What to make of Brigadiers? To many, the notion of a restaurant modelled on the army mess bars of India and located in the heart of the City might seem like a thoroughly off-putting prospect. Sure, much of the clientele is male and suited, and therefore not to everyone’s taste, but forget this and come for the food – you won’t be disappointed. With 140 covers and some nice secluded booths, it’s possible to escape those keen on sinking pints (or the cocktails on tap) and watching sport. Brigadiers’ backers – the group behind Trishna, Gymkhana, Hoppers, Bao, Xu and more – know both how to design a good restaurant and provide a memorable experience. There is a strong focus on attention to detail (think décor, the server’s outfits and so on) combined with top-notch cooking. The overarching concept here is about as far from the almost ubiquitous tikka masala as you can imagine. Brigadiers focuses on grilling meat; put another way, it’s a posh barbecue done Indian-style; perfect not just for City boys but those who want to see their culinary boundaries stretched. With a menu divided into six sections (from beer snacks to steaks, ribs & chops), there is something for everyone, even if a cynic may argue that the design deliberately seeks to encourage a tendency towards over-ordering. My comrade and I began with Brigadiers’ selection of poppadums and chutneys. As the photo attests, credit to the chef for taking such a humble dish and elevating it in terms of both aesthetics and taste. What we experienced here was just a sample of things to come. A prawn, softshell crab and squid stir fry with tomato pachadi, which followed next, vanished so quickly that it would almost have been tempting to order another. However, only the knowledge that game bird kebabs and a kid goat shoulder were pending stopped us from doing so. The two latter dishes both contained an immense depth of flavour intensity. It is always a delight to see kitchens thinking somewhat out of the box and avoiding the most obvious when it comes to meats in particular. Pricing is unsurprisingly pitched towards the local clientele, although it is worth bearing in mind that a two-course set lunch is available for the remarkable price of £20 during the week. Additionally, while there is a wine list with only a few bargains present (we were delighted to find a Roly Gassmann Sylvaner from the Alsace for sub-£60), drinking beer would obviously keep costs down. Dining close to Bank Station has definitely become a whole lot more exciting.