Fancy being taken on a journey through India….. a culinary one, that is.
Well, a brand new restaurant in London gives you the chance to do just that.
“Bulbul”, in the upmarket Blackfriars district of the UK capital, only opened recently but is already is fast winning a reputation for serving some of the best Indian food this side of Mumbai.
To give would-be customers a flavour of what they might expect to eat here, this website has collaborated with Bulbul to produce an “insider’s guide” – a sort of sneak preview – to some of the terrific food – and drinks – featuring on its menu.
Some of the dishes are rooted in things its owners, chefs and staff may have grown up eating. Others draw inspiration from street food and regional classics, while some are the chef’s own interpretations of those familiar flavours.
A visit here – and the culinary journey – might begin with small, playful bites before moving on to “An Ode to India”, Bulbul’s micro-regional thali, which perhaps best embodies what it is this place is trying to achieve: celebrating the incredible diversity of India through food, while bringing its own perspective to each dish.
Most diners like to have a drink or two to accompany a meal.
At Bulbul this might include a Raw Mango & Single Malt Highball which combines Indian single malt whisky with roasted raw mango, ginger, cardamom and ginger ale, giving it a bright, malty and spiced profile.
The Jamun & Hajmola Picante, meanwhile, brings together tequila, mezcal, jamun and jalapeño with the house Hajmola tequila, resulting in something smoky, tart and savoury.
Not to be outdone, there is Green Cardamom Pisco Sour, made with pisco, green Chartreuse, cardamom infusion and lime cordial, finished with a silky foam.
On the wines front there is Albariño, Martín Códax 2025 from Spain, and Babich Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.
Turning to the fab food, you might start with Dadi Ka Dabba, which takes Bulbul and its team straight back to Dadi ka ghar (grandmother’s house), that familiar box of snacks, pickles and chutneys that was likely to find a place in grandmother’s kitchen.
It also serves Padrón pepper achar, duck pickle and lime chutney alongside jhalmuri, khakhra, khichiya papadum and mathi. This is intentionally uncomplicated; a way of beginning the meal with flavours that immediately feel familiar.
Amuse bouche might feature three small bites, each taking something recognisably Indian and looking at it slightly differently.
These include Amritsari Oyster — a tempura-fried oyster with carom seeds, mirchi raita, pickled onion and Exmoor caviar.The starting point is the flavour of Amritsari fried fish, reinterpreted with an oyster.
Black Truffle Aloo Tikki,meanwhile, is Bulbul’s take on the classic aloo tikki, shaped to resemble a whole black truffle and served with truffle yoghurt. Playful in presentation, but at heart still very much an Indian potato tikki.
The Raw Mango Pani Puri is built around raw mango and accompanied by a raw mango kombucha, bringing together the sharp, sweet and sour notes that make pani puri so refreshing.
Elsewhere, Pepper Crab Dosa is crisp dosa served with pepper-fry crab and coconut and peanut chutney.
It is a comforting South Indian combination — the sweetness of the crab, warmth of black pepper, crisp dosa and cooling chutney are all meant to be eaten together.
Shrimp Balchão takes you to Goa and the Portuguese influence on Goan cooking. Bulbul make theirs with Goan toddy vinegar and coconut jaggery, giving the shrimp that characteristic sweet, sour, spicy and almost pickled quality of a balchão. It is served simply with Melba toast.
Guests might also like to try the Jodhpuri Lamb Chop & Lamb Kakori Kebab…..two very different expressions of lamb and Indian kebab cooking.
The Jodhpuri Lamb Chop is marinated with Mathania chillies and grilled over charcoal, giving it boldness, smoke and a proper char.
The Lamb Kakori Kebab is almost its opposite — soft, delicate and made to practically melt as you eat it.
An Ode to India — Bulbul’s Micro-Regional Thali
This is perhaps the part of the menu that best explains what they are trying to do at Bulbul.
Indian cooking changes enormously as you travel across the country — from the chillies and souring agents to the cooking fats and the way each region treats its meat, seafood, rice and lentils.
The culinary journey at Bulbul might continue with “An Ode to India.” With this, restaurant wants to bring several of all those regional dishes to one table without making them all look or taste the same.
It includes Prawn Manga Curry — prawns cooked with raw mango in a coastal-style curry, where the natural sourness of the mango works against the sweetness of the prawns.
There’s also Mewari Laal Maans — Bulbul’s take on the Rajasthani classic using Mathania chilli. The intention isn’t simply heat; it is to bring out the particular flavour and depth of the chilli itself.
The Old Delhi Butter Chicken is the resto’s homage to Delhi.
The chicken is properly charred and the sauce rich with tomato and butter, while retaining smoke, acidity and savouriness rather than becoming overly sweet.
There is no trick to Dal Bulbul, the house black dal, which is slow-cooked for no less than 24 hours.
It just takes time and patience, giving the lentils their creaminess and depth.
The Ambur Chicken Biryani is inspired by the biryani of Ambur in Tamil Nadu, wrapped and served in banana leaf with raita and baingan salan. The thali is served with an assortment of Indian breads.
The intention isn’t really to analyse each element separately, but to tear some bread, move between the dal and Laal Maans, have some biryani and enjoy it in the way you would an Indian meal at home.
For dessert, you might like to sample Bulbul;s White Chocolate Rasmalai.
The idea with this delicious dish is to give a familiar dessert a more contemporary presentation without losing what makes it rasmalai.
It is set into a white chocolate crémeux and served with saffron milk, but the flavour should still take you straight back to the original.
Finally, two small bites of petit fours to finish off a very satifisying dining experience – and a wonderful journey through Indian regional cooking- on this “new kid on the block” on London’s already wonderful culinary scene.
The Fennel & Dark Chocolate Bonbon comes from the very Indian habit of having saunf after a meal, pairing the freshness of fennel with dark chocolate.
The Rose & Cardamom Shortbread is Bulbul’s little nod to the flavours of mithai and a cup of chai — buttery, floral.
It is a simple way to conclude the culinary journey through India’s rich and wholesome cuisine… and any such journey is unlikely to come as smooth and enjoyable as at Bulbul.
More info:
Bulbul
Victoria House, Part Ground & Lower Ground Floor, 25 Tudor St, London
https://www.bulbullondon.com/
- T: +442087131085
- M: hello@bulbullondon.com
