Central does not lack for places to spend money on dinner. What it has been short of is somewhere that lets you order a kilo of charcoal-grilled steak, a goblet of gin and a cold pint of pale ale, then settle in to watch the cricket — all without anyone hovering to refold your napkin. That, more or less, is the gap Punjab Warriors set out to fill when it opened at the end of March 2026 on Lyndhurst Terrace. It bills itself as an Indian "chop house", and the theme is the rowdy army mess bars of 1950s colonial India.
What is Punjab Warriors?
Punjab Warriors is a new Indian restaurant and bar in the heart of Central, built around a charcoal pit rather than a tandoor-and-curry-house template. The kitchen describes itself as an "Indian Chop House", where, in its own words, "everything is grilled over searing, smoky coals." The room seats up to 120, with a private dining room for 12, a Billiards Room for 18 and bar seating for 30 — and major sporting events play live across the bar and private spaces.
The premise is unashamedly fun rather than fine-dining. Think generous platters meant for sharing, a wall of gin, draught beer brewed specially for the venue, and a price list that leaves room to order another round. It sits in the Lyndhurst Terrace space that previously housed Tokyolima, a short stagger from the bars of Soho and the Central–Mid-Levels escalator.
The concept: an army mess in the heart of Central
The theme is the hook. Punjab Warriors takes its cues from the lively army mess bars of 1950s colonial India — the places, as the restaurant tells it, "where military regiments gathered to eat, drink, play cricket and settle in for the night." Camaraderie, the team says, is very much on the menu.
That translates into a deliberately clubby, characterful space rather than a polished hotel dining room. One end of the bar is styled as a "station mess at the end of the war"; a Billiards Room handles bigger groups; screens carry the sport. It is the kind of room designed for a long, loud table of friends rather than a hushed date for two — though the bar seating makes it an easy solo drop-in too.
Who is the chef behind Punjab Warriors?
The kitchen is led by chef Angshuman Adhikari, who joins Punjab Warriors from London's critically acclaimed Brigadiers — part of the JKS Restaurant Group, the stable behind the Michelin-starred Indian restaurant Gymkhana. Reports put his experience at more than 20 years, including time within that JKS family of modern-Indian kitchens.
That pedigree matters because it sets expectations. Brigadiers itself is a barracks-themed, all-day Indian bar-and-grill in the City of London — so Punjab Warriors is, in effect, a Hong Kong cousin of that format: regimental theme, big grills, serious drinking, technique underneath the swagger. The lamb chops, the kitchen says, are bone-in and imported from Australia; the butter chicken (murgh makhani) has been worked on "to great lengths." For a wider look at the chefs raising Hong Kong's Indian and modern-Asian game, see our guide to the city's best Michelin-starred restaurants.
What should you eat at Punjab Warriors?
Start with the grills. The signature plates come off the charcoal: bone-in tandoori lamb chops, the Tandoori Malai Chicken Tikka and the showpiece Punjab Warriors Tandoori Mixed Grill, a heap of skewered meats designed to be pulled apart at the table. For carnivorous big-spenders there are sharing steaks — a 1kg T-bone and a 1.2kg Tomahawk, both rubbed with garam-masala butter.
Then balance it. Curry-house comforts hold up the rest of the menu: murgh makhani (butter chicken), a slow-cooked Lamb Shank Roganjosh, and snacks built for the bar such as cheese-and-onion bhajis. It is food meant to be ordered in waves and shared, mess-hall style, rather than plated as neat individual courses.
On the menu — a taste of the line-up
| Dish | What it is | Indicative price (HKD) |
|---|---|---|
| Tandoori Malai Chicken Tikka | Creamy, charcoal-grilled chicken tikka | ~$168 |
| Lamb Shank Roganjosh | Slow-cooked Kashmiri-style lamb curry | ~$258 |
| PW Tandoori Mixed Grill | Sharing platter of skewered grilled meats | ~$988 |
| 1kg T-bone | Sharing steak with garam-masala butter | ~$1,288 |
| 1.2kg Tomahawk | Showpiece sharing steak | ~$1,388 |
Prices are indicative, drawn from the restaurant's published menu and launch coverage, and exclude any service charge. Confirm current pricing when you book.
The catch — and it works in your favour: "value is our purpose," the restaurant says, and it backs that with rotating half-price weekday specials. Its own listing flags curried T-bone on Tuesdays, the Tandoor Mixed Grill on Wednesdays and the Masala Tomahawk on Thursdays. If you are eyeing one of the big grills, lining your visit up with the right night roughly halves the damage.
What to drink: Powder Monkey IPAs and a 30-gin bar
Drinking is not an afterthought here — it is half the concept. One end of the bar is given over to fresh-draught Indian pale ales from the UK's Powder Monkey Brewery, poured as "ice-cold zesty pints" to wash down the grills. The other end is a gin bar stacked with more than 30 labels and specialty tonics, served in giant goblets "to quell the Hong Kong heat."
It is a smart pairing: hoppy, bitter IPA and juniper-forward gin both cut cleanly through charcoal smoke and chilli. Launch coverage — including the listing on Time Out Hong Kong — also pointed to a Saturday free-flow deal on IPAs and gin cocktails, so it is worth checking the current offers when you book. For more of the city's newest drinking dens, browse our round-up of five new Hong Kong bars worth a visit.
How much does it cost?
Punjab Warriors is pitched as mid-range with a high ceiling. Plenty of the à la carte sits in friendly territory — grilled tikka and curries from roughly HK$168 to HK$258 — so a casual dinner with a couple of pints needn't be a splurge. Where the bill climbs is the trophy grills: the sharing T-bone and Tomahawk run from about HK$988 up past HK$1,388, which is why the half-price weekday specials are the savvy move for a group.
Drinks scale the same way: pints and goblets for a relaxed session, or a free-flow deal if you're settling in for the afternoon. As ever with a brand-new opening, prices and promotions can shift, so treat the figures here as a guide and confirm on the day. For the wider context of where the city's dining scene is heading, our pillar guide to the 50 best restaurants in Hong Kong is a useful companion read.
Punjab Warriors — Essential Facts
Where is Punjab Warriors and how do you book?
You'll find Punjab Warriors at G/F, Car Po Commercial Building, 18-20 Lyndhurst Terrace (擺花街), Central (中環) — the steep little street that runs above Queen's Road Central, between the antique shops of Hollywood Road and the bars of Soho. The nearest MTR is Central Station, Exit D2; from there it's about a 5–7 minute walk uphill via Queen's Road Central and the Central–Mid-Levels escalator. Sheung Wan Station is a slightly longer alternative.
Tables can be booked online through SevenRooms or by phone on +852 9525 7003; group and event enquiries go through the venue's events line, and the latest menus and offers are listed on its own website. With bar seating for 30, it's also a fair bet for a spontaneous pint, while the private room (12) and Billiards Room (18) suit birthdays and team nights. If you're plotting a wider eating-and-drinking crawl, pair it with our monthly look at new Hong Kong restaurants to try this June and our running guide to the latest restaurant openings across the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hungry for what's next?
From charcoal-grilled lamb to the city's buzziest new tables, keep up with every opening in our guide to new Hong Kong restaurants this June.