From Goa to New York, discover the best restaurants serving Onam Sadhya

“There's a very interesting sentence from Ayurvedic texts which states that if you want to learn about flavours, you just have to see the sadhya banana leaf because it carries all six rasas in it. It has the sweet, sour, salty, tangy, spicy, and even the astringent,” shares chef Marina Balakrishnan, the custodian of authentic, homemade sadhya in Mumbai, relished by celebrities (including Kareena Kapoor Khan) and gourmands alike.

Brought up in Thalassery, North Malabar, Balakrishnan's tryst with the sadhya goes way back, from preparing it to relishing it at temples, and now, offering a taste of that authenticity to epicureans across India. And so instinctively, we turned to her to uncover the many layers of the festive feast, and she’s quick to correct us on a widespread misconception: “I think people think that it is made only for Onam and Vishu, but it is a meal of celebration. In Kerala, it could be a wedding or a birthday, and sadhya is a staple there”.

With Onam merely a week away and sadhya pangs punctually kicking in, restaurants have already begun preparing for the elaborate meal; such is the allure and magnitude of the traditionally vegetarian feast!

Typically featuring an average of 30 dishes (sometimes even up to 64), all served on a banana leaf, it is especially savoured during the auspicious festival of Onam. Today, India aside, even top restaurants in London, New York, and San Francisco serve the sadhya during Onam, catering to a global rising demand for the feast.

For Balakrishnan, too, Onam is inextricably linked to the Sadhya. Her earliest festive memories draw from fond childhood days well spent among a large family of nearly 30 to 40 people. “There was a pookalam (floral rangoli) competition, so we would make teams, go to the paddy fields to collect flowers, and even steal flowers from people's backyards and gardens!” The highlight, of course, remained the sadhya, which Balakrishnan's family would prepare from scratch at home, weeks in advance. “This included the injupuri, the pickles, the banana chips, the sharkara varatti, everything”. Roles were duly allocated, including peeling, chopping, and sampling dishes under prep; eventually, the entire household would come together to perfect the sadhya.

From the act of eating everything by hand—a skill in itself—to its vibrant presentation, the meal is nothing short of culinary art. “The banana leaf turns into an art piece because there is a certain order in which the food is laid and served. For example, you start with the salt, in case you need to add more flavour to your food. But my grandmother had a very interesting explanation for it. She says it's also for the nazar (evil eye) because the banana leaf looks so beautiful!” If you’re keen for a taste of the best and nothing less, here’s a roundup of eateries from around the world serving the Sadhya this year.

Mumbai

For dining in, head to the all-day, multi-cuisine restaurant Tiqri at Taj Santacruz, which promises a quintessential vegetarian sadhya. Savour regional favourites from olan to kootu curry, avial, and more, all while seated within a 60-foot glass atrium.

Meanwhile, The Leela Mumbai is offering the Sadhya at two restaurants, including Jamavar and Citrus. At the former, diners can expect specially curated vegetarian and non-vegetarian evening set menus featuring the classics like erusseri, chamba rice, and kalan, apart from addi poli mutton, Malabar prawns, Kumarakom fish curry, chicken ghee roast, et al. At the latter, Citrus, there’s a special Onam brunch featuring live stations offering appam with vegetable stew, dosa with sambar and chutneys, egg roast, and parippu prathaman and pal payasam to end on a sweet note.

The Konkan Cafe at President, Mumbai - IHCL SeleQtions, a personal favourite for a city sadhya, is back with all the authentic flavours plattered on a banana leaf. Guests can relish achinga thoran, avial, erissery, koottu curry, parippu thalichathu, mambaza pulissery, sambhar, paal payasam, ada pradaman, payamkodan pazham, paan, and more. Surrounded by traditional decor and music, it’s a cultural odyssey beyond taste. Be sure to book your spot in advance; this one fills up faster than you can say “pappadum”.

For those keen on a premium takeaway option, NairOnFire is a cult favourite, loved by celebrities including Anushka Sharma, Vidya Balan, and Hrithik Roshan. This year, they’re offering a unique superfood Sadhya for a renewed experience. There’s also a mini sadhya, UnSadya (with chicken and seafood), office and corporate sadhya, bulk party feasts, and payasam hampers. Veterans at packaging the meal for transit (with the banana leaf and everything); each box serves two and must be pre-booked for doorstep delivery. For context, the superfood sadya includes protein tikki, mung dal thoran, beetroot hung curd pachadi, Calicut halwa, and more!

Goa

A coastal celebration awaits at the Tanjore Tiffin Room, with a traditional sadhya spread, bringing together 30 dishes served on a banana leaf. The festive meal features the non-negotiable classics including avial, olan, kaalan, rasam, and more, recreating the spirit of an authentic Onam feast. Embark on a culinary odyssey with a plethora of textural variants including pachadis, thorans, crisp upperi, and pazhampori. The leaf closes, as it always does, with payasam served two ways: the milky pal payasam and the jaggery-rich sharkara adapradhaman. Also available at their Pune and Mumbai outlets, this Tamilian bistro simply knows how a sadhya is done.

In Siolim, Hosa’s much-awaited annual sadhya returns, led by Chef Harish Rao. The meal starts strong with sarkara upperi and varutha upperi, followed by puli inji, beetroot pachadi, thoran, erissery, olan, avial, koottu curry, ulli theeyal, sambar, rasam, Kerala red rice, parippu with ghee, thair (curd) and pappadam. The meal concludes with semiya payasam, palada pradhaman, a yellow banana, buttermilk, and dahamukti water. There’s more on the banana leaf with an à la carte menu of Kerala non-vegetarian favourites. Pick between Kerala egg roast, Kerala chicken, mutton ularthiyathu, prawn tawa fry, nadan chicken curry, meen moilee and alleppey prawn curry, served alongside porotta, appam, idiyappam, and Kerala red rice.

Kerala

The home of the not-so-humble sadhya goes all out, of course, with fine dining restaurants, casual eateries and households celebrating the meal with equal gusto. At the Taj Malabar Resort & Spa in Kochi, there’s more than flavours to savour, with a waterfront experience in store. Depending on the package, this includes a sunset cruise experience, heritage-inspired photo moments, a floral swing and waterfront picture points, and of course, the traditional Onam games and festive activities. At Pepper, guests can savour a traditional feast or opt for the premium sadhya with specially curated non-vegetarian festive specialities. At Rice Boat, the resort’s signature seafood restaurant, the celebration takes a coastal turn with a Seafood Onam Sadhya. Extending the celebrations beyond the dining table, guests can book Onam hampers, offering an elegant gifting option for families, friends, colleagues, and corporate associates.

Next, Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty is offering a sadhya with dishes prepared using time-honoured family recipes, slow-cooked festive favourites, and hampers. At Liwa, Chef Rahul takes the reins, with a traditional sadhya to be enjoyed alongside live cultural performances, family activities, and the stunning decor across the grand ballroom. At Malabar Cafe, there’s an all-women culinary team led by Chef Ramnath, Chef Selena, and Chef Lulu, who bring their regional home-style finesse to the table. We highly recommend pre-booking this experience. For nocturnal diners, there’s a DJ night with Onam-themed cocktails, Southern-style bar bites, and a traditional dress code to ring in the festive spirit.

For conscious diners, there’s Neeleshwar Hermitage, a peaceful eco-luxe retreat located along the Malabar Coast, where the interiors express a profound respect for nature with palm-shaded pathways, handcrafted spaces, and panoramic seascapes. Here, the property will be presenting a traditional Onam Sadhya, served on a banana leaf and featuring a selection of classic Kerala preparations, from avial, thoran and olan to sambar, rasam, and traditional payasams. Seeped in Kerala’s culinary and cultural heritage, this is a gourmet sojourn unlike anywhere else.

Bengaluru

This Onam, Tijouri at Radisson Blu Atria Bengaluru brings the flavours and traditions of Kerala to the table with a specially curated Onam Sadhya, in collaboration with Malabari Mashup – Soul on a Plate. The experience features both Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian sadhya, served in the traditional style. We recommend booking in advance to savour all your traditional favourites, including aviyal, olan, kootu curry, and Paalada Pradhaman payasam. For those keen, there’s an additional non-vegetarian selection with meen porichath, kozhi roast, koonthal roast, and more. At The Conrad Bengaluru, an afternoon feast awaits alongside an immersive experience with traditional music, a King Mahabali-style welcome, and, of course, the authentic delicacies.

New York City

Chatti by Regi Mathew, New York City’s pioneering restaurant devoted entirely to the micro-cuisine of Kerala’s toddy shop food culture, is bringing the Onam Sadhya to the Big Apple. As a native of Kerala, Chef Regi Mathew draws from his diverse culinary experience, including over three years spent visiting nearly 300 home cooks and toddy shops, travelling, and experiencing Kerala’s diverse culinary traditions from the seafood-rich backwaters of Alleppey to the hearty meat specialities of the Malabar and high range regions. Chatti’s grand meal boasts 26 dishes in an extensive multi-course vegetarian feast. New Yorkers longing for a taste of Kerala (beyond the literal sense, of course) will love the minimalist interior design combining earthy tones with intricate laser-cut copper artworks. These pieces depict aspects of tropical life in Kerala—fishing nets, snake boats, and red-tiled homes—adding depth and cultural richness. The furniture, crafted from Nilambur teak by skilled artisans from Kerala, further enhances the authenticity of the design. Are you ready to switch bagels for banana chips?

London

Yes, Indian food does, in fact, venture beyond butter chicken in London, and Jamavar knows how it's done. This year, the Michelin-starred Indian restaurant celebrates a decade in Mayfair with Leelamma's Onam Sadhya, the beloved matriarch of the Nair family. Drawing from family traditions and curated by culinary director and executive chef Surender Mohan, the 21-dish experience, served exclusively at lunch, features crisp banana chips, pickles, and relishes, coconut-rich vegetable preparations, fragrant curries and rice, all celebrating the balance, seasonality and generosity that define Kerala's most cherished feast. Jamavar's coastal interpretation also incorporates sea bass inspired by the traditional meen porichathu, marinated in fragrant coastal spices and fried until golden, alongside an Alleppey prawn curry. There’s, of course, a fully vegetarian menu available, in keeping with the inclusive spirit of the celebration. The feast concludes on a sweet note with two beloved South Indian desserts: delicate pal payasam and a rich parippu pradhaman served with a traditional elaichi banana, a customary finale to the sadhya.

San Francisco 

Silicon Valley gives way to South India’s best this year, with a sumptuous Onam Sadhya at Copra, curated by chef Srijith Gopinathan and team. The restaurant first introduced the concept with a Vishu Sadhya in 2024, honouring the Malayalam New Year. Its success inspired an ongoing series that is beloved by a diverse cross-section of diners, from locals eager to discover the customs and cuisine of Kerala, to members of the South Indian community for a taste of some good old nostalgia. As per tradition, the Onam Sadhya will be entirely vegetarian, featuring a plethora of dishes served on banana leaves, alongside wines, cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages specially selected to complement the feast.

Lead image: Jamavar, London

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