BEGIN THE DAY with a bowl of Date & Banana Porridge or a Bacon Naan Roll. Savour the fragrance of freshly-baked pau, the rich salty taste of butter melting on a bun dipped in hot chai, the warm indulgence of Akuri, the wistfulness of a moment.
At lunch, waiters find joy in delivering trays of abundant food to your table. Roomali Roti Rolls, baked and filled to order, humble and delicious Mattar Paneer, or fresh salads. Refresh your afternoon with a drop of Chai and a small plate or two, while a thin coil of sandalwood smoke rises from gently burning incense.
And as evening falls, the café fills with calls of old friends meeting, chatting – a lovely and lively hubbub. To the table come smoky, melt-in-the-mouth grills, slow-cooked and aromatic biryanis, robust and spicy curries. Plates are passed around, shared, enjoyed.
Then, retreat to the Permit Room, ease yourself into a chair and order an India Gimlet, a Permit Room Old-fashioned, or our very good Dishoom IPA. Take a long draught. Exhale contentedly.
ABOVE: Chicken Berry Britannia – The Dishoom variation on the legendary Irani café special, with cranberries.
SINCE 1949, and to this very day, Bombay has been under a state of prohibition. A personal permit is required by law if one is to 'continue to require foreign liquor and country liquor for preservation and maintenance of one’s health.'
Set apart from a family room, there is a special place which has come to be known unofficially as a Permit Room. Herein liquor can be sold and imbibed, but only for the goodness of one’s health.
We warmly invite you to step inside The Permit Room – a space dedicated to the most delicious and sincere tipples, great music and good cheer.
No party is complete without some delectable pours to toast the host with the most. For the crafty amongst us, bring out the shakers and strainers and the channel knife and pour your energy into building our festive concoction – The Taj Ballroom Toddy. A warming tipple inspired by The Taj Mahal Palace hotel, where Bombay’s jazz age was born.
This chicken biryani is our homage to Britannia’s chicken berry pulao, using cranberries in place of the more authentic Persian barberries, which are tricky to find. (Despite much cajoling, Mr Kohinoor has never shared his wife’s famous recipe.) It is prepared in the kacchi style, originating from Hyderabad, in which marinated raw meat goes into the pot, to be cooked at the same time as the rice.
Chef Naved is delighted to share the secrets of not-even-in-the-cookbook recipe. A most delicious at-home lunch, or a welcome addition to your Sunday table.
The Dishoom Bacon Naan Roll has something of a cult following; it must surely be our signature breakfast dish. Try it at home with our signature recipe.