If you’ve visited the Dishoom in Edinburgh, which is currently the only location in Scotland, you may have witnessed the queues often reaching outside the restaurant. This is a testament to how much everyone enjoys the spot, quickly becoming the Scottish capital’s go-to place for meals out. And now, Glasgow has its own Dishoom, having now opened its doors – delighting diners throughout.
Dishoom is opened its doors on Friday, August 29, taking over a 7,000 sq ft Grade A listed building on Nelson Mandela Place, once home to the city’s stock exchange. The Glasgow cafe design is inspired by the “fictional narrative centred around Miss X, a former covert agent from Bombay, who now runs a bustling Irani café at the bottom of the Glasgow Stock Exchange”.
The menu showcases the spirit of Bombay, boasting much-loved dishes, such as the Bacon Naan Rolls and House Black Daal, which have become quick favourites across the UK.
The restaurant boasts a Permit Room bar serving cocktails and teetotal tipples, including a new drink, exclusive to the Glasgow location: a twist on the classic Rob Roy, made with butter‑oat fat‑washed whisky, sweet vermouth and a house‑made currant and sultana liqueur.
Plus, Glaswegians can dine with a clean conscience, as Dishoom’s Meal for a Meal initiative donates a meal to a child in need who might otherwise go without for every meal bought by customers, in partnerships with Magic Breakfast in the UK and The Akshaya Patra Foundation in India. Today, Dishoom has donated more than 20 million meals through its 10 other UK cafés in Edinburgh, London, Birmingham and Manchester.
How to win a free meal during your visits
The new café has introduced Matka (मटका – pronounced mut-ka), a playful tradition, where guests are presented with a chance to get their meal for free. Matka means “pot” in Hindi, as well as an illegal underground lottery that originated in Bombay in 1962.
To participate in the tradition and for a chance to get a free meal, request a Matka token during your visit once the bill is presented. Then, guests will be given a wooden board, a brass pot and a single die. The pot is shaken, the die is rolled, and if they roll the number six, the entire meal is taken care of – yes, for the entire table. Moreover, the Matka is available until 6pm on weekdays, for groups of up to 12.
Shaun Metcalfe, General Manager at Dishoom Glasgow, said: “At Dishoom, we love to capture moments of joy and generosity. The Matka is our way of adding a bit of theatre and magic to an ordinary weekday meal. We know the thrill of rolling a six and seeing your whole bill disappear will create stories worth sharing and plenty of laughter around the table. We can’t wait to see our Glasgow guests trying their luck at this beloved Dishoom tradition.”
Dishoom Glasgow is opening on August 27 on Nelson Mandela Place, and you can sign up to their newsletter here.