Restaurant Review – Dishoom

Indian food is one of my favourite types of cuisine to have. Whether this be eating out or having home cooked food with my family. There are just so many diverse flavours and spices incorporated into this type of cuisine. It’s also the range of foods that I have grown up loving, and being Indian myself it is something that I am comfortable ordering when I’m out at a restaurant. As with any type of cuisine though, it’s always an eye-opener (or taste bud!) when you try your much-loved dishes from different restaurants, and Dishoom is somewhere that has always been highly recommended to me by fans of Indian food.

Referred to simply as a Bombay Cafe, Dishoom restaurants have popped up in the heart of London at some of the easiest locations to get to. Having heard so much about Dishoom, I decided it was finally time for me to go visit the restaurant that is well-known for its chicken ruby and unperturbed cafe-like atmosphere within its restaurants. I opted for Kings Cross as my chosen location to finally open my taste buds to some new, and much loved Indian dishes.

Located just a five minute walk from London’s Kings Cross the restaurant is not only easily to access, but it takes you on a short walk through scenic London. Over the bridge of the Thames and colour-lit fountains, you will find Dishoom secretly hidden within some of London’s most beautiful buildings.  If you don’t fancy heading towards King’s Cross, Dishoom takes precedence within Shoreditch, Carnaby and Covent Garden.

Flowing throughout the restaurant is a stringent theme of Indian culture – with golds and brass colours, and a cafe-like feel in terms of the setting of their tables, menus and how food and drinks are served. As soon as you walk into King’s Cross Dishoom you will get a sense of India and it’s culture, namely Bombay, as the restaurant looks to reproduce the ambiance of a cafe in Bombay. Statues of Hindu gods and scrolls of Indian Sanskrit decorate the restaurant among fumes of incense. It’s certainly different to your usual Saturday night out.

Reservations are not taken by the restaurants, unless you are a party of 6 people and over. This is simply due to the restaurant wanting to accommodate guests who like to walk-in, adding to the theme of a cafe. Saying that,  the wait time for a table isn’t long and Ankit and I were both seated within 10 minutes of arriving. We did arrive early at the restaurant to avoid peak time, and opted for an early dinner at 6.30pm. Be aware, however, by the time we left (around 8) there was a queue of people out the door wanting to dine. If you are waiting for a table, there are couches and round casual tables where you can have a few drinks at the bar – opt for one of my new favourites, a BollyBellini for an Asian twist on your typical Bellini.

Service is fast paced and food is served piping hot and not too long after ordering. Recommendations on dishes, however, are Far Far – a mix between a crisp and cracker, brightly coloured adding some fun to the dish, Bhel – a cold starter with puffed crispy rice, a spicy chilli powder complimented with fresh cooling pomegranate, and for starters you obviously cannot go wrong with samosas. For the main dish, try the Chicken Ruby – a form of chicken curry, but slightly thicker, served with steamed rice or roomali roti.  If you have a  sweet tooth, and space for dessert,  you can either go traditional with Kulfi – which is a creamy ice-cream, best with pistachios, or Memsahib’s Mess – crushed meringue and fresh strawberries. It’s a light dessert but definitely satisfies your sweet tooth.

Dinner for two, plus service charge and a drink each can cost from £70 at Dishoom . It’s something different and the restaurant certainly sets the theme for those who want to devour Indian food or try something new.

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