Bulbul Restaurant London Review: Is This New Indian Place in the City Worth Booking?

Bulbul restaurant in London arrives in the City with the sort of idea the Indian restaurant scene could use more of: not another grand curry room, not another colonial railway fantasy, but a restaurant interested in the food that rarely leaves home kitchens.

The menu moves across India through small plates, regional techniques and a certain amount of contemporary polish. Crab appears inside a Tamil Nadu-style dosa. Goan shrimp is aged, braised and served on toast. Murgh mussallam and beef short rib korma give the menu more depth than the phrase “small plates” usually promises.

It is still early days, but Bulbul looks like a clever addition to the City: colourful, researched and built for dinner with cocktails rather than a rushed post-work curry.

At a Glance

Best for: City dinners, Indian small plates, cocktails, groups and after-work meals
Cuisine: Contemporary pan-Indian
Location: Tudor Street, City of London
Price: Likely mid-to-high London dining
Signature dishes: Forest Pepper Crab Dosa, Goan Shrimp Balchão, Murgh Mussallam and Nilgiri Beef Short Rib Korma
Atmosphere: Immersive, theatrical and forest-inspired
Nearest stations: Blackfriars, Temple and St Paul’s
Booking tip: Go with a group so the small-plates format makes sense

What Is Bulbul?

Bulbul is a contemporary Indian restaurant and cocktail bar from Rohan D’Souza and Twinkle Keswani, who have opened restaurants across India before bringing the concept to London. The founders spent time travelling through Indian home kitchens, markets and regional food cultures before building the menu. The most interesting Indian restaurants in London are no longer trying to flatten the country into a familiar handful of dishes.

Bulbul’s promise is food with roots, but not museum-glass reverence. Traditional ideas are allowed to meet modern technique, sharper plating and a City dining-room setting.

The Atmosphere and Design

Bulbul takes its visual cues from Indian forests, which is a better starting point than yet another dining room covered in brass and nostalgia. The interiors are described as layered, bold and immersive, with contemporary art and a theatrical mood. There is also a private dining room for up to 10 guests, useful for City groups who want dinner to feel slightly less corporate than the calendar invite suggests.

The restaurant occupies ground and lower-ground space on Tudor Street, which should give it a slightly tucked-away quality. That can work in its favour. The City has enough glass boxes. A little mystery is welcome.

The Menu

The menu is built around Indian small plates, but the references are broader and more specific than that phrase suggests. The Forest Pepper Crab Dosa is the dish that catches the eye first: a Tamil Nadu-style dosa filled with crab and forest pepper masala, served with house pickle.

Goan Shrimp Balchão takes a punchier route, with slow-aged, braised shrimp served on melba toast. It sounds like the kind of dish that understands acidity, spice and crunch. Jim Corbett Hunter’s Murgh Mussallam brings Mughlai richness, while Nilgiri Beef Short Rib Korma uses coriander and mint to move the dish away from the usual heavy korma territory.

The appeal is in the range: southern Indian dosa, Goan seafood, Mughlai chicken, hill-station aromatics and contemporary plating all on one table. The risk, of course, is that a pan-Indian menu can become overextended. Bulbul will need focus as much as ambition.

Drinks & Wine

The cocktail programme is called Flight of Bulbul, with each drink inspired by a different Indian region, ingredient or tradition. That feels right for the restaurant. Indian food does not always need beer or a safe glass of white wine. It needs cocktails with spice, fruit, smoke, herbs and enough acidity to keep pace with the cooking.

What to Order at Bulbul

Best signature dish: Forest Pepper Crab Dosa
Best seafood snack: Goan Shrimp Balchão
Best richer dish: Jim Corbett Hunter’s Murgh Mussallam
Best meat dish: Nilgiri Beef Short Rib Korma
Best way to order: Several small plates across the table
Best drink move: Start with the Flight of Bulbul cocktail list
Best table: Private dining room for a small group

For four people, order one dosa, one seafood plate, one chicken dish, one beef dish, something vegetable-led and enough bread or rice to keep the sauces from going to waste.

Who Is Bulbul Best For?

Bulbul is best for diners who want contemporary Indian food with regional curiosity rather than the usual comfort-order routine. It should work well for City dinners, after-work drinks, small groups, dates and anyone interested in less obvious Indian dishes.

It is less suited to people looking for a traditional curry house. Bulbul appears to be aiming for something more researched and more polished.

Is Bulbul Worth Booking?

Yes, especially if you are interested in where London’s Indian dining scene is going next. Bulbul has the right ingredients for a strong opening: experienced founders, regional research, a cocktail programme with a point of view and a menu that avoids the most predictable route.

The challenge will be balance. A restaurant that travels across India can either feel generous or scattered. The best signs are the specific dishes: crab dosa, shrimp balchão, murgh mussallam, beef short rib korma. Those sound like ideas, not placeholders.

Book with a group, order widely and let Bulbul make its case plate by plate.

Practical Information

Address: Tudor Street, City of London
Reported address: 21–25 Tudor Street, London EC4Y
Area: City of London / Blackfriars
Nearest stations: Blackfriars, Temple and St Paul’s
Cuisine: Contemporary Indian small plates
Restaurant style: Dining room, cocktail bar and private dining
Private dining: Available for up to 10 guests
Best for: City dinners, Indian food, cocktails, groups and after-work dining

FAQs

What type of food does Bulbul London serve?

Bulbul serves contemporary Indian small plates inspired by regional recipes, home cooking and local markets across India. The menu includes dishes influenced by Tamil Nadu, Goa, Mughlai cooking and Nilgiri flavours.

Who owns Bulbul London?

Bulbul is from chef-restaurateur Rohan D’Souza and Twinkle Keswani, who have opened restaurants in India before launching the London restaurant.

Where is Bulbul London?

Bulbul is on Tudor Street in the City of London, close to Blackfriars, St Paul’s Cathedral, Temple and the South Bank.

What should I order at Bulbul?

Order the Forest Pepper Crab Dosa, Goan Shrimp Balchão, Jim Corbett Hunter’s Murgh Mussallam and Nilgiri Beef Short Rib Korma. The cocktail list is also central to the experience.

Is Bulbul good for groups?

Yes. Bulbul’s small-plates format is designed for sharing, and the restaurant also has a private dining room for up to 10 guests.

Is Bulbul expensive?

Full pricing is not yet widely available, but Bulbul appears to sit in the polished mid-to-high London dining bracket rather than casual curry-house territory.

Is Bulbul good for a date?

Yes, particularly for a date that wants cocktails, colour and food designed for sharing. The concept sounds lively rather than formal, which should suit an evening in the City.

Bulbul Restaurant London Bookings

Capital A List members can make bookings for Bulbul restaurant in London below.