Shamil Thakrar

Coming Up

Training at University College, Oxford and Harvard Business School gave Shamil Thakrar a route into business that was shaped by rigour before it was shaped by hospitality. That mattered when he moved on to Bain & Company, where consulting sharpened the habit of reading detail, structure, and execution closely—useful ground for a sector where service, pacing, and room feel are part of the product. Dishoom, co-founded by Shamil Thakrar in 2010, was built from that mix of discipline and a different point of view. The company’s place in the modern dining landscape was not inherited; it was made through a new way of thinking about Indian restaurant culture in Britain and the work required to build it from nothing.

Where They Are Now

Service at Dishoom is framed through Seva, the term Shamil Thakrar uses for selfless service. In practical terms, that points to a front-of-house ethic built around attention and generosity rather than performance for its own sake. He has described it plainly: “At its heart, Seva is an act of generosity.” That language places the craft in the room itself: how guests are received, how the atmosphere is carried, and how consistency is maintained over time. Shamil Thakrar has also noted that he came into restaurants as an outsider: “I was new to the restaurant business when we started Dishoom, so I came to it quite fresh.” That distance can be an advantage in a trade that rewards observation, adaptation, and the ability to build systems without assuming the old ones will do.

Signature

Shamil Thakrar's signature dishes include bacon naan roll, Lamb Raan Bun, black daal, Viceroy’s Old Fashioned, and Eggs Kejriwal. The range is broad, but the through-line is clear: familiar forms, distinct naming, and a menu language that is designed to be remembered as much as it is eaten.

In Their Words “We developed a philosophy which we called Seva. Seva is the Hindi word for selfless service.” “I was new to the restaurant business when we started Dishoom, so I came to it quite fresh.”