A Love Letter to Bombay's Irani Cafés

Dishoom opened its first restaurant on St Martin's Place in London's Covent Garden in 2010, drawing inspiration from the old Irani cafés of Bombay. These cafés, once numbering in the hundreds, were gathering places where people of every background sat side by side over chai, keema per eedu, and freshly baked brun maska. By the time Dishoom's founders, Shamil and Kavi Thakrar, began their venture, only a handful of these cafés remained. Dishoom was conceived not as a replica but as an homage, a way of keeping that spirit of democratic, convivial dining alive in a new city.

What began as a single restaurant has grown into a small group of sites across London, with outposts in Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham, and Brighton. Despite this expansion, Dishoom has maintained a distinctive identity that resists the usual trappings of chain dining. Each restaurant is designed individually, with interiors that draw on different eras and neighbourhoods of Bombay. The King's Cross site, for instance, evokes a fictional Bombay train station from the 1920s, complete with tiled walls, ceiling fans, and the low hum of something that feels genuinely lived-in.

The Food: Familiar, Refined, Generous

Dishoom's menu walks a careful line between authenticity and invention. The black daal, slow-cooked for over 24 hours, has become something close to legendary in London's dining landscape. The bacon naan roll, served at breakfast, has developed an almost cult following. These are not dishes designed to shock or impress through novelty. They are rooted in the traditions of Bombay street food and home cooking, then executed with meticulous care and the best possible ingredients.

The kitchen teams work with a repertoire that includes grills, biryanis, small plates, and an extensive drinks programme featuring Indian-inspired cocktails and carefully sourced chai. The cooking is precise but never fussy, and the portions are designed to be shared, reflecting the communal ethos of the original Irani cafés. Dishoom's approach to food is inseparable from its approach to hospitality: both are meant to feel generous, unpretentious, and deeply considered.

A Culture Built on Purpose

Dishoom's internal culture is shaped by a set of principles the company takes seriously. The phrase "the soulful hospitality of the Irani cafés" is not just marketing language. It informs how staff are trained, how restaurants are run, and how decisions are made at every level. New team members are introduced to the history of the Irani cafés during their induction, and the company invests significantly in ongoing training and development.

"We want people who walk through our doors to feel something they didn't expect. Not just a good meal, but a sense of belonging, of being looked after in a way that feels personal."

This commitment extends beyond the dining room. Dishoom has a long-standing partnership with the charity Magic Breakfast, and for every meal served in the restaurants, a meal is donated to a child in the UK who might otherwise go hungry. At the time of writing, the company has contributed millions of meals through this initiative. It is a quiet but substantial commitment that reflects the founders' belief that food should be a force for good.

Working at Dishoom

Dishoom has earned a reputation as one of the better employers in London's competitive hospitality sector. The company offers structured career progression, with many of its senior leaders having started in entry-level positions. Pay is competitive, and the company provides benefits that include free meals on shift, access to mental health support, and regular social events.

The working environment is demanding. Service at Dishoom is fast, the standards are high, and the restaurants are busy, often with queues stretching down the street. But the culture is collaborative rather than hierarchical, and there is a genuine sense of shared endeavour. Staff are encouraged to bring their personalities to the floor and to treat guests as they would treat visitors in their own home.

Design, Detail, and Atmosphere

One of the things that sets Dishoom apart is the extraordinary attention paid to atmosphere. The company employs a dedicated design team, and each new site takes years to develop. The music, the lighting, the scent of incense at the entrance, even the weight of the cutlery, all of it is considered. This is not superficial polish. It reflects a deeper conviction that hospitality is an art form, and that the physical environment matters as much as the food or the service.

The restaurants are designed to feel as though they have existed for decades, places with stories embedded in their walls. Vintage photographs, reclaimed furniture, and hand-painted signage contribute to an atmosphere that is warm, slightly nostalgic, and quietly theatrical. It is a world you step into, and the effect is powerful precisely because it does not announce itself.

Looking Ahead

Dishoom continues to grow, but carefully. The founders have resisted the temptation to expand rapidly, preferring to open new sites only when they feel confident they can maintain the quality and character that define the brand. There is talk of further UK openings, and possibly international expansion, but the pace remains measured.

For those considering a career in hospitality, Dishoom represents something increasingly rare: a company that treats restaurants not as units to be replicated but as living spaces to be nurtured. The work is hard, the hours are long, and the expectations are exacting. But for those who find meaning in the act of feeding people well and making them feel welcome, it is a place where that work is valued, supported, and celebrated.