Dishoom (“From Bombay with love”) plans to open a new restaurant in Canary Wharf later this year.
Five years on from their last London opening (Kensington, 2017), the new 8800 sq ft site in Wood Wharf will seat 355 across a double-height restaurant, bar and terrace, overlooking the water.
Dishoom Canary Wharf will become the ninth in the chain. Currently there are five in London, plus Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh. Cousins and co-founders Shamil and Kavi Thakrar opened their first café in 2010 and The Dishoom Store launched in 2020 offering custom-made products to be enjoyed at home – as well as an array of meal kits created by a team of chef-wallas. Everything Dishoom does pays homage to the food and culture of Bombay and its Irani cafés; in its restaurants and delivery kitchens, at its events, and through charity, donating a meal for every meal served – 12 million meals so far.
Dishoom was named fourth best company to work for in 2021, and number one in hospitality by Glassdoor in 2022.
Dishoom tempters
The Dishoom website tells the story of a day by food.
Begin 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.
Further details of the 2022 opening will be released in the coming months.