Dishoom in King’s Cross

The third Dishoom restaurant has opened in London, taking inspiration from the Irani cafes that became popular in Mumbai during the early 20^th Century.

Designed to have a ‘godown’ (or ‘warehouse’) atmosphere, Dishoom’s striking design is built from a section of warehouse behind the famous Central Saint Martins, lending it an air of authenticity.

The personal touch is crucial to this design, with co-owner Shamil Thakrar telling Dezeen that “we looked at the space and thought about how we could break it up architecturally to make it more homely”. This included creating levels, including a steel mezzanine, enabling the restaurant to welcome more customers and showcase different areas of the design.

The scheme nods to its heritage with black and white photos of the Thakrar family, a standout Art Deco-style clock, and Mumbai-inspired tiles used in the entrance. Combined with the deliberately distressed walls, these special touches really help to define the restaurant’s identity, accentuated by bursts of pure colour, such as the deep ‘Persian Green’ wall pictured.

Completed with a range of suspended lighting and Art Nouveau-esque furniture, this addition to the popular restaurant chain repurposes iconic Irani cafes for 21^st Century London.

Take a closer look at the restaurant here.