Dishoom beats celebrity chefs as it's named Top UK Restaurant

Popular with diners who queue out the door for an authentic spice with British twist; it's no surprise Dishoom Covent Garden has topped the 100 Best UK Restaurants opinion poll by Yelp, beating famous celebrity chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal.

Located near St Martin's Courtyard in Covent Garden, this Bombay café is designed to serve something for all, from a breakfast naan bacon roll to masala prawns.

Dishoom owner Shamil Thakrar was 'blown away' when the restaurant took the top spot and said: “We couldn't be more delighted to hear this news. We feel privileged just to be able to serve the guests who come through our doors for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and perhaps share a little bit of our love for Bombay food and culture with them.”

He added: “We're truly blown away that so many people have chosen to share their opinions of us online to help us reach the top spot”.

Michelin-starred restaurant Dinner by Heston Blumenthal came third on the Yelp 100 Best Restaurants list, voted for by Yelp reviewers, and Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant just missed out on the top ten, coming in 12th place.

Dishoom has two other sites in London, at Shoreditch and Kings Cross, boasting affordable but quality food, and inspired by the old Iranian cafés of the 1960’s.

The most expensive item being The Big Bombay breakfast priced at £11.50. By contrast, the menu at Heston’s Dinner, located in Knightsbridge begins at £16.50 for starters.

The café serves breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner seven days a week, and due to high demand, reservations are only open to larger groups.

Dishoom prides itself on their friendly service, alcoholic bar and simple-but-effective interior design with antique furniture and old Iranian movie posters, explaining its popularity with guests.

By Molly Mileham-Chappell