Dishoom Leeds: famous Bombay-inspired restaurant opens first site in Yorkshire - how to get 50% off
There are three Leeds-inspired collaborations that Dishoom is running at the new Vicar Lane cafe.
Yorkshire’s first Dishoom restaurant has finally opened in Leeds, marking one of the most exciting openings in the city this year.
The hugely popular chain, which is inspired by the Iranian cafes of colonial Bombay, sees queues snake round the corner at many of its London’s locations.
It’s first Yorkshire site has now opened in Vicar Lane, Leeds, and until Friday next week, customers can get 50 per cent off for the restaurant’s soft launch.
As with every Dishoom cafe, the Leeds restaurant starts with a story; this one takes inspiration from the true events surrounding the explosion of the SS Fort Stikine in Bombay Dock in April 1944, a wartime disaster that sent gold bars flying across the city.
The legend states that some of the missing gold was never recovered. Some were discovered embedded in walls and rooftops across Bombay. Other pieces quietly disappeared into the hands of citizens, melted into bangles or hidden away in drawers.
Dishoom Leeds reimagines the fortune made from the gold bars and guests will discover subtle references to the mid-century details through the interiors and artwork, giving nods to Bombay’s golden age.
With all day dining available, including the famous breakfast through to late evening feasting, the cafe will serve a lovingly curated menu of Bombay comfort food inspired by the city’s cafes, grills, street stalls and family kitchens.
The restaurant has collaborated with Leeds favourite Doh'hut to create a limited-edition chai doughnut.
Dishoom has also teamed up with Leeds brewery Northern Monk to create Kohra IPA - a crisp, easy-drinking West Coast session IPA with lively notes of citrus, pine, and bright zest.
The third exclusive for the new opening is Samir's Vice, a sophisticated twist on the classic Miami Vice cocktail - combining Takamaka Seychelles Rum Blanc with pineapple and strawberry, clarified through coconut milk and finished with cardamom bitters and a dehydrated pineapple wheel.
Stewart Anderson, the general manager of Dishoom Leeds, told our sister title The Yorkshire Evening Post: “We've been overwhelmed by the incredibly warm response from the people of Leeds.
“Everyone has been so wonderfully welcoming, and that means a huge amount to us.
“We've even been lucky enough to work with one of the city's most loved spots already, with our Doh'hut collaboration, which had such a brilliant reception.
“We really want to understand and integrate into the city, and the lovely welcome we've had has made that such a joy to do.
“It's brilliant to be joining such a rich culture of Indian cuisine in the city.
“We're inspired by the food of Bombay, and we hope Dishoom will be just another wonderful way for people to explore and experience that rich tapestry of cuisine from across India. There's so much to discover in Leeds already, and now there's one more place to do it.”