Working Lunch: Gunpowder Tower Bridge brings its flavour-packed Indian food south of the river
GUNPOWDER
TOWER BRIDGE, SE1
WHAT IS IT? It’s the second outpost of Gunpowder, a critically-acclaimed Indian restaurant that opened in a tiny space in Spitalfields in 2015. The new one joins the Bridge Theatre and a new branch of The Ivy brasserie at One Tower Bridge, the glassy part of the South Bank next to City Hall.
WHO? Husband and wife team Harneet and Devina Baweja head up the team here, too, alongside trusted head chef Nirmal Save. They were also behind Madame D, winner of a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide, and Gul & Sepoy, but they both closed last year.
SO WHAT’S NEW? Like the original, Gunpowder 2.0 only takes reservations for large groups, but you’ll have much more chance of getting into this one because it’s three times bigger. The other main difference is the bakery, Custard, which is set to take over a section of the restaurant from next month. Modelled on a typical Kolkata cafe, there will be Ozone coffee, ghee-licious pastries and rivers of custard.
THAT aloo chaat
WHAT’S ON THE MENU? A lot of old favourites and they’re still something to write home about. The aloo chaat is ridiculous because it looks like dessert, but is actually one of the best potato dishes you’ll ever eat. The kashmiri lamb chops are another knockout; we lucked out and got three rather than the usual two because they were “quite small ones today”. Reader, I ate them, and I would have eaten three more. The okra fries and soft shell crab is still there, but you could do better.
COULD I? You could be eating the new chicken madras lollipops. Imagine crunchy fried chicken drummers – already the junk food of the gods – dipped in a fiery tomato curry then sprinkled with strands of sweet coconut. Then there’s the chutney cheese toastie, described to us as “grilled cheese on steroids”. Cut into triangles just like your mum’s packed lunches, it’s pure comfort food until you notice the creeping heat.
The interiors at Gunpowder Tower Bridge
BUSINESS OR PLEASURE? Book a booth for business; it’s a great place if you want to steer your international clientele away from pub fish and chips. Otherwise, the long communal-style tables are perfect for a Friday office lunch.
ONE MORE THING… Gunpowder’s teamed up with Hackney craft beer brewery Forest Road for a lip-smacking lager and pale ale offering. Visit gunpowderlondon.com.