Dishoom is an Indian street-style café, located in Shoreditch. Although we suppose it is technically not, Dishoom would more appropriately be described as a restaurant. Dishoom does offer casual dining, however they have really mastered the interior of space, especially the verandah area. Forget matching tables and chairs, think bohemian comfort, with cosy places to sit and enjoy great food.
“Dishoom truly is a gem.”
In fact, during our visit, we were so comfortable we managed to while away three whole hours...
When we arrived, the atmosphere was buzzy and fun, so we began our evening with a couple of cocktails. We started with a Chaijito - like a mojito, but with smoky rum, chai syrup and ginger - and a Chili Martini, which was a blend of gin with pomegranate. We then moved on to try a ‘Thumbs Up Flip” which was a creamy, whisky based blend; and a twist on the classic Pina Colada - the ‘Bombay Colada’ - which included coriander and chai syrup.
The cocktails were delicious, and we were certainly looking forward to dinner. To start, we ordered a couple of dishes to share. First up was the Pau Bhaji, which consisted of a bowl of mashed vegetables with a hot buttered pau bun, and then the Bhel - a cold and crunchy puffed rice, Bombay mix and nylon sev salad, tossed with fresh pomegranate - and finally, the Dishroom Calamari, which was quick-fried with a crunch crumb. Each dish was delightfully fresh and delicious.
For our main course, we opted for the masala prawns and the mattar paneer - a vegetable curry - with sides of house black daal; cucumber, onion and tomato salad; classic raita; garlic naan and steam basmati rice.
With the Indian music and beautifully scented incense sticks setting the mood for the evening, the four hours we spent there flew by. The food truly was exceptional, and with an atmosphere to match, Dishoom truly is a gem. We had the most enjoyable evening there, and we cannot recommend enough that you make this high on your list of places to visit. We certainly can’t wait to return, and will look forward to sampling more dishes from the menu next time.