Dishoom Kensington — Restaurant in London

I come here often and have been eating at Dishoom since 2015 and always give 5*. But today I had a bad experience with the service at Dishoom Kensington.

My waiter (didn’t see his name) seemed grumpy and took my order. He then disappeared (I assume his shift ended) and I was left without any service. Half my order was missing when food arrived but I had nobody to tell this to because the waiter had left. Everyone around me was having great service except me.

I eventually received a waiter and I said I was missing items like my drink, rice, bread and samosa. He said he’ll bring them, but 20 minutes later I didn’t get them. I asked again and nothing came. I got tired of chasing so I made sure they were not added to the bill and I didn’t want to receive food at the end of my meal… it also meant I had to eat Curry Pepper fry without bread or rice.

Later, the waiter (Albanian guy) was chatty and friendly with a young woman sitting alone dining next to me. He then offered her complimentary items. He did the same to the table next to me with complimentary house chai.

All the while he was basically standing over me with his body leaning over my food and in my face as I tried to eat, while he joke and flirt with customers. He then looked at me with a strange expression, like disgust, as I was literally taking a mouthful of food and asked “do you want the bill” and “can I get that to takeaway”

shocking!!

I’ve eaten in hundreds of restaurants in London and never been asked as I was literally putting food into my mouth if I was finished and wanted the bill. This made me super uncomfortable and I decided to leave.

I am glad others got good service but this should be consistent? Not just for young women…Especially considering my bill was fairly high compared to those around me. The waiters today treated me horribly and I don’t really understand why, almost like they wanted me to leave quickly.

The high service charge was also not nice considering I received no service

I didn’t complain during the meal because I didn’t want to disturb other happy customers who were enjoying their evening. I spoke to the manager at the end who was shocked. I was offered some coupons but this was not my motivation. I just wanted good service- not a house chai coupon.

I am writing this review here because I didn’t want to say all this in the middle of the dining hall during a busy dinner service. I hope the managers read this review and I really hope the service can improve in the future. I would love to return and have a better experience because today genuinely upset me and...

LOVED this place!

Waited in line for 1 hour and it was mostly worth it. They take reservations before 5:30pm so highly recommend it. The customer service while waiting in line was AMAZING. They treated everyone with kindness and with a smile on their face. Once entered the cafe looked very much like those old Parsi restaurants in Mumbai. Same vibe and decor.

Ordered bottomless chai - perfect cardamom hot tea that relaxes you right away and set you up for the big meal. Mango lassi - perfect sheerness, may be can loose some fennel seeds (was too much for me) Samosa - freshly made, the filling was just perfect old delli style with the tasties red chutney. Okra fries - OMG this was the best, I could prolly eat another order just by myself. Aaloo chaat - reminded me of old delhi fried aaloo chaat. Perfect sauté fried potatoes with crunchy Passi and chutney. Tandoori Chicken: Kids LOVED it. Moist and perfect. Had to get a 2nd order. Daal Makhani - This was by far THE MOST AMAZING DAAL makhani I have had outside India (and I have daal makahani in a lot of countries including in over 30 states in USA in last 20 years). Perfect consistency, salt, balanced flavor. We ordered twice! Kathi roll - was good, I would have liked bit more pickled onion etc. Paneer makhani - was very flavorful, creamy and tasty. Kheer: with blueberry was ok Kulfis - OMG the highlight of the evening. Everyone ate two each. This place was super busy but our server checked on us a few times, so we didn’t had any trouble getting things quickly to the table. I would highly HIGHLY recommend this place and can't wait to come back every-TIME we visit London now on. This will always going to be a place we will keep in...

A Little Slice of Mumbai Magic, Delivered. Dishoom, you've done it again! While nothing quite beats the bustling energy of dining in, your takeaway service is a truly delightful substitute, especially when you're craving that unique Mumbai-inspired magic from the comfort of your own home. Tonight's feast was an absolute triumph and left me utterly smitten. The Pav Bhaji? Oh my, the Pav Bhaji! It was every bit as rich, comforting, and vibrantly spiced as I've come to expect. The buttery, soft pav perfectly soaked up that glorious vegetable medley, making each mouthful a pure moment of bliss. It's a hug in a bowl, and frankly, I could eat it every day. Then came the star of the show: the Chicken Ruby Set with Garlic Naan. The Chicken Ruby is simply legendary, and tonight's iteration was no exception. The chicken was incredibly tender, swimming in that deeply flavourful, perfectly balanced makhani sauce. And the Garlic Naan? Soft, pillowy, and generously studded with fragrant garlic, it was the ideal vehicle for scooping up every last drop of that incredible curry. A truly harmonious pairing that transports you straight to a Bombay café. And as if the food wasn't enough to brighten my evening, opening the bag to find a cute Mumbai postcard was the most charming touch! It's those little details, Dishoom, that elevate your experience from just a meal to a truly memorable occasion. It’s a lovely reminder of the spirit you embody. Everything arrived hot, fresh, and beautifully packaged. The quality, as always, was impeccable. If you're pondering a takeaway that delivers on flavour, authenticity, and even a sprinkle of joy, look no further than Dishoom....