Dishoom, the Irani café-inspired restaurant group founded by cousins Shamil and Kavi Thakrar, has confirmed that Bristol will be its next UK city opening, with a site in the Wapping Wharf development under discussion and a 2027 target date.
The announcement ends months of speculation that had followed the group's confirmation last year that it was actively seeking regional sites outside its existing footprint in London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham, Cambridge and Glasgow. Bristol has long been cited by Dishoom's leadership as a natural fit for the brand — a city with a young, food-literate population, a strong independent hospitality culture, and a demonstrated appetite for experiential dining.
A spokesperson confirmed to The Mise: "We can confirm that we are in serious conversations about a Bristol opening. We love the city and we love what's happening there with food. Nothing is signed yet, but we're genuinely excited."
Why Bristol and why Wapping Wharf
Wapping Wharf, the mixed-use development on the south bank of Bristol's Floating Harbour, has established itself over the past decade as one of the UK's most successful independent food and leisure quarters. Its Cargo shipping container complex houses more than 30 independent food and drink operators, and the wider development's footfall and demographics broadly align with Dishoom's core customer profile.
The site under discussion is understood to be one of the larger permanent units in a new block currently under development adjacent to the existing Cargo structures, offering ground-floor restaurant space of approximately 4,500 sq ft — consistent with Dishoom's typical footprint.
The Dishoom model
Unlike many restaurant groups that scale by simplifying their model, Dishoom has maintained an unusually intensive approach to each new opening. Every city location is researched and designed individually, with local historical and cultural references woven into the physical environment and the staff training programme. The group employs a dedicated archivist and design team who typically spend 18 to 24 months preparing each site before it opens.
That approach means Dishoom opens rarely — the Glasgow site, confirmed in 2024, took nearly three years from initial site identification to launch — but consistently generates significant public interest. Queue culture has become a defining characteristic of the brand; none of its sites take bookings for lunch or early evening service, a decision that generates both criticism and intense loyalty.
What this means for Bristol hospitality
The confirmation is expected to generate significant interest from Bristol's hospitality community. Previous Dishoom openings in regional cities have been accompanied by substantial local hiring and supply chain investment, with the group committing to sourcing a proportion of ingredients locally in each city it enters.
A 2027 Bristol opening would make Dishoom one of the largest independent restaurant operators in the city by cover count, given its typical site capacity of 180 to 220 covers.