gurgaon’s Big Boyz Lounge is welcoming Halloween with its Dangerous Weekend. Kick start your haunted celebrations with drinks like Kala Jaadu, Desi Lava, lost in translation, Big Boyz Halloween special, Uncle Halloween, Risky Whisky, Bloody Mary and more. Needless to say, you are also expected to line your stomach with special fares like Pumpkin Risotto, Pumpkin Soup and Kebabs before binging on booze.
The Junkyard Café, which doffs its hat to all things junk, is hosting the Most Scary Halloween Weekend and Night. The café, which has garbage chic as its décor, is at its ghoulish best this Halloween and will be awarding the couple that turns up in the best Halloween-themed costumes. Things turn creepy pretty early in the evening at The Junkyard Café as patrons are treated to Scary Welcome Shots. In addition, there are special cocktails in almost all its outlets. The café is also playing around with its interiors to stay true to the horror vibe of the festival. Gear up for the café’s Halloween Night on October 31, where the highlight is a fun costume party.
Price of Halloween Stay Package: Rs 14,999 all-inclusive per couple (includes entry to Iah Bar)
Price for entry to Iah Bar: Rs 4,999 all-inclusive per couple
Date: October 31
Time: 7:30 pm till Midnight
Children will not be allowed inside the bar
In case you want to make your Halloween super spooky, head to Iah Bar at The Roseate, New Delhi where the hotel is asking its patrons to come in their eeriest black costumes. Building on Halloween’s terror theme, the hotel is also offering several Halloween packages. For a big dose of Halloween horror, get your friends or partner along, as the hospitality outfit is celebrating the night with a haunted theme and uncanny treats. There’s a guest DJ at hand to belt out foot-tapping music and you will have opportunities to win vouchers throughout the night. The food on offer also tap into the carnival spirit and the menu includes dishes like Frankenstein, Vampire Blood Soup and Graveyard Pie. Guests can also choose from the hotel’s specially-curated Spook Menu, featuring a range of Halloween-themed cocktails as well as in-house liquor brands and mocktails. To scare the daylights out of you there are concoctions named creepy eyeball and bloodsucker as well.
Susmita Saha is a Delhi-based Features Writer. She has worked as an Assistant Editor at India Today and The Telegraph and writes on arts and culture, films, travel, food, architecture, design and various other lifestyle subjects. She has seriously itchy feet and plans to tick the world off her bucket list, one burger at a time.
