A disco-themed Indian restaurant inspired by the music of the Seventies will launch in Notting Hill this spring, as the area’s rejuvenation shows no sign of slowing.
Empire Empire will open its doors on All Saints Road in March, and will serve food rooted in the Punjab region on the Indian subcontinent. It will also blast “Bollywood bangers” from a custom-made jukebox.
Founder Harneet Baweja, best-known for his Indian restaurant group Gunpowder, 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.”
As such, dancing, drinking and dining will be encouraged at the 40-cover restaurant, which will be decorated with works by two of the 20th century’s most respected Indian artists, Jogen Chowdhury and Rabin Mondal.
Lining the walls will also be vintage LP covers of records that, in the press release’s words, “epitomise India’s groovy Seventies scene”. The soundtrack to Disco Dancer, which features cuts from Bollywood disco pioneer Bappi Lahiri, will be among them.
Food, meanwhile, will hark back to the northwestern cuisines of the old Punjab Empire, from Bihar across to Afghanistan. Diners should expect kebabs charred over hot coals, rich curries, lobster biryani, and plenty of naans and roti.
Tables will be dressed with white linen and paper clothes, reminiscent of India’s “old school curry houses,” and beers and pre-made cocktails sit alongside a wine list produced by Mattia Bianchi of Berber & Q and Carmel.
Baweja added of the opening: “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.”
The restaurant joins other high-profile recent openings, which include Dorian, Straker’s, and Caia.
