Dishoom

Some of the best Dhal I’ve ever had. Fantastic ambiance, I could stay there all day.

Love this place! Fantastic ambience, delicious drinks, and the good was spot on. This place has eclectic décor and very nice vibe. Highly recommend!

Dishoom should be a must-​go list for those that like Indian. Though expect a wait. We discovered it at 9pm on a Friday after touring Brick Lane, and the place was packed. Were told it would be about an hour wait. But, they have a very efficient system to handle the masses. We were given a beeper to alert us when our table was ready and directed to the bar. While queuing for the beeper they offered complimentary port and lemonade. The bar was making up wonderful concoctions and they offered us free okra fries and prawn crackers to pass the time. (Even if they don’t offer the fries to you when you go — you should order these — spicy and good!)
Atmosphere is warm with a moder asian flair divided into several different rooms to give wherever you sit a greater sense of intimacy. There’s a downstairs dining room as well, but I’d shoot for the main floor if you can get it.
Food: Exceptionally good. Just the right amount of spice. Shared the «Bowl of greens», a chicken curry, rice and samosa. All were fabulous — and totally a great value.
Bottom Line: Great food, great service, great value and great atmosphere. Now, if it was just a better kept secret so the wait wasn’t so long to get in.

My wife and I went here on our vacation. Loved it. I’m not big on Indian food, but I’m sold on this place. The server had us try all different kinds of dishes and had us order the perfect amount. Great drinks as well. Highly recommended.

Good food and great service. Well worth a visit.
The staff go above and beyond.
There were a couple of issues when we went but I e-​mailed after our visit and all problems were resolved straight away.
Reasonably priced too.
The interior has an industrial theme and I fell in love with the toilets.
Recommend!

What a great experience! The service was top notch, the food was amazing, prices were decent.
In my search for places to try on my trip to London, Dishoom seemed like an obvious choice. The reviews were impeccable!
We arrived a bit later in the evening, we were greeted almost at once and told the wait was about an hour. I read that an hour wait is usually not always an hour so we agreed. While waiting in line to get to the bar area we were served a choice of mint tea, their AMAZING chai, or another drink (I stopped listening when I heard chai). All of the staff was so amazingly kindly chatty.
We got inside and were given a buzzer and were able to go over to the bar area. The cocktails were probably my favorite part. Oh, mama were they good! I want to go back and only drink cocktails!
We were seated in about 45 minutes, in the outside area, thank god, because I love my more quiet dinners as I get older. hah.
The food was amazing. Standouts for me were the Naan, Chicken ruby, calamari, an

Gluttons* of England, Gluttons of Ireland,
Gluttons of every land and clime,
Hearken to my joyful tidings
Of the scrumptious breakfast time!
Dishoom is continuing to expand across the city of London! This Bombay-​style café, which started in Covent Garden more than half a decade ago, opened locations in Shoreditch, King’s Cross, and Carnaby over the past few years, for a total of 4 restaurants in London!
Dishoom is modeled after iconic cafés that were established and operated in Bombay (now Mumbai, India) in the mid-​to-​late 1900s by Zoroastrian merchants from Iran (known throughout the Indian subcontinent as Parsis — literally meaning Persians). It is quite a unique blend of bustling energy and a relaxed, laid back vibe.
The food at Dishoom would be described as «non-​traditional» in relation to the food offerings at the multitude of Indian restaurants that operate all over the UK. Breakfast is the best meal with the most typical of Parsi dishes. My personal favorite is the Keema Per Eedu, spiced minced chicken, interspersed with diced chicken liver, and topped with two fried eggs. This protein-​rich deliciousness is served with two buttered pau buns. Another favorite of mine is the Akuri, a heap of spiced scrambled eggs also served with pau buns.
The Kejriwal (fried eggs with chilli cheese toast) and the Bombay omelette are mad tasty, and the fire toast comes with a pineapple-​pink-​peppercorn jam, which is some of the most delightful combinations of sweet and spicy flavors I have ever experienced. «Oh man», declared my taste-​buds, «that pink peppercorn and pineapple is my jam!»
The only slight disappointment was the Dishoom slaw. It is supposed to be a creamy coleslaw with pomegranate seeds in it, and there were literally 3 pomegranate seeds in the bowl full of slaw; not even joking!
In a city like London, where an abundance of exceptional restaurants makes it impossible to pick a favorite, I find myself drawn to one of the Dishoom locations when I have time (and stomach capacity) for only one meal.
*Note: I’d much rather call myself a «glutton» than a «foodie»; it just is a more apt description of what people like myself are.

Dishoom for me is a go-​to place more for the ambiance and the menu, which tries to encompass Mumbai food in a booklet.
I got pretty nostalgic looking at the menu, but promise is one thing and delivery another. The food is strictly okay. The over expectation probably added to the disappointment levels. I had the koliwada prawns, naan, chicken and vada pav. Nothing except the vada pav left me dazzled.
This place does make you love it though. And for someone from Mumbai, it makes you very very nostalgic — the service is super quick, staff is very busy, there’s Thums Up Float and Nimbu Paani on the menu, the décor bears some touches of an Irani restaurant. All remind you of home. I am particularly thankful to Dishoom, and I am not being dramatic here, for including Thums Up and Malabar Coffee to their menu *tears of joy*.
Should probably try their Irani food and breakfast spread next time. It’s all about second chances.

Faszinierend zu sehen, wie viele Leute dieses Restaurant ‘Dishroom’ nennen ;)
Für den letzten Besuch in London hatte ein Arbeitskollege wieder die Location für’s Dinner vorgeschlagen, es sollte das Dishoom werden.
Beim Blick auf die Speisekarte kam ich mir zugegeben doch etwas verloren vor, weil mir viele der Gerichte nichts sagten, umso besser war es dann, dass wir mit besagtem Kollegen einen Fachmann dabei hatten und quasi eine Sammelbestellung für den ganzen Tisch aufgegeben hatten, so dass man von Allem mal probieren konnte.
Und ich muss schon sagen, es war richtig, richtig lecker!
Chicken Ruby, Chicken Tikka und Mahi Tikka sind mir als besonders schmackhaft in Erinnerung geblieben.

I have mixed feelings regarding Dishoom.
On the one hand, the food is really good and I like the somewhat non-​traditional approach to the Indian cuisine. In addition, I really like the decoration and the atmosphere which really remind me of a colonial comptoir. The terrace is also nice, but some of the tables are not convenient when you are trying to eat something.
However, I am really appalled by the lackadaisical service. First of all, one either has to come at an ungodly hour (i.e. 4 – 5 pm) or take the risk of having to wait in a queue for 1h30. Seriously, either they could raise the prices or allow people to book in advance. The personal, while polite, stand out by their lack of enthusiasm (and I have been there 3 times).
I would still recommend the go if only once to try their Chicken Berry Britannia and the Lamb Botti Kabbab paired with a Lassi, they are all really good.

I came to Dishoom with a group of 11 people and can honestly say that I would love to go back pretty soon.
Firstly, as our group was for 10 I telephoned three weeks in advance to make a booking. The only time slot they could give us was 5:45 which wasn’t ideal but, given the popularity of this restaurant, I took.
The staff were all very pleasant and helpful on the phone, and when I called a week or two before our reservation to ask if they can add one extra person onto the booking, I was nicely amazed that this wasn’t a problem at all and done straight away by a chirpy sounding lady on the other end of the phone.
When we arrived we were quickly seated, skipping the big queue outside. Kind of felt like VIP, actually. Perhaps the waiters came over a little too quickly to take orders as we felt a bit rushed to decide and order.
The food came out in a good amount of time and I found mine delicious! None of that stodgy Indian food you usually get in other places, this food was light. The portion sizes are smaller than you would expect but it was enough to make me nicely full without giving me tut opportunity to overeat.
Unfortunately not everyone else in our group felt the same and some ended up ordering a second thing to fill the gap. One person did comment that apparently they could taste that the meat was cooked separately to the sauce and added after, which I personally thought was nit-​picking but oh well.
The food is quite pricey for the portion sizes you get which I feel lets this place down. In terms of value for money, I guess it’s lacking but it’s pretty obvious that this is a place you wouldn’t come to if you’re on a tight budget.

Indian restaurant in Shoreditch center!
Bombay style interiors and corresponding menu that takes excellent score in everything; friendly staff, tasty food (tried brunch and loved it!), nice prices.
Don’t just turn up — the queue is quite long all the time. Instead, book your table through their online system in advance.

A little torn between a 4 and a 5 for this one! The thing is, the great dishes Dishoom serves are GREAT, but as a pescetarian, my options are a bit more limited. I’ve particularly loved the black daal, the bowl of greens, the naan, and the matar paneer (paneer curry, basically), with the matar paneer being one of my favourite dishes in all of London. The cocktails are always interesting, and the beer selection is pretty good. The atmosphere is great, and the staff are always lovely and friendly.
It’s the starters that let the restaurant down a bit. I didn’t really like the calamari or the samosas, among others. I thought it was great that the desserts are more interesting, but it can veer to the too strange spectrum.
All that said, I always recommend Dishoom to visitors and residents of London alike. Worth at least a couple of visits!

Lovely place. All the dishes were on point. The Mattar paneer was especially delicious. And that epic cheese naan with its perfect chewiness. We rounded out the meal with a lamb biryani and the chicken tikka.
Service was a bit hectic, but to be fair the place was still totally packed at 14:30.

London’s love for Dishoom runs deep. Apparent from the growing list of accolades that the restaurant has accrued, ranging from customer reviews to the platitudes of food bloggers and critics alike. While the playful yet meticulous décor, the obliging staff and the complimentary ‘Chai-​Fi’ all play a part in generating such a loyal following, the food is ultimately the lynchpin of Dishoom’s success. Vibrant, experimental, filling and affordable– it’s a rare fusion of these factors. Few restaurants in the capital have such highly recognisable dishes– they are so photogenic that they reappear on foodie Instagram feeds and are retweeted by your brunching acquaintances on Twitter.
While it’s not a quiet success, there’s no shame in fighting for a table at Dishoom. The atmosphere is spirited, service is timely and the food is fun and satisfying. Why would you travel further afield for a potentially lacklustre pop-​up?
I made my inaugural visit to the Shoreditch location for a Sunday brunch in February 2016. Immediately, I was impressed by how large and lively the location was. The front of house staff and the servers were warm and congenial– we were seated in an area with plenty of room and our server was patient as we scrutinised the menu. Options range from healthier fare– including a bottomless porridge– to cooked breakfasts and the widely celebrated (and much photographed) naan rolls. There was no real competition: we succumbed to their reputation and ordered one bacon and one egg naan with masala beans on side, a breakfast lassi, a Virgin Mary and a round of Americanos while we waited.
Plenty has been written about Dishoom’s naan rolls with earnest reason. And everything you’ve heard is probably true. Freshly baked naan is pulled from the tandoor oven by an assembly line operation in the open kitchen downstairs, arriving as a springy soft casement– still warm from the oven– for every filling. Amply substantial and a thing of beauty– especially compared to any stodgy white bread variation– this elevates the bacon roll into luxury. The filling is equally laudable: my two eggs oozed with golden yolks, mingled with the hot sweetness of the chili tomato jam, the mild creaminess of soft cheese and the hint of fresh coriander. It arrived with extra tomato chili jam on the side, which I took as an impetus to cast cutlery aside and dig in with my hands (nimble fingers were required to dip small chunks of bread into the small ramekin).
The masala beans also triumphed, evading a sugary and gloopy tomato sauce for a robust, mildly heated and fragrant base. They were delicious paired with the naan roll, especially for those who are ravenous (and we were). The breakfast lassi was a thick blend of oats, yogurt, banana and mango, resulting in a rich smoothie. It coats the throat and is a deliciously fruity liquidised meal that completely lacked the syrupiness of a cheap mango purée-​based drink.
Even the coffee hits the right notes at Dishoom, where Malabar coffee is served, made from Arabica beans ‘from a single estate in Sunticoppa, Karnataka, are bared on wood to the monsoon winds’ (in their own words). It was full-​bodied devoid of any bitterness, making it a strong and easy palatable cup.
At under £5.50 for the bacon naan roll (and £4.90 for my two egg roll), Dishoom offers superlative value for a deliciously filling brunch. We left with full bellies, licking our fingers and wondering just why we had waited so long to visit.
Maybe we subconsciously knew it would be a floodgate for future Sunday trips– better to start now because we have to start making up for lost time somehow.

I haven’t yet had a meal here, but went to their bar on a weekend. Great drink menu with exciting selection. Had a few nibbles which were good. Costly all around but can be worth it for the atmosphere.
I’d love to go back for dinner and the place smelled amazing!

It is the first time we have eaten here and we were impressed
We booked a table for three people (the third person was on there way) and was told it would be 45 minutes so we had a coffee at the bar. Our table was ready earlier than we had been told and the third person had still not arrived but this was not a problem, unfortunately the third person was stuck in traffic so we ordered. We had chicken berry Britannia, ruby Murray and chole bhatura it was delicious, hot, flavourful. The staff were excellent very helpful and answered every question we asked about items on the menu. The dishes are small but it was enough for us and slightly overpriced but this is trendy Shoreditch but that said the overall experience was excellent

My god. What does everyone see in this place? This has got to be some of the worst Indian food I have ever tried.
Not 1, not 2, not 3, but ALL 5 of the dishes we ordered were drier than the Sahara desert. So dry that we had to treasure the extremely stingy (half a shot glass) sauces that came with our starters, so dry that we had to ask for extra sauce that never came, so dry that we had to choke the food down.
Now I can forgive the dry samosas, or even the salty fried okra, but lamb chops are supposed to be juicy and packed with flavour damn it! Also one lamb chop on my plate was medium while the other 2 were well done, how does that even happen? Half of it was inedible fat anyway.
The worst I have to say was the paneer tikka. Paneer is supposed to be drenched in sauce not slightly grilled and slightly seasoned. With plain basmati rice, my friends dish practically tasted like nothing.
On the plus side, the atmosphere is cool and buzzy. And the prices aren’t crazy expensive. Well. maybe they are for the quality of food served.

Dishoom is a magical place.
Walking into Dishoom is like walking into a different world. You’re not in London anymore. My senses were filled with slow, jazzy, and romantic music combined and the smell of burning incense.
Pros:
— Each table feels intimate and private. For the smaller tables, there are high panels that separate them.
— free and fast wifi
— bottomless chai for 2.5 pounds
What I got and what I thought:
I ordered the garlic naan, mattar paneer, and chai. Everything was delicious. The chai reminded me of my trip to India. However, the mattar paneer was more lukewarm than piping hot.
*Tip: DO NOT COME HERE FOR DINNER. Wait time is usually 1 – 3 hours. Come BEFORE 5pm.*
Dishoom is a wonderful dining experience, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone who wants good Indian food.

Unilocal, you really effed me over on this one. Dishoom was by far our most disappointing meal of our 10 day U.K. trip. London is known for their top notch Indian food so I was expecting this place to blow me away. Instead, it just made me homesick.
I toughed out the 90 min wait because I knew London on a Saturday night would be ridiculously crowded. I hated that we couldn’t leave the restaurant while we waited like you often can in the states. They still use the old beeper system, and it took 20 min to get to the hostess stand to get it. We spent the rest of the time in the bar.
Service in the bar was awful. The waitress got orders from three other parties around us, but we were ignored. We flagged her down when she returned with their orders quite some time later. We snacked on the pau bhaji which was spicy and unique, like Indian sliders. I got some chai to warm up, and that did the trick.
We were seated three different places. First the hostess offered to seat is «somewhere more quiet» when a large party took over our area. Apparently, «somewhere more quiet» was directly next to the fiery hot kitchen on a high top. No thanks. The third place was just right.
I got paneer tikka, and my husband got prawns korma, some of our favorites at home. Dishoom’s versions were way more expensive and not nearly as good. My husband’s prawns were small and didn’t come with the creamy sauce we were expecting. My paneer tikka was just pieces of cheese with a slice of bell pepper in between. That’s it. Luckily, we did get the black lentils and garlic naan, and those were standouts.
Anyone going to London, please ignore the high star rating of this place and try somewhere else.

After all the hype and the excessive and constant queuing at all of Dishoom’s venues, I had very high expectations for this restaurant, but it didn’t hit the mark for me.
My friend was visiting me from the States and she really wanted to try out Dishoom after reading about it on a blog. Personally I despise waiting in line for anything but she was willing to go early to queue up, so I was sold! She showed up at 6 PM on a Wednesday and they offered her a table immediately, so I guess the lines don’t start that early at the Shoreditch location.
We tried the Okra Fries (spicy, crunchy, tasty), Prawn Koliwada (can you really go wrong with fried shrimp?) the Chicken Ruby, Paneer Tikka, and of course the ‘house specialty’ Black House Daal. Perhaps it is a red flag when a restaurant’s specialty is an Indian basic as daal. It was good, but not mind-​blowingly so. The chicken was okay but a bit spicy, and the paneer was hearty but again, missing the expected wow factor. We also ordered lamb kebabs which the waiter forgot to bring, but he was very sweet and apologetic and gave us a free dessert instead, so he made up for his mistake with the Memsahib’s Mess.
In all the food was enjoyable, but I just can’t understand why people would queue for hours for this place. London is covered in delicious Indian restaurants where you can get far more food for a better price.

Ce soir-​là, comme une folle envie d’exotisme. Ni une, ni deux, sur recommandation d’une amie, direction l’Inde, au Dishoom !
Nous sommes un mercredi soir, 19h30: victime de son succès, le resto est plein à craquer ! 1h d’attente selon l’hôtesse d’accueil qui nous invite à patienter au bar avec une télécommande vibrant dès qu’une table se libère.
Ca grouille de partout: des gens, en veux-​tu en voilà, de la musique à fond les ballons et de merveilleux cocktails… La soirée commence fort avec un petit Bombay Colada !
50 min plus tard, nous prenons place dans la partie restaurant. La carte des plats est riche et variée, les explications de la serveuse riches et empressées. Conseil de Unilocaleur: mieux vaut maîtriser la langue de Shakespeare dans ces moments-​là…
Trop de choix tue le choix ! Nous décidons finalement de goûter l’essentiel de la carte par petites touches, des cheese-​naan aux plats les plus épicés. Excellent choix: Explosion de saveurs !
2h plus tard, nous ressortons revigorés et rassasiés. Opération Bombay réussie !

Après 45 minutes dehors dans la file, 45 minutes d’attentes au bar et 4 cocktails … Notre table !!
Endroit très sympa et très vivant.
Une adresse londonienne du moment.
A voir absolument la dextérité de la personne faisant les naan au –1.
Bön marché et sans prise de tête.

Vor einigen Wochen waren wir mit einer Gruppe im Dishroom in Shoreditch. In einer unscheinbaren Seitenstraße der Shoreditch High Street befindet sich das Dishroom, welches auch einen Ableger in Covent Garden hat. Auch der Eingang ist fast zu übersehen, dahinter befindet sich allerdings ein riesiges Restaurant mit Sitzgelegenheiten sowohl im Erdgeschoss als auch im Untergeschoss.
Wir starteten mit Drinks (East India Gimlets /​Bollybellini), einigen Vorspeisen (z.B. sehr leckere Samosas) und zum Wein gibt es selbstverständlich auch automatisch Wasser. Im Untergeschoss befindet sich neben weiteren Tischen auch eine Bar sowie die Toiletten. Auch hier wird man überrascht, hinter einem schmalen Gang befinden sich sehr luxeriöse Toiletten, die selbst meine Erwartungen übertroffen haben (das Gegenteil wäre für mich immer ein Grund nicht wieder einzukehren).
Als Hauptgang bekamen wir eine Auswahl an verschiedenen Gerichten, dazu Naan, Jogurtsoße und Reis. Besonders das Chicken Tikka sowie das Biryani Gericht haben mir besonders gut geschmeckt. Sowohl die Qualität, die Portionsgröße als auch der Preis sind hier absolut im Rahmen und es schmeckt einfach nur gut! Zum Nachtisch gab es Mango bzw. Pistazien Lassi-​Eis. Ausgesprochen lecker und erfrischend.
Zuletzt wurde uns noch eine Art Verdauungscocktail gebracht, der aus einer Mischung von Früchten, Salz und Eis bestand. Irgendwie komisch aber sehr interessant!
Insgesamt kann ich jedem nur den Besuch im Dishroom ans Herz legen. Ich bin mir sicher, die andere Filiale ist genauso fantastisch und ich kann es kaum glauben, dass ich in knapp sieben Jahren in London nie über diese Perle gestolpert bin. Sehr lecker, sehr bezahlbar und eine wunderbare Atmosphäre. Best Indian in London. Hands down!

WOW! Was für ein stylishes indisches Restaurant mitten im Trendviertel «Shoreditch» gleich in der Nähe des Ace Hotels. Wir waren eine grosse Gruppe (unbedingt reservieren) und hatten zuerst die Wahl zwischen Prosecco, East India Gimlet oder Bollybellini. Ich hatte letzteren Drink und es war köstlich. Prickelnd und erfrischend, wie es sich gehört. Danach folgte eine Platte mit mehreren Vorspeisen, welche schon sehr füllten und bombastisch schmeckten. Weiter gings mit einer Auswahl an Hauptspeisen. Fremder Gewürzduft lag in der Luft und wir schlugen uns die Mägen voll — was sehr spannend war, da man keine Ahnung hatte, ob nach süss jetzt scharf folgt oder etwas ganz anderes. Zum Dessert gab es Kulfi am Stiel und etwas ganz spezielles: Crushed Eis mit frischen Blaubeeren, Salz und etwas scharfem! Ja, richtig gehört: süss, scharf und salzig. Was für eine Geschmacksexplosion im Mund. Es hat sehr speziell geschmeckt und ich konnte es wirklich nirgends zuordnen, da ich so etwas schlicht und einfach noch nie probiert habe. Die Bedienung war sehr nett und hat uns immer alles genau erklärt. Alle Speisen kommen ursprünglich aus Bombay (Mumbai) und werden immer noch traditionsgetreu zubereitet. Ein wahres und sehr empfehlungsreiches Erlebnis. Must-​eat place! :)

Ich war noch nie ein Fan von indischem Essen, nun bin ich es!
Jedenfalls wenn es so angerichtet wird und schmeckt wie im Dishroom.
Wir waren in einer größeren Gruppe da und saßen etwas abgetrennt zu den restlichen Gästen.
Die Einrichtung ist eher vintage und verbindet stylische Elemente mit klassischen indischen Symboliken.
Das Licht ist gedämpft und so wirkt das ganze Ambiente sehr behaglich und ruhig, obwohl es von der Geräuschkulisse keineswegs ruhig war.
Das Essen bestand aus diversen Vorspeisen-​Variationen, die von mild bis scharf für jeden Geschmack etwas bot.
Es gab Teigtaschen die mit Hackfleisch gefüllt waren, dazu kleine Brötchen die mit Soßen und Dips bestrichen wurden. Leider habe ich keine der wohlklingenden Namen mehr im Ohr.
Zum Hauptgang wurde Lamm und Hähnchen in unterschiedlichen Schärfegraden und Reis in unterschiedlichsten Geschmacksrichtungen gereicht. Alles super schmackhaft und einfach nur eine Gaumenfreude.
Dazu gab es Kingfisher Lager. Stilechter konnte es nicht sein.
Die Dame im Service erklärte uns, das dies typische Küche aus Bombay wäre, die ganz traditionell zubereitet wird.
Als Nachtisch gab es noch ein Mango-​Eis am Stil und etwas ganz Spezielles. Fruchtsorbet mit Chili und Salz.
Wirklich eine Explosion im Mund und beim ersten Geschmackstest etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig, dann aber umso eleganter.
Insgesamt war das gesamte Essen eine tolle und einfach super leckere Erfahrung, die ich jedem nur empfehlen kann, der London besucht und im Stadtteil Shoreditch weilt.

Je suis sûre qu’après votre «street art balade» au cœur de Shoreditch, vous aurez sûrement
une petite faim non ?!
Je vous conseille le Dishoom Bombay café. Idéal pour un lunch ou pour le dîner.
Le principal c’est de réserver via leur site en ligne.
À la manière d’un café typiquement Indien niché au cœur du quartier, vous partagerez un moment typique et découvrirez des saveurs uniques.