Sunday 8 November 2026 · Festival Menu £29.95 per person
Diwali in Southampton
The festival of lights at a restaurant that has been vegetarian since day one. Family tables, community gatherings and a set menu with a free drink when you book ahead.
Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday 8 November, with the wider five-day festival running Friday 6 to Tuesday 10 November. Padharo, on East Street in Southampton, is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 12pm to 10:30pm, and Tuesday from 5pm. It is closed on Monday 9 November, as it is every Monday. The Festival Menu is £29.95 per person, with a free drink for anyone who books ahead.
Padharo is 100% vegetarian, built on family recipes from Bhavnagar, Gujarat. It was named Indian Restaurant of the Year, South of England, at the Nation's Curry Awards 2025. Group deals are available by email for larger tables.
The Festival Menu
What's on the table
Padharo Festival Menu
£29.95 per person · One item per section · Side dishes add £3
Nibbles
Thin rice flour based snack. Bursting with flavours, these savoury delights offer satisfying crunch with drinks, served with mango chutney, and coriander and mint.
Street Food
Spiced spinach and potato patties, soft inside, pan-fried to a golden crisp.
Crispy cauliflower in our signature house batter, stir-fried and coated in spicy chilli sauce.
Thinly sliced onions, gently spiced and deep-fried until golden and crispy.
Crunchy puri shells stuffed with chickpeas, potato, onion and tomato, then topped with sweet yoghurt, tamarind and coriander-mint chutney.
Main Dishes
Our Lababdar is a rich and flavourful curry of cashews, tomato and warming spices, slow-simmered into a smooth creamy gravy.
With your choice of: Chick’n (plant-based), Paneer or Veg
Rich, creamy, and infused with our house-special masalas, this tomato-based classic is a flavourful feast.
With your choice of: Chick’n (plant-based), Paneer or Veg
A vibrant, creamy tomato gravy infused with aromatic spices for a smoky and flavourful tandoori finish.
With your choice of: Paneer, Tofu or Aloo
A winter special bringing you a true taste of Gujarat. Smoky grilled aubergine curry, with tomato, onion, herbs and spices. A divine earthy delight.
Side Dishes (add £3)
Yellow lentils tempered the old-fashioned way, in a pan of hot ghee with garlic, cumin and a hit of fresh chilli.
Black lentils slow-cooked overnight with butter, cream and tomato until they melt into something silky and properly smoky. All that cooking, worth the wait.
Naan / Rice
Desserts
Beautiful and delicious. Delicate, crispy nests of shredded pastry are baked to a golden brown, filled with a rich pistachio creamy centre and an added twist of gulab jamun on the top.
Book in advance to each receive a free drink
Choose from house prosecco, wine, draught beer or a soft drink.
Large group booking deals are available
Email us with the size of your group and your preferred date and we will make sure to accommodate you.
Email us about a group bookingVG Vegan (or option) · GF Gluten-free (or option) · CN Contains nuts
We make every effort to stay away from cross-contamination, but due to cooking processes, cannot guarantee there are no trace allergens.
Since day one
Vegetarian, always
Padharo has been a fully vegetarian restaurant since it opened, which matters at Diwali, when many families choose vegetarian food for the festival. Nothing on the menu needs checking or swapping out.
The food is rooted in the founders' family recipes from Bhavnagar, Gujarat, spanning dishes from across India, cooked by head chef Kamal. Most of the Festival Menu is vegan, and several dishes are gluten-free.
Dates
Diwali 2026 at Padharo
| Date | Hours |
|---|---|
| Friday 6 November | 12pm to 10:30pm |
| Saturday 7 November | 12pm to 10:30pm |
| Sunday 8 November (Diwali, Lakshmi Puja) | 12pm to 10:30pm |
| Monday 9 November | Closed |
| Tuesday 10 November | 5pm to 10:30pm |
Sunday is the big night. Book ahead for a family table.
Something sweet
Finish with mithai
The Festival Menu ends with a pistachio kunafa nest or a dark chocolate brownie. If you want more, the main Padharo menu carries a full dessert list too, including gajar halwa and gulab jamun.
Desserts from the main Padharo menu, not the Festival Menu.
Groups
Family tables and big gatherings
Family tables
Tables for all ages, kids welcome. Bring the whole family for Diwali without booking a private room.
Community and work groups
Group deals are available by email, and one set menu keeps ordering simple for a large table. See our group dining page for more.
The whole restaurant
For the biggest celebrations, exclusive hire books the entire restaurant for your group alone.
Address
100-102 East Street
Southampton, SO14 3HH
United Kingdom
Opening hours
Tue - Thu: 5pm - 10:30pm
Fri - Sun: 12pm - 10:30pm
Closed Mondays
Booking
OpenTable
Email: info@padharo.co.uk
Phone: 07424 772153
Parking
Eastgate Street Multi-Storey,
a two-minute walk.
Diwali questions
Frequently asked
When is Diwali 2026?
Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday 8 November, the main day of Lakshmi Puja. The wider five-day festival runs from Friday 6 to Tuesday 10 November. Padharo is open for most of that window, with a full write-up of hours on this page.
Is Padharo open on Diwali?
Yes. Padharo is open on Sunday 8 November, Diwali itself, from 12pm to 10:30pm, the same as the weekend either side. It is closed the next day, Monday 9 November, as it is every Monday of the year, so plan Sunday for the big family table.
Is the Diwali menu vegetarian?
Yes, and so is everything else at Padharo. The restaurant has been fully vegetarian since it opened, so nothing on the Festival Menu needs checking. Most dishes are vegan or have a vegan option, many are gluten-free, and every dish is clearly marked.
How much is the Diwali set menu at Padharo?
The Festival Menu is £29.95 per person, with one item from each section: nibbles, street food, a main, naan or rice, and dessert. Side dishes can be added for £3, and every guest receives a free drink when you book ahead.
Can we book a large Diwali gathering?
Yes. Group booking deals are available by email for larger Diwali parties, and the set menu keeps ordering simple since everyone chooses on the night. For the biggest gatherings, the whole restaurant can be booked for exclusive private hire. Just tell us your group size and preferred date.
Is the Diwali menu the same as the Christmas menu?
Yes. Padharo runs one Festival Menu that covers both celebrations, so the dishes and the £29.95 price are identical for Diwali and for December. If you are planning a Christmas booking instead, see our Christmas page for those dates and opening hours.