Halloween 2025: Scary-Good Dishes and Spooky Drinks Take Over India’s Dining Scene

Cool air in late October means more than carved pumpkins and outfits. In homes everywhere, cooks are mixing up special treats that make Halloween a big party for eating. Long ago, it was just about sweets and going door to door for candy.

Now, it moves inside to eateries, pubs, and coffee spots. This gets cooks and drink makers to try new ideas. What comes out are meals and beverages that feel fun, over-the-top, and nicely spooky.

What turns meals into a big show?

In Delhi's Dramique spot, eating becomes like watching a play with The Phantom Masquerade event, based on the old story of the Opera Ghost. The place changes into a room full of soft candle glow, covered in soft cloth and shiny metal. There is singing from the stage live, plus a late-night reveal of faces under a bright hanging light. The food list joins in—from raw beet slices roasted, squash-topped flatbread, to a green tea sushi roll with fancy mushroom bits. Drinks such as Blush Dictator made with fruit and hot pepper, or Stand for Passion using strong liquor and yellow fruit, help make the whole act exciting.

Over at Beanly in Delhi, the event called The Haunting of Beanly: Trick or Treat Night makes the old game fit for adults. People pick a side: one area for surprises like reading your future, the other full of sweet treats and sips. The best part is a cold coffee topped with foam that tastes salty and sweet, shaped like a small spirit. "We made this list to mark the warm time of year and show how we like things wild and full of energy from coffee," shares Rahul Jain, who started the place with a partner.

How does a top Mumbai hotel join the fun?

The St. Regis Mumbai gets in on the action, making its Seven Kitchens area a soft-lit hideaway with music playing live and food from around the world. Think rice with pumpkin and herb bits, fish baked with green plants on top, chewy bread rounds, and meat cooked Korean-style, all in a setting that feels fancy but a bit scary.

What makes drinks feel dark and fun?

The holiday lets drink experts use fog, shine, and heat in new ways. At Fairmont Mumbai, the Sins & Spirits night asks folks to sample tastes linked to bad habits. Standouts are Crimson Kiss with clear liquor, red fruit juice, and flower bits; Inferno using strong drink, hot spice, and yellow fruit; plus Gold Rush from brown liquor, spice-sweet mix, and foam with gold bits.

At Rick’s in Delhi's Taj Mahal Hotel, the Spirits of the Night party is like walking into an old dark tale. "This gathering honors the taste of the holiday with hints of smoke, strong matches of flavors, and a bit of show," notes cook Keshav Rajesh. In Mumbai, HyLo teamed with The Dimsum Room stays light-hearted in its Haunted Collection, like Witch’s Orchard of clear liquor and white fruit, or Bloody Bawa with clear spirit and red berry.

Why do cooks make food look like ghosts and goblins?

Cooks add scary touches to plates in bold ways. At ITC Maurya’s Ottimo in Delhi, cheese sticks turn into Witch Fingers served with red sauce dip, and round cakes on sticks look like staring eyes for odd laughs. Over at JW Marriott Juhu’s Lotus Café, they bring out wrapped hot dogs like mummies, peppers stuffed and carved like lanterns, plus sweets all about pumpkins.

"This time of year helps us shape thoughts into food you can eat and enjoy," explains cook Gaurav Malhotra. Delhi's Royal China has a Halloween Buns Basket with soft rolls shaped like pumpkins or ghosts, filled with chocolate or creamy pudding. Its three drinks start things off: Zombie’s Lantern Sparkle of clear liquor and flower taste, Devil’s Eye Sip with strong drink and hot pepper, and Black Magic from brown liquor, bitter herb drink, and black dust you can eat.