Babur, Forest Hill: restaurant review

From the moment I walked into Babur, a modern Indian restaurant located in south east London, I felt that I’d found what I’d been looking for since moving to London.

I’ve been living here for just over a month now, and I find that whenever I move to a new city, it takes me a while to get familiar with the restaurant scene. I miss the familiarity of my hometown establishments, where I know I’m guaranteed friendly service and tasty food.

That’s why Babur - with its unpretentious yet refined atmosphere, and its seriously delicious food - was such a revelation.

For nearly four decades now, Babur has been quietly and consistently elevating Indian cuisine. It’s ever-evolving menu goes in big on flavour, with Babur’s talented culinary team - under the expert guidance of executive chef Jiwan Lal - continually researching and experimenting with flavours from their home states of India.

This dedication to their craft shines through in Babur’s innovative tasting menu. From the chicken chettinad to the goat shoulder tikka, every dish we sampled was so different - and it’s this variety of flavour and texture that truly sets Babur apart.

To begin…

Upon being seated, we were invited to enjoy a cocktail. The signature offering of a Mumbai Negroni - featuring homemade spiced sweet vermouth and pink clove bitters - caught my eye, but I ultimately had to opt for the Himalayan salt and cumin seed lassi. I can’t overstate how tasty this was!

A tray of poppadoms and chutneys promptly arrived, further confirming that we were in for a real treat. The chutneys were like nothing I’d had before - homemade, fresh, tangy and so tasty - and the sweet-and-sour tamarind and raising offering was a particular standout.

A culinary journey…

We dined off the tasting menu, where the variety of the dishes on offer was truly special and the price point of £48.95 incredible value.

Our first course featured a tender and spicy swordfish tikka with an onion and radish pickle, alongside a kasundi king prawn served with green papaya murabba. Both plates were exceptional, with the seafood cooked to perfection - delicately charred on the outside, juicy and flavoursome on the inside.

We opted for the wine pairing, and the pinot blanc - chosen by Babur’s in-house sommelier - proved the perfect accompaniment for seafood.

We then enjoyed the tulsi malai chicken tikka, which was a fragrant delight. Cooked with cashews and basil, it was like nothing I’d ever tasted!

It was served alongside a dish of cottage cheese, peas and kadai spices, which reminded me of the matar paneer I always order from the same vegetarian Indian restaurant in Birmingham that my family have been going to for decades.

It lived up to that - which is quite possibly the biggest compliment I can give! It’s worth noting that veggies are equally well-catered for at Babur, with a separate tasting menu.

For our third course, we enjoyed a bihari kebab with mint-chilli yoghurt - which was juicy, tender and spicy - alongside a goat shoulder tikka that was quite possibly the standout dish of the evening. Like everything at Babur, it was cooked to perfection.

We washed this down with an Argentinian malbec that perfectly complemented the spiciness of the food. I’m possibly (definitely) biased as a red wine fan, but this was the best bottle of the evening.

On our friendly waiter’s recommendation, my boyfriend and I opted for different mains - a great shout, given how different (yet delicious) both dishes were.

I went for the slow cooked mutton, served in a truly beautiful clay pot, alongside steamed rice. It was so rich and flavourful - the perfect antidote to the rainy, wintery weather outside.

My boyfriend went for the chicken chettinad, which was just as impressive. The meat was tender and perfectly spiced, the dish fresh and light, accompanied by a dosa that was as crispy and as sour as it should be!

It was then time for dessert. I can’t recommend the black cardamon fig kheer enough, which came accompanied by a raspberry sorbet and nutty crumble which puts my own baking to shame! It was elevated by aniseed sprinkles which added even more flavour and texture, served alongside an exceptional orange muscat. The perfect note upon which to end a truly exceptional meal.

Babur might just be my new favourite restaurant in the capital.

Esther was a guest of Babur.