Dishoom, Kensington

Innovative Indian food is flavour of the month right now in London, but let's not forget that Dishoom got there first.

In Shoreditch, King's Cross, St Martin's Lane and Carnaby, Dishoom restaurant group gives traditional Indian food a lift by serving it on small plates. As well as the food, it's all about the setting, and these restaurants are an ode to the grand Bombay cafes that were popular in the middle of the last century.

They were places where all walks of life would meet to enjoy a meal, regardless of wealth or status. And, 70 years on, not much has changed: bookings are saved for groups of six and over, but the no reservations policy means everybody else has to wait. Don't fret – the restaurant says there's usually space at the bar while tables are prepared at busy times.

Outdoing the other restaurants, this 7,500 square foot (ie, huge) eatery will serve all day, from hearty, Bombay-style breakfasts through to large, family-style meals in the evening, influenced by Indian home cooking traditions. Then there are cocktails for after hours.

Vying for attention alongside the small plates are meats from the grill, marinated and cooked on an open-air cooker, as well as roti, biryani, and lighter salads. The small plates are designed to share and favour delicate, well-balanced spice, and there's the odd playful appropriation of a British classic too, such as the Vada Pau – Bombay's version of a chip butty.

Opening date: late in 2017.
Time: all-day service, Mon-Wed: 8am-11pm, Thurs and Fri: 8am-midnight, Sat: 9am-midnight, Sun: 9am-11pm
Price: £26-40 per head
Reservations: Not yet available