A unique take on a traditional curry house, Balham Social serves up Indian dishes and cocktails in social-media-worthy interiors. With plant-based options aplenty, Balham Social is breaking into the sphere of edgy restaurants, delivering enjoyable dishes and experiences in equal measure just yards from Balham Station.
The dining room is decked out in pastel colours, with all the glitz and glamour of ornate coloured glass fixtures, mirrored walls, and florals arrangements hanging from the ceilings. Cosy booths with large tables, green velvet stools, and fashionable pink-green chairs, and the various patterns and textures demonstrate much thought on the part of the designers. The menu is similarly well-thought out.
Headed by chef Imran Mansuri, a graduate of Michelin-starred restaurants Jamavar Mayfair, and Tamarind, the Balham Social menu has been called an experiment, and clearly it is one with good outcomes. Divided simply into vegetarian and non-veg sections, the menu is large and thankfully so. A selection of chaat, a savoury Indian snack and popular street food item composed of a fried dough and potato base, make the perfect snack to stimulate an appetite. A popular example is the burrata papdi chaat with creamy burrata, papdi crackers, and an assortment of chutneys.
Starters include chicken kempu, a crispy chicken breast with a fiery coating, samphire, and kaffir lime dip; grilled octopus with sweet potato, asparagus, and salad leaves; and diced chilli paneer with spring onion, peppers, and chilli garlic sauce. Mains range from a classic butter chicken curry, to chana masala, and kheema rajputhani - minced lamb cooked with onion, tomatoes and green peas.
With a wine list designed to handle flavour and spice, mocktails, lassis, and signature cocktails incorporating flavours from the subcontinent all tastes are taken care of. Balham Social also serves bottomless brunch, a tiffin menu, and offers happy hour deals.