Darkness falls across the land, the midnight hour is close at hand, creatures crawl in search of blood and restaurants have some frightening fun. Restaurants that offer ‘Instagram-friendly’ dishes to celebrate Halloween have an advantage with the younger demographic, according to GlobalData senior foodservice analyst Morgane Richert.
Richert says: “Although only 13% of UK consumers post a picture of their food or drink on social media at least once a week, this rises to an average of 34% among 18-34-year-olds. For foodservice operators across channels, offering a range of limited-edition Halloween themed food and drink options can, therefore, be an effective way to encourage visits by Gen Z and millennial consumers during the holidays. Giving these young, hyper-connected consumers something worth posting on social media also guarantees free publicity, which can be especially beneficial for smaller, independent operators with limited advertising and promotional budgets.”
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Here are six of the best restaurants for Halloween in UK making an effort by serving themed dishes and transforming décor.
M Restaurants – spooktacular feast in London
M Restaurants is going all out this month in anticipation of Halloween. M’s Threadneedle Street location is transforming its dining room into a ‘spooktacular feast for the eyes’, including illustrations of skulls and butterflies. The menu follows suit with the metamorphosis theme with executive chef Mike Reid having designed a four-course meal consisting of edible flowers, bone-marrow potatoes and bone broth in a skull-shaped bowl and salted chocolate tart, which represents a swarm of butterflies. The M Victoria location is hosting a brunch for diner’s dogs followed by a fancy dress contest.
Date(s) available: Throughout October
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By GlobalData20 Stories – Blackout Dinner
This Manchester restaurant is serving an exclusive four-course menu including roasted langoustine with hazelnut risotto, sherry jelly and smoked foie gras, beetroot poached salmon with citrus salad and fennel in the run-up to Halloween. The spooky touch of its Blackout Dinner event sees diners eating in the dark, with thousands of candles and the skyline available as the only sources of light. Halloween-themed cocktails will also feature until November, including ‘Killing Me Sloe-ly’, made from sloe gin, Solerno blood orange liqueur, apple liqueur, black walnut bitters, blood orange puree and vanilla foam with dehydrated raspberry powder.
Date(s) available: 22 October to 1 November. Photo credit: Jack Kirwin, JK Photography.
Tom’s Kitchen – scary but sweet desserts
The British chain is known for its classics and seasonal specials, however, this Halloween, Tom’s Kitchen is getting a little creative. All three locations, in Chelsea, Birmingham and Canary Wharf, are offering a white chocolate and pumpkin mousse dessert, covered in dark chocolate and served with a skull-faced, orange macaroon and whipped cream.
Date(s) available: 26 October to 31 October
Mr Bao – Mini bao pumpkins
Mr Bao’s restaurant serves a wide range of steamed bao buns, with fillings ranging from butternut squash, tofu and coriander to teriyaki, miso mayonnaise and shallots. The Taiwanese establishment has found a clever way to incorporate Halloween into its meals this year with the creation of miniature pumpkin bao. The sweet-tasting bao is filled with roasted pumpkin and raisins.
Date(s) available: 31 October
Bluebird – veiny-looking chocolate
Another dessert-focused restaurant is Bluebird in Chelsea, London. Its Halloween special is a white chocolate ‘eyeball’, decorated with raspberry coulis veins to appear bloodshot, certainly a contender for Instagram-worthy pictures. The European-cuisine restaurant also features a pumpkin patch display in its courtyard.
Date(s) available: 22 October to 11 November
Radici – black dough pizzas
This Italian restaurant is offering a pumpkin-filled Halloween with chef patron Francesco Mazzei’s pumpkin and sage soup, and a black pizza topped with roasted pumpkin, fiordilatte mozzarella cheese, Italian kale and toasted pumpkin seeds. The Halloween pizza is arguably a little less sinister looking than last year’s, which also consisted of black dough coloured with ink, but with anchovies, pumpkin, onion roots and mozzarella.
Date(s) available: 31 October
