Dishoom is, as any lover of Indian cuisine knows, one of the few cross-UK groups that has retained its integrity and interest alike, but ever since it started to open the flightier, more booze-oriented Permit Room establishments, it has shown itself to be adept at catering to a different set of expectations.
Thus it proves for the Permit Room on the Portobello Road, the group’s first opening in London (others are in Oxford, Cambridge and Brighton, firmly student-oriented spots) and, judging by how busy it was on a warm, sunny Tuesday evening, every bit as successful as the others, as well as the larger, grander Dishooms.
The food is excellent, although be warned that it is comprehensive and that if you come here expecting the full three-course extravaganza, you are likely to get very full, very quickly. Some of the highlights include a (surprisingly spicy) chicken salad, excellent masala devilled eggs, a fiery prawn recheado and some Dishoom stand-bys, including the wonderfully rich chicken ruby curry, a fine lamb chettinad and, of course, the black daal, which is the best you’ll find anywhere in London and worth a visit by itself.
However, it’s the drinks that you will want to head here for, and it’s a veritable magical mystery tour of cocktails, beers and wines. I opted to stick solely to grain rather than grape (although my companion had a glass of the excellent Chin Chin Vinho Verde, as found at Noble Rot as their house wine), and I was plunged into a selection of delicious, always interesting cocktails, whether it’s the Permit Room twists on an Old Fashioned or a Summerhouse Negroni, their inimitable take on an espresso martini (a chai cafe martini) or their ‘two sips’ shots – try the very fine Sazerac served in a shot glass, and you’ll be away.
The beer list is also very fine – the Dishoom IPA is a thing of wonder, and the perfect thirst-quenching accompaniment to any fiery curry – and if you ask politely about the specials, there are numerous interesting cans and bottles available. On our visit, a white IPA was a particular highlight, but there was a plethora of choice.
The Permit Room group is offering something genuinely different in London, and beyond; top-quality Indian food and even better cocktails and drinks. We can only hope that the high standards of excellent service and eccentric but always on point décor remain the case.
And, as an added bonus, Permit Room Portobello also has a first for the group, the ‘Permit Room Lodgings’, where, for a not-bad £700 per night, you can take over the top floor with two bedrooms and a living room, giving you the unrivalled convenience of only having to walk upstairs after a fine repast: something, as Arbuturian readers will know all too well, that can be deeply tempting.
The Permit Room Portobello, 186 Portobello Road, London W11 1LA. For more information, including a tour of their art gallery, DJ nights and details of lodgings, please visit www.permitroom.co.uk.
