Dishoom Manchester: Yes it's a chain, yes it's worth the queue
"Yes, it's a chain. Yes, it's worth the wait. Dishoom's Manchester branch lives up to the hype, especially for breakfast and brunch."
At a glance
- Address
- 32 Bridge Street, M3 3BT
- Neighbourhood
- Spinningfields
- Website
- dishoom.com
- Best for
- BrunchDate nightGroupsFamilies
The good
- +The breakfast menu (especially the bacon naan) is genuinely worth getting up for
- +Beautiful, transportive interior that captures old Bombay
- +Consistently excellent across the menu
- +Good for vegetarians and meat eaters alike
- +Walk-ins possible if you arrive early or off-peak
- +The black daal is cooked for 24 hours and tastes like it
The caveats
- −Queues are real (especially weekend brunch and weekday dinner)
- −Doesn't take dinner bookings for small parties
- −Can feel less special once you've been a few times
On this page(3)
Dishoom is the rare chain restaurant where the hype is the appropriate amount of hype. The Manchester branch opened in 2018 in a beautiful old building on Bridge Street, and within a week the queues had become the kind that wrap around the block and don't seem to bother anyone.
The Room
Dishoom Manchester occupies a beautiful building on Bridge Street in the city centre, and the interior is the same loving recreation of an old Bombay Irani café you'll find at the chain's other locations. Brass ceiling fans turn lazily overhead. Black-and-white photographs line the walls. The lighting is warm, the floors are tiled, and the dining room is split across multiple levels including a basement bar that feels properly transportive.
The crowd is exactly who you'd expect: brunch dates on Saturday morning, families with kids on Sunday lunch, post-work groups on weekday evenings, and a steady stream of visitors making the pilgrimage. The volume is high but cheerful. The queues outside on busy days are real and worth knowing about.
The Food
The menu is built around the food of old Bombay's Irani cafés, with a particular focus on breakfast and brunch. The non-negotiables: the bacon naan roll (Dishoom's signature, properly cured bacon inside a freshly made naan with chilli jam, fresh herbs, and a fried egg if you want one) is the breakfast move. The chai is properly spiced and arrives in proper cups. The masala omelette is one of the best brunch dishes in Manchester.
For lunch and dinner, the black daal is the dish people travel for. It's cooked for 24 hours over a low flame and emerges silky, rich, and almost beef-like in its depth. The chicken ruby (a tomato-based curry that's milder than most) is a brilliant introduction for anyone nervous about heat. The lamb raan (a slow-roasted leg of lamb served with naans and salads, designed to share between four) is the showstopper for groups. The pau bhaji and the okra fries are both excellent.
The drinks programme is more interesting than chain restaurants usually manage. The cocktails lean into Indian ingredients (the Sonu Nigam, with rum and tamarind, is brilliant). The lassis are good. There is a properly considered non-alcoholic menu.
The Practicalities
Dishoom doesn't take bookings for groups under six during dinner service. Walk-ins only. The trick: arrive early (before 6pm) or off-peak (Tuesday to Thursday). Brunch books up but you can often walk in if you arrive before 10am on a weekend. The location is on Bridge Street, easy walking distance from Spinningfields and St Peter's Square Metrolink. Card only. Service is professional and warm. Allow 90 minutes for dinner, 60 minutes for breakfast or brunch. Yes, it's a chain. No, that doesn't matter here.