Babur Brasserie

This superb Indian restaurant makes the trip out to Forest Hill worthwhile, whilst locals should consider themselves blessed that they can get food of this quality without having to travel into Central London. The myth that Indian food and wine do not complement each other has been laid to rest at Babur. This Indian restaurant in South London serves great food and an impressive range of wines from different parts of the world. 

The guiding principle behind Babur appears to echo wine critic Andre Simon's philosophy of "Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost; united and well matched they are body and soul, living partners".  So, get metaphysical and say cheers!

Having ordered your wines, start your meal with Bengali beetroot cutlets with their crisp sago layer or go for the Mughal style saffron marinated king prawns. You could settle for the south Indian savoury pancake or uttapam or sample other exotic starters - the clove smoked Yorkshire deer cutlet with rock salt and fennel seeds or the ostrich infused with sandalwood and fenugreek.

For mains do try the chicken biryani, have chicken cooked in Chettinad style with liberal use of ground pepper or settle for the perennial favourite - tandoori chicken. The pan fried Barbary duck breast glazed with honey and coriander, curried rabbit in aromatic spices and tandoor roasted ribs simmered with Goan spices, xacuti style, are other options. The mains taste best when had with basmati rice or Indian breads of your choice. Vegetarians have a lot of variety too.

For dessert, you could select the saffron poached pear or bread and butter pudding if you wish to stick to familiar fare, but if you are in the mood to be adventurous, do try the unusual beetroot samosa, rasmalai, tandoori pineapple or the exotic kulfis and ice creams.

While the stylish interiors in shades of ochre and russet exude warmth, the customised art and the hand embroidered runners show the attention has been lavished on the décor. The stylish logo, great food, knowledgeable staff and efficient service all make dining at Babur a different and memorable experience.