Get a taste for some divine Diwali dinners

If you can't make it to India in time for the show, why not celebrate at one of the London restaurants marking the Festival Of Lights this week?

Not every Indian restaurant will be joining in, as Muslims do not celebrate Diwali, but others — like these below — will have oil lamps or lanterns, flower garlands, firework displays and mountains of sugar sweets to tempt you.

Sanghamam
This no-frills vegetarian Tamil restaurant is at the heart of Wembley's Diwali scene. Its speciality of traditional sweets, all made in-house, keeps revellers coming back year after year for another calorific helping of milk barfi (sugar and condensed milk), mysore pak (sweetened gram flour and ghee) and jhangri (deep-fried saffron-scented sugary fritters).

Diwali's no day for dieting, and even those who fear for their arteries will delight in Sanghamam's savoury selection including dosas (rice and lentil flour pancakes) and thalis (from £4.95). The surrounding streets, along the High Road and Ealing Road, will be alive with lights and fireworks.
Sanghamam, 531-533 High Road, Wembley, 020 8900 0777

Madhu's
Where better to watch London come alive for Diwali than Southall, west London's "Little India" and home to some of London's most authentic Indian restaurants?

Madhu's, founded in 1980 and still run by the Punjabi Anand brothers, has two Diwali menus on offer: vegetarian at £20 and a meat one at £25. Both deliver a range of Madhu's expertly spiced
classics (sesame fried king prawns or lamb chops for the carnivores, chilli cassava or samosas for the veggies), finished with an exotic platter of desserts.

Diwali in Southall is worth crossing town for — not just for the food but the spectacle. It's a stunning show, with pretty lights in every window, around every door, and fireworks going off into the early hours.
Madhu's, 39 South Road, Southall, Middlesex, 020 8574 1897

Seasoning
This Fulham newcomer pulls out all the stops for a Diwali party worthy of the subcontinent. Hundreds of colourful lanterns and candles will turn the venue into a shimmering riot of lights. There will even be a firework display from the restaurant's veranda at 10pm.

Start with an aperitif of Mango Shine before the buffet of fragrant biryanis, samosas, butter chicken, curry and freshly baked breads, pickles and chutneys. A traditional Diwali sweet display completes the picture. The buffet (£15) is available from 6pm to 10pm on Saturday.
Seasoning, 84-86 Lillie Road, Fulham, SW6, 020 7386 0303

Masala Zone
Across all six of its London restaurants, Masala Zone celebrates Diwali for the full five days of the festival, from Thursday to Monday.

The menu tracks from coast to coast — from a Gujarati veggie curry called undhiyo to a Bengali prawn malai. They can be incorporated into Masala Zone's regular vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis so you can sample plenty of dishes in one go.

Set Diwali party menus are also available for larger groups in the private rooms (seating from 12-50) and at £15 a head with the added option of special desserts including gulab jamun and copious sugary mithas (sweets), it's certainly a change from the average party fare.
masalazone.com

Amaya
We love Amaya for inventing a new Diwali tradition of show-stopping cocktails garnished with silver and gold leaf. The idea reflects a belief that this is a good time to do business and to buy silver and gold.

Michelin-starred Amaya also follows tradition with some sumptuous veggie dishes on their Diwali menu (£40), including a rich fruit curry of apricots, plums, pistachios and almonds and a biryani with morels. Coloured powder and hanging lanterns will garland the entrance, as is the Diwali custom.
Amaya, Halkin Arcade, Motcomb Street, SW1,
020 7823 1166

Mint Leaf
Even the moody, atmospheric Mint Leaf — think Hakkasan with a dimmer switch — is getting in on this festival, and diners get to take Diwali home with them courtesy of a complimentary scented candle for every guest.

Chef Dhayalan Paul puts the emphasis on vegetarian dishes and toothsome sweetmeats. Starters include green pea cakes, £8, or tandoori paneer and pineapple (cheese and pineapple), £8, with mushroom and broccoli curry, £15. Indian sweets (ladoo and cashew burfi), £8, provide the requisite sugar rush for afters. The menu is available this Saturday and Sunday.
Mint Leaf, Suffolk Place, Haymarket, SW1, 020 7930 9020