Dishoom Breakfast Specials - the Bombay way to start your day

Dishoom is a UK‑wide restaurant group celebrating the Irani cafés of twentieth‑century Bombay — the bustling institutions founded by Zoroastrian (Iranian) immigrants. Their Edinburgh outpost also nods to the visionary town planner Patrick Geddes, appointed Bombay’s first Professor of Sociology and Civics in 1919. Geddes frequented the city’s cafés, suppor

ted the independence movement, and advised on planning during his years living there. Dishoom folds this local connection into a venue reflecting the dusty grandeur and easy sociability of the cafes.

When Simone and I visit for breakfast, the two‑storey restaurant is already in full swing. I’ve

Photo credit: Simone Hilliard

never seen such a crowd at 10.30am. True to Dishoom form, we bump into friends and clock workmen, office‑goers, and groups of all kinds tucking into their morning plates.

Dishoom’s signature breakfast naan rolls have earned their reputation for fusing Scottish staples with pillowy Indian bread. But on this visit I was keen to try two new specials — the Haggis Pau (available only until 15 February) and the V for Vitality functional drinks — and was kindly invited to sample both.

The Haggis Pau is a hearty, exuberant thing: richly spiced, specially made Dishoom pork haggis piled onto hot, buttered buns, topped with a pair of fried eggs, crisp Ramsays of Carluke bacon, honeyed chilli chutney, cream cheese, and fresh coriander. Served daily from 8–11.45am (£12.90), it’s a generous, delicious nod to Burns Night. Simone and I loved it. The eggs arrive with vivid orange yolks that melt into the soft rolls and spicy chieftain. We agreed we wouldn’t need lunch or, possibly, dinner too. 

Lassi and Shot - Simone Hilliard Photography

I’m equally intrigued by the rise of functional drinks — the new wave of beverages infused with CBD, mushrooms, ashwagandha, electrolytes, and botanicals. They go beyond the original functional drink of chai, long valued for its digestive and blood‑sugar‑balancing properties. Dishoom’s new menu ranges from strengthening lassis to “healing waters.”

Simone opts for the Ashwagandha Mango Shot, promising the “horse‑like strength of lady‑wrestler Hamida Banu.” The Green Fire‑Not‑Fire Juice blends Ayurvedic roots and shoots for swift restoration, and you can even fortify your chai or coffee with a curative shot of lion’s mane, tremella, or chaga mushroom. I choose the Raspberry Super‑Lassi — a sweet, berry‑bright, creamy concoction of tangy kefir, select vitamins, tremella mushroom, and a drop of aloe vera for “inner and outer glow.”

Breakfast at Dishoom feels less like a morning pit‑stop and more like a small act of transportation— a moment where Edinburgh briefly hums with the spirit of old Bombay. Between the Burns‑night‑bright Haggis Pau and the new wave of V for Vitality drinks, the café manages to honour its roots while tapping into the way we eat and drink now. As Simone and I step back into St Andrew Square, we’re reminded why Dishoom has become such a unique part of the city’s dining rhythm.

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Dishoom Edinburgh 3A St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH2 2BD 

Open - Monday - Wednesday 8am-11pm. Thursday & Friday 8am - midnight, Saturday 9am - midnight, Sunday 9am - 11pm. #