'Bombay' cafe Dishoom, Upper St Martin's Lane, Covent Garden, fuses a mix between the old and new in design and concept...

Interior Design is redefining British diners' perceptions of eating Indian food, and representing an evolution of a traditional dining concept that's sadly dying out in its native Bombay. The 5,000 square foot venue on Upper St Martin's Lane near Covent Garden was designed by Afroditi Krassa and is a contemporary and unexpected interpretation of a traditional Bombay Cafe - one that avoids all stereotypes and cliches typically associated with British curry houses. 

Drawing on Bombay's rich past, its’ fading Persian cafés, street stalls and down-to-earth eateries, the interior combines elegant, sophisticated and simple lines with the city's art deco past. Custom-made checkerboard tiles, oak panelling, white Carrara marble-topped tables and mismatched chairs create a relaxed, democratic café style space. Antique mirrors, slowly turning ceiling fans, a monochromatic colour palette and a lighting scheme that includes bespoke glass orbs by Rothchild & Bickers contribute to a modern, light and airy space that evokes vintage Bombay but is most definitely present-day London, with retro portraiture and 60s pop art drawing a parallel with London's own past. The interior, developed in conjunction with Dishoom's operators Shamil Thakrar and Robbie Bargh over several visits to Bombay, represents a significant evolution in the design ethic of classic Bombay cafes - at their peak in the 1960s when they numbered more than 400, now fewer than 30 remain. Dishoom represents the next chapter in their story.

Here, Afroditi Krassa and Robbie Bargh have taken the time to answer our questions on their most recent project.

Designing restaurants that reflect flavour and culture whilst remaining appealing interior environments is a difficult balance to get right - how have you achieved this with Dishoom?

Afroditi Krassa: Yes, I believe with the right research and analysis you can achieve both. Dishoom is not trying just to represent a part of India in London, it also tries to reflect its specific location in the heart of an urban, cosmopolitan environment.
Robbie Bargh: On our trips to Bombay we tried to really get under the skin of Irani café culture. We wanted to be faithful to their classic look and to understand why that particularly type of atmosphere was so popular with all walks of life. The result is an interior that contains many reference points to Bombay café culture – the colour scheme, overhead fans and lights, mismatched furniture and tiled floors for example, but which is also balanced by the fact many of the materials and finishes are contemporary. 

What particular elements of Bombay and its culture inspired you to use it in this project?

AK: Rather than looking into some of the blunt, contemporary architectural offerings of Bombay, we drew from the city’s rich past and the honest, resourceful and functional interiors that have developed throughout its chequered history. Old and fading Irani cafés, street stalls and other down-to-earth eateries, all perfect examples of an unexpected and classic Bombay charm, provided the design direction.
RB: There are some obvious, and other more subtle, references to Bombay: you might recognize the clock, which is an almost perfect replica of the clock in Bombay’s Victoria Terminus; the shade of blue on the walls is in fact the exact same one you’d find on the walls of Irani cafes. The general ‘democratic’ feel of Bombay, and the way social barriers don’t seem to exist is also very appealing and we had to take this into consideration when looking at the design. The use of pictures, family portraits and retro images is also key to representing the heritage and culture of Bombay and Bombay life.

Did you source unique pieces of furniture and fabrics from Bombay or was it just a trip for inspiration, where you sourced the products when you returned to the UK?

AK: It was mainly an inspiration trip, however we did make the right contacts and looked for the right people and places, in order to be able to order products when back in London. We did visit some quite bizarre places whilst there.
RB: Visiting Bombay several times was certainly food for thought but we also directly sourced the tiles and the pictures on the walls direct from Bombay – plenty of time was spent in various flea markets. 

How did you combine sophistication with original features of Bombay and its charm?

AK: By mixing things up, not just taking things and bringing them over, for example we used a strict, monochromatic colour palette but we mixed it with elements of colour, such as the retro Bombay portraiture and 60s graphical, pop imagery.
RB: The finish is high quality, so although Dishoom is a café and makes for relaxed eating and drinking, it still feels special. The list of rules, the hanging lights and the overhead fans are obvious nods to original features of cafes in Bombay but have been brought up to date. The general feel is light and airy, which is perfect for café culture, but there are more intimate spaces downstairs too, and overall we were conscious of appealing to design-savvy 21st century Londoners.  

Do you think we will see a boost in the popularity of the Bombay café?

AK: Well, I hope so in Mumbai, but I obviously would not like to see Dishoom copycats spreading around!
RB: I hope so – they have been so historically important to Bombay and it is sad to see them in decline now, but they are a model which has endured and which is inherently popular with so many different types of people, and Dishoom certainly seems to be filling a gap in the market.

Do you think that this style of design could work across a broader range of commercial spaces?

AK: I am not sure this is a style of design as such, it is a design solution that is appropriate to this specific operation. I believe you need to come up with unique and appropriate solution each time, depending on the brief. 
RB: There are definitely certain elements you might choose to bring out and focus on – whether it’s the pictures and old adverts, or the list of rules, overhead fans or decorative tiles. But it’s the combination of all these things with modern materials and finishes that makes such an impact at Dishoom.