Gunpowder's a tapas-style Indian restaurant. Very different from the usual Indian fare you get all over London. The dishes are small, shareable, and immaculately prepared. We had a ton of things but the one's that stood out are the rasam ke bomb (spicy broth served in shot glasses that you're supposed to full into the accompanying deep fried chickpea canapés and shove into your mouth), aloo chat (tangy potato-based Indian street food), raw papaya salad, and the softshell crab. Our server was very knowledgeable and even though I had the impossible dietary constraint of being a vegan, he suggested alternatives and even stopped me from ordering something I thought was vegan. The only downside was the long time. We had to wait 90 minutes for our table. But the food was totally worth it. read more

Gunpowder - Pozhi okra fry - Indian Near Me - Spitalfields, XGL

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Had a really bad experience there: 1. The team tells you you need to wait 1h and it ends up being 1h45 (apparently sometimes you wait and they don't even bother to give you a table) 2. Half of the menu was out (this is fair enough - it means the things you eat are freshly made but it is a bit disappointing not to be able to order what you want after waiting 1h45) 3. EVERYTHING is very spicy. I was not aware (because I did not select the dishes that mentioned "spicy" on the menu) and even though the flavors are good it's a bit hard to eat only spicy dishes. Would also have loved to be able to order veggies and not exclusively meat 4. They kick you out a bit before 11. So if you arrive really late, it means you don't even have time to finish what you ordered. They didn't let us finish our glasses of water, brought the bill while my friend was still eating and said "we close in 10". Rude! Conclusion: I'm not sure I would recommend this place to anyone. There are too many great restaurants in London to bother with people who aren't customer oriented! read more

Gunpowder - Indian Near Me - Spitalfields, XGL

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Since Gunpowder opened recently I have wanted to give it a try, I finally got round to it and wasn't disappointed! A couple of people told me they preferred it to Dishoom...Quite a bold statement. I love places where it's all about sharing and Gunpowder is a prime example of one...They suggest around 3 dishes per person, depending on the sizes of the dishes, we ordered 4 each so we could give as much as possible a try. The place is tidy, seating about 20 people and has a really cosy feel about it which was great, people chatting and enjoying their evenings around you always make dinner a better experience! Some of our favourites included- gunpowder aloo chat spicy venison and vermicelli doughnut chettinad pulled duck served with home-made oothappam maa's kashmiri lamb chops everything was really nice, the lamb chops were really spicy was could be a bit much for some people. Everything is reasonably priced and dinner for 2, with a couple of drinks will be around £35/£40 per head. The only negative was we got a couple of things we didn't order, and not knowing the dishes well enough to know what was what sometimes it caused a bit of confusion. However the staff took the items off our bill and all was fine! So comparing it to Dishoom...I put them on par. Gunpowder has a much more homely, fresh feel to it. But Dishoom has a slightly better menu. As I rate Dishoom very highly this means Gunpowder is a must try and I will certainly be making another appearance! read more

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This is a very hip, fusion Indian place. If you are expecting some full-flavored authentic Indian fare, this isn't the place to go. The only serve tapas. I liked the creative flavors of some of the dishes like the butternut squash goat cheese salad, aloo chaat and the curry fish cooked in banana leaf. But nothing was amazing, even the lamb chops that they recommended. On top of that, we ordered 4 dishes like they recommended and my friend had a glass of wine. It wasn't all that much food and came out to £25/person, which is very pricey. read more

Amazing food, friendly attentive service and lovely vibe. Can't recommend this spot enough!

Really great for sharing small plates. I'm vegetarian and my partner isn't, so sometimes it's hard for us to have options we can both agree on, but they had enough variations on what they offered to give us enough to choose from. I also felt full after we left. Which is not always the case with small plates. Definitely would recommend, but it's small so make a reservation. And the tables are really close together (which is just something I like to know about a place, as I am prone to saying weird stuff and sometimes need distance). read more

OK this place could have served me almost anything and it would still get massive kudos from me for the background music! Proper old school Bollywood music (Maine Pyar Kiya soundtrack anyone?!) that took me straight back to my childhood. It had me humming along with a smile on my face in no time (much to the eye-rolling amusement of my date). It's a tight squeeze inside, so difficult to get a spot anyway but we managed to nab two high chairs for a late weeknight dinner. It was a slightly awkward layout though as we had to shout our order across the couple next to us to the waiter, who similarly had to pass our food over them and along to us. So be prepared to get cosy! I like that the menu surprised me. It's small plates (= high prices without realising as always!) but certainly not your usual indian restaurant fare. The house aloo chaat was a high note, and we enjoyed a mix of other dishes like the aubergine and kale salad, okra fries and pulled duck uttapam. There was a good spicy flavour kick to most. It may say it's inspired by traditional indian home-cooking but it's not the sort of food that comes out of most home kitchens on a daily basis (which I say as a good thing otherwise I find myself wondering why I didn't just make it at home!). It may have been the music but this cosy spot struck a very genuine chord with me, and I'd go back to try more of the oft-changing menu which seems designed for curious palates :) read more

Fantastic spot for a quick bite. Service was incredibly friendly and I'd go back just for that. But the food was phenomenal too - and I have pretty high standards for Indian food. The aloo chaat was almost a meal in itself and the kale salad was so crunchy and more-ish. I was really curious about the whole roasted broccoli but in the end was too full to try it. Next time for sure! PS I loved the playlist - familiar songs from my teen-hood ;) read more

The most creative Indian-inspired meal I've had in my entire life. Coming from the States, we just don't get Indian food like this. I want to fly back to London just for Gunpowder. Compared to Dishoom, Gunpowder is more adventurous, playful, and "fusion." Dare I say slightly more expensive? Standouts include the aloo chaat, the broccoli, the chicken, and the aubergine and kale salad. The waiter recommended 2-3 dishes per person. We ordered 5 between the two of us, and could not finish. Size down! read more

The best Indian food I've ever had! Gunpowder is a tapas-style modern Indian restaurant. We visited Gunpowder on the recommendation of a fellow American friend. We went out of our way to visit Gunpowder and it was worth the trip. We went on a Thursday night around 9:30 and were able to get a table for two with no wait. This restaurant does not take reservations. We ordered the okra fries, the aloo chat. The saag paneer, the soft shell crab and the lamb chops. Everything was amazing - flavorful and just the right portions. I wish we could have come back during our trip so we could order more stuff. The staff was incredibly welcoming and chatted us up at the end of the evening. They even treated us to a complimentary drink because they heard we were visiting. The hospitality was top-notch. read more

My grandson and I had a delicious meal and the food and service were excellent. The location was very convenient to our hotel, The Dixon.

Small place. Actually, very small place. But the cooks in the kitchen crank out some delicious food. The Kerala Beef was awesome. The Aloo Chat, albeit non-traditional was very tasty. Get some rice and you're good to go. Get a beer - the drinks are too small in portion. read more

Whoever suggested the lamb chops at this place knows their cuisine well. I'm falling short of words to describe the taste but I'll give it a shot. Perfectly marinated, cooked to its tenderness, slightly roasted to bring out the charcoal-fumed flavor, and artistically decorated to the host's likeness. It's a small joint but the interior is nicely done, gives it a rustic feel. Would love to visit this place again and try rest of the menu. read more

This is not really a review of the food but rather a review of the rather innovative entry system that stopped us from even entering the restaurant. We went to Shoreditch last night to try the new version of Som Saa but were told the wait for a table was nearly two hours so we yelped it and thought we'd try here, after all it had 8 five star reviews! We were told by a very helpful staff that a table was perhaps 45 mins away and that they would text us when a seat was available. We duly gave our number and received a link to where we were in the queue. That part felt like magic! The rest not so much.. Having seemed to be permanently at number five in the queue we went back after a drink after 45 mins. We were told that in fact were at queue number 3 but next in line for a table for two and that it should only be 15/20 mins. So off we go for another drink with the app still wilfully saying we at number 5. We wait, then we wait a little more at a bar with Som Saa tempting us across the road, we still waited, and we waited still as the app remained on queue number 5. With the time approaching a full hour and a half wait we decided to try Som Saa where we able to walk in and grab a table. I'd really love to repeat the straight five stars of this place but they need to fix their entry system or staff estimates as we did feel like our time had been wasted. For now Gunpowder will have to languish at a mere two stars (one for the service), let's hope we can get in to change that. read more

Gunpowder is fairly new to the London Indian restaurant scene; located near Spitalfields Market with seating for only 20ish people, it is an intimate family run restaurant that differs to your usual Indian curry house (bucket curries and naan). It has a nice buzz; full of happy, content people enjoying their evening meal and has a simple yet stylish decor. Unfortunately Gunpowder doesn't take reservations and being so small it can make it tricky to get a table! When I visited, on a weekday at 7pm, there was a 45 minute wait for 2 people. I think the food is worth it so prepare for this and head to a bar once you've put your name on the waiting list. As with quite a few places they take your name and number and text you when your table is ready. We received our message dead on 45 minutes and by the time we got there our table was just about ready for us to sit down. The menu consists of lots of small plates and a few larger more pricier dishes, all of which are fab for sharing (no naan or tikka masala in sight!). This means you get to try lots of their dishes which are all inspired by traditional Indian home-cooking and are all jam packed with flavour. For me, each dish was quite spicy so I downed a lot of water throughout the meal but everything was cooked and flavoured so well I just HAD to keep eating. Between the 2 of us we ordered 5 dishes; 3 small & 2 large (spicy venison and vermicelli doughnut - £4.5, porzhi okra fries - £4.5, chettinad pulled duck served with homemade oothappam - £5, saag with tandoori paneer - £11 and wild rabbit pulao - £14.5) which came out as and when they were ready. First up we got the venison doughnut which was delicious, then the okra fries. These were crispy, with a lovely spicy batter and were incredibly moorish however they neeeed to be served with a sauce or dip as they were very dry. The most disappointing dish was the pulled duck - this was the least flavourful, with a bland doughy bun with a small amount of duck inside. Finally we were served the large dishes - paneer and rabbit. Be warned the rabbit comes on the bone hidden within a massive pile of rice, fried onions and cranberries. You have to work a little too hard to get the meat and dispose of the bones but the whole dish was SO good it was worth it. The size of it is easily enough to share between 3! The paneer was by far my favourite dish, with 4 massive slices of paneer in a beautiful creamy, spinach curry. After allll that I couldn't have eaten another thing although tbh I don't think their desserts sounded nearly as intriguing as their mains - they were also quite heavy sounding which is something I didn't need any more of! The staff throughout the whole meal were efficient (continuously topping up my water) but not overly friendly. When the bill was brought to us I was rather impressed with the cost vs the amount of food we had, although we didn't drink. I would definitely recommend this if in the Shoreditch area and will be back to satisfy my next curry craving! read more

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The food is really fantastic here. Prices are reasonable considering the quality put in the products and the cooking. However there are a few caveats that annoyed me: - you can end up being really badly seated if you're on the high tables. - their waiting system can send you a text message when the table is ready (more than 1 hour wait on weekends), but it only works with UK numbers, which is very annoying in a city filled with foreigners like London. read more

The food is good but the space is to tight you can not enjoy it. Not cheap not expensive. Service is attentive. There are not chairs, a kind of sofa against the wall and stools. read more

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Welcome - 5/5 - Nice friendly welcome, offering to take our coats if we wanted. Atmosphere - 4/5 - It's quite a small place. We got there as soon as it opened, quiet to start but was buzzing a lively once it filled up. Cleanliness/Decor - 4/5 - Very clean. Simple decor. Tables of two that could be pushed together to make larger tables, a table with high chairs also. Was a bit tight trying to squeeze past people when trying to leave. Service - 4/5 - Helpful. They were able to explain anything on the menu we didn't understand. We're extremely polite. Good came out pretty quick too. Only small downside is that it got pretty relaxed as soon as the restaurant was full. Food - 4/5 - The menu comprising of lots of little tapas style sharing dishes, which is great as there's a lot of things on there you would want to try. There is also a great choice of vegetarian dishes which suited my sister who was eating with me. My favourite had to be the Venison Spicy Vermicelli Ball. Nice and crispy with great flavours. The pulled duck roll was ok, it was nice but didn't really stand out. I was hoping for it to have a bit of a kick. We shared the larger paaner dish. That was lovely but I'm not sure it warranted the higher price. All of the food comes out as it is cooked. However, the rice came out last. It would've been nice that this was pushed first, so it could have been an accompaniment to all the other dishes. Would I recommend - Yes Would I come back - Yes, only if in the area. Visit - 12/04/2016 (Evening) read more

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So. Fucking. Good!. Best indian food I've had outside of India (I have extensive Indian cuisine eating experience in New York). Pretty high up in flavor. I am a huge fan of Dishoom but this place takes the cake. Tip: You can't go wrong with the lamb, Okra fries, aloo chat. read more

Came here as a party of one on a Monday. Overall I wasn't too wowed by the service, was pretty difficult to get attention and order additional dishes as needed. Highly recommend the venison doughnut and lamb chops - delicious! read more

Upscale prices for a mediocre experience. For £30+ you expect pleasant wait staff, and a comfortable environment. Instead, the wait staff is pushy, unpleasant (the host/manager was rude), you have hardly any room (constantly being jostled around), and it's incredibly loud. read more

Pokey, crowded and not very comfortable (unless u like stools and benches) indian. Doesn't matter. Food and service are so good u wont notice this little idiosyncrasies. Cant book, but leave ur name a go for a drink, they will text u when table ready. 20 or so dishes. Only recognised a few names, its okay. Helpful staff will guide u to the right dishes. The differentiators of this indian are twofold unusual dishes and fantastic use of spices. Each dish has a rich complex flavour and is cooked perfectly. Stand out dishes where chicken, pork belly, lamb and broccoli. Avoid the cheese sandwich. So for great food and service in a hot, fun, spice heaven then this should be on ur list. read more

Some of the best Indian food i've ever had. Everything we tried was superb. Ochre fries, soft shell crab, whole tandoori broccoli (wow!), lamb chops (sh*ts on tayyabs and/or lahore, but a bit pricier), half a tandoori chicken. all amazing, all reasonably priced and with a freshness and flavour you don't often find. Yes it's another small plates joint, seem to be going to a lot of these currently, but it's not silly money and the portions are a good size. My only gripe was £5 for a small can of beer, it was lovely, but still that's far too much. Service pleasant and polite. We got there very early to secure a table and by 7 it was full. I may have given it 4 stars if i'd had to queue for ages, but it's a small place and worth the wait. Hopefully be back soon. read more

This is the best new Indian cuisine in London. Hands down. Small and loud, but the menu is a joy. Everything bursts with flavour, nothing is too rich or too hot. It's perfect. Modern twists on tired Indian staples, and modern classics using traditional spices. Get everything. read more

Food was pretty flavourful, especially enjoyed the paneer. Venison doughnut was not as life changing as other reviews would imply. It looks more impressive than it tastes, though the taste is still pleasant enough. Main reasons for 3 star review are small portions at high prices, mediocre service including pushy sales tactics, and an auto gratuity of 12.5% on a table of 2. read more

Unlike any of the Indian food I had. Mind blowing! The dishes are small and they are all delicious! My favorite was the egg madala, my husband's was the ribs. There's so many things we wanted to try but we only have one stomach each. The host was very attentive and asked about diet restriction. I am lactose intolerant so that was very helpful. Will come back for sure when we visit London again! read more

One of the best meals I had during my short time in London. My friend and I came here shortly after opening on a Friday evening, and were able to secure the last two seats at the bar right by the door. Soon after, we heard the hostess quoting 1-2 hour waits. The space is not large, so seats are limited, and what seats there are are situated almost right on top of each other. We ordered: - Spicy venison and vermicelli donut: you must get this, it was absolutely amazing. Donut was crispy and light while the meat was cooked and seasoned perfectly. - Porzhi okra fries: also delicious, and super addictive as I couldn't stop munching on it even when I was super full - Pulled duck served w/homemade uthappam: almost like a sort of Indian taco, this was also one of our favorite bites of the meal (noticing a trend here?) - Crispy pork ribs: not my favorite dish of the night as the sauce was slightly too sweet, but the portion size was large and meat itself was delicious. Also the sauce was perfect for dipping the okra fries in. - Soft shell crab: deep fried soft shell crab smothered in some sort of tangy garlic chutney. So good! - Lamb chops: we ordered 2, but they gave us 3 as they said that the chef felt the chops were on the small side. Nice char, meat was delicious, and came with an amazing green chutney. Overall this meal blew our minds, marrying traditional Indian flavors with more modern techniques. Almost reminiscent of my meal at Indian Accent, but for a fraction of the price. They don't take reservations, so come early or be prepared to wait - and for once, I'd say the effort is worth it. read more

I ordered the butter chicken masala, cream chicken kebab, garlic naan and palak paneer. Firstly, they got the order wrong, didn't send me cream kebabs but sent something completely different. They didn't send my garlic naan. The food is no where close to being authentic tasting, and to be fair it was really bland even though I asked for the spiciest level. I called the restaurant multiple times but no one responded. One of the worst experiences and worst Indian food I have ever had. read more

This new opening by Spitalfields Market came highly recommended by a friend who had just been a few weeks earlier. It's on a side street that doesn't seem to see much activity besides large groups of Jack the Ripper tours walking by, but is really just a block from the buzz of the market and only a few minutes' walk from a number of tube stations. It's a cozy little restaurant, not at all like the grunginess of Brick Lane or the large scale curry house operations of Whitechapel; rather, this seats about 28 people in a combination of low tables, a few high tables, and two seats by the window. We were at the low tables and I'd say that this was a bit cramped, to the point where you had to carefully edge between the gaps to use the restroom, and we didn't even have to pretend to not watch everything being served to the table next to us. But the decor is all new and pretty trendy, and I would think this is easily a place you could imagine was in Soho. The food is tapas style and we were recommended 2-3 plates per person. Some of them seem like they can serve only 2 people, like the spicy venison and vermicelli doughnut and the lamb chops, so for those we just ordered two of them. Of the things we got, they weren't kidding about the spiciness of the doughnut and the lamb chops also have a serious kick to them. I also really enjoyed the soft shell crab (wish we got a second!), the saag with tandoori paneer, and the broccoli that unexpectedly blew us away. There wasn't a standard veggie centric dish, but this was the closest thing and the table next to us chimed in and said we should definitely get it. The sauce was incredible, but we still couldn't finish more than half of it between the four of us! We also got the aloo chaat, half baby chicken and the pork belly: the aloo chaat is supposed to be one of their most popular dishes and it was great; the chicken also very spiced and tasty; but the pork belly was rather missable, as I didn't like that it was cured and served cold. Another thing I really liked about this meal was that it didn't require the standard rice or naan to accompany the dishes. The uniqueness of the preparation and the quality of the ingredients carried the meal rather than carbs and sauces. Their wine list was simple and only had 3 choices for red wine, so it was easy to choose and we paired this all with two bottles of Malbec. I thought the service was great and for now, the restaurant seems to have a reasonable amount of business but it is not packed or impossible to get a table. I made our Saturday night reservation only a day before, and then was able to add two more to the reservation by calling the day of. During our meal, there were many groups coming and going, but it wasn't uncommon to see two or three empty tables in the small restaurant at one time. I hope this restaurant does well and I would definitely recommend coming before the crowds do! read more

Best Indian food I've ever had. Warm and intimate atmosphere with a cocktail menu offering new and exciting flavours. The food is simply delicious and the staff is very friendly. read more

The food was amazing, service just as good! We practically ordered everything on the menu and I'd order every dish again. It's especially fun because it's like tapas and they've thought outside the box with their menu. I've been to many indian restaurants in London and this is certainly my favourite after 12 years in this city. If you like indian food, go here before it's get crazy busy! read more

Amazing Indian food served here. I definitely recommend the egg curry (which is delightfully spicy) and the saag paneer. The dishes are well proportioned. The service was great but the restaurant itself is very small and tight. There is usually a wait but it's well worth it. read more

Some of the best Indian food I've ever had. The menu is new, inventive and always improving. Came here for dinner and we were lucky to get a table right away. The staff were super friendly and helpful, explaining all the dishes and giving recommendations. My favourite dishes were the sigree mustard broccoli, aloo chat, and the bhuna aubergine. Highly recommend trying this place out! read more

Fantastic food and charming service. A small modern Indian restaurant - no chicken tikka masala here - serving a variety of delicious small plates of street food. Try the venison donuts - a flavour sensation. The saag and home made paneer is also a revelation. And the lamb chops are fabulous. And the aloo chaat. Every dish is great. Try it before it becomes impossible to get a table. read more

My friends described it as a modern take on Indian food that is fantastic and they were not wrong. I originally said I would share the lamb chop but upon my first bite declared myself a liar and under no condition were they to get a bite. The broccoli, the potato and ribs were almost as fight worthy. It's my last night and London and this is my dinner of choice! read more

I just visited this place. Amazing food. I ordered every pescatarian dish on the menu and it was divine. I also ordered the chocolate dessert and then read pudding dessert. This place is a must go!! read more

Authentic, delicious Indian food. Everything is good but must order on menu include the lamb chops and soft shell crab! There is usually a wait so would recommend getting there early, putting name down and then grabbing drinks at nearby place while you wait. Worth the wait! read more

Fantastic new spot just 2 blocks west of Brick Lane is vastly superior to what you will find in the normal tourist hangouts. This is a small space seating perhaps 20 so each table gets a lot of TLC from the excellent staff. In particular the lamb chops are excellent - you get 2 per order but they are very small and good for sharing. The broccoli is served whole and is fantastic as well. Been 3 or 4 times since it opened in the fall and can't recommend it highly enough! read more

If you like good Indian food (but really no better than umpteen other good Indian places in London) but don't mind waiting hours for a table in a tight, warm uncomfortable place with a limited menu - then this place is for you. You have been warned. read more