Dishoom, the best cheap Irani-Indian food in London
This place was so good, we had it twice.I would describe Dishoom as a modern south Asian bistro. It’s one of my favorites in London. It’d be the one stop I make if I had a Heathrow layover. Yes, it’s that good.The hubs and I stopped by the Covent Garden restaurant for the first time during breakfast, and while the place was busy, we were immediately seated. We ordered a bacon and egg naan roll (£6.90)—think breakfast taco with Indian flair. The bacon was dry-cured for five days, the eggs were spiced with saffron, and the whole thing came topped with a chili tomato jam. This naan roll was bomb. Off to a good start.We also shared akuri (£6.90), Iranian scrambled eggs with pau, a soft bread bun (more commonly known as pav). To wash it all down, I couldn’t resist the breakfast lassi which was a blend of yogurt, banana, and mango.
The prices were so reasonable, the staff hospitable, and the food so delicious and interesting that the hubs and I agreed we’d return for dinner. Reservations can only be made for parties of 6 or more for after 6 PM, so we booked it back to Dishoom in the early evening to beat the dinner crowd. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait, but the house was already packed. By the time we left, there was a queue out the door.We got a couple of south Asian flavored cocktails to begin and proceeded to order a feast:
- Pau bhaji(£4.50) - Mashed veggies with a hot buttered pau bun
- Chicken ruby (£8.50) - A curry
- Roti (£2.50) - Made by hand daily, for dipping in the chicken ruby
- House black dal (£5.90) - A Dishoom specialty, split lentils simmered for 24 hours
- Garlic naan (£2.50) - A flatbread similar to roti except with yeast, this one comes speckled with garlic and coriander
- Vegetable samosas (£3.90)- Spiced potato and pea filling wrapped in filo pastry
- Dishoom chocolate pudding (£6.90) - Silky chocolate pudding with chili ice cream