Dish Cult Dines: how Babur became the pride of South East London

Exclusive review of Babur in London

From its unassuming spot in Honor Oak Park, Babur has been quietly and consistently elevating Indian cuisine in the area since 1985, and – recently crowned London’s Best Asian Restaurant at the Asian Restaurant Awards 2022 – is still being recognised as one of the best around.

Original cuisine, innovative cocktails, a price-conscious wine list and thoughtful service from a core team who have spent the last 15 years (at least) working side-by-side, Babur is a suburban jewel that is well-worth the journey.

Team

The quality dishes and innovative cocktails aside, one of the most remarkable things about Babur is the team. Emdad Rahman opened Babur when he was just 22 years old, after moving to Wembley when he was a teenager from Sylhet in the north-eastern corner of Bangladesh.

The kitchen is led by two very talented chefs, both formerly of the luxury Oberoi Hotel Group. Head chef Jiwan Lal and sous chef Praveen Kumar Gupta showcase the best of regional cooking and balance this with the bolder styles of the subcontinent.

Authenticity is an obsession for the team, as they’ve been known to embark on taste-fuelled tours of lesser known areas like Rajasthan to research the food and culture of the regions and recreate them back in the kitchen of Babur.

Culinary journey

Begin your own culinary expedition with tender Goat shoulder tikka cumin puff with black cardamom, green tomato and smoked aubergine mash or the exquisite Swordfish tikka with onion and radish pickle.

Mains continue the spice trail with inventive dishes such as Steamed shoulder of lamb with beetroot rice (outstandingly marinated for 100 hours in a spice-rich Punjabi masala and lamb jus), and the Chicken lababdar, cooked in creamy tomato, fenugreek and mace.

Desserts are far from your average Indian restaurant fare. Think cumin chocolate fondant with salted caramel gelato; comforting spiced apricot and fig crumble with golden saffron custard; stem ginger and honey kulfi with mixed berry compote and ginger shortbread; or avoid food envy with a Signature Platter of delectable mini servings that are ideal to share between three or four people.

Beverages

Innovation at Babur doesn’t stop at the kitchen pass, it continues by the glass with Indian flavour profiles being explored throughout the extensive cocktail list created by mixologist Rupam Talukdar.

The first in Babur’s two-dozen-plus list of original cocktails is the signature Currytini, combining Bombay Sapphire gin with fresh curry leaf, a kick of green chilli, dry vermouth and lime; it’s an exquisite drink to begin with before your food arrives as the chilli warms your palate and heightens your taste buds.

When it comes to selecting their wines, the team follow three main criteria: they must be delicious; they must work with the food; and they must be good value. Over the years of careful matchmaking, the team has discovered that with Indian food the spices are at least as important as the main ingredient. The keenly-priced wine list offers an impressive 16 wines by the glass and 34 bottles for under £25, and recommendations are made for best matches (sometimes for both red and white wines) with by-the-glass for each dish to help diners experience the best pairing each and every time.

Local pride

Listening to its customers has been key to Babur’s success, so much so that guests are involved in menu development! Proposed new dishes from the kitchen are road-tested by members of The Tasting Group (open to all customers) who have their say in what dishes will feature on upcoming menus. Simply sign up and every few months a group of tasters will be invited to come for an afternoon’s session of delicious dish tasting all in exchange for honest feedback.

It is attention to detail such as this, stemming from a passion for its food, heritage and community, that has allowed Babur to stand the test of time and become a firm local favourite that residents point out with pride.

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