What to order at Gunpowder Spitalfields

Must order
Spicy venison doughnut, then Chettinad pulled lamb shoulder for two.
Signature dishes
Spicy venison doughnut, Chettinad pulled lamb shoulder
Editor tip
Tiny room. Bookings open six weeks ahead and burn fast. Counter seats released as walk-ins from 17:30.
CuisineModern Indian
Price££
Neighborhoodshoreditch-spitalfields
HoursMon 12:00-22:00, Tue 12:00-22:30, Wed 12:00-22:30, Thu 12:00-22:30, Fri 12:00-22:30, Sat 12:00-22:00
Last verified

Signature dishes: Spicy venison doughnut, Chettinad pulled lamb shoulder

Must order: Spicy venison doughnut, then Chettinad pulled lamb shoulder for two.

Tip: Tiny room. Bookings open six weeks ahead and burn fast. Counter seats released as walk-ins from 17:30.

Location

Address: 11 White's Row, London E1 7NF

More casual dining in London

Wright Brothers Borough ★ 4.1

Seafood££boroughMon 12:00-22:00, Tue 12:00-22:00, Wed 12:00-22:00, Thu 12:00-22:00, Fri 12:00-22:00, Sat 12:00-22:00, Sun 12:00-21:00

Robin Hancock and Ben Wright's seafood counter on Stoney Street next to Borough Market in London, opened 2002, runs a daily-fresh oyster menu and a serious.

Signature: Native oysters, Fish pie

Order: Half a dozen West Mersea or Lindisfarne native oysters, then the fish pie with mashed potato top.

Tip: Counter seats face the bar. Lunch runs walk-in; Saturday at noon is the un-touristed slot before market crowds peak.

Spring ★ 4.3

Modern European£££covent-gardenMon 12:00-22:30, Tue 12:00-22:30, Wed 12:00-22:30, Thu 12:00-22:30, Fri 12:00-22:30, Sat 12:00-22:30

Skye Gyngell's Modern European dining room inside the New Wing of Somerset House in central London, opened 2014, runs vegetable-led seasonal cooking.

Signature: Whatever spring vegetable course is on, Brown butter custard tart

Order: Whatever the spring or autumn vegetable opener is, and the brown butter custard tart for pudding.

Tip: The Scratch dinner uses kitchen offcuts to fight food waste and costs £25; the regular menu runs £55 for two courses.

Lemonia ★ 4.0

Greek Taverna££camden-primrose-hillMon 12:00-22:00, Tue 12:00-22:00, Wed 12:00-22:00, Thu 12:00-22:00, Fri 12:00-22:30, Sat 12:00-22:30, Sun 12:00-16:00

The Evangelou family's Primrose Hill Greek taverna on Regent's Park Road in London, opened 1979, still the village's Sunday-lunch destination for lamb.

Signature: Lamb kleftiko, Saganaki

Order: Lamb kleftiko (slow-cooked in paper for three hours), with saganaki to start.

Tip: Sunday lunch books two weeks ahead through their site. Tuesday-Thursday dinner walks in any time after 19:00.

The Eagle ★ 4.3

Gastropub££clerkenwellMon-Sat 12:00-23:00, Sun 12:00-17:00

Britain's first gastropub on Farringdon Road in Clerkenwell London, opened 1991 by Mike Belben and David Eyre, still serves Mediterranean-leaning.

Signature: Bife Ana steak sandwich, Whatever is on the chalkboard

Order: The Bife Ana steak sandwich, on the menu since 1991, and a pint of bitter.

Tip: Walk-in only. The chalkboard menu rewrites every day at 12:00; the best dishes go by 14:00 on a busy lunch.

Blacklock Soho ★ 4.8

Steakhouse££sohoMon-Fri 12:00-15:00 and 17:00-23:00, Sat 12:00-23:00, Sun 11:45-20:00

Gordon Ker's basement chophouse on Great Windmill Street in Soho London, opened 2015, runs charcoal-grilled chops in a 1850s-era basement room.

Signature: Lamb chops, Pre-theatre skinny chops

Order: The all-in chops board with beef, lamb and pork, plus the bone-marrow gravy.

Tip: Sunday roast is £20 and books two weeks ahead through Resy. Pre-theatre chops at 17:00 walks in for half-price.

40 Maltby Street ★ 4.6

International££borough-bermondseyMon-Tue closed, Wed 17:30-21:30, Thu-Sat 12:00-15:00 and 17:30-21:30, Sun closed

Steve Williams's wine-bar-with-kitchen inside a Maltby Street railway arch in Bermondsey London, opened 2010, runs a daily-changing chalkboard of small.

Signature: Whatever is on the chalkboard, Smoked-eel sandwich

Order: Whatever the smoked-fish or charcuterie opener is, with a half-bottle of growers' Champagne.

Tip: Open Wed-Sat lunch and dinner; closed Sun-Tue. Walk-up only; first sitting at 12:00 always has bar seats.

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