Dishoom Covent Garden — Restaurant in London

A Must-Visit Dining Experience in London: Dishoom Review

If you’re planning a trip to London and love flavorful food served in a vibrant setting, Dishoom should absolutely be on your itinerary. During a recent visit to the city, I dined at one of Dishoom’s popular locations near The Ned Hotel, and from the moment we arrived, the experience was nothing short of outstanding.

First Impressions: A Buzzing Atmosphere with Exceptional Service

Even with a reservation, we were surprised to see a line of about 100 people waiting outside the restaurant. Clearly, this place is no secret. Fortunately, Dishoom honors its reservations well—after checking in with the hostess, we were seated right away. That level of prompt, organized service is rare in such a bustling spot and set a positive tone for the rest of the night.

Cocktails with a Twist

We started the evening with drinks, and the cocktail menu immediately caught our eye. I ordered the Print Media Old-Fashioned, a unique spin on the classic cocktail. While it retained the rich warmth of an old-fashioned, this version included unexpected flavor notes—slightly spiced and citrus-forward. It was smooth, elegant, and paired beautifully with the starters.

Starters to Remember: Okra Fries & Samosas

For appetizers, the okra fries and vegetable samosas were impossible to resist. The okra fries were a revelation—crispy and light, yet full of flavor. They came with a creamy, spicy red chili dipping sauce that perfectly balanced heat and richness. The texture of the fries was spot-on: crunchy on the outside, tender inside, and seasoned beautifully.

The samosas, on the other hand, were golden and flaky with a deliciously spiced vegetable filling. They struck a great balance between being hearty and flavorful without feeling too heavy.

The Main Event: A Feast of Flavors

When it came to entrées, we went all in and shared a range of dishes: • Lamb Chops • Shrimp • Mattar Paneer • Chicken Tikka • Garlic Naan

Each dish stood out for its bold use of spices and attention to texture and balance. The lamb chops were a true highlight—succulent, smoky, and deeply marinated with spices that clung to the meat and lingered on the palate. The shrimp was equally impressive—plump, juicy, and full of intense flavor, with a perfect hit of heat.

The mattar paneer, a favorite of mine, was particularly well-executed. Creamy and comforting, it was spiced just right and had a silky texture that made it irresistible. The chicken tikka was another standout—tender, smoky, and full of depth.

The garlic naan served as the perfect companion to every dish. Warm, fluffy, and just garlicky enough, I found myself dipping it into everything on the table—it was the kind of bread you can’t stop eating.

A Sweet Ending: Rice Pudding Brûlée

To finish, we tried the rice pudding brûlée—a clever fusion dessert that blended the creamy familiarity of rice pudding with the caramelized crust of a classic crème brûlée. The top was crisp and slightly burnt (in the best way), while the pudding underneath was soft, rich, and perfumed with orange blossom water, adding an unexpected floral finish. It was a perfect, elegant end to the meal.

Final Thoughts: Worth the Hype and the Line

Dishoom completely lived up to the hype. From the excellent service and creative cocktails to the richly spiced dishes and memorable dessert, it was a meal that will stick with me long after the trip. Though there are multiple locations throughout London, this one near The Ned Hotel (which is also fantastic, by the way) was incredibly convenient and welcoming.

If you’re visiting London and want a truly flavorful dining experience with a modern take on Indian cuisine, Dishoom is a must-visit. Book a reservation in advance—and even if you see a line, trust me, it’s...

We had a delightful breakfast experience at Dishoom in Covent Garden, as I had previously only had dinner at a different location before. Dishoom was the only restaurant in the area that was fully packed with customers, a testament to its popularity. Our server, Rowena, was very helpful in recommending some of the best breakfast dishes I have had in a while, and everything was truly delicious.

KEEMA PER EEDU Keema Per Eedu was by far our favorite among all the breakfast dishes. A clay pot filled with a spicy curry of chicken and liver, topped with two perfectly sunny-side-up eggs with runny yolks, and served with freshly baked buns on the side. This dish was the ultimate breakfast delight, with the curry mixture packing a punch of flavors and the liver adding a unique taste that wasn't overly iron-like. The buns were a revelation - super soft and fluffy, perfect for scooping up the curry mixture.

AKURI Or should we say spiced scrambled eggs? Akuri is that dish you see on Indian food stalls that you're just eager to try out. The scramble was cooked to perfection, still jiggly with a good mix of vegetables like onions and herbs. Served with my favorite buns and a homemade ketchup on the side, it was a delightful dish.

PARSI OMELETTE The Parsi omelette was also quite good, with a generous filling of tomatoes, onions, and coriander. Served with toasted bread and butter on the side, though we would have preferred the homemade buns instead of the toast as those were much better. Nevertheless, the omelette itself was tasty and satisfying.

WRESTLER'S NAAN ROLL And lastly, we couldn't resist trying one of their famous breakfast naans. After some deliberation, we settled on the Wrestler's naan, or should we say the "everything naan." It was packed with a variety of English breakfast items neatly inside a naan bread. While it wasn't bad by any means, it was our least favorite among the dishes we tried. The naan bread was freshly baked and the bacon had a wonderful smoky flavor, but the other fillings were average in comparison to the outstanding flavors of the other dishes.

MANGO LASSI Mango Lassi with fennel seeds was a delightful addition to our breakfast experience at Dishoom. Although it was not on the breakfast menu, we were able to order it and it was worth it. The lassi had a thick, rich flavor of fresh mangoes that paired beautifully with the slight hint of licorice taste from the fennel seeds.

In conclusion, our breakfast experience at Dishoom was a memorable one, with standout dishes like Keema Per Eedu and Akuri stealing the show. The service was excellent, and the cozy atmosphere added to the overall charm of the restaurant. We will definitely be returning at Dishoom in the future for both breakfeast and dinner, as it remains as our favorite...

You should absolutely make a reservation before visiting here as even in the rain a queue extended around the building. We arrived around 15 minutes late for our reservation but they were still holding our table (which we were very grateful for) and we were seated quickly.

My thoughts on the atmosphere in Dishoom are mixed, it's pretty loud as it's so busy and the music they play veers from Bollywood to salsa? Bit odd. For us it was also somewhat cramped as we were so close to another table of 4.

The biggest disappointment by far was the food here, it does not (in my opinion) live up to the hype at all. I would steer clear of the salt lassi, it tastes neither fresh nor flavourful. The mango lassi and kala katta sharbat were sweet and refreshing, a perfect accompaniment for the food. One note about the lassis, the cumin and fennel seeds aren't blended into the drink, just sprinkled on top of the lassi so you can avoid eating them.

We were recommended the okra fries by our waiter (his favourite) and they tasted pretty similar to fries you would get from anywhere else. Salty and crunchy, a safe bet if you're not in the mood for spicy food, I found them bland and underwhelming. The chutneys used were also nothing special and unfortunately the bhel relied on them for flavour, the bhel wasn't bad but you can do better in London. The quality was pretty inconsistent, we ordered the bhel a second time and were unable to finish it due to the stale taste. The house chaat is decent, just watch out for the cloves, they leave them in whole!

The masala fish was decent, for £20.50 I suppose that's the normal portion size but I could have finished it alone; it is intended for sharing so we assumed it would be larger. The fish was cooked well, it fell apart at the fork it was so tender, and it was perfectly seasoned, absolutely packed with flavour. Mattar paneer underperformed massively, it was miniscule for the price of a "sharing" main and tasted sweet! (in the masala fish picture it is the small black dish behind) Sure the paneer was cooked well but the flavour and the inclusion of mung beans just derailed the whole affair.

The garlic naan had to be sent back as it arrived barely warm and honestly we could have sent back the roti too, this was not just for the sides but a common theme in all heated dishes, they all arrived lukewarm borderline cold! A shame!

Service in Dishoom is easily its strength, despite how busy it was our server was very attentive and answered any questions we had with ease.

Sadly I can't recommend Dishoom to anyone, the pricing paired with mediocre food and atmosphere made for an unsatisfactory (and expensive!!) meal. Pictures: 1. bhel, 2. chaat, 3. okra fries,...