Everyone has been talking about this new opening

If you haven’t heard that Dishoom has arrived to town, where have you been?

The chain, inspired by the Iranian cafes of colonial Bombay, was founded in London in 2010 before expanding across the country. There's been a huge buzz around the new opening on Vicar Lane this month.

With a plethora of fantastic Indian restaurants in Leeds, I was curious to see how Dishoom would carve out its place. The restaurant has now officially opened, but I visited on the last weekend of its ‘soft launch’, where diners received 50% off all food.

Dishoom has landed in Leeds following much anticipation | Gerard Binks

placeholder image — Dishoom has landed in Leeds following much anticipation | Gerard Binks

The decor is absolutely gorgeous - warm wood, patterned tiles, beautiful lighting, and little details that keep your eyes wandering around the room. The place was heaving and the atmosphere was electric.

From the impressively broad drinks menu, I ordered the India Gimlet, a tangy gin cocktail shaken with Rose’s lime and celery bitters, garnished with fresh dill. It was beautifully refreshing and the perfect accompaniment to Indian spices. We later ordered a bottle of the Prima Alta Pino Grigio, a cool white wine that paired well with rich food.

To start, we shared the moreish okra fries, perfectly crisp with a lovely smoky flavour, and the vegetable samosas, which were tasty but slightly underdone.

Our reviewer was impressed with the decor and atmosphere | Gerard Binks

We requested the spicy broccoli salad to share as a starter, but it was brought out with our mains. When it did arrive, it was our favourite dish - beautifully fresh with a nice big whack of chilli.

Our mains were a mixed bag. On recommendation, I ordered the chicken ruby - a rich and buttery curry that was well balanced with tangy tomato and mild spices, but the chicken was turning dry. The mattar paneer was similar in flavour and delicious. The masala prawns, while well-cooked, were bland.

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We loved our accompaniments - buttery garlic naan, masala paratha and fluffy steamed basmati rice.

Guests were warned to expect teething issues during the soft launch, which acted as final training shifts for staff. While they were friendly, the service was disjointed and very slow.

It took more than 30 minutes for our bottle of wine to arrive. Staff were cleaning and hoovering the restaurant around us, which seemed odd during peak hours, but didn’t clear the empty plates and drinks from our table.

We were waiting so long for our mains that we had to rearrange our next booking, and when the food did arrive, it was all plonked down in front of my friend instead of being given to the right person.

I hope the final few days of training have made a difference, as while the food was half price when we visited, mains are now priced around £17-21 - not extortionate, but expensive enough that you expect a better level of service.

The chicken ruby curry, spicy broccoli salad, steamed basmati rice and masala paratha | YEP

Teething issues aside, it was good. But is it worth the hype? I’m not yet convinced.

Having an acclaimed brand like Dishoom in Leeds can only be a good thing for the city, bringing in jobs and healthy competition.

But I think I’ll be sticking to my favourite Leeds independents, such as Tharavadu, Rasoi Stories, Punjabi Heaven or Prashad, where you’re guaranteed warm and polished service and food that’s bang on every time.