Gunpowder Lisboa

Londoners will likely know and love Gunpowder, where the brand already has three restaurants. But rather than move to another British city—Manchester, or Birmingham maybe—the brand decided to expand into a different country entirely. Still, opening a Lisbon restaurant makes total sense when you see the menu, which is similar to the British one but with a Mediterranean twist—think Algarve oysters with pickled kachumber, big juicy wild Madagascar prawns with roasted garlic and tomato dressing, and grilled stone bass with green coorgi sauce—all available for you to select from the window display of fish.

Forget your average curry house – Gunpowder has stormed Chiado like a Mughal conquistador, wielding a menu that rewrites Lisbon’s definition of Indian cuisine. London’s award-winning culinary maverick, Harneet Baweja, throws tradition out the window, conjuring up vibrant, unexpected plates like the spicy lamb and vermicelli donut and tuna croquettes spiked with chive moilee. For the best experience, dishes are best enjoyed in tapas style.

Arriving on Lisbon’s food scene with a bang in spring, this vintage-cool restaurant delivers explosive flavours. Indian-inspired dishes spin together the freshest Portuguese produce with recipes and spices that whisk you to the coast of Goa and the backstreets of Mumbai. The big deal here is the seafood, which shines in dishes like silky Algarve oysters with a zingy hit of kachumber salad and razor clams seasoned with ghee.

Londoners will likely know and love Gunpowder, where the brand already has three restaurants. But rather than move to another British city – Manchester, or Birmingham maybe – the brand decided to expand into a different country entirely. Still, opening a Lisbon restaurant makes total sense when you see the menu, which is similar to the British one but with a Mediterranean twist; think Algarve oysters with pickled kachumber, big juicy wild Madagascar prawns with moreish roasted garlic & tomato dressing and grilled stone bass with green coorgi sauce, all available for you to select from the window display of fish.

Gunpowder has set its sights on conquering the tastebuds of locals through Indian seafood dishes and spices. Harneet Baweja, originally from Calcutta, founded the original Gunpowder in London and, in search of good waves for surfing, brought his shrimp toast, crab bhurji and Goan chili garlic squid to Lisbon. The Konkani fried seabass or the kali mirch grilled turbot – a marinated fish dish with black pepper, turmeric and curry leaves – are some of the best of the seafood heavy menu.

If you want something a little more indulgent — you’re on holiday, after all — then head to Gunpowder. You may not be expecting an Indian restaurant recommended in a guide to Lisbon, but you’ll find Portuguese touches throughout the dishes, as well as the restaurant’s own sparkling wine to try.

This upmarket and modern Indian spot serves mostly seafood-focused dishes. My favourites at Gunpowder are the seafood pilaf and the meat doughnut. 📍​​Chiado – Rua Nova da Trindade 13⏱️Sunday lunch & dinner, Monday only dinner

Thanks to Portugal’s connections with Goa and its immigrant communities, Lisbon has its share of good Indian food. What it was missing was a high-end Indian restaurant. That changed with the arrival of Gunpowder in late 2022.