Festive dining in Chennai gets thoughtful & modern makeover

With a packed festive calendar, city hotels are constantly raising the bar with each passing year. Festive dining, once defined by elaborate, overflowing spreads, is now moving towards more curated and experience-led menus.

Today, diners are looking for a balance between authenticity and innovation, as well as healthier and more personalised options. We explore how chefs are adapting to these evolving expectations and how customer feedback is increasingly shaping festive menus.

Executive Sous Chef Murugan Velayutham of The Palomar by Crossway believes festive dining in hotels is moving away from lavish spreads to thoughtfully curated experiences. “Today’s diners prefer quality over quantity: meals that tell a story rather than simply offer variety. Chefs are reimagining traditional festive dishes with modern techniques while preserving their cultural essence. At the same time, there is a growing demand for healthier options, including lighter preparations and plant-based alternatives,” he says.

Personalisation has also become central to the dining experience, with hotels like The Palomar by Crossway offering customisable menus and interactive elements. “Customer feedback plays a crucial role in shaping these changes. It helps us refine flavours, presentation and the overall experience. The result is a more considered approach to festive dining; one that blends authenticity, creativity, and guest preferences,” he adds.

At Feathers Hotel, too, festive dining is evolving. Executive Chef Narayanamurti notes that guests today want the festive spirit intact, but with a smarter, more mindful approach. “We’ve been right in the middle of this shift, and customer feedback has been our guiding force. Take our recent Pongal spread, it was traditionally centred around rich, indulgent dishes like pongal and vadai.

Guests began asking for lighter alternatives, such as millet-based pongal with less ghee or vegetable-rich sambar with reduced oil. We responded by adapting our recipes and even introduced dishes like quinoa-kodo millet khichdi infused with South Indian flavours. It retains the familiar taste but feels lighter and more balanced. Striking that balance between authenticity and health isn’t always easy, right from sourcing quality millets to maintaining flavour. But the response from diners makes it worthwhile,” he says.

The team has also been working on bringing deeply rooted, home-style Tamil flavours into Sangamithirai cuisine through extensive research and continuous guest interaction. “We’ve revisited traditional family recipes from across Tamil Nadu. For example, dishes like karuvadu kuzhambu and kozhi varuval, with their rustic, regional character, shaped the menu based on guest feedback.

While diners appreciate the nostalgia, they also encourage us to adapt: whether it’s air-fried versions or pairing dishes with lighter accompaniments. It’s an ongoing conversation. We engage with guests at the table, through surveys, and constantly refine. This feedback loop has influenced everything from gluten-free desserts to customisable thalis, making our menus more dynamic and guest-driven,” he explains.

Chef Nikhil Nagpal, Executive Chef at ITC Grand Chola, also observes a significant shift in how festive dining is being approached. “What was once about scale and variety is now about meaning and connection. Diners today are not impressed by the number of dishes alone; they are looking for food that feels authentic yet thoughtfully reinterpreted. There is also a growing awareness around health, even during festive indulgence. This has led to lighter preparations, alternative grains and reduced-sugar desserts becoming part of the offering.

At the same time, the ability to cater to individual preferences, whether dietary needs or flavour profiles, is becoming a key marker of luxury. Hotels are increasingly relying on guest insights, dining patterns and even digital engagement to refine their menus. Dishes that resonate are retained and evolved, while those that don’t are quietly phased out. This keeps menus relevant and closely aligned with what diners actually want,” he says.

Ultimately, festive dining today is no longer just about abundance: it is about storytelling, connection and creating meaningful experiences. "As hotels continue to evolve, the festive table is being reimagined not as a display of excess, but as a carefully curated journey that honours tradition while embracing change. That said, there is still a strong love for the classics, Madras Pavilion’s buffet at ITC Grand Chola remains just as popular, as does the traditional elai sapad,” he adds.