Having been open since 1985, Babur on Brockley Rise has rightfully earned its iconic status, slinging out gourmet Indian cuisine from its stylish home in Forest Hill (just down the road from my home in Honor Oak – lucky me). The restaurant has gained acclaim for its modern take on traditional dishes, with mentions in the AA guide to name a few. I visited Babur a few years ago in 2022 and, I have to say, I was incredibly impressed – so it was time for a revisit to see if my memory was correct.
Everything we had during our Babur restaurant review was an absolute delight.
Our Review Of Babur In Forest Hill
Located on Brockley Rise, the restaurant offered a stylish, contemporary dining space with a very natural vibe to it, thanks to roughed-up brick walls lined with unique, textural artworks, as well as smart laid tables and calming music. It was a particularly chapping winter's day on our visit, and we found warmth and refuge here, feeling very cosy indeed under low lighting and surrounded by dark orange and burgundy tones.
The steamed lamb shoulder (left) and scallops (right) are some of the must-try dishes from Babur's menu.
We kicked off the evening with two glasses of the house red - Malbec, Alto Molino, Piattelli 2022, Cafayate, Argentina (£7.95 per glass) - a vibrant tipple juicy with berries, gearing us up for our first starter: the goat shoulder tikka (£9.95). The meat was so melt in the mouth and rich with cardamom, elevated with the sweetness from the chutney, while the aubergine smash was smoky and subtle, and the cumin puff added a nice textural crunch – I could have eaten this a million times over. Our other starter, the griddled scallops (£12.50), two gorgeous, buttery soft rounds of white shellfish, were delicate and perfectly executed, sat on a fresh bed of pea puree that had hints of herbs running through it.
When choosing our mains though, we had the same problem as our last visit – we just couldn’t choose what to go for, as everything sounded utterly delicious. After much deliberation, I landed on the steamed shoulder of lamb with beetroot rice (£21.75). The huge slab of tender, juicy meat pulled apart with ease (it had been marinated for 100 hours in a Punjabi masala), which I scooped up with spoonfuls of the accompanying beetroot rice and rich lamb jus. My partner, on the other hand, went for something a little lighter, the Punjabi stone bass (£20.95). It was beautifully cooked, with a delicious crispy skin garnished with pickled radish and papaya, giving it a lovely sweet edge. This worked perfectly to balance out the creamy, citrussy sauce that was unlike anything we’d ever had before. We also couldn’t help but order a portion of their dal makhni (£7.25) – one of my weaknesses – dunking the fragrant garlic naan (£3.50) into the unctuous bowl of creamy lentils.
You can't go wrong with an indulgent, creamy bowl of dal makhani in this cosy setting.
We were actually so full by the end of those dishes, that we agreed we weren’t going to have dessert. That was, until we saw the dessert menu. Cumin chocolate fondant with salted caramel gelato (£7.50)? Yes, please. It took a few minutes to come out, but oh my was it worth it – the fondant was warm and oozing with rich chocolate, and there’s just something about pairing an ooey, gooey dessert with ice cream, isn’t there - especially on a cold winter's night such as this. We also dug into the spiced apricot and fig crumble with saffron custard (£5.95), which was the perfect end to an already stellar evening.
Babur, Forest Hill: Overall
No - my memory wasn't playing tricks on me, Babur really was as good as I remember. It's a lovely neighbourhood restaurant that brings gourmet Indian food to the fore, and we thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience. Not only was it a stylish, cosy place to enjoy date night together, but the service was warm and friendly - plus the food? From start to finish, I honestly couldn't fault it.
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💰 Price: Just over £100 for two. 📍 Address: 119 Brockley Rise, SE23 1JP. 👌 Perfect for: Date nights, family dinners and special celebrations. ⭐ Need to know: They also have a fantastic selection of Indian-inspired cocktails. |
For more dining out inspiration, check out our guide to the best restaurants in South London.
