The story
Empire Empire, on All Saints Road in Notting Hill, calls itself a nostalgic tribute to carefree days. The space is filled with jukeboxes, polaroids, and murals, and the soundtrack is a curated playlist of Bollywood and disco classics. It’s a setting that feels both personal and playful.
The menu is rooted in the Punjabi region of the Indian subcontinent, offering classic curries, nashtas, biryanis, kebabs, and tikkas. Standouts from the food menu include the Jama Masjid beef seekh kebab, Lucknowi lamb chop, and the empire butter chicken – pulled tandoori chicken in a creamy tomato and fenugreek sauce. Vegetarians are well served with dishes like tandoori malai broccoli, kale patta chaat, and wild mushroom biryani. The kitchen also champions small-batch, biodynamic wines alongside top-notch sparkling wine and champagne.
Empire Empire holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for good quality, good value cooking – a fitting nod to a restaurant that delivers generous, flavourful Indian food without pretension. It’s a place where the warmth of the cooking matches the energy of the room, making it a natural destination for everything from a team breakfast to a birthday dinner.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
good quality, good value cooking
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.
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