Bala Baya Restaurant Bankside Reviews Summary

Ambience

Pros:

• "The restaurant has a lively and welcoming ambience with a modern and stylish interior."
• "The space itself is quite cool, nestled under a railway arch and with cool industrial chic interiors."
• "Superb Israeli cuisine in the heart of Bankside, one of London best hidden gems."
• "Israeli food is the latest trend for me at the moment. I'm really liking these dishes with influences from Tel Aviv 👍"

Cons:

• "I think the atmosphere isn’t as good downstairs as upstairs and definitely not at the same level as the food."
• "The vibes were really chill and relaxing and all staff were smiley and approachable. Interior design is modern and minimalist which is nice."
• "Sat in the first floor- just, all tables were taken. Seating area very cramped and tables had to be moved to allow to be seated on the bench."
• "Ambience- too busy, Didn’t like the cramped seating- to close to the next table."

Service

Pros:

• "The service at Bala Baya is excellent, with friendly and attentive staff."
• "Waiter was very attentive and friendly to me while I waited for my friend to come."
• "Service is good, possibly too fast - but overall would recommend."
• "Came here for a friends birthday. The staff were greet and very welcoming."

Cons:

• "However, the service was slightly marred by the vegan dessert, which unfortunately had an off-putting texture and an odd taste."
• "The service was mediocre and at times non existent. We had to flag down the waiter to take our drinks and food order and they didn't check up on us at all during the meal."
• "The restaurant is hidden in an alley, great ambience, staff are very friendly although a bit slow."
• "Food coming out was slow and sporadic a bit unorganised. I know it comes out when it's ready but getting feta and apricot starter at the end is weird."

Food

Pros:

• "The food at Bala Baya is fresh, vibrant, and designed for sharing. The vegetarian selections are particularly noteworthy."
• "The standout dishes for me are the roasted cauliflower, the falafel, and the hummus."
• "The hummus was really smooth (slightly too salty but really tasty), the aubergine dish melted in your mouth."
• "Great experience and great food at Bala Baya with the Prawn Baklava and Aubergine Mess the stand outs!"

Cons:

• "However, the food was salty and heavily seasoned and it was so overpowering. The hummus tastes like our tahini with salt so it actually tasted bitter."
• "The waitress was nice and tried to find out about gluten-free items on the menu for me."
• "People were smoking outside, but there is a canopy that keeps the cigarette smell between tables. We even got cigarette ashes into our drink."
• "The lamb dish was really spicy and heavy too."