Gunpowder in Spitalfields is small and full of energy. It’s the first London restaurant from owner Harneet Baweja and earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for delivering inventive Indian cooking at reasonable prices. Since opening, it has built a loyal following for its bold flavors and unfussy approach.
The restaurant is stripped back and simple, with exposed brick walls, hanging bulbs, dark wood, and high tables with stools. There’s no softening around the edges, and the space fills up quickly. That bare-bones design works because the food does all the talking.
The aloo chaat was one of the best things we ate. Potatoes and chickpeas are topped with yoghurt, sweet tamarind, and crunchy sev. The dish balances heat with coolness, spice with tang, soft with crisp. It’s the kind of plate you want to scoop up quickly before anyone else at the table does.
On one wall, a board lists the number and weight of lamb chops available for the day, each one crossed off the list as it sells. It makes that specific dish especially hard to resist. The chops themselves are worth the attention—smoky, juicy, and layered with spice.
The venison doughnut is Gunpowder’s most striking dish. Spiced minced venison is rolled in fine strands of vermicelli before being fried, so the exterior bristles into a golden shell. It arrives looking almost like a sea urchin, but once you break into it, the contrast between the crunchy outside and warmly spiced filling makes sense.
Gunpowder isn’t trying to be fine dining. What it offers is comforting food with striking flavors and stunning presentation, but meant to be passed around and eaten in good company. Lunch here feels casual but special, and by the time you leave you’re already planning what to order next time.
Gunpowder, 11 White’s Row, London E1 7NF
Note: Gunpowder provided support for the reporting of this story.