Hidden in Bloomberg Arcade near Bank, this Indian barbecue restaurant and sports bar from the JKS team behind Gymkhana and Trishna is all smoke, spice and sizzling platters, the sort of place where the menu encourages you to order far more than you planned, and you’re glad it did.
And there’s something wonderfully familiar about it. It’s the kind of place my dad would head to after work in Mumbai: a few grills and kebabs on the table, the cricket on in the background, a couple of whiskies being poured and conversation that stretches on far longer than anyone planned.
Brigadiers captures that same energy, just with better chairs and a much more sophisticated City address.
We began, sensibly, with pappadums and chutneys – crisp, light and perfect for picking at while the rest of the order was still being debated. Then came the cheese and onion bhajias, golden and satisfyingly moreish, the kind of starter that disappears faster than anyone will admit.
The smoked aubergine missi rotis with corn kachumber were the more thoughtful plate of the opening round. Soft, smoky aubergine is wrapped in warm rotis and brightened by a fresh, crunchy corn salad, making it a proper vegetarian dish rather than an afterthought.
The. Wings. Are. Non-negotiable.
The Original BBQ Butter Chicken Wings are a Brigadiers classic for a reason. Sticky, buttery and just tangy enough, they land somewhere between comfort food and full-blown indulgence. They’re messy in the best way, and by the time the plate is empty, you’ll probably be wondering whether ordering another round is excessive.
It probably is. Order them anyway.
But the real reason to come with a friend or several, is the Mixed Grill Sizzler. At £75 for two, it’s a proper statement dish: guinea fowl reshmi kebabs, methi chicken chops, double tandoori lamb chops and tandoori masala jheenga, all arriving together on a smoking platter.
The lamb chops are the ones you’ll remember. Deeply charred outside, tender within and layered with tandoori spice, they justify the trip on their own.
The guinea fowl is juicy and gently smoky, the methi chicken chops bring a herby, fenugreek-rich depth, and the jheenga add a sweet, fiery seafood note to keep things interesting. It’s generous, theatrical and built for sharing even if sharing requires a little negotiation.
For me, though, the tandoori masala jheenga was the personal highlight. There was something about those plump, spice-coated prawns that immediately took me back to Mumbai that coastal, seafood-forward familiarity, all heat, smoke and bright masala. Among a platter full of excellent meats, they were the bite I kept reaching back for.
Save room for the curry!
Just when you think you’ve peaked, the chicken tikka butter masala arrives. Tender chicken sits in a rich, glossy tomato-butter sauce that’s creamy, warming and far more nuanced than the bastardised (sorry) takeaway version you know by heart. It’s practically designed for mopping up alongside the pine nut and onion pilau as the ideal supporting act.
Brigadiers is best approached with an appetite, a few people you like and no immediate plans afterwards (think tactical nap).
It’s big, bold and unapologetically indulgent, but there’s real skill behind the theatrics from the carefully spiced grills to the curries that taste like they’ve been given proper time and attention.
