Best Father's Day Gift 2026: Give Dad a Memorable Indian Dining Experience in London

Father's Day 2026 falls on Sunday 21 June. If the search for the perfect fathers day gift has brought you here, you are already thinking about this the right way. Not what fits in a box or gets pushed to the back of a cupboard, but something he will actually feel. Colonel Saab, London's luxury Indian restaurant, is celebrating Father's Day at both its Holborn and Trafalgar Square locations on 21 June 2026, with a special menu created for the occasion and a setting that turns a Sunday lunch into something genuinely worth remembering.

Whether your dad is a lifelong lover of Indian food, someone who appreciates a beautiful room and attentive service, or simply a person who deserves a proper occasion rather than another bottle of aftershave, this is a fathers day gift that gives you both something to look forward to together.

When Is Father's Day 2026 in the UK?

Father's Day in the UK is celebrated on the third Sunday of June every year. In 2026, that date is Sunday 21 June.

It is not a bank holiday, but it is one of the most widely marked family occasions of the year. Millions of families across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland use the day to gather, share a meal, and spend time with the fathers and father figures who matter most to them.

With Father's Day 2026 now just around the corner, the best tables at London's most popular restaurants are already going. If you are planning to celebrate with a dining experience, now is the time to reserve.

Why a Dining Experience Makes the Best Father's Day Gift

Ask most dads what they want for Father's Day and they will shrug and say nothing. That is not modesty. It is because most of them genuinely do not need another tie, another gadget, or another voucher for something they will never get round to using.

What they actually want, though most would not say so, is time. A proper occasion. The chance to sit down with the people they love, without the usual rush, and enjoy something that feels a little special.

That is exactly what a thoughtfully chosen dining experience offers, and it is why experience gifts have become one of the most popular choices for Father's Day in the UK. A shared meal at a restaurant your dad would never book for himself, in a room that makes the occasion feel like an occasion, with food that genuinely surprises him. That is worth far more than anything that comes in a gift bag.

For London families, the options are wide. But fine Indian dining occupies a distinct space in the city's restaurant landscape. It is rich in storytelling, visually extraordinary when done well, and suited to every kind of dad: the adventurous eater who wants to try something new, the one who considers good curry one of life's great pleasures, and the one who simply appreciates being looked after properly.

Colonel Saab was founded on the idea of honouring a father. There is no more fitting place to spend the day.

Father's Day at Colonel Saab: What to Expect on Sunday 21 June 2026

A Special Father's Day Menu at £65 Per Person

Colonel Saab has created a dedicated Father's Day menu for Sunday 21 June 2026, available at both its Trafalgar Square and High Holborn locations. Priced at £65 per person, the menu brings together a carefully curated selection of dishes inspired by the diverse flavours of India, from vibrant starters and signature mains through to indulgent desserts that round off the meal on a high note.

The menu has been designed to be enjoyed slowly, the way a Sunday with your family should be. There is no rush at Colonel Saab. The rooms are beautiful, the service is warm and attentive, and the food invites conversation rather than cutting it short. It is the kind of lunch that stretches pleasantly into the afternoon, and that your dad will still be talking about on the drive home.

Quick Reference: Father's Day at Colonel Saab

Prefer a Sunday Roast or Brunch? We Have You Covered

The Father's Day menu is the centrepiece of the day, but Colonel Saab also offers its regular Sunday experiences for guests who prefer them.

At Trafalgar Square, the Sunday Brunch is one of the most enjoyable weekend dining experiences in Central London. Expect a curated selection of Colonel Saab signature dishes, premium ingredients, and the kind of relaxed, generous hospitality that makes a Sunday brunch feel genuinely luxurious rather than just a late breakfast.

At High Holborn, the Sunday Tandoori Roast offers something that no ordinary pub or hotel can replicate. It takes the comfort and familiarity of a traditional British Sunday roast and reimagines it through an Indian lens, served on a traditional thali with carefully chosen sides. For a dad who loves a roast dinner but has eaten one too many dry chicken breasts with watery gravy, this is a revelation.

A Taste of the Colonel Saab Menu: Dishes That Tell a Story

The Colonel Saab menu is a melange of flavours from across the Indian subcontinent, featuring regional specialities and signature creations from Executive Chef Sohan Bhandari. These are not generic curry house dishes reheated and plated up. Every item on the menu has a provenance, a regional identity, and a reason to be there. Here is a sense of what to expect.

Starters and Chaat to Begin

Banarasi Amrood Ki Chaat is one of those dishes that stops a conversation. A guava cone chaat with tamarind chutney, raspberry sauce, spiced cream, and crisp gram flour noodles, it is part street food, part dessert, and entirely unlike anything else on a London Indian restaurant menu. If your dad considers himself a food lover, this is the starter to order first.

Rajasthani Chandiya Chaat takes deep-fried lentil fritters soaked in tangy fermented mustard water, then layers them with beetroot sauce, a trio of accompanying sauces, and crisp papdi. Earthy, tangy, and rooted in Rajasthani tradition, it is a dish that rewards curious palates.

Mall Road's Dahi Sev Puri is a Mall Road speciality puri with sweet and tangy sauce: simple, brilliant, and the kind of thing that disappears from the plate before anyone has quite decided to eat it.

Kolhapuri Lamb Chops are the showstopper of the starter section. Spice-rubbed, char-grilled, and served with lime chilli sauce and a side salad, they are the kind of dish that sets expectations high from the first bite and then keeps meeting them.

Kandhari Paneer Tikka is the vegetarian answer to the lamb chops: cottage cheese filled with prunes and pomegranate, served with tomato, garlic, and mustard salsa. Rich, layered, and genuinely impressive, this is a starter that carnivores will quietly reach across the table for.

Mains Worth Travelling For

Colonel Saab's Butter Chicken is the benchmark. Tender boneless chicken in a smooth tomato and cashew gravy, it is the dish against which every butter chicken in London is quietly measured. Familiar enough to feel comforting, refined enough to feel like a treat.

Old Delhi's Famous Lamb Curry is a slow-cooked keema boti lamb curry, enriched with traditional spices and carrying the soul of an Old Delhi street-side dhaba into a fine-dining room. If your dad grew up loving a proper lamb curry, this is the version that reminds him why.

Memsaab's Chicken Curry offers something more delicate: chicken roulade infused with Indian spices and saffron, in a light cream sauce flavoured with sweet spices. Refined, aromatic, and distinctly Colonel Saab in its approach to balancing tradition with elegance.

Nadan Meen Curry is a South Indian-style fish curry simmered with coastal spices. For a dad who gravitates towards seafood, this is the main course that will have him asking the waiter what is in it.

Falahari Curry Kofta is the standout vegetarian main: kofta rolls of lotus stem, beetroot, and raisin in a mild curry, with crisp potato and green cress. Substantial, imaginative, and satisfying in the way that the best vegetarian dishes always are.

Chef Sohan's Confit of Cauliflower is slow-baked cauliflower with cardamom saffron sauce and red radish. It is the dish that makes meat eaters pause. If you have a dad who is quietly sceptical about vegetables as a main course, order this and say nothing.

For a Father's Day shared table, the Lucknowi Aromatic Lamb Biryani is a natural centrepiece: fragrant, slow-cooked, and the kind of dish that brings everyone at the table together over one bowl.

Desserts That Close the Occasion Properly

Rose Gulab Jamun and Rasmalai Milk Cake are two of the most requested desserts at Colonel Saab. Rich, authentic, and deeply satisfying, they are the Indian classics done exactly as they should be.

For something with a little more theatre, the Pineapple Jalebi delivers: a modern reimagining of the traditional jalebi, served with Rabri Chantilly cream, pistachio kulfi, and a crisp tuile. It is the kind of dessert that closes a meal with a smile and a moment of proper indulgence.

You can view the full Colonel Saab menu at colonelsaab.co.uk/menu.

Two Iconic London Locations for Father's Day 2026

High Holborn — Holborn Town Hall

Colonel Saab's original London restaurant sits inside the historic Holborn Town Hall on High Holborn, one of the city's most storied streets, close to Covent Garden, the British Museum, and the legal quarter. The interior is unlike anything else in London Indian dining.

Walk through the door and you are surrounded by antique furniture made for Indian Maharajas, Firozabad chandeliers, 17th and 19th century Tanjore paintings, and Gujarat temple doors. It is a space that feels as much like a curated museum as a restaurant, and every object in it has a story connected to the Colonel Saab founding family's journeys across India.

For larger Father's Day gatherings, the private dining room at Holborn accommodates up to 60 guests for a reception or 26 for a sit-down dinner. If you are planning a celebration for the wider family, this is how you make it feel properly special.

Phone: 020 8016 6800

Trafalgar Square — William IV Street

The Trafalgar Square location brings the Colonel Saab experience to one of London's most recognised addresses. Featuring a bar, lounge, mezzanine, and two private dining rooms, the space has the same regal atmosphere and attention to detail as Holborn, with the added energy of a West End setting.

For families combining Father's Day lunch with an afternoon in the city, the location places you a short walk from the National Gallery, the South Bank, and St James's Park. It is the kind of Sunday that gives a city day out the anchor it needs.

Sunday Brunch is also available here for those who prefer that format.

Phone: 020 8016 6800

The Story Behind Colonel Saab: A Son's Tribute to His Father

Colonel Saab was founded by Roop Partap Choudhary, as a tribute to his father, Colonel Manbeer Choudhary. The Colonel spent much of his life travelling across India, and those journeys shaped everything: his love of regional food, his eye for beautiful objects, his understanding of what genuine hospitality feels like. Every recipe in the kitchen, every artefact on the walls, and every design decision in the room reflects that relationship between a father and his son.

That origin story is not a marketing footnote. It is the reason Colonel Saab exists. And on Father's Day, it gives the restaurant a weight of meaning that goes beyond the food on the plate.

This is a place built out of love for a father. Spending the day here is not simply booking a nice table. It is stepping into a space that was created, with great care and over many years, to honour exactly the kind of relationship that Father's Day is about.

For a fathers day gift that carries genuine meaning as well as exceptional flavour, there are very few choices in London that come close.

How to Book Your Father's Day Table at Colonel Saab

Reservations for Father's Day at Colonel Saab are now open for Sunday 21 June 2026. Father's Day is one of the busiest dining dates of the year across London, and popular time slots at both locations fill up well in advance.

If you have a time in mind and a group to bring, do not leave it too late.

Book online: colonelsaab.co.uk/whats-on/fathers-day-at-colonel-saab-london

By phone: 020 8016 6800 (both locations)

By email: reservations@colonelsaab.co.uk

When you book, please let the team know about any dietary requirements or allergies. The menu includes a wide range of vegetarian and vegan-friendly options, and the team is happy to guide you through the best choices for your group.

For private dining enquiries, whether for a larger family celebration or a more intimate gathering, contact the team directly to discuss availability and arrangements at either location.

Make Father's Day 2026 a Sunday He Will Remember

Colonel Saab was built by a son who wanted to honour his father. On Sunday 21 June 2026, it opens its doors at Holborn and Trafalgar Square for a Father's Day celebration centred on exceptional food, genuine warmth, and the kind of shared moments that stay with a family long after the afternoon ends.

The special Father's Day menu is available at £65 per person. Tables are going now.

Book your table at colonelsaab.co.uk or call 020 8016 6800. We look forward to welcoming you and your family on 21 June.

FAQs

When is Father's Day 2026 in the UK?

Father's Day 2026 in the UK falls on Sunday 21 June. It is celebrated on the third Sunday of June each year and is not a public holiday. It is one of the most popular occasions for family dining out across London and the wider UK.

What is the best Father's Day gift in London?

For many families, a dining experience at a celebrated restaurant is the most memorable fathers day gift. Colonel Saab offers a special Father's Day menu at £65 per person on Sunday 21 June 2026, across two Central London locations: Trafalgar Square and High Holborn.

Does Colonel Saab have a special Father's Day menu for 2026?

Yes. Colonel Saab has created a dedicated Father's Day menu for Sunday 21 June 2026, priced at £65 per person. It is available at both the Trafalgar Square and High Holborn locations and features a curated selection of starters, mains, and desserts inspired by the diverse flavours of India.

What other Sunday dining options are available at Colonel Saab on Father's Day?

Alongside the Father's Day set menu, Colonel Saab also offers Sunday Brunch at Trafalgar Square and the Sunday Tandoori Roast at High Holborn. The Tandoori Roast reimagines a traditional British Sunday roast with Indian flavours, served on a traditional thali with carefully selected sides.

Can I book a private dining room for Father's Day at Colonel Saab?

Yes. The Holborn Town Hall location has a private dining room accommodating up to 60 guests for a reception or 26 for a sit-down dinner. Both locations offer private dining options. Contact reservations@colonelsaab.co.uk or call 020 8016 6800 to discuss availability.

Is Colonel Saab suitable for vegetarian and vegan guests?

Yes. The menu includes a wide range of vegetarian dishes, including Chef Sohan's Confit of Cauliflower, Falahari Curry Kofta, Kandhari Paneer Tikka, and various chaat options. Several vegan-friendly dishes are also available. The team is happy to advise on suitable choices for your group when you book.

Where are the Colonel Saab restaurants located?

Colonel Saab has two Central London locations. The High Holborn restaurant is inside Holborn Town Hall, close to Covent Garden and the British Museum. The Trafalgar Square restaurant is on William IV Street, near the National Gallery. Both are easily accessible by tube and bus.