This restaurant opened to rave reviews by gluttons across London in summer, staking their claim as the very first all day diner in London to be modeled after Bombay cafes. I’ve never been to Bombay, but those who have tried the genuine article (like Guy Dimond) say that Dishoom has got the decor and design down to the letter.
Irani cafes are now dwindling in their numbers in India. They were the stuff of egalitarian dreams in the sixties, but today they are a breed of eatery that is slowly being superseeded by contemporary establishments. Though their story of inception is a rather fascinating one, so goes the story of rags to riches. 19th century Zoroastrian Iranians migrated (source : Wiki where else) to then Mumbai (where a Zoroastrian community was gathering) in search of work. Irani cafes were one the result of those travellers’ stab at thriving in early 20th century Mumbai. They also brought with them Irani chai; milk tea supercharged with condensed milk.
I think Dishoom’s galore should start with the marvelous decor.
I especially loved the tall ceilings with well arranged dangly wires, hanging lamps and ceiling fans. The kitchen is fully exposed on one side, emanating the usual greenish kitchen glow, and the rest of the dining room feels big, polished, reflecting and marbly.
A tip of the hat to the interior designers whoever they may be. They have crafted a brilliant space, with the potential to tickle clientele, it is extremely comfortable sitting there, and would give a lot of Grand Cafe-types a run for its money.
I took the day off last Wednesday, and so it was one of the rare weekday mornings that I was free. So I decided to try Brunch at the all day menu at Dishoom, fully intending to snuggle into my seat for a couple of hours, and take the time to enjoy my new Garry Winogrand book.
Right then on to the food.
I ordered the spicy lamb chops (£9.20) , their signature black dhaal (£4.50) and Roomali Roti (£1.70). And drank freshly squeezed OJ (£2.90).
The lambchops were really great. The spiciness has been turned down a little, pomegranate seeds were a nice ornamental touch. The meat was charry and juicy, rich, vibrant flavours, and it paired well with the stretchy roti. I thought it could have done with just a tad more rubbing with oil, but otherwise it was deliciously floury, the bread did supremely well to absorb juices. I liked the dhaal, it wasn’t a skimpy watered down gravy, it was properly smothery and chock full of healthy lentils. Also on the mild side.
It’s not really a cafe, as they were rather quick to shoosh me out the door – albeit ever so delicately and with a smile – even when I had plonked my large A3 sized Winogrand on the marbled top. I was very comfortable in my seat, already slid back into it, feet almost very nearly up and stupidly refused a coffee, since I hadn’t yet finished the OJ, and I was still waiting for my Passionfruit and Ginger Gola Ice to melt. Moments later he put the bill on my table.
“Whenever you are ready.” Hmm, but clearly I wasn’t dude. Can you not see my unfinished dessert and drink, and my body language suggesting I love sitting in that seat so much, I wish to be glued there, at least for another 30 minutes? Check back skills fail. Leading me to conclude that perhaps it was clearly a misreading on my part; Dishoom was in fact an all day diner, and not a cafe. Table turning over Wednesday lunch hour was apparently important to their livelihood. I wasn’t too happy about being gently kicked out of the restaurant, especially one which I enjoyed.
Aside from the apparent faux pas, however, service was mostly lovely, frequency of incessant check backs was a little high, forcing me to engage several bouts of smile-chewing. Not cheap for Indian food, but considering it was Covent Garden, as well as the swish interior, the £20.70 (exclusive of service) bill for the solo brunch, seemed fair. Yes, in case you wondered, I put down a 10% tip.
I think Dishoom largely deserves the great exposure it has received so far. It is a great addition to Covent Garden, and it is an alternative to all the excellent egalitarian options in the general area. I wouldn’t hesitate taking big groups to the restaurant, food was adequately tasty, but ultimately, it was the decor that won me over.
The Gist.
Dishoom
Bombay Cafe £25pp
12 Upper St Martins Lane WC2H 9FB
Tel: 020 7420 9320
Tube: Covent Garden and Leicester Square
Kablewy! : Time Out London ; Hardens ; The Skinny Bib ; £31.75 ; R.W. ; Gourmet Chick ; Mr Foodie ; Kavey Eats ; Hungry in London
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Tags: bombay cafe, covent garden, dishoom, indian
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Bellyful of Kang, UKfoodieNetwork and Chris Titley. Chris Titley said: From @LondonEater Dishoom : Bombay Classy.: This restaurant opened to rave reviews by gluttons across London in… http://bit.ly/dK8pIb [...]
I’m not sure Dishoom deserves quite the support and praise it seems to have from lots of bloggers – as you mention, the food lacks spice and it’s certainly not the cheap/value place that lots of people suggest it is. Kang, your review is about right – though I’m surprised by what you said that you were won over. I agree the decor’s smart, but, really, the only good thing for me was that I got to write a negative review (http://bit.ly/cExpe1). Which is not why I go out to eat.
Ed – Did you not like the interior? I liked it because it was comfortable sitting there. I was rushed out however. Yeah… I think sometimes with restaurants, some people focus on the food, others focus on service, and then some pay attention to detail and ambiance. I know food should always carry the most weight, but given that Dishoom is a kind of ‘cafe’ , I thought it had the right decor to create a cafe ambiance. With regard to mass blogger agreement… it’s something that happens on the internet sometimes, and over the years, I’ve learnt to accept it. To each his own sir, of course, any review is merely an opinion, such is the subjectivity with food that also makes it so fascinating. It is important that everyone is entitled to one, especially the negative ones.
On the point about eating ‘bad’ food, it is increasing important that I find some meals to be a crock of shite, because – and this is for my personal sense of completeness – I think the way people experience food is dependent on precedent. One can only compare what you are having currently with sometime you have had in the past. In that regard, I think it is almost as important to have great meals, as it is to have bad meals of the same type/cuisine. Because if you don’t, how will you know right?
But of course, nobody goes out of their way to eat bad food..not even me..!
The decor does look great, Kang. The polished drop down lights and the row of mirrors perched at the ceiling’s edge. Food looks decent and price reasonable as well. But like you said, Dishoom’s probably one for a quick bite instead of hanging around.
Have you tried Delhi Grill at Chapel Market? Though its interior is nothing like Dishoom, their grilled meats are done reasonably well.
Cheers for the response Kang. I agree that atmosphere is a key part of a restaurant experience and Dishoon looks good. But a little bit like the template for a chain. Overall it didn’t live up to the hype – and more spice required food wise.
Hope Christmas is treating you well!
dishoom was a big disappointment, we had a booking for 2 and we had to wait 2 hours for our table. We should have just left knowing that the food was not going to be as great as it claims to be. Our server was over stretched managing a number of tables so again we had to wait to be served. Our mains arrived before starters and drinks just arrived as we ordered our tea. The food wasn’t exceptional- cold starters. Complete disorganization. The evening was nothing but a big let down, Dishoom is a indian restaurant trying to claim west end prestige but better off being located on your high street- at least with high street restaurants you know what to expect