Brigadiers

The square mile isn’t exactly the place you go for dining with a vibe, but the long-awaited follow up to Gymkhana and Hoppers – located in Broadgate Circle – changed our perceptions of dining in the city.

Décor and Vibe

We weren’t exactly sure what to expect when we heard that JKS Restaurants’ next venture was going to smack bang in the middle of the square mile – it’s not our usual choice of dinner location. Of course, it means the clientele here are largely suit-clad, but this isn’t your typical after-work watering hole by any means. They’ve got Nick Jones’s (Soho House) son heading up front of house, and when we were there we spotted Missy Flynn of Rita’s dining in another room, so it seems like Brigadiers is bringing some cool to the city.

Speaking of rooms, this place is huge – with four separate public rooms (bar dining, restaurant, a tavern for drinks and a serve-yourself-beef pool room), three private dining areas, a terrace and an outdoor bar. We were seated in Blighters – the bar dining room – which has a large central bar and booth seating around it (this is where sports will be shown, but you wouldn’t think it unless you were here on game night). If you want a more classic dining experience, try and book in for the Dining Room.

Food

As with Gymkhana, the focus here is on Indian cuisine, but the menu here has been amped up to suit a fun night drinking with friends. We say gather a group together, settle in to one of the booths, order a few sizzling grills and some bread baskets (plus a Champagne fountain) and you’re set for the evening. The menu is seriously extensive, so order some Masala chicken skins (our favourite) whilst you decide. Highlights on our visit were the Telicherry fry (crispy fish goodness), the BBQ butter chicken wings, and the tandoori lamb chops (to rival Tayyabs).

Drink

It goes without saying that Brigadiers is drinks-focused: the drinks menu is as vast as the (already vast) food menu. They do the classics well here: our clover club and our old fashioned were both exemplary, but it’s fun to go overboard here and order a magnum or a fountain of bergamot sangria.

Highlight

The service. Friendly but not overbearing, knowledgeable but not irritating: we felt looked after, but not fussed over.

Top Tip

They might not jump out at you, but order the Indo-Chinese chilli chicken lettuce cups – they’re a refreshing antidote to fried food overload.