Brigadiers

Indian·
££££
·
Silver Award
·

SquareMeal Review of Brigadiers

Silver Award

The headlining act of the Bloomberg Arcade, Brigadiers is the hotly anticipated new restaurant from JKS, aka siblings Jyotin, Karam and Sunaina Sethi, who have a Midas touch for whatever they choose to invest in (Lyle’s, Sabor, Bao, Bubbledogs) or front themselves (Hoppers, Trishna, Gymkhana – and now Brigadiers).  

Brigadiers is an Indian barbecue restaurant and sports bar, pitched in mood midway between the cheap thrills of Hoppers and the Mayfair flash of Gymkhana (prices, however, are definitely more Gymkhana). And like all the Sethis’ projects, it is precision-tuned to the location.

Here in the City that means two bars, three private rooms, a pool room with a self-service whisky dispenser, plus TVs locked to Sky Sports. The inspiration is apparently the army mess bars of India, although it may as well be the fantasy of a teenage boy.

Except this being JKS, the food and drinks are far more sophisticated than that. The long menu is tailor-made for sharing in groups, not least because you’ll want to order as much as possible from the half-dozen sections, from ‘beer snacks’ and ‘sizzlers and kebabs’ to ‘steak, ribs and chops’ and ‘rotisserie and wood oven’.

There are two show-stopping must-orders. Beef chuck bone-marrow keema, sloppy and slippery, is scooped up with chilli-cheese kulcha, which taste like a stuffed pizza crust. We also put these to good use chasing the sauce left over from barbecue butter chicken wings, smeared with ghee and cashew cream like sublime, softly flavoured satay.

Other highlights included the flavour riot of masala chicken skins with lime pickle, and from the more substantial end of the menu, rib-eye steak beautifully spiced in a dry tandoori masala. Lettuce dressed in yoghurt and mint provided fresh relief.

To drink, there are lagers and stouts on tap, cocktails on draught, and 15 wines by the glass from a global list that quickly ascends past the £40 mark all the way to a pay-cheque blowing fine wine selection that, for once, doesn’t focus on Bordeaux and Burgundy – like everything else in this raucous newcomer, a hot blast of fun for City dining, especially if you’ve a glass in hand on the terrace when the sun hits at 5pm.   

Good to know

Average Price
££££ - £50 - £79
Cuisines
Indian
Eat at Home
Deliveroo, Home delivery, Takeaway service
Ambience
Cool, Fun, Lively, Unique
Food Occasions
Dinner, Lunch, Sunday roast
Alfresco And Views
Outside seating, Terrace
Special Features
Vegetarian options
Perfect for
Celebrations, Dates, Group dining [8+], Special occasions
Food Hygiene Rating

About

From JKS Restaurants, the group behind London favourites such as Gymkhana and Trishna, Brigadiers is an Indian barbecue restaurant and drinking tavern, which features two designated bars - Blighters and The Tap Room - as well as a whisky vending machine (yes, that’s a real thing), on-tap cocktails, Champagne and punch fountains, and one of the quickest pour pints in the City via fast-pour, self-serve beer taps. The restaurant is inspired by the army mess bars of India, where military regiments went to drink and socialise, and boasts a large space featuring 140 covers inside, plus a further 28 on the outdoor terrace. 

If that isn’t enough to pique your interest, then the extensive menu of barbecued Indian dishes should do the trick. The menu is divided into sections, ranging from ‘beer snacks and bitings’ through to ‘steaks, ribs and chops’, with ‘chhota chatpata’ and ‘anda, rolls, bun kebab, pao’ in between.

Dishes that you can expect to find include the likes of chaat masala pork scratchings, a dry Tandoori masala beef rib-eye steak, and a tawa masala lobster and shrimp kati roll. On Sundays, guests can tuck into Indian-inspired roasts, served from noon until 8pm. If you’re in a large group, you might want to order the whole kid lamb biryani, which is placed in the centre of the table alongside trimmings including achari masala roast potatoes, malai palak corn, and chutneys and pickles.

There’s also a wraparound terrace which is perfect for alfresco dining during the summer season. Able to seat up to 34 guests at a time, the terrace features on-tap beer and Prosecco, alongside a selection of cocktails. A menu of snacks meanwhile includes the likes of ox cheek vindaloo samosas, achari chicken skins and lotus roots and puffs chaat.

While Brigadiers is primarily a restaurant, it also acts as a sports bar, screening many of the major sporting fixtures such as the Six Nations and the World Cup.


FAQs

Does Brigadiers offer private dining?

Yes, there are multiple private dining rooms at Brigadiers available for exclusive hire

Helpful? 0

Is Brigadiers available for takeaway?

Yes, there is a dedicated delivery and takeaway menu

Helpful? 0

Location

1-5 Bloomberg Arcade, City of London, London, EC4N 8AR

020 3319 8140 020 3319 8140

Website

Opening Times

Lunch
Mon 12:00-15:00
Tue 12:00-15:00
Wed 12:00-15:00
Thu Closed
Fri Closed
Sat Closed
Sun Closed
Dinner
Mon 17:00-22:30
Tue 17:00-22:30
Wed 17:00-22:30
Thu Closed
Fri Closed
Sat Closed
Sun Closed
All day
Mon Closed
Tue Closed
Wed Closed
Thu 12:00-22:30
Fri 12:00-22:30
Sat 12:00-22:30
Sun Closed

Reviews

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13 Reviews 
Food/Drink
Service
Atmosphere
Value

Richard T

24 November 2022  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5

Brilliant contempt Indian cuisine. Great service and atmosphere. 

Inci M

23 November 2022  
Food & Drink 4
Service 4
Atmosphere 4
Value 4

Alex G

29 October 2019  
Food & Drink 4.5
Service 3
Atmosphere 3.5
Value 3
Jolly good fun

What to make of Brigadiers? To many, the notion of a restaurant modelled on the army mess bars of India and located in the heart of the City might seem like a thoroughly off-putting prospect. Sure, much of the clientele is male and suited, and therefore not to everyone’s taste, but forget this and come for the food – you won’t be disappointed. With 140 covers and some nice secluded booths, it’s possible to escape those keen on sinking pints (or the cocktails on tap) and watching sport. Brigadiers’ backers – the group behind Trishna, Gymkhana, Hoppers, Bao, Xu and more – know both how to design a good restaurant and provide a memorable experience. There is a strong focus on attention to detail (think décor, the server’s outfits and so on) combined with top-notch cooking. The overarching concept here is about as far from the almost ubiquitous tikka masala as you can imagine. Brigadiers focuses on grilling meat; put another way, it’s a posh barbecue done Indian-style; perfect not just for City boys but those who want to see their culinary boundaries stretched. With a menu divided into six sections (from beer snacks to steaks, ribs & chops), there is something for everyone, even if a cynic may argue that the design deliberately seeks to encourage a tendency towards over-ordering. My comrade and I began with Brigadiers’ selection of poppadums and chutneys. Credit to the chef for taking such a humble dish and elevating it in terms of both aesthetics and taste. What we experienced here was just a sample of things to come. A prawn, softshell crab and squid stir fry with tomato pachadi, which followed next, vanished so quickly that it would almost have been tempting to order another. However, only the knowledge that game bird kebabs and a kid goat shoulder were pending stopped us from doing so. The two latter dishes both contained an immense depth of flavour intensity. It is always a delight to see kitchens thinking somewhat out of the box and avoiding the most obvious when it comes to meats in particular. Pricing is unsurprisingly pitched towards the local clientele, although it is worth bearing in mind that a two-course set lunch is available for the remarkable price of £20 during the week. Additionally, while there is a wine list with only a few bargains present (we were delighted to find a Roly Gassmann Sylvaner from the Alsace for sub-£60), drinking beer would obviously keep costs down. Dining close to Bank Station has definitely become a whole lot more exciting.

Graham M

26 July 2019  
Excellent food and amazing ambiance.

Corinne B

08 July 2019  
We had a private dining room for a special birthday event. The food was delicious and it felt special having a private room.

Patricia E

01 July 2019  
Great place for lunch in the city. I haven't had a bad dish here, but a particular favourite is the bone marrow biryani.

ross C

28 June 2019  
Amazing India food; a great addition to City eating.

James S

28 June 2019  
Amazing food and venue - on the pricy side by very good.

Bethany L

28 June 2019  
After months of waiting to visit this restaurant, it certainly didn't disappoint. We opted for the weekend BBQ brunch, which understates the quality of this menu completely. The scallops and king prawns were absolutely fantastic.

Alasdair S

05 April 2019  
Excellent new opening form the Gymkhana team. Exceptional and genuine Indian food in a well designed and buzzy atmosphere.
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Delivery or takeaway

Order takeaway from Brigadiers by calling 020 3319 8140.

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