Based in the Principal Hotel, Baba is a mezze & charcoal grill restaurant combined with a cocktail bar. Promising flavours inspired by the Levant, diners can enjoy the taste of Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt and beyond. Playful colours, Persian rugs and all-round shabby chic decor (including bookcases) make this a great choice for casual dining.
Baba’s menu is divided up into snacks, mezze small plates and charcoal grill sections. Each dish comes with thoughtful accompaniments designed to highlight regional specialities.
Individual items can change, but typical snacks include the goat nuggets with mint sauce & yemenite hot sauce and the cauliflower fritters with zhug & crème fraîche.
Choice mezze dishes include the chargrilled prawns with preserved lemon mayo; the black trout with herb labneh & pickled cucumber, and the rushed black-eyed beans with yellow muhammara & chopped walnuts.
Grill options include into the monkfish with jalapeño yoghurt, grilled potato & olive and the chuck-eye steak with sumac onion salad & red pepper ketchup. Veggies aren’t left out either and can sample charred broccoli with lentils, garlic tahini, pomegranate & soft egg.
Desserts might include classic rosewater baklava with vanilla ice cream or an indulgent molasses & mascarpone cake with pineapple, rum & gingerbread sorbet.
Baba is situated centrally on elegant George Street, just off St. Andrew Square and a 10-minute walk from Waverley Station. The Assembly Rooms, Scottish National Gallery and Camera Obscura are all nearby. The on-street parking outside the hotel is free at certain hours.