Brigadiers London

If you ask me where should we go for dinner, never would I ever think of Bank at all. If anything, my day job office is near Bank and I couldn’t wait to get out of the area! But with the hype for Brigadiers – a sleek modern Indian barbecue restaurant, has got us making an exception.

As a sister restaurant to Trishna, another upscale Indian restaurant in London, Brigadiers is all about that chic sophistication. It is also run by the very same people running high profile restaurants like Gymkhana and Hoppers.

We tried to make a last-minute booking through Open Table but there weren’t any tables left available for a Friday early dinner. So we ended up doing a walk-in – and thankfully succeeded.

On a sunny early Friday evening, the restaurant’s outdoor terrace was packed with people enjoying a drink after work in typical British summer style. They do have a table available inside the restaurant but needed to be returned quite quickly. Then thankfully they had one of the outdoor tables free for a longer time so we happily accepted.

Sitting outdoors, the restaurant asked to keep one of our credit cards, which won’t be charged, in order for them to keep tabs on customers. The outdoors area is quite nice, but for a Friday evening, it’s a bit loud as it’s packed with after-work drinkers.

Here is what we orderer:

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Masala Chicken Skins (£6)

To start with, we ordered this as a little snack. Seeing “chicken skin” on the menu really intrigued us so we decided to give it a try.

In Cantonese cuisine, we have this little nibble dish called fried fish skin – and it’s literally crunchy pieces of actual deep-fried fish skin. So we kind of half-expected it to be similar. But what came up on our table was this elegantly put together, canape-looking dish.

Interestingly, the fried chicken skin had been cooked to this wafer-like texture with a light crisp. Atop of it was a tangy pickle mix. It’s certainly something different than any of us anticipated. It stood out with its surprise element of the dish, but overall flavours were not particularly mesmerizing.

Konkani Coast Masala Scallops (£10.50)

I love scallops but never had a tremendous experience with them in the UK as I find myself being so picky with the quality of it. I was slightly hesitated to order them but decided to go for it in the end. And oh my am I so glad to have done so!

These scallops were simply spot on at every aspect. First of all, it certainly came at a larger size than I originally anticipated. Scallops are rather easily overcooked but these were cooked to the utmost perfection. It was cooked to that sweet spot of having that soft, moist and pillowy texture.

What I loved most was the spicy fried onions on top, which added texture to the dish. It’s balanced out with a mint sauce but all of this didn’t overpower a single bit of the natural sweetness of the scallop.

Afghani Lamb Cannon Kebab Skewer (£12)

We ordered two skewers of the Lamb Kebab – and so glad we did because they’re delicious! These lamb kebab skewers were super tender and juicy. The meat was fatty – at just the perfect amount for that luscious sensation, and very flavoursome. The green peppers sandwiched in between the meats have soaked up all the delicious essence and turned out very flavourful too.

Original BBQ Butter Chicken Wings (£10)

Originally, I thought this would just be chicken wings with a dry spice rub – nothing too peculiarly special. But Brigadiers has no such thing as ordinary in their vocabulary. These chicken wings were succulent and smothered with this creamy flavourful butter sauce.

The wings have a beautifully spiced exterior crust before being tossed into the sauce. That created layers of flavours, which made them so enjoyable. They may not be the meatiest wings I’ve had but definitely one of the more flavoursome ones.

Tawa Carabinero Biryani (£32)

Here is another absolute star of the meal. Originally I was slightly hesitant on ordering this biryani as it’s the more expensive one out of the other options. But it’s worth splashing out for it.

The biryani has such an irresistible alluring aroma upon serving. Every bite was a burst of umami flavours seductively dancing on your palate. It’s so incredibly flavoursome, with generous amount of prawns and fluffy rice. I couldn’t recommend this dish enough!

Half Rack Tandoori Lamb Chops (£25)

You get to choose either half rack or a full rack. The half-rack has two pieces whereas the full rack has four. It’s only the three of us so we ordered a half rack with an additional one.

The lamb chops came in a sizzling hot iron plate. Its aroma and sizzling sound filled the table upon serving. Each lamb chop carries a beautiful crust and was tender in texture. The chops were served over a bed of onions, which has totally soaked up all the flavours from the lamb chops and very delicious.

Drinks:

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Mango Lassi (£5.50)

The best way to combat the blazing sun and (mild) heat, is a cup of Mango Lassi. This Mango Lassi was certainly the perfect drink to start. It was very refreshing and not overly sweet.

Bombay Chai (£3)

Lastly, we finished off our meal with a cup of Chai. Nicely spiced and not too sweet. It was the perfect cuppa to wrap up the meal. Though it’s not particularly special (my favourite remains Chaiiwala’s).

In summary…

…I’d highly recommend Brigadiers to anyone looking for a slightly more upscale Indian restaurant. While I remain rather unamused to food options in the City area, this one has definitely shone through and impressed us. We had a little peek on the restaurant inside as well. The dining room looked elegant, with a touch of opulence. All in all, Brigadiers is a place offering excellent food with a pretty good restaurant setting. You should definitely visit because it’s worth the hype!

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Tel: 020 3319 8140
Website: https://brigadierslondon.com/
Instagram: @brigadiersldn

Nearest station: Bank / Mansion House