BABA

Zach, our server, was the absolute best! The food was already a 10 out of 10 but Zach made our experience here a core memory. We had great conversation and everything Zach recommended to us was an absolute hit. We had no idea where to start food wise so he helped us figure it out and it was fantastic. If you're interested in the food here, just go for it, if Zach's your server, that's the cherry on top.

It's a great experience to eat at BABA. First we were welcomed to a huge room with a lot of interesting details and decor on the walls. Then we ordered marinated chicken thighs with pita, blackened sweet potato and Baba ganoush. Each had distinctive taste and all tasted just right. It was obvious that chef(s) tried hard to find the best sauce, ingredients and combinations. The prices were quite okay for quality of the food and atmosphere provided. We enjoyed all the food and would definitely recommend this place!

First time visiting for lunch and was not disappointed. Food was amazing flavours worked really well together and finished off with a nice cocktail. Would definitely come back and recommend to others. Price wise you get your money's worth here.

Went to Edinburgh for NYE in 2024 and my brother recommended this restaurant to us. Amazing!!! It’s such a great vibe and the food was amazing! We ordered the hummus, marinated chicken the sweet potatoes. We did pay more as we ordered a bottle of wine. Highly recommend this place!!!

We can't help but think the restaurant was racist towards our group, simply because we are Asian. Other Asian customers were also seated at the back. The result is a sort of modern day jim crow style segregation, the white people seating in the front windows and the people of color in the back. They refused our request to be seated next to the window, even though the seats were empty. We then asked to sit somewhat closer to the window, they also said no, because those seats were booked, but for the y were empty for the 2 hours we were there. What a shame, because the food was good.

5 stars all around!! I’m such a foodie and have been to sooo many restaurants, and can say that this is the best restaurant I have been to. The food was phenomenal. The service was fantastic. The decor and atmosphere was lovely. We had a reunion dinner and were laughing the night away, and the waiter had really kindly extended our time by an extra half an hour. The food was so flavourful, fresh and well presented. Blown away. Can’t recommend BABA enough!!!

Gorgeous restaurant with amazing food! My friend took me here for lunch, claiming it has the best baba ganoush in Edinburgh —and she was absolutely right. I loved it! Our favorite dish was the slow-cooked lamb shoulder—crispy, tender, and full of flavor. The charred carrots with honey, tahini, and toasted seeds were dreamy. I’ve never had a carrot dish quite like this—such a standout side. The grilled monkfish was nice too, though I wasn’t entirely sure if the spiced sugo complemented the fish. But the crunchy chickpeas on top were a delightful touch. We’ll definitely be back to try more dishes!

Well we were looking for shawarma which this was not. However we didn't mind once the food showed up. It was delicious shareable and filling and to be honest a lot less expensive than all 7 of us were expecting. Also or waiter was phenomenal, excited to see us and great at recommending delicious food.

Had a great lunch. The hummus was amazing. Grilled pitas were perfect. The chicken dish was also incredible. The cauliflower was ok, prop wouldn't get it again. The most shocking one was the miso sweet potato. Get this! We randomly got it and it ended up being the best thing we had. Service was super friendly. The ambiance of the restaurant is chill yet a little more elevated than a super casual restaurant.

Again I was peckish and this wasn't on my list of to try restaurants BUT IM GLAD THAT I DID Service was meh but the food was great. I had the tempura style cauliflower and the mussels. First off, if you're just looking for a smaller meal you DONT need both. But glad that I tried both as each was so tasty. The batter on the cauliflower, yes please. The crunch, flavor and consistency was a definite yes. But the mussels were everything. The only negative is what I assumed my breath smelled of after consuming, but it was worth it. Hands down one of the best flavor profiles on mussels that I've experienced. They were in a red sauce but not tomatoy. They were well balanced with a hint of spice and ohhhhh so flavorful. As a matter of fact I want more but I'm nervous, what if the second time isn't as good as the first? If your a hotel guest, or not definitely give them a visit

Baba was excellent . It's located in the Kimpton hotel. It's decorated so nicely . The bar staff was outstanding and fun to talk to . The bans ghanoush was terrific and a good start to the lamb dinner.

Baba is a trendy small plates restaurant in Edinburgh's New Town, presenting a creative take on Mediterranean flavors. My favorite dish was the Grilled Mussels served in chraime, a strongly spiced North African tomato sauce that went nicely with the side of grilled pita bread (or simply all on its own!). Another highlight was the Slow-Cooked Lamb Shoulder, served over ptitim (Israeli couscous) and yogurt, flavored with preserved lemon, mint, and pomegranate. This dish had the perfect pairing of flavors, as the hearty, crispy lamb added a deep, savory flavor to the couscous underneath, while the lemon, pomegranate, and mint added a refreshing contrast. We also had the Falafel dressed with tahini sauce and served with beetroot hummus, marinated artichokes, and guindillas (pickled hot peppers); and a side of the Cauliflower Shawarma, made of cauliflower dusted with ras el hanout and dressed with tahini, dried rose petals, and chopped herbs. Overall, the plates here were creative and delicious, the service was friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was trendy and colorful!

This wasn't what we were expecting. Very Middle Eastern! Great olives! Good drinks. The food just didn't fit our tastes.

Vegetarian/vegan friendly Lebanese restaurant inside the Kimpton Charlotte Square hotel. Most dishes are tapas style small plates, so you can share and try a few. Delicious cocktails as well. Lots of vegetable dishes that can be made vegan by omitting the dairy. I also appreciated being asked whether I had any food allergies. Start with the cauliflower fritters. Just the right amount of spice that is nicely balanced with the yogurt sauce. For dessert, I recommend the dark chocolate cremeux. The über rich chocolate mousse again is balanced by the dark cherries and a tart yogurt. Large enough to share but you won't want to.

Amazing in every way. So many delicious vegetarian options and so fun to share. Service was good and they had a super creative drink list. So happy we went during our time in Edinburgh!

The ambience is beautiful and the music playlist is modern and vibes. The hummus and falafel is gorgeous and tasty. The bespoke drinks are unique. The decor is rich and comfortable. Service is great. Get a window seat facing the square. Highly recommend visiting Baba. I'll be back.

We thought this was a great place to eat. Staying at the hotel and a bit annoyed that we could not get a table at a time we wanted, but... Started with the merguez haggis and venison carpaccio which were both rather good - not true haggis, I would say, but probably the better for that! Then the shoulder of lamb with the tomato side salad. Both really good. Tasty, light, good mixture of flavors, just right for an early evening meal. Finished off with the chocolate desert (Lebanese mousse, I think) which was also a pleasure. Excellent service from our N Irish waitress Arina, recommend as a good place to eat.

The food and the flavors! Mediterranean with Turkish and Lebanese twists, wonderful combinations of spices, don't the toasted lamb shoulder, muhama, or babaganoush

Napkins. A lot can be gleaned from a restaurant's napkins. Are they 1-ply toilet paper that crumples in your hands? Are they stained cloth that's seen too many laps? Don't get me started on absorption. Well, Baba? Baba has some killer ass napkins. Soft, thick, gentle-waffle-patterned paper. They unfold to offer ample hand-cleaning real estate and absorb, absorb, absorb. Great napkins.

The monkfish was amazing, let's start there. The other dishes were very tasty too but the sauce with the monkfish really stood out. Also enjoyed the hummus, which was a little chunky and nice and thick. The service was very attentive. The wine was great. Overall good value for money and a really nice place to go and share some food with friends.

Baba is lovely! The food is absolutely delicious and the staff were super friendly. It's not authentic Lebanese food in the traditional sense, but instead a fusion of Lebanese-inspired dishes that get the flavors of Lebanese cuisine just right. The restaurant itself is beautiful and our group had a fantastic time. There were six of us visiting from the US and we ordered lots of mezzes, mains, and sides and split them family style, per our server's suggestion. We ordered two "snack" sizes of olives, the Buffalo mozzarella, octopus, hummus, and muhammara mezzes, both lamb mains, the chimicurri steak, and falafel/artichokes, with the blackened sweet potato and tomato sides, and ended by each having a bite of the crémeux and olive oil cake. I'm getting very specific because literally every dish we had tasted amazing! All six of us left full and very, very happy :-)

Really great meal! Getting four stars because my expectations were pretty high and the food was really good but not like the best Mediterranean of my life. I ate here for lunch, service was on the slower side but wait staff was super nice and pleasant. I got the haggis which was INCREDIBLE and the lamb which was possibly my favorite lamb I've ever had. The sweet potato was meh - too soupy and wouldn't get again. But I'll probably compare every lamb I ever eat with this one for the rest of my LIFE. Definitely check it out if you are in Edinburgh - but it's tough to get a table especially for dinner, so plan ahead!

This place was a miss for me. As much as I love the Kimpton, this place was giving more hotel restaurant vibes. Firstly, I started with a drink at drink at the bar while I waited for a table. I ordered the Prosecco Fizz. I don't recommend it at all. It also took a long time to receive after ordering while being seated at an empty bar. The drink was 90% juice and super sweet. Based on the description I was expecting a smaller format, doctored up Prosecco so was disappointed. I chose not to drink it and ordered wine when I was seated for dinner. For dinner I ordered the venison and Urfa pepper carpaccio, the slow cooked lamb shoulder and the roasted beet roots. Honestly everything was a bit of a miss for me. I feel like either items lacked flavor or had far too much flavor there was no in between. Also, most dishes were covered in a lot of seeds/spices/etc which added a bit of an aggressive/overwhelming texture in some instances. The lamb shoulder dish did not need pomegranate seeds, I felt like this took away from the dish. I would not go back as I have had significantly better Mediterranean food.

Thank you Baba for such great service, food and drinks! This place is awesome! We will definitely be back when we return for another visit to Scotland!

This was our last meal in Scotland and it was truly fabulous. I have several food allergies and they were super attentive to that. We sat at the communal table, which was fun. We didn't talk a lot with the other parties there, but we could see the popular dishes. The baba ganoush was AMAZING as were falafel and the blackened sweet potatoes. The cocktails were also inventive and not overly sweet. If you like Mediterranean food, Baba will not disappoint!

Baba was delicious! We've spent over a week in Scotland and have loved the Scottish food but it was so nice to have some different flavors with fresh vegetables. All of our dishes were so colorful and flavorful. Absolutely recommend the lamb nuggets (A MUST), the sea bass, and the broccoli lentil dish. Love the ambiance and the service was great. Definitely recommend!

This place was extraordinary! The lamb shoulder was amazing! The baba ganoush was the best I have ever had! We got the hummus falafel n grilled artichokes - wow! Highly recommend.

I don't usually write reviews, but they are new and don't have a lot of them yet. I'm visiting from San Diego and know good middle eastern food. I found every dish extraordinarily tasty and inventive. I highly recommend the place.

Excellent middle eastern cuisine, with a deep nod to Lebanon. It was new, so the staff was understandably a bit frazzled and confused. Should be better in few months.

Very good! Get the monkfish and the lamb shoulder. Dessert was low point of the meal -- far too sweet & one-noted. Nice ambiance, too!

I had some high expectations as i genuinely like (and eat + cook myself) this type of food. So i was very disappointed to find out that the food is not authentic at all. It is further, very bland and underseasoned.There is no flavor at all. This is all explained by the fact that all the starters that we ordered were either not what they are at all (labneh balls were purely goat cheese balls rolled in spices !!) or store-bought (both the hummus as well as the babaganoush are from a cheap tin from a supermarket). Let alone that serving sizes are rather small for the price and quality of the food. Alas another place that has spent a lot on premise and interior but the food is just very bad. If you have never had middle eastern food, you would be intrigued, mostly by the presentation. if you have, you will be very underwelhmed, to say the least. There is nothing authentic, fresh, or flavorful here. I am not a picky customer; all i want is food that has been cooked at the premise, is fresh, and is with quality ingredients. I dont think this is too much to ask. I get particularly irked, however, when i am served stuff that is readily bought of the main street supermarket, unpackaged and put in a plate literally. And be charged a ridiculous amount of money for that. God bless the ignorant :)

Lebanese style restaurant with a simple menu. 9 choices of mezze dishes, about the same of mains plus some other starter and nibbly options. Really liked the grilled prawns. Seems very popular and I'd advise you to book ahead a fair while in advance if you can. Otherwise you'll need to go for an early sitting like us (5pm) which actually worked pretty well with kids in tow. Wine list is pretty expensive starting at £28 a bottle for (red) Lebanese wine. Service was friendly but a bit scatty and inattentive. We had to chase up half our drinks order that had been forgotten. Interior is nicely done, tables are a decent size and not too close together. WCs could have been nicer and cleaner. If you've got young kids use the easy access one.

The dishes are larger than expected for tapas plates, but everything was delicious. Went there for a late lunch and ended up not being hungry for dinner, but it was worth it.

Food was good. Nice and quiet. Staying in hotel from the States. Service was not satisfactory. Took a long time to order at 5pm while restaurant was empty and the wait staff stood around. One waterless could not bother answering my question about draft beer. Whenever she came to the table, she would roll her eyes at us. Not sure why. She also did not give me a pen with the check. When I asked, she told me to sign to my room. I said I still needed a pen to do that. She stood next to me while I signed, as if I was going to take her plastic pen. Very rude. Wish the hotel would reconsider having it on site.