Meet BABA –The Levantine inspired restaurant of Edinburgh

We’ve all experienced the struggle of picking just one dish off a menu. It’s so frustrating to feel limited! That is, until you discover mezze… Derived from Persian, meaning to snack or taste. The BABA restaurant has taken this a step further with a menu inspired by traditional cuisine from the Levant area, made with a Scottish twist.

If you are staying in a Dickins home, we highly recommend a visit to BABA.

The Space

BABA has occupied the corner of George Street and Charlotte Square in the heart of the west end since November 2017. Plating up a menu designed to bring people together and encourage sharing and tasting of delicious food.

When you first enter, guests are welcomed with rich, vibrant colours and smiling staff. The interior space was designed by award-winning designers at Goddard Littlefair, paying homage to Georgian period features of the building and infusing Levantine influences to create a space which feels rather special.

The dining space feels intimate because of the smaller dining rooms. The Map Room and the Salon lead off the main dinging area leaving you surprised at the overall size of the restaurant. The rustic furniture adds comfort to the space, while walls adorned with mirrors and rugs have your eyes racing all over this impactful space.

The BABA team and ethos

When Jonathan MacDonald, one of the owners, was asked what he envisioned for Baba he said, “We’re excited about bringing something different to the Edinburgh food scene. We’ve spent the last year developing new and unique flavour combinations and creating what we believe is a menu of simple, high-quality, tasty Levantine inspired cuisine. The restaurant has been designed to invite people to escape, relax and enjoy good food in an informal setting.”

As they approach their two year celebration of BABA in Edinburgh, we feel they have worked hard to enrich the flavours of the Edinburgh food scene and firmly cemented their place as a must taste restaurant of the capital city.

The food

Every day the team create fresh spice mixes and rubs to enhance the flavours of ingredients. We also have to  take a moment to appreciate their specially commissioned charcoal grill. The centrepiece of their open kitchen, where ingredients are spiced and grilled. The combination of the spices and grill give BABA a signature flavour that cannot be found elsewhere in the city.

As someone who is not a fan of beetroot, I was surprised how the beetroot hummus blew me away! Yes, the insanely pigmented pink colour drew me in but it was the marriage of flavours, that kept me going back.

A staple dish, the baba ghanoush gets its signature flavour from charring and smoking on the charcoal grill. Combined with confit garlic, tahini and lemon juice to give it a truly authentic flavour not often found in Edinburgh.  This creation of signature flavours is the perfect way to sum up the food at BABA. Taking very traditional dishes and bringing them to life with new ingredients, textures and colours.

One of the secrets to BABA’s delicious menu is the meat, or rather how they prepare it. Every day the chefs brine chicken, lamb, pork, and steak and give them their own spice rub. BABA chefs slow cook some overnight for the ultimate tenderness but they finish everything to perfection on the charcoal grill. Take the chuck eye steak served with baby gem and pickled chilli chimichurri below, delicious!

The accompanying cocktail list is regularly changing to best compliment the food. Pistachio, harissa, sumac and za’tar pickled vegetables are not your typical cocktail ingredients but somehow they just work. Really well. Ask your waiter for recommendations if the list looks a bit daunting!

With a menu as diverse, unique and flavourful as BABA’s, Mezze is a blessing, so you can taste everything!

The competition

*COMPETITION NOW CLOSED*

Win! Dinner for 2 with a drink worth £60.00 from BABA.

We are excited to offer our followers the chance to win a dinner for 2 with drinks at BABA. The competition will run from Thursday 17 October until midnight on Wednesday 23 October. The prize will be a voucher valued at £60.00 and be valid for one year.

For a chance to win, see the entry details below

1. Like BABA and Dickins Facebook pages and share the competition post on the Dickins Facebook page.
2. Follow BABA and Dickins on Twitter and like and retweet the competition post on Dickins Twitter page.
3. Follow BABA and Dickins on Instagram and tag a friend on the competition post on the Dickins Instagram account.

Good luck!

Be sure to follow us on our social media channels to never miss out on our giveaways.

Find out more about BABA the restaurant here.