In 2012, London-born Kavi Thakrar opened the second Dishoom in Shoreditch with chef Naved Nasir and his brother Shamil Thakrar. Since then, Thakrar’s spent plenty of time in the area, and knows it like the back of his hand.
The Standard caught up with Thakrar over a cup of masala chai before embarking on a tour of Shoreditch, where Kavi shared his favourite places to eat, drink and hang out in the area.
Leila’s Shop
The first stop was this charming neighbourhood shop and café that sells everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to cupboard staples and even soft serve ice cream. “It’s really good. It’s been here for maybe 20 years, so definitely long before we showed up here. I love their soft serve”, says Thakrar.
The café offers a tiffin-tin lunch from Wednesday to Saturday from noon till 3pm, which consists of a meal made up from seasonal produce from the shop.
Calvert Avenue, Bethnal Green, E2 7JP, leilasshop.co.uk
Dom’s Subs
This east London sandwich shop has gained a cult status in the area, sometimes with long queues snaking down the road. This is a concept which Thakrar is all too familiar with. His go-to favourite order here is the Spicy D sub. “We get Dom’s a lot in the office. The spicy one has lots of Italian meat, chilli sauce, ham, cheese, picked jalapenos. It’s a proper sandwich”.
262 Hackney Road, E2 7SQ, impeccablesandwiches.co.uk
Equal Parts
This bar is conveniently located opposite Dom’s Subs on Hackney Road, so not far from Dishoom’s head office in Shoreditch. “I like a savoury cocktail, something short and punchy”, Thakrar says. “At our bar Permit Room, we do a feni martini which is great”The menu at Equal Parts changes frequently, but as we head in, Thakrar orders a savoury sichuan martini.
245 Hackney Road, E2 8NA, equalpartslondon.com
