We had a big family lunch at Dishoom when we were in London last month, and it was everything I…read morehoped for, an Indian restaurant unlike any I've encountered at home. I feel like all my friends who've been to London have come back talking about this place, and I'm happy to join their ranks.
Dishoom was also one of a handful of dining options recommended by my hotel concierge for a party of 11, including kids. Booking was easy, via SevenRooms, no phone calls or emails necessary. It's a large restaurant, and part of a popular chain--I guess they have things figured out. The space was great, open and casual, exposed ceilings and eclectic decor. Lots of fans, which my three-year-old appreciated. Service was friendly and attentive.
I started my lunch with a drink, a refreshing green India Gimlet, gin and Rose's lime with celery bitters and fresh dill. I also tried and liked a sip of the New Permit Room Old-Fashioned, a slightly sweet cocktail with coconut-washed bourbon, Pedo Ximénez sherry, and Medjool date liqueur.
There was only one menu available for a party of our size, a pre-set family-style group feast for eight adults, to which we added a pre-ordered platter of lamb chops. I loved the variety of dishes that came with this meal, and every one of them was ridiculously delicious. (There was less available for the three small American children, but they loaded up on hotel breakfast and snacked on naan and colorful puffed crackers.)
The first round brought trays loaded with keema pau, okra fries, and bhel, along with lime, cilantro, and sauces for serving. The keema pau was incredible, probably my favorite dish of our lunch, if in part because it was 100% new to me. It was a spicy, aromatic blend of minced lamb and peas with dill and lindi pepper, served with toasted, buttered buns to make little sliders. So much flavor, it almost explained, by itself, why the British could never leave India alone. The okra fries were warm and crispy, and I loved the bhel, a crunchy snack of puffed rice, peanuts, and Bombay Mix tossed with pomegranate, tomato, onion, lime, tamarind, and mint.
The main course was another giant spread: chicken ruby, house black daal, awadhi jackfruit biryani, and chilled broccoli salad, plus our charred lamb chops, with sides of roti, naan, and raita. The chicken ruby was the highlight here, a fragrant, comforting curry with tender chicken in a buttery makhani sauce. The house black daal is a Dishoom signature, and it was lovely, cooked for over 24 hours. The biryani was fluffy and nice, studded with jackfruit, barberries, and sultanas. The broccoli salad was a fresh hit of green, enhanced with pistachio, mint, red chillies, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, dates, and lime. The lamb chops made for a hearty entrée with a lot of flavor, the lamb marinated, grilled, and finished with Kashmiri chilli sauce. The thin, griddled roomali roti and the fresh-baked naan were both great accompaniments, as was the minty, cucumbery raita.
For dessert, we had a choice of kulfi, creamy ice pops available in mango, pistachio, or malai, the original flavor touched with caramel. All three were superb, so cold and milk, easy to throw down the hatch.
This was, it turned out, an enormous feast, but everything was so delicious and well balanced that I didn't notice how much I was eating until I got up. I was still full several hours later, when we went to dinner.
If you want to eat Indian food in London, you should definitely find your nearest Dishoom. It's a wonderful restaurant, with top-notch food and no hassle. I certainly intend to go again.