"We can’t wait to open our doors and become part of the city.”
Dishoom will open its first Liverpool venue in early March. Its Permit Room restaurant will bring its Bombay-inspired bar-café concept to the city.
The all-day venue will be located at Exchange Court on Dale Street, inside the former Royal Bank of Scotland building.
The opening marks Dishoom’s debut in Liverpool and the fifth outpost of its Permit Room spin-off. Existing sites operate in Oxford, Cambridge, Brighton and Portobello in London.
The Liverpool launch follows the group’s recent expansion and continued investment in growth.
Permit Room Liverpool will soft launch in February, ahead of its official opening in early March.
During the soft launch period, guests will receive 50% off food. Reservations for the soft launch and beyond will open in early February, with the venue offering both bookings and walk-ins throughout the day.
Dishoom chief executive Brian Trolip said: “We’ve wanted to bring Dishoom to Liverpool for a long time, and Permit Room felt like the perfect way to do it.
“Our Permit Rooms are lively and rooted in the spirit of Bombay’s drinking culture – a place for cocktails, comfort food and connection, all day long.
“We can’t wait to open our doors and become part of the city.”
The Permit Room concept is designed as a more relaxed, drinks-led counterpart to Dishoom’s main restaurants.
Alongside cocktails and beer, it offers an all-day food menu that spans bar snacks, curries, sharing plates and breakfast dishes.
The menu will include Crispy Spinach Chaat layered with yoghurt, chutneys, pomegranate seeds and sev.
Curry options range from Chef’s Lamb Curry to coconut-based Prawn Moilee inspired by South Indian home cooking. A Permit Room special of half or whole Chicken Tandoori will be available for sharing, served with kachumber and green chutney.
Dishoom favourites will also feature, including the Black Daal and Mattar Paneer.
Breakfast offerings include naan rolls, French Toast with cinnamon-spiced brioche and spicy-hot honey, and The Full Permit, a fry-up with Akuri, bacon, sausages, masala beans and buttered buns.
Drinks sit at the heart of the experience.
The cocktail list includes short and boozy serves, twisted classics and lighter highballs. Highlights include the Blushing Dawn Paloma with kumquat juice, chilli-infused tequila and mezcal, and the Thums Up Sazerac, sweetened with Thums Up soda from India.
Beer drinkers can expect a broad selection, including Kingfisher Beer Towers served at the table.
Alcohol-free options are also central to the menu.
Local collaborations will play a key role in the drinks offering, with Liverpool-based partnerships set to be announced ahead of the opening.
Music will be a core part of the atmosphere. Permit Room Liverpool will host local resident DJs each week, alongside playlists spanning funk, punk, hip-hop, Bollywood, disco and soul.
Emmie Woods, Development Manager at Bruntwood, which owns and manages Exchange Court, said:
“We’re delighted to be welcoming Dishoom’s vibrant Permit Room concept to Exchange Court.”
“Its arrival marks an exciting new chapter for the building, bringing fresh energy to the area and drawing even more people into the heart of the city.”
The Liverpool opening comes during a period of expansion for Dishoom.
The group is set to launch its first international restaurant in New York’s Lower Manhattan later in 2026.
In 2025, the business secured its first external investment after agreeing a reported £300m deal with US private equity firm L Catterton.
Dishoom was founded by cousins Shamil and Kavi Thakrar and now operates 11 restaurants under its main brand.
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