Reviews Babur Restaurant

A choice initially made due to proximity of a friends' house, this restaurant was outstanding. It blows away all pre-conceptions of Indian restaurants - smart very clean and more importantly, with excellent food and presentation. We varied our selection to maximise our experience - every single dish was outstanding!

Try it out

Over in Honor Oak Park, the contemporary Indian restaurant Babur is celebrating it's 30th birthday with a series of exciting menus. The second of their String of Pearls menus is showcasing seafood dishes from the Indian Ocean Islands, featuring the cooking of Mauritius, Maldives and the Seychelles. It's only on until 30th June though, so you'll have to be quick!

I was pointed in the right direction by Selina Periampillai, aka supperclub host and pop-up chef Taste Mauritius, who collaborated with Chef Jiwan Lal and his expert team to create the special dishes. Brockley local Jo The Sis came along for the ride.

You've got four starters and four mains to work your way through, plus eight individually matched wines too if you want to make a night of it. A cheeky tiger (or babur) sketch pops up next to spicy dishes. We survived, though we did tell Jiwan to go easy on us.

Starters are always the most enjoyable bit aren't they? We powered through all four:

- Maldivian mas huni - Flaked smoked tuna and fresh coconut salad, with roshi flatbread and mango

- Mauritian garlic and coriander grilled shrimp - Served with a carrot, cucumber and mango salad

- Salad zourit - Creole Seychellois octopus salad with onion and citrus dressing

- Malagasy red snapper brochettes - Served with mofo-anana (tomato and watercress bread fritters) and sakay hot sauce

Mango was used more than once to good effect, but the standout plate was the Malagasy Red Snapper Brochettes. The Sakay Hot Sauce was powerful and full of flavour, tempting us back for just one more tear-inducing taste, but it was the pillowy mofo-anana fritters that stole the show - one to try at home. All of them come in at just under £8 so go for one each and share!

You could stop there as the portions are rather generous, but then you'd miss out on all of these:

- Dhon riha ‘fair curry’, steamed rice - Maldivian speciality tuna cooked with pandan and curry leaves, tamarind, coconut, fennel seeds, turmeric and chillies

- Seychelles Creole fish curry, chilli garlic rice - Pan-fried sea bream, with spiced aubergine and coconut curry

- Fish vindaye, chilli garlic baguette - Mauritian pan-fried king fish marinated in turmeric and mustard seed with green chilli and onion petals

- Monkfish rougaille - Cooked in a traditional light Mauritian spicy tomato sauce with coriander, thyme and chilli

We took on the first three, starting with the moreish, creamy Dhon Riha curry that's pretty impossible not to like. You will have to be rolled out of Babur if you take down one of those on your own. The Fish Vindaye didn't quite do it for us with forgettable King Fish and ALL the onions, though the bizarre pairing of chilli garlic baguette was most welcome! Finally, the Seychelles Creole Fish Curry with pan-fried sea bream was an absolute winner. The awesome garlicky rice will stay with you on the journey home.

The mains are all around the £16 mark which is fair for the quality, but beware of prices racking up once you start pairing everything with wine.

The service was friendly and informative throughout from all members of staff, though we were the only ones in the restaurant early on a Wednesday for lunch so special treatment is a given! I imagine it gets rather busy in the evenings, but I'm sure Jiwan and co. are up to the task.

Get down to Babur before 30th June to sample Selina & Jiwan's String of Pearls Indian Ocean Islands menu - Honor Oak Park is only 11 minutes from London Bridge. You can do it!

Worth a punt. I was introduced to Baburs by a young lady of my acquaintance who is a bit special and needed somewhere a bit special to go with her!
It is quite off the beaten track but well served by trains and overground via Honor Oak Park and a very pleasant stroll.
The cocktails are varied and well made and start the evening off well.
The food is well presented and well cooked and a sort of fusion of European presentation with Indian dishes.
The wine is well chosen to complement the food and it is worth leaving space for the desserts which again are an Indian take on European styles in the main.
Finally, the coffee, which is normally where Indian restaurants fall at the final fence, is a joy and served with home-made sweets which take the sting out of the bill.
Even if I had not had a lady with me that had all the men drooling and the ladies sharpening their claws, I would still have had a great time.
The waiting staff were attentive and unobtrusive.
*****

For 28 years, Babur Restaurant in Honor Oak (Brockley, South East London) has had a reputation among locals for excellent Indian food. More recently, it has attracted the attention of Harden's restaurant guide, the AA Good Restaurant Guide and The Good Food Guide. The received wisdom is that it is "worth travelling to" because clearly, no self respecting person from anywhere north of the river would brave the trek to where the tube doesn't go unless the food is "pukka".  Never mind that north and central London have as many lukewarm and barely adequate restaurants as any other place in the world, somehow restaurants which are south of the river have to reach what seem to me to be far higher standards to be worthy of a journey than anywhere else. Whatever, say I. That just leaves the good South London restaurants to the people of South London. We don't need to worry quite as much about securing a table as a result. We'll live with that! A few years ago, Babur underwent a radical refurbi

Babur’s menu is impressive. A wide range of choices; guinea fowl, duck, prawns, buffalo, lamb chops which involves marinating, tenderising with beetroot, smoking and tandoori-ing. Other dishes including paneer, beetroot, crispy roasted potatoes pairing with chutneys and spices are all very desirable. Secretly I was already planning my food choices on my second visit to ascertain what to order for this visit.

This restaurant is a staple of South-East London. It has been around for longer than me, I’m sure. I would recommend this for a dinner date, as it has a classy atmosphere, and the prices are quite high for a family meal out. They also have a takeaway, which is located a bit further down the road and is well worth it. A better version of the Friday night takeaway.

"What we all want in a restaurant - a smart, comfortable space with fantastic food - is all waiting for you at Babur." It is their tagline which welcomes you when you visit their web page.And doing justice to their claims,they truly serve wonderful food with pretty well-organised battery of waiters and somewhat comfy decor.As an Indian,I am never tired of tasting food of my soil and as a resident of the Forest Hill SE23 area,I am quite a regular visitor of Babur. It surprises me every time with their flavour,texture and taste.Chicken lababdar is awesome teamed with lamb dum biriyani and raita. Those with cravings for smaller options can try pot roasted rabbits with garlic roti..yummy..baghare baingan(spicy baby aubergine with a thick,creamy rajasthani flavoured paste) is gonna take you to Jaipur straightaway in case if you haven't been to the Pink City yet.And yes please try the Kulfis(Indian version of ice-cream).Also they have a nice selection of wines(both red,white and rose) to choose from and some fiery cocktails to sum up your dining experience.So why are you still waiting??Barge in and indulge!!

Visited for their special National Curry Week menu. What a wonderful place. Great cocktails to start off the meal and sumptuous food. Well worth the trip! See you again soon xx

Very nice experience and great food! We could enjoy the “tasting menu” to try out different items. Very nice menu and very good food!

We have been coming to this restaurant a number of times and the quality has remained consistent. Excellent food and great service

The most amazing food, particularly enjoyed the lamb chops and king prawn kasundi. Will definitely be back with friends!

Had a wonderful time over dinner. The food is really nice. The vegetarian options are a bit limited though. The ambiance is very nice. The place can get busy so reservation is highly recommended. They also have a Sunday buffet lunch which is very reasonably priced. Overall one of the best places in London for Indian cuisine.

I am not an Indian food expert, but this gourmet Indian restaurant is above average. Food, service, drinks and prices. The menu is split into different section according to the areas of India that you are willing to explore. I tried over my visits different dishes scallops, quail, lamb,goat, crab, swordfish. I still haven't found any weak dish. Highly recommended!

Tasting menu was incredible, swordfish and lamb were standout! Service and atmosphere was lovely too - would definitely recommend!!

Did not disappoint. Came for a birthday dinner and had the tasting menu. Lovely dishes and great service. The place was filled on a Tuesday night, which speaks to its popularity in the local area. It's not your typical curry house - there are a variety of Indian dishes of all manner. Such a nice change. It has a classy decor with a chill atmosphere. Attentive staff. Excellent all around. Much loved in the area and a restaurant well worthy of its praise.

Babur is the only Indian restaurant to visit in London. The food, ambiance and service is exceptional. We love it.