If you find yourself wandering around Honor Oak on a Sunday afternoon, do not be startled if you spot a large tiger, perched above above a door front ready to pounce. You have in fact stumbled across a firm favourite establishment in the area.

Babur has been serving up delicious modern Indian dishes since the 80s from its upmarket South London restaurant. On Sundays, they offer an all-day buffet dining experience, and for those who like to mix it up a bit, each week’s menu brings something different.

Not one to shy away from an all you can eat buffet, we braved the Tiger one Sunday to sample some of Babur’s dishes. For those who have booked a buffet experience, expect to be seated in a beautiful Rajasthani marquee tent beyond the brasserie-style restaurant. As we sat there soaking up the atmosphere, the marquee slowly fills up, a great sign no doubt.

We begin with some seemingly familiar poppadoms and a selection of dips ranging from familiar mango to more spicy garlic, ginger and chilli options, all felt fresh and a great way to whet our appetite. The buffet on this occasion offered up a selection of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes, and it’s tempting to load your plate with everything. Remember folks, this is all you can eat with no limit on how many times you go back so go easy and enjoy the flavours a few dishes at a time.

Some of the standout dishes from the menu included a silky thick black daal. We mopped up the creamy lentils with a soft naan. The Traditional Mughlai chicken was tender and lightly curried, not feeling too heavy on the stomach at all. Another standout was the Salt fish cooked in coastal spiced coconut sauce, really light, beautifully flavoured and surprisingly different from what you’d expect from an Indian buffet.

Despite calling out a few of our highlights, we actually have very little bad to say about all the dishes, others included Mixed vegetable fritters, Lamb cooked with corn and coriander, vegetables tossed with cumin & garlic, Basmati rice flavoured with saffron and much more.

The buffet gives you a real opportunity to taste as many different Indian dishes as your belly can handle so go hungry. If you are looking for more of the contemporary and innovative dishes on offer, you need to opt for the la carte menu. No doubt we will be back to sample those so watch this space.

The Sunday buffet is available from midday until 4pm and costs £21.95 for adults and £14.95 for children and children under 7 eat for free.

Address: 119 Brockley Rise, Honor Oak, SE23 1JP

Website: www.babur.info

Written by Nyla S.

Photography courtesy of Babur