Bala Baya

Name: Bala Baya
Address: Arch 25, Old Union Yard Arches 229 Union Street, London, United Kingdom, SE1 0LR
Telephone: 020 8001 7015
Price range: £41 and over
Rating: 4.5

4.5

1057 Reviews

£41 and over

Israeli

Top tags:

Bala Baya brings the essence of Tel Aviv to Bankside’s Union Street Arches, the first stand-alone project from Israeli born Chef Eran Tibi, whose vibrantly progressive cuisine pays homage to his roots.
Eran’s creations offers you a unique experience that is all about feasting and sharing whilst ensuring that all ingredients are all responsibly sourced.

With the restaurant paying tribute to the city’s atmosphere which has been carefully replicated by multi-award-winning designer, Afroditi Krassa. Inspired by the Bauhaus architecture, Bala Baya has created a kaleidoscope space that allows you to experience the sun-kissed youthfulness of Tel Aviv from the heart of Southwark.

Follow the camel and enjoy Eran Tibi’s a poem to Tel Aviv!

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No. of diners

2 people

DateTime

6 Dec 2023

19:00

Booked 2 times today

Experiences are available.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
£41 and over
Cuisines
Israeli, Tapas / Small Plates, Middle Eastern
Hours of Operation
Sun 17:00–21:00 Lunch Mon–Fri 12:00–14:45 Sat, Sun 11:00–15:30 Dinner Mon–Sat 17:00–22:00
Phone number
020 8001 7015
Website
http://balabaya.co.uk/
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress Code
Smart Casual
Executive Chef
Eran Tibi
Catering
We are always happy to discuss any catering requirements, please contact bookings@balabaya.co.uk with any questions.
Private party facilities
We are always happy to host private parties, with our Tel Aviv inspired dishes perfect for sharing we can seat up to 50 guests upstairs on the mezzanine or 100 standing. For enquiries regarding hiring the whole venue, please email bookings@balabaya.co.uk
Private party contact
bookings@balabaya.co.uk: 020 8001 7015

Location
Arch 25, Old Union Yard Arches, 229 Union Street, London, SE1 0LR
Area
Southwark
Parking Details
The nearest parking to us is Union car park, please find more information here: http://www.unioncarparks.co.uk/southwark-street-se1.html
Public Transit
Southwark, Borough, Waterloo, London Bridge
Additional
Bar Dining, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Smoking Area, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

Festive Lunch Menu
£73.13 per person
Prepaid
13 Nov 2023 - 13 Jan 2024
All are welcome here at Bala Baya, invite all your friends & family and make sure no one is left behind. We can accommodate any group size up to 20 guests, if your group is large than this please do email us on "bookings@balabaya.co.uk" For those joining us for a festive booking, all dine from our festive sharing menu which is priced at £65pp (viewable on below link) with a vegan/vegetarian version available upon request !! https://balabaya.co.uk/festive-menu/
Festive Menu
£84.38 per person
Prepaid
13 Nov 2023 - 13 Jan 2024
All are welcome here at Bala Baya, invite all your friends & family and make sure no one is left behind. We can accommodate any group size up to 20 guests, if your group is large than this please do email us on "bookings@balabaya.co.uk" For those joining us for a festive booking, all dine from our festive sharing menu which is priced at £65pp (viewable on below link) with a vegan/vegetarian version available upon request !! https://balabaya.co.uk/festive-menu/

Spicy Nuts£5.00
Cashews, peanuts, almonds
Levantine Olive Mix£5.50
Harissa marinated mixed olives
Feta & Apricot£5.50
Macerated apricots, saffron, oregano
Chickpea Hummus / Braised Beef Hummus£15.00
Spiced chickpea coriander & chilli relish, parsley, sumac, housemade pita
14 Carat Hummus£10.00
Spiced carrot hummus, carrot & orange jam, rose harissa, lemon preserve, coriander
Carmel Market Greens£15.00
Baby gem, chicory, sumac pears, pangrattato, miso, yogurt stone
Sunflower & Sprouts£12.00
Brussels sprouts , sunflower seed gazpacho, smoked streaky pork belly, blood orange marmalade
Aubergine Mess£16.00
Blackened aubergine, oregano, tahini, pomegranate molasse, lychee, housemade pita
Jeruslem£17.00
Shawarm rubbed jerusalen artichoke, labneh, harrisia & rose, coriander
Cauliflower Steak Crumble£17.00
Fried cauliflower, pomegranate syrup, smoked parmesan crumble, lime yoghurt, parsley
Fire Grilled Cabbage£15.00
Hispi cabbage, bonfire peppers, rosary goats cheese, pumpkin granola
Fat Ursula£21.00
Spanish octopus, coriander & oregano, lamb fat, quince & port puree, spring onion
Prawn Baklava£21.00
King prawns, kadaif, bitter lime syrup, lime cream, Persian lime & nori dust, pistachios, rose
Fish & Fennel£42.00
Canoed whole sea bass, burnt sage, fennel & picked herbs, vine tomatoes, butter & arak
Brisket Doughnut£21.00
Moroccan doughnut, beef brisket, bonfire tomato & chilli, orange spiced jus, amba tahini, coriander
Tunisian Tartare£21.00
Beef fillet, bulgur wheat, harissa, burnt peppers, mustard mayo, oregano, housemade pita
Kebab Dumplings£23.00
Lamb forequarter, date jus, shawarma spice, semolina, garlic yogurt, buttered pine nuts
Hot Chick£38.00
Baharat & freekeh stuffed poussin, portobello, porcini, saffron, redcurrant jus
Feel The Beets£18.00
Braised beets, pickled radish & onion, citrus yogurt, soft herbs, raspberries , balsamic vinaigrette

Desserts

Naughty Nuts & Jam£12.00
Chestnut & cardamom babka, baharat milk jam, macadamia, gold dust
Sticky Treat £12.00
Mejdool dates, balck tercale, baharat chantily, bahart crumble
Midnight Malabi£12.00
Coconut, white rum, black tahini, morello cherry, vanilla, rose, sesame brittle

What 1,057 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.6Service
4.4Ambience
4Value

Noise • Energetic

1,057 Reviews

GT
GunjanT
London
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on 28 November 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
I loved the food, surprised by vegetables like cabbage and cauliflower.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
London
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 11 October 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
There wasn’t a dish I didn’t love - fantastic and so pleased we tried it
Is this helpful?
DS
DeborahS
London
13 reviews
vip
5.0
13 reviews
Dined on 9 October 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Very good service. Really nice team. Great food and ambiance
Is this helpful?
h
helenf
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 20 September 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Sumptuous, original and beautiful-tasting food, great service
Is this helpful?
2
2306
London
15 reviews
vip
4.0
15 reviews
Dined on 2 September 2023
overall4food5service4ambience5
Really great food and vibe, would definitely recommend
Is this helpful?
MA
MurrayA
Buckinghamshire
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 17 August 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Lovely food and service - the sea bass was especially good
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PM
PeteM
London
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 12 August 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great choice of very tasty food on the menu, especially as we don't eat red meat. Friendly service.
Is this helpful?
LJ
LasseJ
London
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on 20 July 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Good. Really very good. Food, ambiance, service. We liked it all.
Is this helpful?
BC
BenjaminC
New York Area
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on 17 July 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
All the food was amazing, best eggplant I have ever had.
Is this helpful?
JM
JacquiM
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on 12 July 2023
overall2food3service4ambience2
Had high expectations of this restaurant. There is nothing wrong with it, quality of food was good, service was good but it wasn’t for us. It was dark which made reading the tiny print on the menu hard, I had to use my phone torch! The food was nice but it is small plates and very expensive for what you get- £15 for a quarter of a cabbage!. The drinks are also very expensive.
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L
Liam
London
9 reviews
vip
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on 5 July 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent food and service as always. Very enjoyable.
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EB
ElBulli
London
199 reviews
vip
4.0
199 reviews
Dined on 21 June 2023
overall4food4service4ambience4
Great Middle Eastern food… ask the staff for help choosing if you need, everything is delicious!
Is this helpful?
AR
AndrewR
London
5 reviews
vip
4.0
5 reviews
Dined on 1 June 2023
overall4food5service5ambience4
Fantastic small plate food - really great dishes of interesting food. Excellent service and great wait staff. Just a bit expensive overall
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LB
LBGA
London
14 reviews
5.0
14 reviews
Dined on 30 May 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
The food here is always delicious. Music a bit loud.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
London
19 reviews
vip
2.0
19 reviews
Dined on 22 April 2023
overall2food2service4ambience1
This place is done. We used to be regular customers and hadn’t been for maybe 6 months; not sure what happened but all the old dishes (prawn baklava; Tunisian tartare; cauliflower; hummus) were a miss - badly cooked or strangely different. The waiting staff were good but it used to be so busy and our waiter tonight said goodnight and left at 930pm! Last time for us.
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SM
SarahM
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 19 April 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Amazing food, great service! Everything was on point.
Is this helpful?
A
Alison12334
Edinburgh
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on 15 February 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Delicious food great ambience will certainly be going back 👍
Is this helpful?
n
neet
London
21 reviews
4.0
21 reviews
Dined on 26 January 2023
overall4food5service4ambience4
Food is amazing - love the aubergine and fish , staff are very lovely too!
Is this helpful?
B
Brucelondon
London
49 reviews
vip
4.0
49 reviews
Dined on 24 January 2023
overall4food5service3ambience3
Excellent and innovative food. Service hit and miss. Arrived and they could not find top table reservation, but fit us in (later they must have found it, as is linked here). Restaurant full, and could have used one mor staff. High table overlooking chef which was great. All but one dish arrived in due course. After finishing those, waited for 10-15’, and finally waiter came over and asked if everything ok, we mentioned the 4th dish. He then went to find it. At no time was water refilled. Hard to get attention of waiter as busy—they needed one more person on floor. Bit on noisy side. And, very expensive. £95 for two, no alcohol. Great food, but not value for money in London environment.
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n
nono
London
62 reviews
5.0
62 reviews
Dined on 14 January 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Amazing atmosphere, bustling, a little noisy, just like TA! Awesome food and friendly service. Cool location too
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RL
RuthL
Surrey
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on 6 December 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
I always come back to this restaurant. The staff are super warm and welcoming. The cocktails are unique and most of all the food is super delicious. Explode in your mouth flavours and textures. Have been many times now so would welcome a few more new dishes on the menu, but overall its always a fabulous experience.
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AB
AnuB
London
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on 27 November 2022
overall3food4service2ambience4
Service was poor, and the staff came across as arrogant. On arrival I overhead the staff snigger (and saw them roll their eyes) at a customer, who had the audacity to complain about a cocktail. We had to flag down staff to be served, after waiting 20mins. Parts of the tasting menu were missed. For the price this was not a pleasurable experience.
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BO
BobO
London
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 26 November 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
We just had a wonderful evening with delicious food. Absolutely spectacular!
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L
Lorenzo
London
5 reviews
vip
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on 24 November 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Very good food and really nice atmosphere though it’s pricey!
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JL
JasonL
Philadelphia
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on 20 November 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Terrific food, fantastic service. Highly recommended.
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GP
GillianP
London
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on 29 October 2022
overall4food5service5ambience2
Fabulous food music too noisy so had to sit out on lovely outside area but was a warm day
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AT
ATDining
London
10 reviews
5.0
10 reviews
Dined on 26 October 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent food friendly staff. Great atmosphere. An all round restaurant Good for all occasions date night to large crowd
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KB
KennethB
London
12 reviews
3.0
12 reviews
Dined on 19 October 2022
overall3food3service2ambience3
Good selection of dishes to choose from but found the food either over salted or too sweet. Service was difficult and slow. Lots of the furniture looked past it’s time
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CS
CherylS
New York Area
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on 15 October 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Met friends we hadn’t seen for years here and ended up being seated outside, which was a blessing because it was a bit loud in the main restaurant… The food was amazing and the service spot on. So glad we chose it!
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r
reiver
London
30 reviews
vip
3.0
30 reviews
Dined on 12 October 2022
overall3food4service3ambience3
This is a very tasty restaurant with outstanding food. It is however, very expensive both for the food and the wines - the food is more worth it than the wines. Service is friendly and attentive but inaccurate. It is very noisy inside but we sat outside which was fine. Not really worth the money despite the great flavours.
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RL
RuthL
Surrey
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on 10 October 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Unusual but totally delicious food - down a cute london alley, slightly off the beaten track. Lovely ambience and great service.
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KM
KMJM
London
43 reviews
vip
4.0
43 reviews
Dined on 8 October 2022
overall4food4service5ambience4
Great atmosphere; great food. Friendly staff who deliver excellent service.
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KC
KellyC
London
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on 1 October 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
We had a lovely evening at Bala Baya, the food was delicious and service friendly and swift.
Is this helpful?
AP
AlexP
London
11 reviews
vip
5.0
11 reviews
Dined on 10 September 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great tasting food and very caring service.
Is this helpful?
SB
StuartB
London
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on 1 September 2022
overall4food4service4ambience5
Had a great work lunch here. Food is excellent and its a nice spot. Only issue was we were advised 3 dishes per person but found that way too much food. Otherwise top notch.
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m
midza
London
10 reviews
3.0
10 reviews
Dined on 30 August 2022
overall3food4service2ambience4
Seems to have hiked up prices significantly. Lunch for 2 (4 small plates) was 80 quid! No alcoholic drinks. Disappointing, as it used to be a really good place. The exorbitant prices will drive customers away. There were hardly any customers for lunch on the day.
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m
moof
London
17 reviews
vip
5.0
17 reviews
Dined on 27 August 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Another excellent evening at Bala Baya - the service from the waiters and the manager was perfect as they accommodated some additional guests for our booking at arrival, the food was excellent as always and our guests, a couple of which were veggies and hadn’t had Israeli food were mightily impressed Great venue with the added bonus of some outdoor courtyard seating Highly recommend
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AA
AlannaA
London
10 reviews
vip
4.0
10 reviews
Dined on 25 August 2022
overall4food5service3ambience4
Fantastic food. Lovely decor. Service pleasant but a bit unsure of what they’re doing!
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M
Mabbes1408
London
63 reviews
5.0
63 reviews
Dined on 14 August 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
A fab find, hidden away but well worth the searching. Amazing flavours in the food, a good range of vegetarian dishes, a great range of cocktails and friendly and helpful staff.
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E
Excellent
London
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on 1 August 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Both the food and staff are incredible. I would highly recommend dining here
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Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitising
- Surfaces sanitised between seatings
- Digital, disposable or sanitised menu provided
- Common areas deep-cleaned daily
- Contactless payment available
Physical distancing
- Distancing maintained in common areas
- Extra space between tables

Screening
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace

FAQs

Bala Baya is rated 4.5 stars by 1057 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

No. of diners

2 people

DateTime

6 Dec 2023

19:00

Booked 2 times today

Experiences are available.

Arch 25, Old Union Yard Arches, 229 Union Street, London, SE1 0LR

Additional information

Area
Southwark
Hours of Operation
Sun 17:00–21:00 Lunch Mon–Fri 12:00–14:45 Sat, Sun 11:00–15:30 Dinner Mon–Sat 17:00–22:00
Price
£41 and over
Cuisines
Israeli, Tapas / Small Plates, Middle Eastern
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress Code
Smart Casual
Parking Details
The nearest parking to us is Union car park, please find more information here: http://www.unioncarparks.co.uk/southwark-street-se1.html
Public Transit
Southwark, Borough, Waterloo, London Bridge
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Eran Tibi
Additional
Bar Dining, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Smoking Area, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://balabaya.co.uk/
Phone number
020 8001 7015
Catering
We are always happy to discuss any catering requirements, please contact bookings@balabaya.co.uk with any questions.
Private party facilities
We are always happy to host private parties, with our Tel Aviv inspired dishes perfect for sharing we can seat up to 50 guests upstairs on the mezzanine or 100 standing. For enquiries regarding hiring the whole venue, please email bookings@balabaya.co.uk
Private party contact
bookings@balabaya.co.uk: 020 8001 7015

Bala Baya

Make a booking

Additional information

Festive Lunch Menu

Festive Menu

Plates

Spicy Nuts£5.00

Levantine Olive Mix£5.50

Feta & Apricot£5.50

Chickpea Hummus / Braised Beef Hummus£15.00

14 Carat Hummus£10.00

Carmel Market Greens£15.00

Sunflower & Sprouts£12.00

Aubergine Mess£16.00

Jeruslem£17.00

Cauliflower Steak Crumble£17.00

Fire Grilled Cabbage£15.00

Fat Ursula£21.00

Prawn Baklava£21.00

Fish & Fennel£42.00

Brisket Doughnut£21.00

Tunisian Tartare£21.00

Kebab Dumplings£23.00

Hot Chick£38.00

Feel The Beets£18.00

Desserts

Naughty Nuts & Jam£12.00

Sticky Treat £12.00

Midnight Malabi£12.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Cleaning & sanitising

Physical distancing

Screening

FAQs

How is Bala Baya restaurant rated?

Is Bala Baya currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Additional information