The AA Restaurant Guide 2011
Modern Indian Cuisine in a stylish brasserie setting
The life–size prowling Bengal Tiger on its roof makes this popular southeast London brasserie hard to miss. That, and the fact that Babur is something of a Forest Hill institution, having served the area over 24 years. A far cry from the flock–wallpaper school of Indian restaurant, Babur’s décor is clean-cut and stylish, with American walnut tables, chocolate brown banquettes and eye-catching Bengali artwork on exposed red-brick walls. The talented chefs remain as innovative as ever, working with the traditional and more unusual ingredients – ostrich and buffalo, for example - to supply intense flavours. Watch out for the tiger head menu symbols flagging up dishes where eye wateringly hot chillis lurk within. A vibrant starter pairs scallops encased in wafer thin pastry with a spicy tamarind sauce and dried plum chutney, followed by a Keralan dish of coconut lamb with mango purée, or ‘Dum-cooked rabbit’ , pot-roasted in star anise and ginger broth.
Fluid London
Innovative, sophisticated, modern: sycophantic descriptions usually reserved for the worlds of engineering, architecture, and the arts. If innovative, sophisticated and modern all went for counselling, then Babur would be their counsellor, without ever being remotely connected to Norman Foster, Damien Hirst or Isambard Kingdom Brunel. And that’s because Babur is simply a restaurant.....from the planet Totally Bloody Brilliant! Now how’s that for sycophantic? Any restaurant that has two enormous flags and a great big Bengal tiger stationed outside its entrance must be worth keeping an eye on. If you haven’t been there already, prepare your jealously cortex now. You will love this restaurant more than your own skin. continue reading
Foodepedia
Babur, an Indian restaurant, has been here 25 years this year and is understandably celebrating. Much has changed inside, the décor is modern and cleanly comfortable and the kitchen has moved with the times. This is now very contemporary Indian cuisine indeed, artistically presented, innovative, exciting and as good as any Michelin starred Indian ‘in town’ but at half the price. Yes really, I kid you not.
Take the 25th Anniversary tasting menu. It’s £32 50 for four courses; £44.50 if you have the matching wines by the glass and you really should because they’ve been very well chosen.
To read the full review at foodepedia please click here
The Good Food Guide 2012
Cooking: 2
Ethnic art meets culinary innovation
Signs that Babur is different from your average high street Indian restaurant begin with the Bengal tiger perched on the roof of this slick, glass-fronted building, and continue inside with the bare brickwork and modish wood panelling. There's a contemporary slant to the menu, too, with a strong emphasis on seasonal game as well as fish dishes from southern India. East meets west in, say, gilt-head bream with mustard and curry leaf mash or pot-roasted rabbit with mustard and ginger, and there's plenty to delight vegetarians, such as a Punjabi paneer sandwich or a timbale of roasted aubergine masala. House wine is £16.75.
Chef/s: Praveen Kumar Gupta. Open: all week L 12 to 2.30 (4 Sun), D 6 to 11.30. Closed: 26 Dec. Meals: alc (main courses £11-£16), Sun L Buffet £11.95.
Service: not inc. Details: Cards accepted. 72 seats. Air-con. No mobile phones. Music. Children allowed.
Harden's London Restaurant Guide 2012
1 food 2 service 2
ambience
'Thank you Harden's for helping us discover Babur!' - this Honor Oak 'star' continues to offer 'extraordinarily imaginative and interesting', Indian cooking, a 'great wine list' and fantastic service too ... for 'about half the cost you'd pay in the West End'!
The Independent 50 Best Curry Houses
'People don't come here and ask for curry house dishes - instead they enjoy the wonderful offerings of the highly talented chef and his team,' explains Peter. 'The restaurant only has 74 covers and is very popular so booking is advised. It must be the leading restaurant in the UK for its specialist festivals and events, which range from Burns Night and its Nepalese haggis to fantastic regional Indian cuisine events.'
Square Meal
Proof that south-east London really does have it all, Babur is an award-winning Indian restaurant next to a carpet shop. Step inside the brick-lined dining room, & the tone is set by Ajit Kumar Das’s stunning kalamkari wall hanging. Just as the painted cloth is an exercise in precision, so each dish is a fine-tuned combination of top British produce with Asian spices & aromatics. Favourites include marinated Welsh lamb tikka, black cod in spiced mustard oil with mustard mash, & a really well-made chicken biriyani with cucumber raita. Chilli isn’t the point here, but spicy dishes such as buffalo vindaloo are marked on the menu with a cute little tiger’s head – two denotes ‘roaring hot’. Customers are encouraged to get involved during occasional tasting nights, helping to decide which trial dishes make it onto the full carte. Wines & cocktails are up to the mark.
read the full review here
The Sunday Times Top 200 Restaurants
The best dining in South East London
