Cover Dishoom Permit Room Portobello is on the corner of Talbot Street and Portobello Road. (Photo: Permit Room)
Dishoom Permit Room Portobello is on the corner of Talbot Street and Portobello Road. (Photo: Permit Room)
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Dishoom launches a boutique hotel in Notting Hill, marking its first step beyond the iconic London restaurant portfolio
Dishoom, the much-loved London restaurant known for its homage to Bombay’s Irani cafés, has taken a significant step beyond its culinary roots by launching its first boutique hotel in Notting Hill. This new venture, Permit Room Lodgings, sits above the restaurant’s latest Permit Room Portobello site on the iconic Portobello Road. With this move, Dishoom expands its signature narrative from food into hospitality, offering an immersive stay dripping in colour, nostalgia and Bombay charm.
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Since opening its first London restaurant in Covent Garden in 2010, Dishoom has earned a reputation for reinventing Indian dining with a focus on Bombay comfort food that captures both tradition and contemporary appetite. The restaurant group now boasts 11 locations across the UK, each steeped in the atmospheric character of 1960s Bombay cafés. The launch of the Permit Room Lodgings marks the brand’s debut in overnight accommodation, translating its famed ambience into a two-bedroom boutique hotel experience.
A 1970s Bombay-inspired stay in Notting Hill
The hotel’s interiors delve deep into a 1970s Bombay-inspired aesthetic, influenced by historic lodging houses catering to migrants and travellers. The design incorporates arched windows, parquet floors and a mix of brass, marble and timber finishes, interspersed with over 30 original pieces of antique furniture sourced directly from Bombay. The founders describe the atmosphere as “staying at a fancy friend’s place”, where guests receive personalised amenities such as a bespoke drinks cabinet and complimentary chai service delivered from the restaurant below.
Artworks by South Asian contemporary artists provide a curated cultural layer, cementing the hotel’s role as a lively yet intimate gallery space. The 186a Portobello Road address carries its own hospitality history, having previously housed a hotel and public house before Dishoom reimagined it for a modern audience. Rates start at £700 a night, with bookings requiring a minimum two-night stay.
Dishoom’s next chapter: a lifestyle destination
Dishoom’s evolution from a London restaurant to lifestyle brand is fuelled by its dedication to authenticity and vibrant storytelling, yet this hotel expansion remains deliberately niche rather than broad-scale hospitality. The group’s leadership emphasises quality over quantity, aiming to deepen guest experience while maintaining the warm service and inventive food that garnered Dishoom’s cult following. As the London restaurant secures its first sleepover offering, it remains a study in balancing heritage and innovation without surrendering the core brand identity that is now woven tightly into London’s dining scene.
For those who know Dishoom only as a go-to London restaurant for bacon naan rolls and black dal, Permit Room Lodgings provides a fresh lens on Bombay nostalgia in London, where the culture of the café transcends a meal and becomes a place to reside—if only briefly. This step into boutique hospitality, while modest in scale, reaffirms Dishoom’s ongoing commitment to immersive and thoughtful experiences rooted in the vibrancy of Indian heritage and London’s eclectic spirit.
This expansion positions Dishoom not just as a London restaurant, but as a lifestyle destination that caters to a discerning clientele seeking culture-rich stays as part of their culinary journey. The boutique hotel in Notting Hill marks a confident stride for the brand in 2025, complementing its growing portfolio while hinting at an international push, including an anticipated New York opening next year.
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Chonx Tibajia is a senior editor at Tatler Asia’s T-Labs team, where she writes widely on lifestyle subjects including beauty, style, entertainment and travel. She has a long career in journalism, including roles as a columnist at The Philippine Star, and is the founder of the creative platform Pineappleversed. Beyond Tatler, her bylines appear in regional lifestyle and business publications, showcasing a broad portfolio that spans beauty trends, travel guides and culture pieces.
