Test Driving Oudh 1722 - Aktar Islam brings his Michelin magic to a Victorian townhouse in London Bridge

The main dining room, downstairs at Oudh 1772

What can you tell us about Oudh?

Oudh 1722 comes from chef Aktar Islam, who you might have seen on TV on shows like Great British Menu, but is best known for his Birmingham restaurant Opheem. That's one of the UK's best Indian restaurants and one of only two Indian restaurants in the UK that have two Michelin stars (the other is Gymkhana). So Oudh, where the chef is focusing on Awadhi cuisine, comes with some pretty high expectations behind it. 

Where is it?

Oudh has taken over the three-storey building where Lupins used to be, which is about a five-minute walk from London Bridge station. The restaurant itself is spread over two floors and multiple rooms - there's one large dining room downstairs, and three smaller rooms upstairs. If you're after a quieter dinner, upstairs might be the place to be, but ideally you want to be in the main dining room on the ground floor, where you'll also find the open kitchen (pictured above). 

Where should we go for a drink first?

If you're looking for a quick pint, then The Rose & Crown, which is almost opposite Oudh, is probably your best bet. But if you fancy cocktails, then coming to Oudh first is by far your best bet. Taking over the entire second floor is their cocktail bar. On our visit, that was just serving drinks, but they are planning to add a new menu of snacks there too. So even if you're not dining at the restaurant, drinks and snacks in the bar should be a very attractive prospect in itself. That's because the cocktails really are fantastic here, making great use of Indian spices and influences (with more traditional cocktails available if you need). 

Part of the bar on the top floor

The Kasuri Martini (Neutral grain spirit, kasuri methi, lime pickle, dry vermouth, mild chilli, £14) and the Mango Chutney Margarita (Mezcal, tequila, mango chutney syrup, chilli, £14). Well-made and ice-cold. 

Heading down to the restaurant, what can we expect?

The menu here is Aktaar Islam’s interpretation of Awadhi cooking, delivered in a one-pager menu that starts with traditional shorba broth, leading through Naashta snacks, kebabs and grills, dum cooking and curries. Aktar Islam is in charge of the whole show in general (although he wasn't there when we visited), while the kitchen is run day-to-day by Head Chef George Cooke (previously at Brat and Noble Rot). 

In an initial order here, we'd say the shorba is a must, as are the gilawat, one of the kebabs and probably the biryani paired with another curry. We went a little bit larger than that, so here's a taste of what's on offer:

Shorba soup, available in a lamb (which this is) or morels version, with peas, asparagus & wild garlic (£6)

Gol guppas, jaljeera, potato, sprouting moong (£10) - pour the broth into the guppas and move quickly while they still hold structural integrity. 

The Gilawat - minced Herdwick lamb kebabs (£16) - gloriously soft meat kebabs that originate from Lucknow. 

Pappad selection with chutneys (£8) - yes, you will need these, because look at them!

Malai murgh, chicken leg, cardamon, black cumin (£16) - in the kebab section, this beautifully presented chicken leg with foot attached might not be for anyone who doesn't want to be reminded where their food comes from. For everyone else, it's a must-have. 

Mutanjan dum biryani, oxtail, aged basmati, sweet carrot (£32) - a truly great biryani dish. 

Kara masala ka gosht - masala confit goat (£24) - One of the curries, lightly seasoned and probably our favourite dish of the night, with such tender kid goat. 

What about desserts?

There are just two available, so we had both:

Gulab Jamun with lots of chantilly (£11) - If you're ordering one dessert, make it this one. Our only request would be for them to leave an extra bowl of that Chantilly on the table. 

Ras malai, pistachio and cardamom (£11)

What about wine?

The list here is predominantly European, with a few nods towards the USA. They apparently have 300 bottles, but the opening list we saw had just over 50 - so we assume the list is going to adapt and grow over the next few months. The entry-level bottle here is £49 (for an organic Pinot Grigio), with more choices in the £50-£60 range. We went for a 2023 Argentinean Bonarda from Matian Riccitelli (£65), which was a good match for the whole meal if you're looking for something red.  

Overall thoughts

When a chef of such high standing comes to London for the first time, he's obviously going to get a lot of attention. Based on our visit, Islam was clearly more than up to the task, creating a great restaurant out of this warren of a townhouse, with real skill in the kitchen and some unique takes on the menu. Already working smoothly only a few weeks in, we can see this restaurant being on the Michelin judge's radar come next spring.