Dishoom’s new Permit Room is London’s most exciting hotel spin-off in years

Metro Checks In to Dishoom’s Permit Room Lodgings, an eccentric sanctuary in the heart of trendy west London.

Standing outside Dishoom’s new hotel on a dark and rainy Wednesday afternoon, having lugged my bulging backpack on the District Line and battling with Google Maps, I am ready to relax.

Smack bang on a corner of Portobello Road in Notting Hill, the pickle green Permit Room sits in a 19th-century Victorian building that curves gently around one of London’s most iconic markets.

This hybrid café-bar-restaurant-hotel pays tribute to Bombay’s permit rooms, which emerged in the 1970s after the lifting of prohibition, when people could obtain permits to buy booze again ‘for their health’.

This spirited history has been transported to west London as a sister venue of the UK’s most beloved Indian chain, with retro-Indian interiors, a killer vinyl collection and the top-class service Dishoom is known for.

What’s the vibe?

Spread across two floors, Portobello Road Permit Room is essentially a stylish city apartment above a buzzy Bombay boozer, and you’ll have the upstairs to yourself.

Big enough to sleep four, the accommodation is made up of two en-suite bedrooms and a spacious living room, with eccentric aesthetics designed by Macaulay Sinclair.

The combination of hanging plants and natural materials creates the feeling of the outdoors being brought in — not the grey and rainy weather of London, but the vibrant and sunny climes of Bombay.

We’re talking warm brown and yellow walls, rattan chairs and bamboo blinds, contrasted with tasselled lamps, bright plush pillows and a huge monstera.

There are hidden bookshelves, elegant wooden sofas and brushed gold fixtures, as well as an eclectic collection of books, magazines and records that includes everyone from Amy Winehouse to The Clash.

I was pleasantly surprised that I couldn’t hear the hustle and bustle of the restaurant below at all.

What are the rooms like?

The master bedroom is an oasis of calm, painted in a calming teal with lamps to match.

It has a sleek en-suite with pistachio walls and an earth-brown shower. The bathrooms are kitted out with Mauli Rituals products.

The second bedroom is smaller and feels cosier, with light-pink tassled lamps, beaded cushions and matching curtains. Being the room with the view, I chose to sleep in this one.

The second bedroom has an identically-sized en-suite, this one with a pearlescent tiled floor and a beautiful white and grey marble sink.

The living space is luxurious and airy, with a dining table, fully-stocked drinks cabinet, flatscreen TV plus the aforementioned record player.

What’s included in your stay?

You’ll have the upstairs apartment all to yourself, with the caveat being that there is a minimum two-night stay (and a maximum of seven).

A robe and soft slippers will be waiting for you to slip on.

Some of the cocktails in the drinks cabinet are on the house – a nice touch.

On arrival, there will be a plate of complimentary Nankhatai cookies, a decadent blend of ghee and cardamom that melts in your mouth (and goes well with coffee you can serve yourself, or order by dialing four on the light blue vintage telephone).

Breakfast is included, and you can order room service or eat downstairs in the restaurant, which serves all the Dishoom classics: cinnamon-spiced French toast, eggs with chilli jam, and, of course, the signature and bacon naan.

How much does it cost?

This level of luxury and hospitality doesn’t come cheap. Prices start from £700 per night (it is big enough to sleep four, but remember the two-night minimum).

There is no denying it’s expensive, but I have seen places in London that charge a lot more and offer less.

A trip to the Portobello Road Permit Room is never going to be the place for a run-of-the-mill staycation, but for a special occasion, I can’t recommend it enough.