Note: Baba G announced it had closed its first bricks and mortar site in January 2020, after less than a year of trading. Owners Alec Owen and Liz Selway announced the closure across the restaurant's social media channels, writing "You’ll notice we’re no longer trading in the Camden restaurant! Thanks to everyone who supported our adventure of a bricks and mortar site, we had a blast dipping our toe into our first restaurant!"
As a well-established fixture of the London street-food scene (10 years and counting) and with an appearance on BBC’s My Million Pound Menu, it came as no surprise when Baba G opened its first bricks-and-mortar restaurant in the street-food heart of the city, Camden Market. With alfresco seating next to the iconic statue of Amy Winehouse and a theatre-style kitchen which recalls the street-food days, Baba G’s fits seamlessly into its surroundings.
Friendly and relaxed staff told us to sit anywhere we liked, so we chose to go outside to get the best of both worlds – street-food that you can eat sitting down. We ordered Ginger and Rum Fuego cocktails, pleasantly surprised that although pre-mixed they had a full-on ginger flavour.
Indian-style ‘bhangra burgers’ served in naan-style buns are Baba G’s speciality. Our Crazy Lamb Jalfrezi burger was perfectly seasoned with just the right amount of spice. Sweet mango chutney enhanced the flavour while the cool mint raita added freshness.
Similarly, the Cheeky Tikka Burger had all the flavours we know from the well-known curry without overpowering the other flavours. As well as the signature mango chutney, it came with an onion bhaji – an unusual but welcome addition instead of the standard onions.
By way of accompaniment, we opted for the chicken tikka nuggets that were crispy on the top, but slightly soggy from the tamarind and date dressing on the bottom. Lastly, because you can’t have a burger without fries, the loaded chips with melt-in-the-mouth slow-cooked raan lamb, chilli sauce and more of the refreshing mint raita were a great guilty pleasure.
Dishes arrived at the same time and we initially thought we were going to be overwhelmed by food, but it ended up being the perfect amount. Service was a bit slow but the staff’s friendliness and knowledge made up for it and the upbeat music and lively atmosphere fit the Camden Market surrounds to a tee.