NOT SO LONG AGO we were wondering to ourselves: “What might have happened if a young Irani had set up a café in a Godown (warehouse) behind Bombay’s Victoria Terminus, C. 1928?”
Soon after we began to ponder the question, we found ourselves traveling back and forth between Bombay and London, buried deep in archives, lost in obscure back streets, asking directions to forgotten old buildings and blowing the dust off old books.
Several months of building work followed. Many weeks of training new Dishoom-wallas. And eventually, we had the answer. Our big shed had become a living breathing restaurant.
This little stop-motion video documents some of that. Certainly, it made us smile!
Dishoom King’s Cross opened on 20th November.
We are now taking reservations for tables of any size before 6pm, and tables of 6-11 people from 6pm. (Larger groups will be able to visit us from 8th December.)
Of course, we are still accepting walk-in guests at any time. (Currently it’s all rather peaceful, so do pop down and enjoy the lovely relaxed atmosphere whenever you wish!)
We will be totally delighted to see you there!
With each new café that we open, we write a story deeply rooted in Bombay history or culture. This story, known to us as the founding myth, informs all aspects of the restaurant’s design. We spend months researching the Bombay of the period and combing the city for the right furniture, both vintage and new. In a way, you walk across our thresholds into our stories.
Bedecked in their annual finery of baubles, tinsel and lights, our cafés are ready to receive you for your Christmas celebration. So too are our chefs, who have assembled a most excellent array of festive fare for your table.
Our soft launch will run from 27th November to 2.30pm on 5th December. And to express our gratitude for being among our first guests, all food can be enjoyed at 50% off across breakfast, lunch and dinner – yes, really.
Stop by any Bombay tapri (street stall), café, or home, and you will likely find yourself with a gently steaming glass of chai in hand. Before the invention of chai, Bombayites drank kadha, an ayurvedic remedy for coughs and colds made of boiled water and spices like cardamom, cloves and nutmeg. Eventually locals started adding tea leaves, milk, honey and sugar to their ‘kadha’. Chai was born.