Restaurant in London, United Kingdom
Michelin-backed Punjabi at neighbourhood prices.
A Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognised neighbourhood Indian on All Saints Road, Notting Hill, from the Gunpowder group. The kitchen focuses on northwest India and Punjab — biryani, kebabs, and curries with genuine regional specificity — at a ££ price point that makes it one of London's stronger value propositions in Indian dining. Booking is easy; a few days' lead time covers most visits.
Yes — and the Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024) makes the case before you even look at the menu. For a neighbourhood Indian at the ££ price point on All Saints Road in Notting Hill, Empire Empire delivers a level of cooking that most restaurants at double the price fail to match. This is the Gunpowder group's northwest India and Punjab-focused project, and it earns its recognition through sourcing and specificity: the kitchen leans hard into regional identity, not a pan-Indian crowd-pleaser approach, and that discipline shows on every plate.
The room is compact and deliberately retro. Coloured tiled flooring, dark wood furnishings, and whitewashed walls hung with vintage album covers of Indian disco performers set the tone immediately. The energy is warm and informal, driven largely by a jukebox playing infectious Indian disco tracks that give the space a distinct personality without tipping into theme-park territory. A photo booth sits in the corner. The noise level is lively — this is not a quiet dinner conversation venue after 8 PM, but the atmosphere is the point, not an inconvenience. If you want a quieter room for a detailed conversation, go early or consider [Trishna](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/trishna-london-restaurant) nearby for a more subdued setting.
Chef Kyle Zachary's menu is structured around nashta (snacks) and starters, kebabs and tikkas, biryanis, and curries , the architecture of northwest Indian cooking rather than the diffuse everything-to-everyone format that dilutes so many London Indian restaurants. The sourcing logic here is visible in the specificity of the dishes: Amritsari pakoras (a Punjabi street-food tradition with a particular batter technique), bihari ribeye beef kebab from the charcoal grill, and the King Prawns Kadhai Masala, which the Michelin inspectors specifically call out as a demonstration of the kitchen's command of spicing. These are not generic preparations dressed up with good ingredients , they are dishes where the sourcing decisions, particularly around seafood and meat, are the reason the flavour is what it is.
The butter chicken is a house speciality and the right entry point for a first visit. The sag gosht carries a gaminess that signals quality lamb rather than commodity protein. The bhindi dopiaza is built around tomatoes and onion with a spice balance that is direct and confident. Fresh naan arrives from the oven and is worth ordering more than once. The gulab jamun with ice cream closes the meal cleanly. Across the board, this is a kitchen that understands what regional sourcing means in practice: the flavours are big and specific, not blurred by over-fusion or under-seasoning.
At the ££ price point, Empire Empire is one of the stronger value propositions in London Indian dining. You are paying for Gunpowder-group execution, a Michelin-recognised kitchen, and a room with genuine personality , none of which you get at this price bracket from the more formal Indian restaurants in Mayfair. Booking is rated easy, which means you can typically secure a table within a reasonable window rather than planning weeks in advance. That said, All Saints Road has developed a real following as a Notting Hill dining destination, and weekend evenings fill quickly. Book a few days to a week ahead for weekday tables; give yourself more lead time for Friday and Saturday. Walk-ins may work for early sittings on quieter nights, but don't rely on it.
For context on London Indian dining: Amaya and Benares operate at significantly higher price points with a more formal register , the right choice if occasion dining or a client dinner requires it, but not the same proposition as Empire Empire's neighbourhood energy. Ambassadors Clubhouse is another Notting Hill option worth knowing. For regional Indian cooking with serious sourcing credentials at a comparable price tier in Birmingham, Opheem is the benchmark. For the highest tier of modern Indian fine dining globally, Trèsind Studio in Dubai operates in a different category entirely.
If you are building a broader London dining itinerary, the full London restaurants guide is the right starting point. For neighbourhood discoveries across South London Indian cooking, Babur is worth adding to your shortlist. The London hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide round out the picture if you are planning a full trip.
Empire Empire works leading for: food-focused diners who want a specific regional cuisine done with care rather than a generic Indian menu; couples or small groups of two to four who want a lively, informal evening with real cooking at a fair price; and anyone who finds the Mayfair Indian dining circuit too formal or too expensive for what it delivers. It is not the venue for a completely quiet dinner, a very large group, or anyone expecting the formal service polish of Amaya. The Google rating of 4.6 across 319 reviews reflects a consistent track record rather than a lucky run , that kind of volume at that score means the kitchen performs reliably, not just on good nights.
For UK diners planning longer food-focused trips, the leading destination restaurants , The Fat Duck in Bray, L'Enclume in Cartmel, Moor Hall in Aughton, Gidleigh Park in Chagford, Hand and Flowers in Marlow, and hide and fox in Saltwood , represent different categories of ambition and price. Empire Empire is not competing with any of them. It is doing something simpler and doing it well: a focused regional menu, a room with character, and a price point that makes a repeat visit easy to justify.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Empire | From the people behind the Gunpowder restaurants comes this neighbourhood spot specialising in cuisines from across Punjab and Northwest India. Expect plenty of biryani and kebabs on a menu that’s so appealing, the hardest decision is choosing what not to order. If you're stuck, the butter chicken is a house speciality and you'd be a fool to overlook the terrific 'King Prawns Kadhai Masala' – a prime demonstration of the kitchen's skill with flavours. There is a loose disco theme and a cool vintage vibe, thanks largely to the fantastic jukebox and a photo booth.; In recent months, a number of restaurant openings have put the spotlight on Notting Hill as a broadly based foodie destination. Empire Empire, from Harneet Baweja of the Gunpowder group, is one of them. Inspired by India’s 1970s disco scene, it’s a cosy dining space with an old-school look rather than Bollywood-style overkill: think coloured tiled flooring, dark wood furnishings, oval-shaped lighting and white tablecloths. In addition, there's a jukebox and a photo booth, while vintage album covers of Indian disco performers and artwork by leading artists, Jorgensen Chowdhury and Rabin Mondal, adorn the whitewashed walls. Infectious Indian disco tunes provide fun and energy and the whole place is run in a relaxed and amiable manner. The food focuses on northwest India and the Punjab, with nashta (snacks) and starters, kebabs and tikkas, biryanis and curries. We enjoyed moreish deep-fried golden-brown fish and prawn Amritsari pakoras, and the charcoal grill was put to good use for a tender bihari ribeye beef kebab. Flavours are big and rich with spice – witness a gamey sag gosht and a bhindi dopiaza packed with tomatoes and onion. The naan bread, fresh from the oven, is irresistible, while sweet and spongy gulab jamun with ice cream figures among the desserts. To drink, cocktails and beers line up alongside a concise list of natural wines.; WINE: Wine Strengths: California, Italy Pricing: $$ i Wine pricing: Based on the list\'s general markup and high and low price points:$ has many bottles < $50;$$ has a range of pricing;$$$ has many $100+ bottles Corkage Fee: $20 Selections: 180 Inventory: 760 CUISINE: Cuisine Types: American Pricing: $$ i Cuisine pricing: The cost of a typical two-course meal, not including tip or beverages.$ is < $40;$$ is $40–$65;$$$ is $66+. Meals: Dinner STAFF: People Chef: Daniel Schurr Owner: Kim Reynolds; From the people behind the Gunpowder restaurants comes this neighbourhood spot specialising in cuisines from across Punjab and Northwest India. Expect plenty of biryani and kebabs on a menu that’s so appealing, the hardest decision is choosing what not to order. If you're stuck, the butter chicken is a house speciality and you'd be a fool to overlook the terrific 'King Prawns Kadhai Masala' – a prime demonstration of the kitchen's skill with flavours. There is a loose disco theme and a cool vintage vibe, thanks largely to the fantastic jukebox and a photo booth.; Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024) | ££ | — |
| CORE by Clare Smyth | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | ££££ | — |
| Restaurant Gordon Ramsay | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | ££££ | — |
| Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | ££££ | — |
| The Ledbury | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | ££££ | — |
| Dinner by Heston Blumenthal | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | ££££ | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
This is a Gunpowder-group restaurant, so expect a tighter, more considered regional menu than a standard curry house — the focus is Punjab and northwest India, not a broad catch-all. The room is small, the vibe is retro-disco (jukebox, photo booth, vintage album covers), and the Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024) signals strong kitchen execution at the ££ price point. Book ahead rather than chancing a walk-in, and come with appetite: the menu structure encourages ordering across nashta, kebabs, and mains.
At ££, it is one of the stronger value propositions in London Indian dining — a Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024) at a neighbourhood price point on All Saints Road is not a common combination. You are paying for Gunpowder-group sourcing and kitchen discipline, not a generic tikka masala experience. If you want fancier surroundings, the price jumps considerably elsewhere in London; Empire Empire's case is that the cooking justifies the trip without the premium.
The room is compact and deliberately intimate, so large groups should check capacity before assuming it works. It is better suited to tables of two to four than a party booking. The sharing-friendly menu structure — nashta, kebabs, biryanis, and curries ordered across the table — does work well for small groups who want to cover more of the menu between them.
The relaxed, neighbourhood atmosphere makes solo dining comfortable here — the retro-disco room, jukebox, and unhurried service tone keep it from feeling stiff. The menu skews toward dishes that work in smaller portions, though solo diners will need to be selective given the breadth of the menu. For solo diners who want counter seating or a livelier bar format, options elsewhere in Notting Hill may suit better logistically.
The butter chicken is the documented house speciality, and the King Prawns Kadhai Masala is specifically called out as a marker of the kitchen's skill with flavour. The Amritsari pakoras and the charcoal-grilled bihari ribeye beef kebab have also drawn strong editorial notice. Order across the nashta and kebab sections rather than defaulting straight to mains — the menu is structured so that snacks and starters are integral, not optional.
The room is relaxed and retro in feel — coloured tiled floors, dark wood, a jukebox — so the atmosphere calls for something casual rather than formal. Nothing in the venue data suggests a dress code, and the ££ price point and neighbourhood setting reinforce an informal register. Smart casual is a safe middle ground, but overdressing would be out of step with the room.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
