Dishoom is a modern take on an old Bombay institution, know as an Irani café. Their website has some good background on these increasingly rare institutions. The end result is an all-day Indian brassiere experience, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with an all-day café menu, spanning a wide range of Indian cuisine. The style and decor is very much in keeping with the Bombay theme, featuring ceiling and table fans, low lighting, and a multitude of vintage Indian memorabilia and posters adorning the walls.
Staff encourage you to order everything to share, though the dishes work fine individually. A lot of the food comes without sauces, so try the black lentil daal, which is exceptionally tasty, or perhaps raita minted yogurt. There are a good range of spicy and non-spicy dishes on the menu, so don't worry - there's something for everyone.
When it comes to service, the Shoreditch branch can be hit-or-miss. The staff are friendly and welcoming, and they know the menu well, but the length of time it takes for dishes to arrive can be a tad uneven. Given the restaurant policy of serving items as they're ready, this can sometimes mean people are left without any food while others are nearly finished. They are always responsive to issues, and we've been offered refunds for delayed dishes without much prompting. Generally the service is very good, we suspect it suffers from under-staffing during busy periods.
Last reviewed on October 21st , 2014
Map
Hints and tips
- What will it cost?
Dishes range from around £6 to £12, but smaller and larger sharing plates are also available - Nearest tube
Liverpool Street, or alternatively Shoreditch High Street Overground station. - Getting inside
Although you can see the restaurant signage from the main street, you need to walk around the back,!to Boundary Street, to actually get inside. A confusing set-up for sure. - Getting a table
Walk-ins for small groups are normally possible. Worth booking on Friday and Saturday night, usually a day or two in advance. Queuing while having a drink is also a pretty pleasant option here. - Indian brunch
Available every day until 11:30am (slightly later on the weekend), try the Big Bombay breakfast, or stop in for a quick sausage and egg naan rolls. Heaven after a bit of a late one.
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