Nineteen Club, a Gujarati sports club at 19 North Parade, Edgware, offers generous Indian food and £4.40 pints of lager, with a meal for two costing about £60. The venue, almost at the end of the Jubilee line, is worth the journey, according to a local and a Mayfair restaurateur.
A club with a fizzing blue carpet and gold bar
The club features a fizzing blue carpet, a sleek gold bar with a purple trim, a sparkling chandelier, cushioned burgundy seats and ornamental fittings. Spirit bottles on the mirrored back bar glow in blue neon, surrounded by old bank notes pinned to the wall. Television screens hang throughout, with a window to the kitchen.
Members of the local Indian diaspora and the wider community gather here for £4.40 pints of lager, £5.10 Guinness and two Punjabi lamb samosas for £3.90. Traditional Gujarati snacks include patra tava (fritters made of colocasia leaves and gram flour) and methi gota (similar but with fenugreek leaves), while the menu spans wider, including Mumbai dishes.
Batata wada, sizzlers and spring lamb
Batata wada, fried balls of mashed potato, garlic and chilli, are served alongside a nourishing veg masala bristling with chilli, turmeric, cumin and ginger. The chicken tikka arrives sizzling on a cast iron skillet, with meat resting on fired white onions. The spring lamb is recommended: a deep, rich dish with cushion-like meat slipping from bones and marrow mixing into the sauce, tempered by tomatoes, cinnamon and cardamom.
The room fills with dads with sons, groups of portly old boys and solo diners in need of the Premier League, paneer and a glass of Royal Challenge whisky. Shouts erupt as goals are scored, and beer taps purr before the waitress nips out for a cigarette.
What you say
Mitesh Patel said: “Everything at Nineteen Club is good. Highly recommended for watching sports with some drinks and great food. Bombay mix and tandoori wings go nicely with some beers.”
Chetna Patel said: “Good vegetarian options, tried the new menu. Delicious authentic food. Food didn’t disappoint. Service was great and a very cosy atmosphere.”
Rakesh Mistry said: “My bro came down from States, said let’s pop in and give it a try. It felt like going back in time with the deco and felt nostalgic in a good way. Amazing food.”
