Jai Wadia

It's the time to wine and dine and shake a leg, and what better way to celebrate Christmas and New Year's Eve than to spend it at one of the Taj Group of Hotels and restaurants. Heady brews, great eats and live entertainment are all yours for the taking at the Taj.

Renowned for their hospitality and impeccable service, the Taj Group of Hotels promise to fill your days and nights with fun and revelry this festive season.

Here is a sneak preview of some of the activities the Taj has planned, let the celebrations begin…

• At the Zodiac Grill, the New Year's Eve dinner accompanied by unlimited Dom Perignon will ensure an exhilarating night.
  
• Rock the night away at Souk with a live band and enjoy the festive mezze buffet lunch.
  
• On offer at Starboard are special snacks, a select bar, and Maria from Music Makers to sing the blues away.
  
• Golden Dragon, a perennial favourite, has a festive à la carte menu and is offering up to a 50-per cent discount for early bookings.
  
• Insomnia promises to delight with a special night of kebabs and biryani buffet, and unlimited drinks.
  
• The Ballroom has a surprise theme dinner buffet in store, with live music and gifts galore.
  
• If a pasta and antipasto lunch is more to your liking, relax at the Sea Lounge with some wine and soulful piano music played by Austin.
  
• A Christmas Eve buffet dinner with roast turkey will be dished out at the Shamiana.

For reservations and further information, contact the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai at +91 (22) 6665 3366 or email to tmhresv.bom@tajhotels.com

• Christmas and New Year brunches are the flavour of the season at the Trattoria, the restaurant known for its delicious continental fare.
• If seafood is what tickles your palate try the seafood buffet at the Konkan Café.
• Thai Pavilion invites you to celebrate in style with a special table 'De Hote Menu'.
• The New Year's Eve bash at the Ballroom, with ethereal lighting, the soft glow of candles, relaxing aquatic hues and a tented dance floor will make for the evening of romance.

For reservations and information, contact the Taj President Mumbai, at +91 (22) 6665 0808 or email presfb.bom@tajhotels.com

• All rooms will be aglow with candles on Christmas Eve. A few select and long staying guests will be feted with plum pudding as well.
• Instead of the traditional carol singing night, Blue Ginger gives you a Christmas Eve night with a difference. Celebrate this special occasion with house wines and a live Vietnamese band!
• Couples can enjoy a cosy 'White Christmas' theme night at the Blue Bar, which will remain open till 1 am.
• Both the Blue Ginger and the Blue Bar will host a live grill and dinner on New Year's Eve.
• On New Year's Eve you also have the option of sinking your teeth into some delectable Indian, Lebanese and Italian fare and an array of desserts, at the Mynt.

For reservations and information, contact the Taj West End, Bangalore at +91 (80) 6660 5660 or email westend.bangalore@tajhotels.com

• Head for Firdaus, the Indian restaurant at the hotel for a qawali entertainment, combined with a buffet in the lawns with specially created 'tent' tables at special rates.
• A Latino band and Sri Lankan entertainment troupe will make for a pleasant change at the Deccan, coupled with international cuisine.
• Sri Lankan serenaders will also be welcoming guests at Encounters, the coffee shop. Post midnight there will be a reduced menu with the emphasis on light meals and desserts, with the coffee bar available for those who plan to party into the wee hours of the morning.
• For those with a sweet tooth, a superlative al fresco dining experience with a special dessert buffet will be set up on the lawns.

For reservations and information, contact Taj Krishna, Hyderabad at +91 (40) 6566 2323 or email krishna.hyderabad@tajhotels.com

• The Waterside Café has a sumptuous spread of butterball turkey served the Mexican way, with plum pudding, Yule log and wine. Carol singing will add to the festive spirit.
• Kick up your heels and boogey the night away at Under Deck, dressed in traditional, festive Christmas red and white attire!
• Begin the countdown to the New Year under the stars. Celebrate New Year's Eve at the lawns with live entertainment by international dancers, exotic cocktails and an exquisite dinner cum dance night.
• If theme nights are more your style, get dressed for a James Bond theme dinner and dance at Under Deck. Groove with the international dance troupe, Mystic Moves and get thoroughly shaken and stirred with unlimited drinks and the best of Kebab-e-bahar.

For reservations and information please contact the Taj Banjara, Hyderabad at +91 (40) 65566 9999, Ext. 1929/1992 or email banjara.hyderabad@tajhotels.com

• Special menus will be prepared from December 21 till January 1.
• The Hub-Italian restaurant will have an Italian chef whipping up some authentic Italian fare.
• A traditional Indian feast can be had at Sonargaon — the Indian restaurant.
• A Chinese chef from Nanjing will rustle up some delicious Chinese food at Chinoiserie.
• A special Christmas champagne brunch and an elaborate New Year brunch will be available, both at the poolside.
  

For reservations and information, contact the Taj Bengal, Kolkata at +91 (33) 2223 5200 or email bengal.cal@tajhotels.com

• Enjoy a lip-smacking Rajasthani or Maharashtrian dinner at Panchratna.
• Dig into pasta and tandoori dishes at The Garden Café for a Christmas Eve lunch, and dine on turkey and the traditional plum pudding at night.
• On Christmas day, feast on Punjabi cuisine and dance to the lively tunes of the bhangra and gidda performance.
• Those who prefer a more relaxed evening can sit back and soak in a ghazal night at the Ballroom.
• A champagne brunch on the first day of the new year at Panchratna will ensure the beginnings of a prosperous and happy New Year.

For reservations and information, contact the Taj Residency, Nashik at +91 (253) 560 4499 or email residency.nashik@tajhotels.com

• There are special New Year's Eve room package deals on offer. Check into the hotel on December 31, 2005, at 12 noon, enjoy the celebrations at the poolside lawns, and savour the lavish breakfast spread at the coffee shop the next morning before checking out by 1 pm.
• Enjoy New Year's Eve with a top-class ghazal performance by maestro Ustad Rais Khan from Indore at Narmada.
• Or dig into a multi-cuisine buffet dinner at Jacaranda — the coffee shop. Participate in the lucky draw and win gifts and free stays at the Taj Group of Hotels.

For reservations and information, contact the festivities desk on +91 (79) 6566 1234 or email residency.ahmedabad@tajhotels.com

• Mouth-watering pastries at the Taj cake shop, carol singing, and Santa Claus giving away gifts to children at the Vasco da Gama Hall are just prelude to the main events planned.
• Roast turkey, plum pudding and wine will do the rounds at the Christmas Eve dinner with sparkling candles at the Multi-Cuisine Restaurant.
• New Year's Eve will of course be the highlight of the season's festivities for both adults and children alike. Grown-ups can jive the night away to the tunes of the live Renegade Band, while the kids will be delighted with a Jungle Book theme night - props, décor, fancy dress and all.

For reservations and information, contact Taj Residency, Calicut at +91 (495) 276 5354 or email residency.calicut@tajhotels.com

• Walk in to the lush lawns of Taj Malabar and start the new year with the unique, hedonistic theme party — 7 Deadly Sins; Garden of Eden.
  
• For an exclusive romantic candlelight dinner make a beeline for the Rice Boat — the seafood speciality restaurant. With a view of the moonlit Kochi backwaters evoking a mysterious aura, it will be a night to remember.
• Enjoy a lavish buffet — the biggest and most innovative fare — laid out by the master chef at Pepper, the hotel's all-day diner.

For reservations and information, contact the Taj Malabar, Kochi at +91 (484) 266 6811 / 266 8010 or email malabar.cochin@tajhotels.com

• Starting from December 24 right till December 31, there's a different theme every night. From a White X'mas theme to Tex-mex, Hawaiian, and an Arabian Nights theme — there's something for everyone.
• Exotic international and local delicacies will entice the revelers. On the menu are dishes like Vietnamese chicken, gumbo z'herbes, roast suckling pig, cranberry-glazed turkey, enchiladas, lobster bisque, beef coconut fry, double-fried quail with chili oyster sauce, mutton sula, dal peshawari, and the list goes on...
• One of the top 5 bands from Goa — Mantra — will be regaling the guests with their music, whilst Kenyan African acrobats will stun the crowd with their antics.

For reservations and information, contact the Taj Green Cove Resort, Kovalam, at +91 (471) 248 7733 or email greencove.kovalam@tajhotels.com

• Christmas festivities begin a week in advance at this hotel. On offer is a daily buffet lunch at Cardamom with a spread of Continental, Indian and Chinese cuisines, a live band in the evenings with country and jazz music, and much more.
• Come Sunday and you will find poolside brunches.
• A wicked 'Pirates Night Out' theme party by the poolside on New Year's Eve will thrill all, while a 5-piece band will belt out foot-tapping music and songs. A mix of international and Indian cuisine is sure to satiate any food connoisseur and the evening will end with a magnificent fireworks show.

For reservations and information, contact the Taj Manjarun, Mangalore at +91 (824) 566 0420 or email manjarun.mangalore@tajhotels.com

• Santa nights at the Peaberry restaurant will entice children with sweet treats while adults enjoy a candlelight buffet dinner on the lawns.
• New Year's Eve at the lawns will witness a gala dinner cum dance, with a DJ and MC and raffle draws.

For reservations and information please contact Taj Garden Retreat, Chikmagalur, Karnataka at +91 (8262) 220202 / 220821 / 220824 or email tgrgm.chk@tajhotels.com

Taj Pamodzi Hotel, Zambia
Not to be left out, the Taj Pamodzi in Lusaka has a host of festivities lined up for the Christmas season.

• The hotel will offer its guests Christmas cakes as a sign of appreciation for staying with the Pamodzi.
• It will host a Christmas cake shop (stand) for both in-house and walk-in guests.
• A family lunch will be hosted at the Jacaranda coffee shop in the true Christmas spirit on New Year's Eve.
• The hotel's corporate clients are in for a treat of mouth-watering, fresh Pamodzi cakes.
• Christmas Eve dinners will be served at Steaks & Grills and the Jacaranda coffee shop.
• Raffles will be conducted during the festive season and guests can walk away with prizes that include a dinner for two.

Uploaded on December 19, 2005