Dishoom Kensington tomorrow - book or not?

[loomer]

Visiting the Design Museum tomorrow with my teens. Would love to try lunch at Dishoom but don't want to be tied to a reservation time. Will we be okay to wing it on a friday lunchtime? I'm guessing it'll be busy with tourists in that area?

I'd book, but I hate queuing.

Always book. In fact, you might not even get a lunch slot this late. I winged it once and was in the queue for a long time.

Also, the Design Museum is very small so easy to get round and see everything before lunch. It's not one where you lose time like the V&A or the British Museum.

You need to book. It’s worth it I promise.

I wasn’t impressed with Dishoom, but then I am veggie.

Their customer service wasn’t great either TBH.

Have you thought about going for breakfast, before the museum? I love a Dishoom breakfast. I think they serve it up to 11:30.

(I'd still book though).

Definitely book (if you still can).

Any particular reason you are fixed on Dishoom? It's fine, but now it has become a big chain it has gone downhill, of course, and all the branches I have tried recently are extremely noisy and feel cramped and rather rushed and generic, at least compared to ten years ago when they only had a couple of branches.

If you are in the area and have time to fill, do pop in to Japan House, which has a free exhibition space in the basement (currently photography) and a museum-like shop on the ground floor full of wonderful and ridiculously expensive Japanese objects.

Another vote for going for breakfast before the museum. Either way, booking would be safest.

I’ve always found the service in Dishoom to be exceptional, although agree that they ram the tables too close together.