Haloween Ball at Vinopolis and Diwali at Dishoom

Halloween Ball​

Vinopolis, the wine and spirit tasting venue in London’s Bankside, is hosting a Halloween Ball featuring themed drinks, fancy dress and special music. Taking place on Friday 28 October, customers are encouraged to come dressed in their ‘scariest attire’. Drinks on offer include the Bombay Sapphire cocktail with a ‘twist’ and two Absinthe tastings. Also included in the night is the opportunity to be photographed on the ‘black’ carpet, or in the ‘haunted’ black cab booth complete with ghostly chauffeur. Party-goers can enjoy four regular wine tastings and two beer tastings, along with a special serving of Toad in the ‘Ole. After dinner, scary surprises and a Halloween-themed DJ will round off the evening. Tickets are priced at £32 each and can be bought at http://www.vinopolis.co.uk/specialevents/1981.php​.

Diwali at Dishoom​

Dishoom, London’s first Bobmay café in Covent Garden, is celebrating Diwali with a day of facepainting, pavement artm storytelling and film. The restaurant is showcasing a Diwali menu between 18 and 30 October, a family day and Diwali on Sunday 26 October. The Diwali menu includes PhaldariKofta Ruby, a dish of dumplings stuffed with vegetables, paneer and pomegranate, and the Diwali Biryani. Desserts include a choice of a Gola ice or Kulfi, followed by the House Chai. Diners will also receive complimentary mithai, traditional Indian sweets, as part of the festivities. Artist Dameon Priestly will be creating a traditional rangoli (floor art) outside the restaurant. On the Sunday, storyteller Vayu Naidu will narrate the story of the celebration of light. In the evening, a special screening of the film Sita Sings The Blues will be shown from 6.30pm. For more information visit http://www.dishoom.com/2011/10/diwali-at-dishoom/​.

Matilda’s Stupendous Afternoon Tea​

To welcome Matilda the Musical to London’s Cambridge Theatre, Radisson Edwardian Mercer Street Hotel in Covent Garden has launched Matilda’s Stupendous Afternoon Tea. The pre-show tea, at the hotel’s Dial Bar, offers teatime snacks including Miss Honey ham sandwhiches, Bruce Bogtrotter’s brownies, Miss Trunchbull’s trifle and Wormwood’s Wonderful Chocolate fondue. Each child will also be given a complimentary copy of Roald Dahl’s classic to take away with them. Matilda’s Stupendous Afternoon Tea costs £13.75 for kids and £29.50 for grown-ups and is served daily from 2pm-5pm at Dial Bar. The newly-refurbished 137-room Merccer Street Hotel is located in Seven Dials Village. To book the tea, go to http://www.radissonedwardian.com/matilda-afternoon-tea​.

Light up Diwali​

To celebrate the festival of light, Indian restaurant The Chilli Pickle in Brighton has created a celebratory lunch and dinner menu that will run throughout the week. The Diwali King Thali lunch will arrive on a giant tray and include; vegetable or meat curry, dal, thoran, vegetable side dish, riatta, street snack, handmade pickles & chutney, masala pappad, mini butter naan, rice and dessert for £13. The dinner menu features nibbles followed by two or three courses, priced at £19.50 and £23. Chef patron Alun Sperring said: “We hope that by celebrating Diwali all week long it will enable more people to come and try authentic dishes in relaxed surroundings. The menu is a combination of street food and regional delicacies we are proud to serve.” The Chilli Pickle recently came 86th in the 2011 National Restaurant Awards. For more information on the menu, visit http://www.thechillipickle.com/the-chilli-pickle-light-up-diwali​.