Most Nepali calendar put Dashain tika on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, though your family’s Panchang may give a different time. If you’re celebrating Dashain in London and missing home, Palungo Restaurant in Brockley is serving a Dashain Festival Special with a sel roti platter, mutton thali and paya jhol momo. For full menu, click here.
The phone rings early. It’s Aama. Behind her you can hear cousins, a pressure cooker and someone arguing about the tika plate. She holds the screen up so you can see the red on her fingers.
“Eat properly today,” she says.
Then the call drops. You’re back in a flat in Lewisham with a bowl of cereal.
Celebrate your Dashain at London Palungo Restaurant. Reserve a table or Order for takeaway. Contact us now or Call directly at +44 (0) 2036020967.
This post is for you. You’ll find the 2026 dates, what Nepalis eat at Dashain, and where to get a proper Nepali meal in South East London. Jump to whatever you need.
Missing home at Dashain in South East London
Plenty of Nepalis in South East London feel the same this week. In the 2011 census, Greenwich had the largest Nepali-speaking population of any London borough. Students, nurses, drivers and families have all built lives here since. Many of them are doing Dashain a long way from home.
The tika through a phone screen
A video tika is strange. Your mother is right there, but you can’t lean in. The blessing comes through a speaker, half a second late. Some people cry. Some laugh a bit too loudly so they won’t. Both are fine.
A first Dashain in the UK
If it’s your first Dashain here, the day can feel very quiet. You might have a lecture, a ward shift or a delivery round. Nobody around you knows it’s a big day. Tell one friend. Ask them to eat with you afterwards. A festival feels lighter when someone else is at the table.
Aama ko haath ko sel roti (आमाको हातको सेल रोटी)
In many Nepali homes, the jamara sits in a dark corner for days and somebody checks it every morning. The sel roti batter gets made the night before. Then the kitchen fills with the smell of hot oil, sugar and rice, and everybody finds a reason to wander in.
That’s the kitchen we cook from at Palungo. The name means spinach. It’s an ordinary vegetable that shows up in homes all over Nepal, and nobody throws a party for it. We like that. Good food usually starts with simple things.
Celebrate your Dashain at London Palungo Restaurant. Reserve a table or Order for takeaway. Contact us now or Call directly at +44 (0) 2036020967.
Dashain Festival in 2026 AD (2083 BS)
Dashain (दशैं) is the biggest festival in Nepal. It runs for about fifteen days, from Ghatasthapana to Purnima. Tika day is the tenth day, called Vijaya Dashami. In 2026, most calendars list it as Wednesday 21 October.
Dashain 2026 key dates
Some sources list 20 October as the public holiday in Nepal. Check your family’s Panchang for the exact tika time.
- 11 October: Ghatasthapana, when jamara is planted
- 17 October: Fulpati
- 18 October: Ashtami
- 19 October: Navami
- 21 October: Vijaya Dashami, the main tika day
- 25 October: Purnima, the last day of the festival
Overview on Tika (टीका) and Jamara (जमरा)
Tika is a mix of rice, yoghurt and red colour. Elders press it onto your forehead and give you a blessing. Jamara is the yellow barley shoots that the family grows at home from the first day. They place a few on your head or behind your ear.
It takes about ten seconds. Most people remember it for years.
Why does Dashain feel so big?
Because everyone goes home. The house fills up. Kids fly kites, swings go up in the village and the kitchen barely stops. In the UK, none of that comes with a day off. Tika falls on a Wednesday this year, and work still starts at nine.
What do Nepalis eat during Dashain?
Most families make sel roti, a meat curry, achar, rice, vegetables and sweets. Every home does it a little differently, and everyone says theirs is the best. Our Dashain Festival Special covers a lot of it. You can see it on the menu.
Sel roti, the ring that says the festival has started
Sel roti (सेल रोटी) is a Nepali bread shaped like a ring. It’s made from rice flour and fried until golden. It’s lightly sweet, crisp at the edge and soft inside. Families make it at Dashain, Tihar and weddings.
Ask any Nepali whose sel roti is best. They’ll say their Aama’s. We won’t argue.
The Sel Roti Platter at Palungo (£9.95)
If you’ve been searching for sel roti in London, start here. The platter comes with rice flour sel roti, potato and cucumber achar, chickpea curry, chopped roast chicken, a fried whole egg, puffed rice bread and salad. It’s a full plate, so eat it slowly or share it.
Khasi ko masu and the tika day meal
At home, the Dashain meat is often khasi, which means goat. Our menu lists mutton. In many homes, it’s the dish that turns a table into tika day.
Mutton Thali (£19.95)
Our Mutton Thali comes with unlimited servings of Himalayan flavours. A thali is a set meal made of small portions of different dishes. Not sure how it works? Read what a Thakali thali really is.
Mutton Curry (£10.95)
Want something for the middle of the table? Order the mutton curry and pass it round.
Paya jhol momo for cold evenings
Our Paya Jhol Momo (£13.95) is chicken momo in a warm mutton broth. We made it for the change of weather and for Dashain. October evenings get cold in London, so it fits.
New to momo? Here’s how to spot proper Nepali momo.
Achar, aloo and the small plates
A Nepali meal feels unfinished without achar. Add Aloo Tama (£7.95), Chukauni (£4.95) or a spoon of mula achar. They’re small, sharp and a little sour. They wake up the whole plate.
Something sweet to finish
Finish with Lalmohan and dahi (£3.95). Dashain is a sweet festival, so skipping dessert feels wrong.
Vegetarian and vegan at Dashain
Not everyone eats meat at Dashain. We serve veg momo, dal bhat and a few Nepali curries. Tell the team how you eat and they’ll point you to the right dishes. Our list of vegan Nepali dishes near Lewisham has more ideas.
Where to eat Nepali food for Dashain in South East London
If you want a Nepali restaurant in Brockley or Lewisham this Dashain, Palungo is at 259 Malpas Road, Brockley, SE4 1BH. We cook from scratch every day. Our chicken and mutton come from a halal supplier. Meals typically cost £20 to £30 per person.
Palungo in Brockley: what to expect
It’s a small place with a big welcome. The spot used to be Blue Taj. We kept the warm welcome the regulars knew and built the menu around the food we grew up eating. Read the story behind Palungo if you’d like more.
We serve Brockley, Lewisham, New Cross, Telegraph Hill, Honor Oak, Deptford, Forest Hill and Catford. Many guests also come from Greenwich and Blackheath.
We’re open Monday to Saturday from 12pm to 9.30pm, and Sunday from 12pm to 9pm. [Note: Restaurant will be serving you in a day of tika too, so feel free to come and enjoy by eating local authentic Nepali taste.]
Getting here from Lewisham, New Cross, Deptford, Catford and Greenwich
Coming from the Greenwich side? Read our guide to Nepali food near Greenwich. You can also plan your visit with full directions.
By train and bus
Brockley station on the Overground is a 5-minute walk. Go along Brockley Road, then turn onto Malpas Road. St John’s station is about 7 minutes. From Lewisham, take bus 136 or 122, or drive for about 10 minutes. From New Cross it’s about 8 minutes by car.
By car
There’s free parking around the restaurant. After 7pm you can park directly in front.
Booking tips for tika week
Tika week fills up fast. If you’re coming with family or friends, book early and tell us your group size. You can reserve a table online or message us for group tables.
Would you rather eat at home? You can order for takeaway.
How to make Dashain feel like Dashain in London
You can’t copy a house in Nepal. You can still build a good day.
Take the video call, then eat with people
Take the blessing from your parents first. Then go and eat with people who miss the same place you do. The call and the meal belong together.
Gather your people
Friends count as family on this day. Book one table, bring everyone and order too much. Pass the plates round.
Bring someone who has never tried it
Take a flatmate or a new colleague. Let them taste sel roti for the first time. Then tell them what the day means. Food is the easiest way to explain it.
After Dashain comes Tihar
Tihar follows soon after. Bhai Tika is on 11 November 2026. [Confirm date before publishing.] We’ll write about it too. Keep an eye on our Nepali food stories.
Come home for an hour
You can’t fly home this year. Plenty of us can’t.
But you can walk into a warm room, tear a sel roti in half and eat it while it’s still crisp. Bring someone with you. Sit a while.
Then ring home tonight and tell Aama what you ate. She’ll ask if it beat hers.
Say no. She’ll sleep better.
दशैंको शुभकामना।
Reserve a table | Order takeaway | Call +44 (0) 2036020967
Palungo Nepali Restaurant, 259 Malpas Road, Brockley, London SE4 1BH
Dashain in South East London: Most PAA Queries
When is Dashain tika in 2026 in the UK?
Most Nepali calendars list Vijaya Dashami, the main tika day, as Wednesday 21 October 2026. Some list 20 October as the holiday in Nepal. The exact tika time depends on your family’s Panchang, so check with your elders.
What do Nepalis eat on Dashain?
Many families eat sel roti, goat or mutton curry, rice, dal, achar, vegetables and sweets. In South East London, Palungo serves a Dashain Festival Special with a sel roti platter, mutton thali and paya jhol momo.
Where can I get Nepali Dashain food in Lewisham or Brockley?
Palungo, at 259 Malpas Road in Brockley, serves Nepali festival food near Lewisham, New Cross and Deptford. The Dashain Festival Special includes a Sel Roti Platter, Mutton Thali and Paya Jhol Momo.
Where can I eat a Nepali thali in London?
Palungo in Brockley serves Nepali thali, including a Mutton Thali at £19.95 and a Chicken Thali at £16.95. It’s an easy trip from Lewisham, New Cross, Catford and Greenwich. Book ahead in tika week.
Is Palungo open on Dashain day?
Yes, Palungo Restaurant will be open in Dashain tika day which is Wednesday 21 October as usual hours 12pm to 9.30pm.
Do you have vegetarian or vegan Dashain options?
Yes, we serve veg momo, dal bhat and a few Nepali curries. Tell the team how you eat when you book or order.
Can I book a group table for Dashain?
You can book or reserve your table online or call +44 (0) 2036020967. Tell us how many people are coming and whether anyone needs an easy seat.