Dishoom: ‘We’re very excited about Permit Room’

Dishoom remains excited about the future of its new drinks-led Permit Room concept, with ambitions to open at least one more before the end of the year, according to managing director Brian Trollip.

Launching in Brighton’s The Lanes last winter, the new concept is an outpost of its own; an all-day bar-café welcoming guests for breakfast until the late evening, and paying tribute to the permit rooms of Bombay.

Discussing parallels within the existing brand, Trollip tells MCA that although Permit Room retains some classic Dishoom dishes, it stands on its own two feet, with a differentiated drinks menu including cocktails, natural and organic wines and guest beers.

“It is very much its own thing. And in the same way that Dishoom is quite curated, we’re very intentional about how we manage the experience for our guests.”

Fostering a guest-led ethos, he adds, “We hope guests use it as an extension of their front rooms – it is really relaxed.”

Despite a “drinks-forward” approach, the Permit Room transcends a traditional bar concept, says Trollip. “We’re not seeing the split as being heavily towards drinks. It is a lot moreso than Dishoom, but it is a dining experience as much as a drinking experience.

“Daytime and early evening we are seeing a lot of people in for dining as well as cocktails and then in the evening it does seem to turn into more of a cocktail bar.

“We’ve put a lot of time and energy into curating the music every Thursday night and have some great local DJs – it turns into a fun vibe,” he explains. 

Trollip tells MCA that he envisions at least one more Permit Room this year, but the brand is keeping quiet on future locations.

“I think we’re very fortunate in the fact that we are independently owned, so we only open something new when we feel like we’ve got a great new story to tell.

“That is the way we’ve always treated Dishoom, and Permit Room is no different. It is deeply ingrained for us, to pick the right sites that suit the idea we have.”

Choosing Brighton as its inaugural location, Trollip adds, “We think it’s an exciting city and felt that Permit Room was going to fit well there.

“We do have some more Permit Room stories to tell, but we’re not led by an overall expansion strategy.”

Choosing to launch in Brighton in November was a deliberate decision, allowing ample time for refinement before the anticipated summer rush, according to Trollip.

“People seem to be enjoying it as much as we do, which is really great at this stage”, he says, adding, “December was really busy, but it was a little bit quieter in January and February as expected, and it’s given us time to tweak and perfect the little things.

“I’m hoping when the summer starts to pick up, the moods start to lift and tourists come back into town - that we should have a really good year this year.”

Off the back of a win for Best Restaurant Company at MCA’s Hospitality Awards, Trollip explains that at the heart of the Indian restaurant group’s success lies a dedication to nurturing a happy and motivated team.

“We’re all massively motivated by treating people well and doing the right thing when no one’s looking.

“Sometimes we get that wrong, but one of the benefits of having been around for nearly fourteen years now it that we incrementally make things a little bit better every single week.”

As Dishoom enters a year relatively free from external disruptions, Trollip emphasises a focus on internal refinement, from team wellbeing to restaurant and menu enhancements.