8th January 2023
Harneet Baweja, the co-founder of Gunpowder, is to open a new disco-themed Indian restaurant, on All Saints Road in London’s Notting Hill. in March. Empire Empire will serve Punjabi regional dishes and blast “Bollywood bangers” from a custom-made jukebox. Baweja said he wanted to create a restaurant that celebrates the “golden age of Indian music”. He said: “When disco became big in India, my dad would put on his silk floral shirt and bell-bottoms and hit the town — often eating, drinking and dancing all under one roof. This is my personal inspiration for Empire Empire. We wanted to bring the golden age of Indian music, art and food together in one place, and hope this makes for a unique spot in Notting Hill.”
Gunpowder recently opened its first international site, in Lisbon, Portugal. The first Gunpowder restaurant opened in London’s Spitalfields in 2015, with a second site by Tower Bridge launching in 2018, then a Soho site in September 2021.