What: The first venture outside Europe from Indian restaurateurs Twinkle Keswani and Rohan D’Souza, the duo behind a portfolio that includes Pisco by the Beach in Goa. Located a few minutes’ walk west of Blackfriars station, Bulbul takes its name from a songbird found across India. Its point of difference is a “micro-regional” menu intended to offer a truly pan-Indian experience. It was developed after the core team travelled across the country, spending time in home kitchens and local markets to explore recipes and techniques that they say rarely travel beyond their places of origin.
On the menu: In practice, this results in a menu likely to be unfamiliar to diners whose experience of Indian food is limited to traditional curry houses. Those familiar with London’s increasingly diverse regional and high-end Indian restaurant scene, however, will recognise a number of the dishes. Although described as small and large plates, the portions broadly correspond to starters and mains. Smaller plates include bohri lamb kheema with truffle butter pao and Tamil Nadu forest pepper crab dosa with coconut chutney and gunpowder. Larger dishes include Vasco da Gama pork sorpotel with crackling and fermented Goan rice cakes, and Mewari laal maas, a slow-braised lamb dish made with Mathania chillies. The pricing underscores the considerable culinary ambition behind the project. Small plates range from £18 to £20, while larger dishes cost between £23 and £50, with most priced at just under £30.
The vibe: Keswani tells Restaurant that Blackfriars appealed because it combines a central location and strong transport links with comparatively affordable property costs, particularly when compared with more obvious destinations such as Covent Garden and the heart of the City. Accessed through a compact street-level reception and cloakroom, the basement restaurant has a grand, high-end feel. At the foot of the stairs is a bar area centred around a large fountain inhabited by a collection of stone turtles. The low-lit space is opulent – the fit-out will not have come cheap – with a warm palette of rust, burgundy and dark wood. Its maximalist interior combines patterned carpets and upholstery, animal prints and softly illuminated ceiling panels.
And another thing: Keswani and D’Souza are part of a fresh wave of India-based operators looking to establish themselves in London, arguably one of the world’s most developed markets for Indian food outside the subcontinent. Other recent additions include Trèsind Mayfair, the London outpost of Dubai and India-based restaurant group Passion F&B, which also operates the three-Michelin-starred Trèsind Studio; and Haldiram’s, the Rajasthan-founded snacks and restaurant giant that recently made its UK debut with a 120-cover Leicester Square site.
25 Tudor Street, London EC4Y 0DD