Dishoom - overrated?

[Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain]

I had to go away from the London office to the Birmingham office for an away day recently. Yeah one of those forced enjoyment things...

So we had a poll to decide what to eat that night and we decided on Dishoom. I've been to Dishoom a couple of times in London and found it edible.

When I went and ate there this time, honestly, I ate it because I was hungry and we'd booked the table but I thought it was awful, especially because there are so many nice Indian restaurants in Birmingham. What also stuck in my craw was about £10 for a gin and tonic!

So is this a one off bad experience? Have they gone downhill? All my colleagues were raving about Dishoom.

Maybe it’s because my parents are Indian so I get lots of really delicious Indian food, but I really dislike Dishoom. Overpriced, overhyped, distinctly average food. I am always shocked when people recommend it - on here and in real life - because there is so much good Indian food in the UK - and not just in my parents’ kitchen.

The one thing Dishoom is genuinely good at though, is breakfast.

This is what I thought - the dishes had no flavour!

I mean I'm spoiled because for 6 years I worked in the next street to Brick Lane and I am also in a part of South London well known for South Indian food, dosas etc - but I was listening to people (some from Manchester, one Welsh) and thought surely if in Manchester you'd have been to Rusholme Curry Mile (I've been there!), but the way these people were raving about Dishoom I was just like... hmm but then I recalled I did quite like (but wasn't overwhelmed either, it was average) the Dishoom in London too.

Pity we didn't stay over as I'd have tried the breakfast!

The worst thing was, our away day was in the Jewellery Quarter, well just in it. And as we walked there in the morning we smelled delicious Indian food, so much so that my boss commented on it. So we missed out there.

What on earth did you have?

I've eaten at Dishoom many times (including Birmingham) and it's always been delicious, so rich and full of flavour.

I've eaten in a couple of the London branches a few times and it's okay - the desi breakfast is nice - but eating Indian food in a chain restaurant in Birmingham seems a bit mad, when there are so many amazing options!

Completely agree. Overpriced and underwhelming, and absolutely crap at dealing with allergies. I wouldn’t go again.

I quite like dishoom although I haven’t been in a while. Tama Tanga is fabulous in Brum, and so is Mougli if you haven’t tried those.

I also go there just for the breakfast. I always stay in a hotel near the Kings Cross branch when I’m in London for this very reason. But I prefer to find a South Indian restaurant for lunch or dinner.

The people who rave over it do so because they prefer style over substance. A bit like The Ivy Asia. Mediocre food hyped up by queues and fancy ambience.

The Dishoom cookbook is excellent though - I have made many recipes from there and all were delicious!

Yep I agree with PP about the brekkie being good - because it's Indian twists on English breakfasts so it's a bit different. I also like their vada pav. I think the food was better in years gone by before they scaled up. I think this about many chains that started off great then basically lost control of quality. Bodeans, I'm looking at you in particular 👀

I think some people just haven’t tried good Indian food and Dishoom is better than some bog standard curry houses so they think it’s brilliant.

But I wouldn’t be put off trying their breakfast by the (pretty rubbish!) lunch/ dinner offerings. The bacon and egg naan roll along with several cups of their chai is delicious.

Completely agree re: Bodeans. I remember first trying it about 20 years ago I think and it was great. And now…

Btw, if you are in London and are still looking to fill the bbq shaped hole it has left - especially now Pitt Cue has closed - Texas Joe’s in London Bridge is fab. I must admit that I haven’t been since lockdown but it is the only place my Texan friends would go when craving bbq and I’m hoping it’s still as good as it was.

Me and DH ate at the one at Kings Cross last year. I wanted to go there because I had read quite a few posters raving about it on here.

We had to queue for almost 30 minutes but thought it was going to be worth it. It so wasn't. I think the curries me and DH make at home are better.

Really? It's not particularly upmarket is it so I can't see why people would go there for "style".

I like the dishoom cook book more , but I find myself adding bits and pieces to up the flavour.

Dishoom is 'fine'. The currys I had were alright, but maybe not super tasty. It has that 'fake scarcity' by not letting you book tables on a night. I'd rather go to This and Thats in Manchester, but that is completely the different end of the spectrum.

On a Manchester note - it's a bit sad how lacking in curry the 'curry mile' is these days.

Totally over rated. Dull food. And yes, a bit sad when you were in Birmingham!

They use good quality meat and ingredients so it's fine, but not a patch on a proper good Indian, it's just better than a stab in the dark at an Indian in a city you know I think

Agree that Dishoom is overpriced, but where would people recommend in London for really good Indian fod?

For a chain curry place I prefer Mowgli, but I quite like Dishoom. Sometimes I want proper curry and sometimes I just need the food to be nice enough but in nice surroundings with lots of drink options.

I'm glad it's not just me! I met up with some European friends in London who were obsessing over it and I was wondering if I was being a snob! The cocktails were alright but there was so much cream in the dishes to try to make up for lack of flavour and ingredient richness. We later went in Gymkana, and Dishoom feels like the cut price version. Gymkana can achieve the effect ironically, but Dishoom doesn't quite hit it

User1979289 · Today 14:01
They use good quality meat and ingredients so it's fine, but not a patch on a proper good Indian, it's just better than a stab in the dark at an Indian in a city you know I think

It's better than most bog standard UK high street curry houses, and if you are used to those, you probably think it's great.

It's fine, but it's not great, and certainly not worth queuing for. But I agree with the above.

On the other hand, I've had their breakfasts a couple of times and really do like them.

I'm another who likes them for breakfast.
Also the lamb chops but loads of places to get those cheaper and just as good in London.

I used to really like their paneer and pineapple skewers but they changed to paneer and peppers or some other thing and pineapple, it's not the same.

I've been to the Birmingham one, and I don't think I'd go again . It was like eating in a nightclub (dark, loud music). Fortunately I was alone, because you can't have 'conversation over dinner' in there.

I'm glad I went because I wanted to try it and I liked the food, but it wasn't anything ground breaking. I prefer Tama Tanga or Bundobust both for food and more casual atmosphere.

I haven't been to The Ivy, but it sounds like they're trying to be 'The Ivy but Indian Food'.

I do like the breakfast bacon naan, but I wouldn't buy it there because it's really easy to copy at home, which I do quite often.

There are loads, but the place I most often recommend and everyone who has tried it loves is Gunpowder.

Completely agree with this!