Gunpowder Soho

The idea behind Gunpowder came from co-founders Harneet Baweja and Devina Seth's desire to create a distinctly London restaurant serving modern Indian food. Weaving seamlessly into the city's dining scene, the sultry Greek Street outpost brings together authentic coastal Indian cooking with the eating and drinking habits of Londoners.

Inspired by the members' clubs of the founders' youth and the coastal cuisine of South India, Gunpowder Soho is a stylish tribute to modern Indian dining in London. Ice-cold dirty martinis, small plates designed for sharing and a moody, red interior design palette give this restaurant its distinctive personality. The compact dining area features an eye-catching 1950s-inspired red marble bar and a swish private room.

Working alongside top chef Nirmal Save, the team have created a menu inspired by the coastal kitchens of South India, with British produce woven throughout. The small plates are served with theatrical considerations, making the food as memorable to look at as it is to eat. Take, for example, the venison and vermicelli doughnut, a day-one crowd favourite. It's served as a delicate sphere encased in spiky tendrils, but cracking it open reveals the rich pulled venison filling inside. Then there's the aloo chaat: a glossy white sheet scattered with pomegranate seeds. Tuck your spoon into the creamy yoghurt layer and you'll find crunchy black chickpeas and buttery-soft Norfolk potatoes. It's the kind of satisfying spoonful that makes you immediately go back for another.

The drinks list is predominantly European, with plenty of rich reds and lively whites, while the cocktails give classic serves an Indian spin. Lemon and cardamom gimlets and ghee Old-Fashioneds are among the highlights, but whatever you do, don't skip the martini.

Gunpowder doesn't just cater for cocktail-coated dinners either. The express lunch is a thrifty choice in central Soho, while pre-theatre and feasting menus make it equally suited to celebratory occasions. 

Gunpowder is a meeting point between London and India, but it doesn't go in for simply bringing India to London. Instead, it is a genuinely London restaurant with an Indian heartbeat. It's confident, contemporary and completely at home in Soho.