#DISHOOM INDIAN LONDON FREE#
And to make you feel a bit better, Dishoom offers free masala chai (so delicious I even let my son try it!) or nimbu pani (fresh lime water) while you wait. In summer this was OK, but in the rain or in winter it could be miserable. on a weekday! Come to find out, Dishoom always has a horribly long wait, which is made worse by the fact that you have to stay in line, outside (if there is no space at the bar/waiting area). Much to our dismay there was a long line outside, even at 4 p.m. My son and I arrived on Thursday afternoon excited to finally try some authentic Indian food.
These days there are only a few of the traditional Irani cafes left in Mumbai, but thankfully it’s spirit has moved to London with the crowd favorite Dishoom bringing in locals and tourists alike to critical acclaim. What to Expect at Dishoomĭishoom is a now well-established take on the old Irani cafés in 1960s era Bombay. It was better than good, it was as close as I have found to my favorite place in Mumbai. I knew it had to be good if our expat friends were raving about it. Our first visit was to Brick Lane, but we were highly disappointed with the westernized bland offerings.Ĭomplaining to our fellow expat friends from Mumbai, they suggested we try Dishoom. The Best Indian Restaurant in London – Dishoom Photo by Kang Lĭuring our visit to London we were on the hunt for amazing Indian food that would live up to the city’s reputation.
The Best Indian Restaurant in London – Dishoom.I think I would try and arrange to visit as a group of six to avoid the line. The biggest downside is having to wait in line outside. The food was excellent, waitress really great and the prices really reasonable. 12.5% service charge was added to our bill and I was almost tempted to tip our waitress a little more. We’d seated at 8 and suddenly it was 11.15. I would recommend always asking for an upstairs table, preferably a booth – even if that means you have to wait in line for longer. I was surprised to find another part of the restaurant downstairs – sadly lacking the same character as the upstairs and also quite claustrophobic with low ceilings. I forgot to take a picture of the perfectly presented Mahi Tikka – the piece I tasted was delicious and I’d be tempted to order that as a starter on another visit. The biryani was authentic – apparently you can partly tell by the piece of inedible pastry left on the edge that is the remains of the cover. The chicken ruby was as good as any chicken curry I’ve eaten. It was a good experience and a nice change to the pappadums and samosas that I order without thinking.įor the main course, we ordered Mahi Tiikka £8.20, Jackfruit Biriyani £8.90 and a Chicken Ruby £9.50. The Bhel was, to me, like a bowl of spicy breakfast cereal without milk – Vrinda assured me the Bhel was good and pretty much how it should be. The Vada Pau and Pau Bhaji were delicious. Pau Bhaji – a bowl of mashed potatoes with a bread bun for dipping £4.50ĭishoom calamari – small fried pieces £5.90īhel – cold and crunch puffed rice with pomegranate and spices £4.50 – forgot to take a picture of this. Vada Pau – a deep-fried spiced potato patty in a bread roll £3.90. Vrinda went a bit crazy with the starter orders, explaining that each was a chance to try Bombay street food. We ordered a bottle of Terre di Monelusa Primitivo – good value for the location at £27. My friend, Vrinda, assured her that we (actually not me) knew all about the food. Our waitress, originally from Poland, was really friendly and helpful. I found it difficult to read the 7pt font descriptions of each dish without the light from my iPhone. The menu and wine list are on a double-sided piece of A3 paper.
I’m not sure if you can hold back and wait for the table of your choice. We were seated at quite a small table for two – others who were luckier sat at booths for four. Once inside, the décor is that of a Bombay café – these Irani cafés of Bombay were set up by Zoroastrian immigrants who resettled there in the mid 1900s. It isn’t possible for both to leave the line and visit a nearby pub – you’d need to take turns.
I regretted not bringing a hip flask filled with whiskey. The line manager, who also registers you when you join the line, also offers hot Masala chai. As it was, I hadn’t seen my friend for several months and we had plenty to chat about while we waited. It isn’t possible to book a table for less than six people after 6pm – you should expect to wait in line outside for up to one hour and we did (picture above was taken at 11.15pm so no line). We chose the Covent Garden location – just a few steps from Leicester Square underground station. I’m surprised it’s taken me this long to visit one. Dishoom is already a success story, with five restaurants in London and one in Edinburgh.
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