Bala Baya in Southwark

Thank you so much for hosting us last night! Everyone raved about the food, the drink, the service and the setting. Could not have had a better evening, everything was superb. Plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. Highly recommend trying some Israeli wine, we really enjoyed it. If you’re after something a little different and absolutely delicious, book Bala Baya!

We enjoyed a flavoursome meal at Bala Baya. Not a run of the mill spot - enjoyed their unique dishes. Also enjoyed the vibe, good music and overall ambience. Large contribution from our lovely waitress Freya, who was super warm and welcoming. Thank you for a lovely evening!

Food good but my bag (with my phone and card) was stolen while I was sat at a table right in front of their entrance. This happened roughly an hour after we sat down. Their manager was really helpful when I raised the alarm. I realise this can happen anywhere but I suggest that they don't place tables so close to where they let customers congregate to enquire about table availability and/or don't pack in tables so close to your main entrance. More thought needs to be given to the layout with customer security in mind-the outside seating is in a railway arch , they don't section it off at all which most other restaurants with outdoor seating do to make it more difficult for opportunistic thieves. Giving it a three because food is good and staff and manager were helpful.

We ate here while on vacation, and enjoyed the patio space. We also enjoyed several dishes, while a couple were not quite what we were hoping for, but the food is creative and we give them props for that. Our favorite dish was the Kebab dumplings, highly recommend. The brisket in the brisket donut was excellent, but we found the “donut” to be lacking in taste and tough to cut. We really enjoyed the stuffed courgette flower, and would have like to received more than one on the plate (given the price of the dish). Conversely, the Jerusalem artichokes were a very generous serving. Overall, A for the location, space, and creativity, B for the dishes we tried, and would try it again.

Great service, nice ambiance and delicious food. We were looking for a restaurant close to our hotel one evening for a late dinner and stumble upon this restaurant that serves Israeli food. Since we had never tried Israeli cruise before we decided to give it a try. This restaurant has small plates and we were told to order two to three small plates per person. It turns out that we were full after four ( for the two of us) small plates. We ordered fire cabbage, lamb kebab dumplings, aubergine mess, laffa couture, pita and a glass of red wine. All four dishes were scrumptious. Bread was freshly made as well. Our server was friendly and suggested dishes for us to try. We didn’t order dessert since we were too full. Over all a great experience.

Having sample the sister restaurant Kapara we gave Bala Baya a try. Same quality middle Eastern dishes with small and large plates designed for sharing. The "Club Tropicana" was an interesting Tuna Tart are, very spicy and the Chikken Laffa very tasty. A short wine list, not over expensive and friendly service. The setting has indoor and outdoor tables and we managed to eat outside. There is, however, a thoroughfare going through the outside which can detract somewhat and the indoor space is a bit bland. For similar food overall we preferred Kapara of the two.

Thoroughly enjoyed this meal. The best of all the meals we had this trip. Unpretentious but food was so good, decor is immaterial. Loved their Jerusalem bagel, aubergine mess, cauliflower steak crumble, season’s flower, fire grilled cabbage snd brisket doughnut.

Ben je op zoek naar een authentiek Midden Oosten restaurant in Central Londen dan ben je hier aan het goede adres. Bij binnenkomst van het restaurant, gelegen in het district Southwark word je al gelijk in een sfeervolle omgeving ontvangen, met zeer vriendelijke mensen in de bediening. Het principe van de menukaart is dat je de gerechten kunt delen zodat je echt van veel verschillende smaken kunt genieten. Dat moet je zeker doen want echt de gerechten zijn allen zeer smaakvol, mooi opgemaakt, af en toe lekker pittig maar zeker niet te pittig. De Oosterse sferen komen helemaal tot hun recht met deze overheerlijke gerechten. Wij hebben zelf een keuze gemaakt van een paar voorgerechten, daarna nog wat hoofdgerechten uitgezocht en tot slot een dessert gedeeld. Dit alles aangevuld met een heerlijk wit wijntje en de avond is compleet. Een echte aanrader voor de liefhebber van al het lekkers uit het Midden Oosten.

Met with family at this recommended restaurant - best advice ever! The service was effortless, kind, insightful and unobtrusive. Great tips on what to order, even though I knew some of the dishes I wanted to try. Every single dish was amazing. You must try the Prawn Baclava - to die for. The Roasted Cauliflower sauce was a new taste to me and utterly wonderful. Flavours of the beautiful country of Israel with some nods to Greek, Maltese, Moroccan and Egyptian thrown in. Great for Veggies and Vegans. Great outdoor eating and spotless toilets (I know, have to mention them) Proper linen napkins and quality plates that gave the essence of fine dining.

We had a wonderful meal at Bala Baya. The food and service were fantastic! The setting and decor are also very fun. We would recommend it anyone who enjoys a family-style sharing meal!

Fantastic food, great atmosphere. We visited for brunch. The food was amazing, the Aubergine dish especially good but we enjoyed every dish.

Tasty food, lovely presentation and friendly service. Lots of sharing plates so we tried 7/8 dishes between us. Everything was delicious.

Interesting, unusual (to my tastes) food even though I love Otto Lenghi and am familiar with Middle Eastern food. And just delicious. Wish I could have eaten more.

The food here is absolutely amazing!! Drinks were amazing, service was amazing. What i love most was how all the workers treated me and eachother like family! Absolutely amazing! Would definitely recommend eating the prawn baklava as it was out of this world!!! The new cocktail Limonana made me feel like I was back at the beach. Absolutely terrific.

Had lunch here on a Spring Break trip with my wife and two 15 year old teenagers. Food was absolutely spectacular. Every dish we tried we loved. The Cauliflower was amazing, as was the hummus. Aubergine mess was beautifully presented and tasted fantastic. Cabbage dish was also great. Pita was well done. Cool space and interesting drink menu, though we were not drinking alcohol at lunch as we were on our way to Tate Modern (10 minute walk). I don't understand poor reviews here. This was up there with Zahav and Laser Wolf in Philadelphia for top Israeli food. Service was also great.

A good spot for a casual meal. The concept of small plates giving a taste of Israel is nice. A bit pricey for our liking but the meal was enjoyable and the staff was pleasant.

Wir waren sehr gespannt auf das Essen und haben extra zeitig reserviert (unbedingt empfohlen). Das Restaurant bietet gute Menüs zum probieren an, wobei wir die Fleischvariante gewählt haben. Das Essen war einwandfrei für unseren Geschmack aber mit zu viel Limette und Salz. Da wir große Ottolenghi Fans sind waren die meisten Gerichte zwar sehr gut zubereitet aber nicht so spektakulär im Geschmack wie erwartet. Das Ambiente war klasse, man muss damit rechnen eng beieinander zu sitzen.

Staff were fine. Food was though really poor - mainly overcooked and over-spiced vegetables. Can recommend the pitta bread but the rest was pretty dire. Also, the price to pay for a plate of overcooked vegetables is exorbitant. On the meat - beaf was edible, pork (with sprouts) just fat and grizzle. Lighting was a problem. We had to use a phone torch to read the menu. Then eating poor food where you can't see what you are eating is not nice.

Went for a brunch on my birthday. Food was way too salty: The lamb shakshuka, the hummus with beef and the salmon shawarma - all very salty. No kids menu... My kids couldn't eat because of the high concentration of salt, so we had to return their dish. The waitress told us that the chef said this is exactly how it should be... Oh well, definitely a chef who doesn't care what his customers are saying. We came out very disappointed, won't be back.

This was my second visit to the Bala Baya. The food is wonderfully fresh and well presented. We have the Brunch feast which was good value and gave us a taste of everything. Really enjoyed the Salmon and the feta cheese with apricots

First of all, my compliments to the chef: the food is INCREDIBLE, so please don’t let me put you off with this review. However, the lighting was awful, no ambience: the place had the lighting of a late night kebab place. When we queried, they brought down the lights (it was lovely) to again bring them up again as there was not enough light in the kitchen… Then the white wine (13£ a glass) came warm. And they told us could not do anything about it. Amazing food, bad ambience, poor front of house, warm white wine. Surely all of that can be easily improved.

Disappointing sharing menu. We opted for the sharing menu and were disappointed at the offering for the 3 of us. The bread course for example only came with 2 pieces of bread to share between 3 of us. We were also served 3 dishes twice, when we pointed this out on the third dish it was taken away and no replacement was brought (leaving us short) . On a sharing menu designed to take you through a range of dishes it was particularly disappointing to have 3 of them repeated meaning that we hardly sampled the menu. My advice would be to avoid the sharing option and to pick your own dishes. Overall we were left with the opinion we had been short changed and offered the cheapest dishes possible.

Still knocking out great dishes and pulsing with flavour, character and energy! They have wisely kept the best of their classics while staying innovative and surprising.

We stumbled across this while looking for a place to eat after visiting Southbank Xmas market on our way to Borough Market. We had the shakshuka and the Tunisian "donut" with beef brisket and both were amazing. The drinks were great too! Highly recommend!

How much would you pay for a whole grilled cauliflower, a whole grilled cabbage and 6 prawns? That will cost you £205 including a tip of 12.5%. The food is very nice but it feels like a scam. The prawn baklava is £27 for 3 prawns. The cabbage is £15 for a quarter of a cabbage. The cauliflower is £17 for a quarter of a cauliflower. They don’t tell you how small the portions are on the menu or the website. You only realise you need to eat 3-4 of them once you’ve sat down and ordered your drinks. The food was good, the ambience was nice, the service was okish. If you have money to burn than go for it, otherwise there are restaurants with food just as good for a third of the price.

Bala made our stay very memorable and he was very pleasant to talk to He gave us some very good ideas for our stay which made our stay much easier to find items of interest 10 / 10

The food was amazing, the service was spot on. The aubergine was something like we have never tasted before, the cauliflower was a fine balance of flavours and the babka was extremely light. Plus, you can't beat an excellent humous. Great atmosphere too. Highly recommend.

The overall experience was very average. We thought the portions were very small for the prices being charged, and we also thought some of the meals were tasteless. Service was ok, forgot a drink and a side but I guess mistakes are made. Wouldn’t rush back.

Fabulous food - so many incredible flavours and lovely dishes you can share with friends. Definitely coming back!

The best food. Best atmosphere. Best chef. Lovely and friendly staff. Pay this fab restaurant a visit and have a great meal and a great time!

We had a birthday party here and it was OK. You are in a railway arch that has been spanked up...a bit. We had a set course with one round of good mezze, then roast cawliflower and fish. It was good, but not 60.00 a...

Locale molto carino, con una volta in mattoni altissima. Il locale è all' interno di una sorta di corte, con altri locali prima e dopo. Il cibo è buono, anche se in alcuni casi non estremamente ben legato. Alcuni problemi strutturali; trovandosi sotto il ponte...

Had lunch on a Sunday, not as busy at it is on Saturdays. The flat bread very nice - grilled well, tomatoes with chills was spicy, the hummus was good as starters. The mains of bagel brisket was ok- more a brunch meal. The aubergine...

Bala Baya is een van de restaurantjes in een wat wegstoppen plekje voor kenners of locals tegen/onder een spoorweglijn zoals er wel meerdere zijn in Londen. Het is ee; kwestie ze op te merken en te gaan ontdekken, maar dat maakt de beleving alleen maar...

OMG, the food in this place is fantastic! Well worth a trip out if you’re staying in the centre of London. Please do a cookbook!! The staff went over and beyond with the service. Food was amazing!!

I love this place and the food is out of this world. First time for brunch and I have to say that although the food was delicious, I felt the serving was kind of stingy for £19 (I had the Smash & Shwarma Salmon). Really...

לאחר ביקור במסעדה כל המשפחה השירות גרוע , מנות קטנות ויקרות . קיבלנו "פיתות " בגודל של חצי פיתה . ובסוף קיבלנו חשבון של לאפה

Outstanding flavour and texture combinations. A beautiful dining experience! Staff were friendly and attentive and ensured we had our food in good time to leave for performance at The Old Vic theatre. Not cheap, but absolutely worth it!

Incredibly delicious food. Don't miss the aubergine and the artichoke dishes. Hostess and servers were delightful. I will remember this meal for a long time.

Bala Baya was the perfect Sunday brunch venue for a group of 8 friends celebrating a friend’s birthday. The weather was perfect and we were able to eat outside in the sunshine under the canopy. The smoked salmon is smoked in the restaurant and was...

The worst israeli food have i ever tried, just mix of everything! Service was tooo slow and indifferent. I'm a big fan of typical Israeli food/street food, but in this place I barely finished my dishes. Shakshuka was like a mess with tasteless dry meat...

We enjoyed Bala Baya for lunch on their lovely outdoor patio. Their staff was friendly. We ordered multiple small plates for sharing. All items were exceptional. We enjoyed the Apricots & Feta, Chickpea Hummus, AUBERGINE MESS, PINK CARPACCIO, PRAWN BAKLAVA and the KEBAB DUMPLINGS. The...

As always a excellent lunch with nice food and excellent service. If the weather allows then ensure you sit outside. Highly recommend

Excellent repas plein de saveurs. Service rapide et attentionné Musique un peu forte mais bonne playlist. Nous avons passe une...

The food here is high quality and the setting is relaxed and trendy, but the portions are incredibly small. I understand the concept of small plates but this is overly expensive compared to most. Perhaps better for couples or groups but not great value for...

When there for a brunch with a friend and had a great experience. The food is delicious, and so are the drinks, and the staff was extremely kind and attentive. I'd recommend a visit.

Sehr ausgefallene Küche mit interessanten (Geschmacks)Kombinationen. Alles sehr lecker. Der Service war nett, kommt aber leider nicht an das Niveau...

At the recommendation of a friend, we chose Bala Baya to celebrate a work event and hold a dinner. Eran’s team went above and beyond to create an experience for us. Sam, who looked after us, who was fantastic did a little DIY gazoz workshop,...

Another fantastic meal. The atmosphere here is great and the food is fantastic. I was eating with two vegetarian friends and we just worked our way down the top 2/3 of the menu which was all veggie and all lovely.

Fantastic service, brilliant food, superb ambience. The doughnut brisket was gorgeous highly recommended.

First time eating here.food was excellent and well presented. Not cheap but I guess that's London ! Staff were very friendly and attentive.

Great food, Spicy at the right point, amazing shrimp no way, the staff were very good!! I will come back surely

I have never left from a restaurant before. I was invited to have dinner by my friend and I was left the restaurant shocked and upset before I finish my meal. The ambiance and the food were ok; but one of the waiters (who I...

Bala Baya was so good, amazing food, the staff were so helpful and it is a beautiful place. The hummus with beef was amazing as was the winter salad and everything else.

absolutely loved this place !! food was great, and staff super nice with really made our day, everyone enjoyed it

Food was excellent, service was just about OK. What was least enjoyable was the payment system being set up to encourage diners to leave a tip on top of the already generous 12.5% service charge that is added to the bill by default. That, in...

Sat in the first floor- just, all tables were taken. Seating area very cramped and tables had to be moved to allow to be seated on the bench.chairs were wooden and uncomfortable. Had the Mezze aubergine mess- good but small. Mezze beef with hummus -...

From the moment we entered, we were made to feel welcome by the warm and friendly staff. Our waitress explained clearly how everything worked and gave some great recommendations. We had the brunch feast and everything was delicious, especially the mezze and homemade pittas. The...