Food & Drink

Dishoom… from Bombay with love: MM treated to sneak-peak at the latest arrival on the Manchester food scene

It’s no secret that Manchester is a modern-day foodie’s dream destination, what with a never-ending selection of fine dining delights to street food finds, you will always have a place to go and a different bite to sample.

However, last week’s official opening of one of the UK’s best-rated restaurants – the Bombay-styled Indian restaurant Dishoom – has created quite the whir of excitement and anticipation within the city.

Could this be the next best thing?

With several branches already around London and Edinburgh, Manchester finally opened its doors to its very own slice of Bombay on December 6.

Located in the Manchester Hall, the former Grade II-listed freemasons building on Bridge Street, Dishoom has managed to pay homage to the old Irani cafes of Bombay all the while connecting the links between Manchester, Bombay and freemasonry.

Upon walking in, MM were greeted with a warm embrace. A lively, yet cosy ambience welcomed us in from the cold and rainy exterior of the Mancunian streets.

Antique gems and pieces of furniture, such as the grand masonic in-and-out signboard in the lobby, adorn the rooms, still with their original parquet flooring and stained glassed windows.

An aesthetic touch of classy olden day India hits the faded tan walls, alongside the many framed family portraits. The ceilings are tall and the colours are elegant, calming and easy on the eye.  

The restaurant is not lacking on space either, with a family dining room, a main dining room and a Permit Room in-between these, delivering a list of brand-new delicious Manchester cocktails and ‘copy tipples’ (their version on mocktails) along with their own Dishoom IPA.

Light snacks flowed freely throughout the night, each little mouthful being an explosion of flavour and tastes to the palette.

Most notable were the paneer tikka, a marinated cheese charred and served with green and red peppers, the okra fries and the crispy garlic-ginger-chilli-soy chilli-chicken.

However the pau bhaji wasn’t too far behind and the little appetisers had us enticed at the Indian touch. Who knew that only a mere taste of something, a mere flavourful ingredient, a mere spice could overwhelm the senses to such an extent, despite there only being a limited amount of choice, leave us wanting to come back for more.

The restaurant also boasts a breakfast menu, ranging from their signature bacon naan-bread roll to the Keema Per Eedu, a ‘Parsi power breakfast’  served with spicy chicken keema, chicken liver, crisp chips and egg.

A heart-warming menu, especially on these cold winter days, Dishoom has provided a more than exquisite setting with what promises to be delicious and wholesome food.

Like the other six Dishooms, the Manchester restaurant will be open all day, every day from morning until late.

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