Balboa - Colombian Pacific Food in Greenwich

Honestly I thought twice about writing this review. It’s a local gem and I don’t really want it be swarmed with lots of people. But credit is due where credit is due. This place is amazing. Fantastic flavours, a delicious meal tonight. We come here often and have had maybe everything on the menu. It’s all excellent. It’s cosy, friendly and inexpensive. Plus BYO. This might be my favourite restaurant anywhere. 10/10- a definite recommendation.

I loved my meal and the staff were so friendly. They really do Colombian food justice and its so great to have a restaurant like this since there is not many around in Greenwich.

Lovely food and service. Nice ambience, quite small and cosy. Will definitely go again. Prices are good value.

I don't normally write reviews, but the food was so exceptional that I really wanted to ensure I gave it five stars somewhere! The staff were so friendly, the atmosphere was great and the food tasted amazing.

Having been here a number of times, Balboa offers top of the range food at reasonable prices. The restaurant is by day a coffee shop, and at the end of the week, also a superb and sophisticated Colombian restaurant in the evening with carefully chosen Colombian dishes, showing the more sophisticated side of Colombian cooking. This is a family restaurant, and the service has always been personal and charming. Everything is cooked to order, and there is a bring your own bottle arrangement.

Really enjoyed this little restaurant -very cosy. Had a lovely martini with aniseed undertones. My prawn starter was fab - so tasty. Opted for the vegan main - Slow cooked Hominy corn and Pumpkin Maizotto served with Cassava chips - so full of flavour. First time eating Colombian and loved it.

I booked this restaurant for my birthday and Ernesto and his team are absolutely amazing From emailing and talking to Ernesto to arrange my birthday celebration the service received was outstanding. Everyone was so warm and welcoming . The food was so good. Every course was cooked to perfection and so tasty. Empanadas , sea bass, chicken, pork belly, prawns, every dish was presented well and tasted divine. You can tell a lot of thought and love has gone into the menu and that Ernesto and his team are proud of the dishes served. The atmosphere and ambiance is spot on. It’s not pretentious in any way just great food served by a great team. I would recommend this restaurant to friends and family and anyone wanting an authentic experience. This is one of the best restaurants I’ve ever eaten at and I will be returning soon.

Lovely restaurant, hidden gem , friendly and welcoming atmosphere, amazing food , every dish was beautifully presented and full of flavour , will definitely be going back

We have been here a few times and have always had excellent food. This place is a gem, tucked away, inconspicuous. The flavours are absolutely delicious, like nothing I have ever tasted before. The service is excellent too. Plus it’s BYOB. I love this little place, one of the best.

Fabulous meal, my husband loved his meaty dishes and I had a great veggie meal. Tasty, fantastic value, great service and byob. Loved it and looking forward to returning.

The service is amazing,the staff are so kind and welcoming i highly recommend the restaurant.Very unique colombian dishes,the presentation of the food and the prices are great too.Can't wait to go back

I've just posted a review which was as full of praise as the others on this site. I then realised it was worth posting that, somewhat confusingly, it is called 'The Trafalgar' on the outside and it is only the presence of a handwrttten note that tells you it is 'Balboa' in the evening (from 5.00) (and it also looks very run down). It is definitely worth it!

Popped into this little gem last night. We both had sea bass which was absolutely beautifully baked to perfection with plantain and a sauce in a banana leaf, with a portion of rice and plantain crisps on the side. Food was very hot and prepared and cooked fresh to order so don’t expect fast food, sit back, relax and have a drink while you wait. It will be so worth it! Ernesto and his wife are charming.

Outstanding food at a great price. All freshly cooked with wonderful flavours. Also a range of fresh and columbian drinks. The service is really friendly and welcoming. A delightful evening.

It was our first time at this restaurant and eating Columbian food. It was amazing and warm atmosphere. Bring your own booze and enjoy the clean and flavourful food which won't burn your pocket. I spent 4.5hrs at this restaurant with friends and the team never showed any impatience. Get there early to get a table. Food was freshly cooked, a small but wonderful menu.

Just wanted to give a shout out to Ernesto, Maria and the rest of the team at Balboa in Greenwich. We recently celebrated a birthday party with them and their service leading up to the event and on the day itself was impeccable. Ernesto went out of his way to propose a menu for my guests. Recommended somewhere for me to purchase the alcoholic drinks , shout out to theatre of wine Greenwich and Rebecca for all their help! On the day of the event itself Maria and her team were amazing. Nothing was too much trouble for them not even the insatiable curiousity of a 9 year old phased them. The food was amazing and all our guests enjoyed themselves immensely. The portion sizes were more than sufficient for all appetites present. We went away from the evening thoroughly satisfied in all aspects! I would highly recommend this establishment to everyone wanting to try something different. Ernesto and Maria I'll always be grateful for giving us such a memorable evening and allowing us the privilege of taking over your entire venue for the evening. Thank you so much!

Recommended by a friend, this was a real surprise. We know the cafe for breakfast, but the evening Colombian was a revelation. We had been warned to order carefully, avoid too much heaviness, but it simply was t a problem. I asked for a recommendation, for the lightest main, and was direct to the vegetarian. I was sceptical, but it worked. Non alcoholic juices were good aperatifs, while it’s always a bonus to have BYO. Service careful bit relaxed at the same time. Will definitely be back.

Visiting family & tried this exciting new dining option in Greenwich. Small, intimate interior. Warm welcome from pleasant owners, menu contains lots of items not personally seen anywhere else. Bring your own alcohol, not a problem as couple of general stores a few yards away....

This was our second trip to Balboa and we hope there will be many more! The staff are friendly, the service is great and the food is generously portioned and delicious. The arepas and empanadas in particular are great but everything is good. It is...

Real gem! Family run lovely little place. Food is fantastic. Authentic and innovative at the same time, home made quality. They do BYOB and the bill is decent.

Took a boat trip from central London for Saturday night dinner here. Its superb! Wonderful cosy family feeling, fantastic food and really generous portions. Highly recommended.

Amazing food, very very tasty. Clran and tidy and the owner was very nice. Great service. Can't wait to visit again and try something different from the menu

This is a hidden gem in Greenwich, easily in the top 5 places to eat. Everything we tried was outstanding. The braised steak and fish was excellent, and the freshest empenadas I have had in London

I was recommended by a friend from work to visit Balboa with the family. I have never had Colombian food before so we ordered different things to share and I have to say that everything was delicious. Empanadas were soooo good and the mains and...

Really enjoyed our first Columbian experience. Can’t wait to visit again when next we visit our son in a Greenwich. Amazing food. Good prices. Excellent service. Take your own drinks.

We ordered from this restaurant as a take away. So happy that we found this place. We ordered a lot of stuff. Empanadas, Plantain, Fish dish, Beef dish, Pork dish etc. It was far too much of course but we planned to finish it off...

Popped in for dinner after seeing some positive reviews online. All I can say is - WOW. The shredded beef tostadas are some of the best I’ve ever tasted. The chicken empanadas are served with the most beautiful pineapple salsa. Can’t believe we’re lucky enough...

We had a lovely evening with great Colombian food, and were very surprised when we saw the bill. Was a steal :) We definitely recommend a visit!

Warm welcome, friendly, helpful staff only too willing to explain the dishes on the menu. We shared a delicious starter; the tostadas with king prawns in coconut sauce. We recommend the fish fillet Tamai - fish cooked in a banana leaf, served wth plantain. Also...

Really great authentic Colombian Pacific food. We had fish which was excellent - generous portions too and remarkably good value. Bring your own wine/beer. Lovely people, very friendly. Make sure you check which days they are open though as it's not 7 days a week...

A nice family run pop-up restaurant in Greenwich! If you are a plantain banana lover, don’t miss it! Also recommend seafood dishes, fish wrapped in the banana leaf, king prawn with peanut sauce in the fried plantain container😋😋😋

Delicious food and great value, what a little gem of a restaurant! We spent valentines evening there and it was a lovely intimate vibe with great family run service. The food was divine,, for a starter, the 'Tostadas with King Prawn Encocado' (Plaintain cups full...

Balboa takes over from the Trafalgar Café (16:00 according to Facebook). We had several starters and a main dish each. All of our food was delicious. The starters are comparable with a restaurant like Gaucho but at a fraction of Gaucho’s prices. The main was...