In September 2013, at Dishoom Shoreditch, we’re hosting a ‘cabinet of curiosity’ curated by This is Provenance as part of the London Design Festival.

The Permit Room

Our Old-Fashioned bottled cocktail takes its name from the Permit Room bar, found in every Dishoom and so named after the official term for all Bombay drinking establishments, in which, according to the Bombay Prohibition Act of 1949, only permit-holders may consume alcohol. Herein, liquor can be sold and imbibed, but only for the goodness of one’s health.

Our wonderful friends at Dialogues of Diaspora have done something awesome. Get ready to sit-down and listen-in to eye-opening conversations in their brand-new three-part series which sheds a unique light on the South Asian Diaspora. They unpack interesting views on identity, history, music, fashion – share untold stories and ask thought-provoking questions. We’re so excited to share the first episode with you.

The narrative of the disappearing Irani Cafés has a certain wistful poetry.
Zoroastrian Iranian immigrants cross the Indian ocean from Iran to arrive in early 20th century colonial Bombay. They work in the homes of established Parsi families, leaving to set up their own cafés. These Irani cafés become an irreplaceable Bombay institution. An institution which earns a fond place in the hearts of Bombayites, regardless of caste and class, by