Many Indian restaurants run a special Diwali thali during the festival week, a single fixed-price plate that brings together the dishes families would cook at home. It is simple for the kitchen, easy for guests to choose, and perfect for families eating out during the festival. This US Letter menu is designed to present that thali beautifully on tables, in the window, and online.
The Menu at a Glance
The page is warm cream with a double frame, an outer maroon line and an inner gold line. Two red and gold lanterns hang over the top corners. The restaurant name sits in spaced gold capitals, the title Diwali Special Thali in large maroon Marcellus, and the serving dates in Lora italic. A maroon medallion with a gold ring carries the price, $32 PER PERSON. Below, the dishes are arranged in two centred columns under four headings: Starters, Mains, Breads and Rice, and Desserts, each dish with a short italic description. A cream panel lists add-ons with prices and a dietary note, then the reservations line, two marigolds in the bottom corners and the Office Templates Online mark.
Planning a Festive Thali Menu
A good thali balances flavours, textures and colours on one plate. When you plan yours, think in roles rather than dishes:
| Role on the plate | Sample dish on the menu | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Something grilled | Paneer tikka | Smoky, firm, served first while the plate is assembled |
| Something crisp | Hara bhara kebab | Green colour and crunch against the creamy mains |
| A slow-cooked dal | Dal makhani | The rich centre of a festive meal |
| A celebration curry | Shahi paneer | Saffron and cashew feel festive and generous |
| A dry vegetable | Aloo gobi masala | Lightness and spice balance |
| Breads and rice | Butter naan, puri, saffron pulao | Choice for every guest |
| Sweets | Gulab jamun, kulfi, mithai plate | Diwali is never complete without sweets |
Change the dishes to suit your kitchen and region. A South Indian restaurant might serve payasam, avial and lemon rice; a Gujarati restaurant might serve dhokla, kadhi and shrikhand.
Editing the Dishes
Each dish has two text boxes: the name in bold Lora and the description in italic. Click to type over them. Keep descriptions under about 50 characters so they stay on one line. The section headings and the small gold dividers beneath them can be moved together if you need more space in one column; select both with a drag and move them.
Setting the Price and Dates
Click $32 in the medallion to change the price. If you offer two tiers, such as a regular and a deluxe thali, change PER PERSON to REGULAR and add the deluxe price in the add-ons panel. The serving dates read: Served November 6 to 9, Lunch and dinner. In 2026, Dhanteras falls on Friday, November 6, and Diwali on Sunday, November 8, so a Friday to Monday run covers the main festival days and the weekend.
The Add-On Panel
The cream panel near the bottom lists extras: mango lassi, masala chai, an extra mithai box, and a kids thali, each with a price. This is where many restaurants earn extra margin on a fixed-price menu, so list the items guests are most likely to add. The italic line under it states that all dishes are vegetarian and invites guests to ask about vegan and gluten-free options. Diwali menus are often vegetarian, but if yours is not, change this line to show which dishes contain meat, egg, or common allergens.
Printing Thali Menus for Tables and Windows
Download a PDF and print on heavy matte card stock for table menus, or on regular paper to slip into existing menu covers. For durability through a busy week, laminate the printed menus or place them in clear acrylic stands. A copy enlarged to 11 x 17 inches makes a striking window poster; the vector artwork and text stay sharp when scaled.
Sharing the Menu Online
Download a PNG to share on Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Google Business. Add the menu image to your website’s specials page, and type the dishes and prices as text on the page too, so search engines and screen readers can read them. A short caption such as Our Diwali special thali is back, November 6 to 9, reservations recommended helps people act.
Matching the Thali Menu to Your Restaurant
The maroon, gold, and cream palette suits most Indian restaurants. To match your brand, change the frame colour, the title and the medallion to your main colour, and the dividers to your accent. The lanterns and marigolds are editable vector art; select them to recolour from their swatches or delete them for a simpler look.
Thali Menu Questions
Can I list individual prices instead of a thali price?
Yes. Delete the medallion and add a price to the right of each dish name, then widen the columns slightly.
Can I add our logo?
Place a shape from the Elements panel between the lanterns at the top and use Replace Image to add your logo, then move the restaurant name below it.
Can I use the menu for a home Diwali dinner?
Yes. Remove the price and add-ons and change the restaurant name to your family name for a printed menu at a dinner party.
Pacing a Busy Festival Service
A thali menu helps the kitchen as much as the guests. Because every table orders the same base plate, cooks can prepare dals and curries in large batches in the morning, fry breads to order, and plate desserts ahead. Front of house can take orders quickly and turn tables faster during the busiest evenings. Print the menu with the same dish order the kitchen uses to assemble the plate, so servers can explain each item in sequence when the thali arrives.
Serve Diwali on a Plate
Plan your thali, type in the dishes and prices, and print the menus before the festival week begins. A beautiful menu tells guests that your Diwali meal is something special before the first dish reaches the table.
