The new eatery will be Dishoom’s first outside of London, and will open at 3a St Andrew Square in late 2016.
The Dishoom concept pays homage to the Irani cafés of Bombay, opened early last century by Zoroastrian immigrants from Iran, there were almost four hundred cafés at their peak in the 1960s. Now, fewer than thirty of them remain.
Dishoom's Covent Garden restaurant, which was opened in 2010, was voted the UK's top restaurant by Yelp reviewers last year, beating Heston Blumenthal's Michelin-starred restaurant to the top spot.
The new Edinburgh venue will be housed in a idyllic 1920s-era Grade A listed building, originally built as a warehouse for Forsyth’s department store, and will have an open kitchen on the ground floor, a first floor café/dining room with views across St Andrew Square, and a basement cocktail bar.
Open every day from early til late, diners will be able to enjoy executive chef Naved Nasir’s legendary breakfast, followed by an all-day sharing menu of authentic and lovingly curated Bombay comfort food – small plates, grills, biryanis, salad plates, rolls and curries.
To celebrate the new opening, the Dishoom team explored the connections between Bombay and Edinburgh and the new restaurant's unique design pays homage to the original Irani cafés and a celebrated character who had a huge influence on both cities – Sir Patrick Geddes.
Kavi Thakrar, Dishoom Head Babu, who graduated from Edinburgh University and has always maintained an affinity with the city, said: “We’re so excited to be opening in Edinburgh – a beautiful city that was my home for several years while I was at university. And we’re delighted that by doing so, we’re creating 100 new opportunities for people to develop great careers in hospitality. We’re really looking forward to settling into our new home in Edinburgh and can’t wait to welcome you there this winter.” –
