From desserts to cocktails, 10 strawberry specials to try across India this winter

Come winter, strawberries become India’s most indulgent obsession for a moment in time. Cooler temperatures, and peak harvests from regions like Mahabaleshwar and Himachal bring the fruit to markets at its ripest, inspiring chefs and bakers to build entire menus around its fleeting perfection. This season, strawberries are being celebrated not just as dessert accents, but as the hero ingredient in pastries, gelato, savoury plates, and even cocktails. HELLO! India takes a look at the 10 spots across the country which are doing just that this winter.

(Also Read: 5 restaurants in Mumbai that will take your tastebuds on a vacation)

1. Bombay Baking Company, Mumbai

Bombay Baking Company welcomes the most anticipated chapter of winter with its Strawberry Season Specials, available from January 5 to 31, 2026. Highlights include a flaky Strawberry Danish layered with cream cheese and fresh berries, a classic Strawberry Shortcake Tart with whipped cream and macerated fruit, and inventive savoury additions like strawberry cream cheese bagels and strawberry balsamic chicken wraps. 

2. Foodstories Boulangerie, New Delhi

Foodstories celebrates winter with its Strawberry Boulangerie, a limited-edition showcase rooted in seasonality and storytelling. Featuring prized strawberry varieties including Winter Dawn, Sweet Charlie, and Brilliance, the menu is crafted by Chef Ankit Tiwari in a classic boulangerie style. Offerings such as Strawberry Shortcake, Strawberry and Dark Chocolate Tart, Strawberry Almond Croissant, and Strawberry Mille Feuille balance nostalgia with polished patisserie.

3. Hotel Marine Plaza, Mumbai

As winter settles along Marine Drive, Hotel Marine Plaza introduces a strawberry-led menu that mirrors the season’s calm elegance. Desserts like the Strawberry Tart and Strawberry Cheesecake highlight the fruit’s natural brightness, while lighter offerings such as Strawberry Gelato and a Strawberry Basil Cooler complement the sea-facing setting. New additions draw global inspiration, from a gently caramelised Roasted Strawberry Croissant to a Strawberry and Burrata Salad. 

4. The Bread Bar, Mumbai

At The Bread Bar, strawberry season is approached with warmth and simplicity, guided by Chef Rachi Gupta’s ingredient-first philosophy. The limited-time Strawberry Specials Menu explores the fruit through multiple textures and moods, from indulgent desserts to lighter, breakfast-friendly options. The line-up includes Strawberry Tres Leches, Strawberry and Cream Croissant, Strawberry and Nutella Toast, Chocolate Covered Strawberries, and Fresh Strawberry Gelato, alongside refreshing choices like a Strawberry Smoothie Bowl and Strawberry Milkshake.

5. Drop Dead Sexy, Goa

Drop Dead Sexy takes strawberry season beyond the plate with its first-ever seasonal bar programme. For three months, the bar rebuilds its entire cocktail experience around a single ingredient, and this debut edition is devoted entirely to strawberries. Through techniques like hydrosols, milk-washing, lacto-fermentation, tea infusions, and evolving strawberry ice, the team creates nine cocktails with distinct personalities—ranging from playful and nostalgic to complex and textural. 

6. Supa San, Mumbai

Supa San brings a delicate Japanese sensibility to strawberry season with its Japanese Strawberry Cake. Light, airy, and gently sweet, the dessert focuses on balance rather than richness, allowing fresh strawberries and soft sponge to take precedence. 

7. D'zurt, Jaipur

Dzurt’s specially curated Winter Menu by Chef Tejasvi Chandela celebrates the season with thoughtful desserts, led by the Strawberry Tres Leches Pudding. Soft, soaked layers and gentle sweetness allow the freshness of the strawberry to shine, creating a dessert that feels comforting yet refined.

8. Frozen Fun, Mumbai, Delhi, Pune and Jaipur

For those seeking lighter, fruit-forward indulgences at the start of the year, Frozen Fun introduces Strawberry and Cream as its January special. Clean, simple, and refreshing, it offers a pared-back way to enjoy the season’s star ingredient without excess sweetness.

9. Ice Cream Works, Mumbai

Ice Cream Works leans fully into indulgence with its Strawberry Overloaded Sundae. The dessert layers strawberry and vanilla ice cream with strawberry sauces, wafers, whipped cream, and occasional chocolate-coated waffle elements, creating a maximalist take on the fruit. It’s unapologetically decadent and designed for those who believe strawberry season should be celebrated without restraint.

(Also Read: Rediscovering India's long-forgotten desserts, from Gujarat to Karnataka)

10. Vanilla Beans, Mumbai

Vanilla Beans, Mumbai’s premium eggless patisserie, continues its annual strawberry ritual with the return of Nutella Strawberry, a dessert many customers wait all year for. The combination of tangy strawberry compote and rich Nutella strikes a precise balance, showcasing the brand’s ability to blend familiarity with thoughtful execution.

(Also Read: HELLO! India's curated list of 13 soulful winter meals to eat in Delhi NCR)