ROUGH-ONLINE Night Out At BABABOOM - The Ultimate Chargrilled Kitchen

It’s no surprise Middle Eastern has become one of the UK’s most sought after cuisines. However, unlike recent contemporary twists on the likes of Pan-Asian and Caribbean cuisines, there’s not yet been a ‘wow’ worthy Middle Eastern version for the current wave of foodies. Well, until now. Enter Bababoom, a cool, quaint and cozy food joint in Clapham’s Battersea Rise. The new eatery, which launched on September 6th, is the brainchild of super foodies, Eve, Travis and Jono who have used their combined 30 years of food experience to create a restaurant injecting a dose of modern Middle Eastern to the booming Clapham foodie hub.

The restaurant no doubt adds some coolness to Battersea Rise with specks of bold reds and golds and architectural detailing with an open kitchen against tawny brick walls.The animated, buzzy eatery attracts a varied mix of young instagram ready creatives and professionals capturing the London zeitgeist perfectly.Upon entering, we were greeted with a beguiling welcome from co-owners Jono and Eve. We were then settled in with one of their signature bergamot frozen margaritas…and then another…and then one more – they were that good!

Our eyes pranced around the menu which was divided into Nibbles – Baba’s hummus and Sweet Potato Tahini. Mains offering a selection of meats over Flatbread or fresh Fattoush Salad which included Saffron & Orange chicken, Short Rib Beef Adana complete with add-ons such as Lamb Merguez Sausage and plenty more. Sides include Dukkah fries and earthy spicy super grain Freekah Tabbouleh. The small but rich dessert menu of Afters offers the likes of Caramel doused vodka and Chocolate cardamom bowl. Rounding up the menu is Bababoom’s varied Drinks section with a fine selection of beers, wines, top notch cocktails, mimosas and fresh juices spearheaded by former Hawksmoor drinks whizz Ali Reynolds.

Our food marathon began with a grand opening of delicious mezze starting with the rich Baba’s hummus, Rose Harissa Labneh and the moorish Dukkah Whitebait which was a surprising front runner – melt in your mouth crisp texture with a smoky aftertaste. The Harissa Labneh, a smooth thick hummus, with an aromatic fiery kick, was a deserving runner up. Affable staff were attentive throughout, ensuring our glasses were always full and we were stocked up with delicious tangy/herb side sauces!

Fresh out the mangal grill, mains was the Rotisserie Lamb Shoulder – large chunks of juicy lamb, garnished in pomegranate onions, oversized fresh chilies, crunchy salad layered over a fluffy warm Persian flatbread.

We finished with theToasted Boom!Mallows Peach Melba – grilled peach melba with yoghurt sorbet and toasted marshmallows and the Chocolate Cardamon bowl with honeycomb and yoghurt. Both decadent and soaring on our flavour barometer. Toasted Boom! was nothing short of outstanding – the combination of the toasted marshmallows, grilled warmth of the peach against the creamy yoghurt sorbet, made for one hell of a dessert!

Must Try–

Dukkah Whitebait, Toasted Boom!

Avoid–

Everything we tasted was a star dish.

Price–

From £30* per person based on nibbles, mains, afters and one drink.

Verdict – 9/10

Bababoom effortlessly blends Middle Eastern flavour with quality British goods served within a trendy, non-pretentious setting. From nibbles to feasts, beers to margaritas, hearty to healthy, Bababoom satisfies across all levels delivering “Real food and big flavours!”

Dinner’s not the only meal course on offer, Bababoom have a jam-packed mouthwatering menu offering a killer brunch on the weekends from 10.30am-3pm. Also, the restaurant will be serving their Baba’s midnight feasts every Friday and Saturday, until midnight, so there’s no reason to miss out on the fun.