Dishoom Pop-Up Restaurant on Southbank

Rippling waves, golden sand, and delicious beach snacks... all found in London’s most exciting holiday destination... Embankment?!

Dishoom markets itself as London’s first and only Bombay cafe, selling authentic and traditional food of India’s famous city. This quirky restaurant set up a temporary pop-up on Embankment a few weeks ago providing hearty meals for hungry Southbank workers and visitors alike. The cafe is uniquely decorated with recycled newspapers, beautiful coloured bottles and amusing portraits. A bar lines one side and high stools the other, the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed.

Staff wander about welcoming you in, very eager to help, they wear hilarious neon t-shirts (that are also available to buy for £15) with bold slogans across their chest like “Bombay on Thames”. I am always on embankment, milling around before going to see a production at The National or The Old Vic and this pop-up perfectly suits my needs of needing a quick, filling, and interesting meal before a show. I went the other day before a play and tried the chicken curry and the popular Dishoom spicy lamb wrap. Both were delicious, much better than I expected. Rich and full of flavour the curry is thick and tangy, perfectly cooked chicken in a tomato based sauce that is packed full of spices, is comes with a separate portion of toasted naan. The wrap was a little too hot for me, but is a wonderful mix of crunchy vegetables and marinated meat.

To drink I tried a Chaijito made from chai infused Pampero run, fresh mint and lime. With no sugar (a crucial ingredient in a normal mojito) I found the cocktail a little too bitter, but it was an intriguing mix and certainly a refreshing accompaniment to go with the food.

Dishoom’s Chowpatty Beach will be adding spice to London’s Southbank until 4 October, so plenty of time to try out this bollywood Bombay bonanza for yourself.