Some restaurants just have it all. Branding, atmosphere, value and quality of the food- all unite to create an unparalleled dining experience. Sometimes it's because of authenticity, sometimes it's expertise in one style of dish, but then there are some restaurants are constantly pleasurable, no matter what the dish or what time of day. Dishoom exemplifies this perfectly- their take on Indian cuisine is contemporary, hybrid and fun. Purists might sneer, but what comes out of the kitchen is fresh, vibrant and flavoursome. And although their brunch naan rolls are genuinely worth trekking across town for, their standard menu is just as satisfying. The food speaks for itself, but the environs and service at Dishoom truly never disappoint- and this is true across all of their London branches.
The newest addition to the Dishoom franchise recently opened in Carnaby, offering a fuel stop that straddles Oxford Street and Soho. I visited with a group and we squeezed in just before the 11:45 brunch cut-off time on a Saturday morning. Staff greeted me immediately with friendly banter and I was taken through the bar to our cozy booth. The restaurant is spread across two levels- the main floor is open, spacious and there's ample seating that spills out into a veranda area. Here, diners sit an airy space, underneath a skylight and encircled by retro fittings. Electric fireplace, mahogany touches and that brown/orange colour combination that was hallmark of the 60s, this level of attention to detail is perhaps Dishoom's most endearing element.
The entire restaurant is designed to emulate a Bombay café circa 1968 and this is achieved right down to the minutia- it's so seamlessly accomplished that it doesn't feel kitschy. Everything is casual and the continuous din of other tables makes Dishoom a buzzy hotspot- and then you get to the menu. My staple is the egg naan roll and masala beans, which I immediately settled upon given our time constraint.
As always, it was perfectly rendered: a warm, pillowy naan bread made to order in the open kitchen downstairs- it came filled with two oozing fried eggs, freshly chopped coriander and an indulgent lashing of soft, creamy cheese. It's paired with a tomato chili jam- which is a worthy of its own praise- balancing savoury with sweetness and singing with a fistful of chewy naan. The masala beans are always stewed to perfection, a tangy and complex side to mop up with gummy fingers after naan has been dunked into the sticky jam. This is the apex of brunch and has never disappointed.
Every dish ordered in our group seemed to provoke envy- from the house granola, an aesthetic feat with wholesome oats, chopped nuts and bursting with ripe fruit, a hearty dollop of yogurt and a fat drizzle of golden honey- to the Big Bombay, a smorgasbord of breakfast fare with an Indian twist. One diner was compelled to order a second dish after eyeing up my naan roll, which was cheerfully organised despite the fact that the kitchen had moved on to the standard menu.
The food at Dishoom Carnaby won't disappoint those who frequent other Dishoom branches. The service was in line with what I've come to expect and the décor, ambiance and experience also lived up to my lofty expectations. Servers are occasionally bouncing between tables and need to be flagged down, but their good humour never wanes.
Provided that Dishoom can continue to replicate this winning formula, I'm happy to see more of the franchise around London. After all, they are both killer and naan roll filler- so the faster I can locate a Dishoom in a bleary weekend haze, the better. read more