Babu Ji

We had a very fresh and delicious lunch here. We were the only guests so can't say too much about the atmosphere. But the service was excellent and the food freshly prepared and felt very home made. We had the samosas (which are huge!!) And well made, cauliflower Manchurian style which was excellent, tadka dal which was very fresh ( but could have used a bit of citrus and salt). And the keralan fish which was rich and creamy. We had the rice and rotis, both of which were fresh and well made. All in all, a satisfying lunch. And good service.

We have enjoyed this restaurant for years! Consistently delicious, a lovely atmosphere, and friendly, attentive service. Also very good value for money. Epic homemade ice cream (in photo)!

This is what $33 got me. Beef was dry, fatty and full of tendons. It was a vindaloo but may aswell have been a Rogan Josh, no spice to it at all. Naan just tasted like baking soda.

If you're after incredible Indian food in Melbourne, Babu Ji should be at the top of your list. From the moment we walked in, the service was warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. The team makes you feel right at home, offering great recommendations and checking in just enough without ever being overbearing. The food? Absolutely next level. The Kerala Fish is out of this world. Perfectly cooked, full of rich southern flavours, and just the right amount of heat. And the No Nut Korma is a total game-changer. Creamy, aromatic, and full of depth, it delivers everything you love about a korma without any nuts. That’s not just impressive, it’s thoughtful. The biggest bonus for us is that the whole place is completely nut free. For anyone with allergies or dining with someone who has dietary concerns, this kind of peace of mind is priceless. It’s rare to find a restaurant that offers this level of safety without compromising on flavour or quality. Every bite was memorable. Every interaction felt genuine. Babu Ji doesn’t just serve great food, they serve up a full experience that keeps you coming back.

I strongly recommend this restaurant for quality Indian cuisine. All dishes were carefully made, balanced well with spices, and never boring. Furthermore, there is a freshness to the dishes and breads that are often missing in similar restaurants. Prices were fair and service was fast.

Nice food and suitable portions. Stand out for me was the Garlic Naan, highly recommend it. As a vegetarian it was nice to have the option of a cauliflower korma - which i’d never tried before.

Indian gem in the St Kilda neighbourhood. It’s located close to public transport (i.e. a tram stop nearby) so this Indian restaurant is easily accessible too. We genuinely enjoyed all their modern Indian dishes so we won’t hesitate coming back here whenever we’re somewhere around that area.

Extremely amateur. Food was good, but despite confirming my order twice, and it being on the invoice correctly, I got the completely wrong order in an otherwise empty restaurant. Staff also disappeared when I went to pay - had to wait 15 mins for them to reappear.

Food incredible. Best samosas and tandoori chicken. Decor, staff and BYO with cheap corkage is all fantastic.

Hands down the best Indian food I have ever had in my GD life. We came on international women's day and we're given a free glass of champagne to celebrate, the tasting menu we ordered included two apps, three curries, rice, yogurt sauce and a side of Nan each. The meal was ended with a refreshing homemade icecream pop Each and every component was delicious and uniquely flavorful. The service was some of the best I've ever had , such kind and caring staff. I would come back to Melbourne solely to eat here

Going to a gig in the Prince Bandroom down the street we came here for an early dinner. Pretty ordinary fare I thought in a less than impressive room it has to be said. Not the kind of place one would linger for a romantic dinner a deux. Also, wine was ridiculously expensive so a quick sortie was made to a bottle shop across the road so that, even with a $10 corkage charge I still saved $30 on the deal. Service was pretty decent but I wouldn't be rushing back.

Ambience: Traditional indian benches, with indian writings on the wall. Well spaced seating and delicately heard music. Clean and chic Location: Not very prominent, but is worth searching out for. Parking may be a problem due to the popularity of st. Kilda Food: Finger licking good Drinks: Ample beverages to choose from We ordered: Paneer Kurkure Cottage cheese rolls, deep fried. Soft inside and beautifully dressed & accompanied with the chutneys to compliment the taste Drunken Pani Puri Traditionally Indian street food where spiced water is put in stuffed puris and put as a whole in the mouth. At Babuji, the twist is with vodka infused drink and puris made in house. Simply awesome for the adventurous. Fish Patre Succulent salmon chunks steam cooked in banana leaves. Tastes divine Prawn Varuval Another beautifully presented dish to be tried with its accomplishments. Fish curry was on the sweeter side but went beautifully with the rice and naan.

This place was outstanding! You could easily walk right past it and never know. It's small, but BIG on flavour. It's the BEST Indian food I've had outside of Brick Lane in London. Highly recommend the fish curry and butter chicken, wash it down with a serve yourself beer from their bar (!!!) and some kick ass Naan that will blow your socks off (garlic). For those of you looking to save some coin, they have all you can eat curry and rice night for $25! A steal. I can't wait to go back, would today be too soon???

Perfect, fabulous and super delicious traditional Indian food, one of the best experience I've ever had! I tried lamb swalag (I guess) it was so hot and yummmmmmy! Also garlic naan was perfect, We also tried the first dessert in the menu with hindi chai! Amazzzzzzzing! Loved the environment and staff.

Excellent choice for Indian! On a Saturday night we were lucky to grab a seat without a reservation. The restaurant quickly filled up. Their food and atmosphere did not disappoint. We ordered and enjoyed Naan with Alsi ke kofte, Navratan Korma and a side of saffron rice. I was in heaven! Tonight's dreams will be of my superb dinner in St. Kilda.

Babu ji is a great Indian restaurant tucked away on Grey street in upper St. Kilda. A little pricey and not very spicy, but still a good value for the quality. I recommend the goat curry (the spiciest dish they have) and the fish curry, though all of their curries are good, even the often boring butter chicken. The vegetarian options are also really tasty. Their all-you-can-eat option on Sunday is a good deal, but bring an intense appetite. Don't forget their non-curry dishes. The okra is a real standout, but the killer is the tandori chicken. Without a doubt, the best tandori chicken I have ever had. Hard to describe, but spiced expertly and fall of the bone tender. It is not at all like most other Tandori chicken avaiable, but give it a try.

Have been super keen to try this place since it opened up! Everytime I pass it on the way home from the tram at night, it's packed and the food from window looks delicious. Unfortunately due to the fact that our kids would make a mess of the place, I had to try it as take away from the comforts of my own home, but THANKFULLY they have take away as well as the fact that they deliver!!! I ordered online and then headed down there to pick it up within 10 minutes of ordering, my food was all set. The place wasn't super packed yet being only 5.30pm but the guys were quite inviting and friendly. Once returning home with my food and opening the containers, my mouth started to water. I honestly can say if you could eat on the smells alone, I would have been stuffed once I opened the plastic! The butter chicken was amazing, rice perfect, dahl was delicious and even my 3 year old wanted more, the lamb was delicious and the naan was yummy. I have to admit I liked the garlic and chive naan better than the plain one, but I think that's just a preference. I am looking forward to heading down there again soon to have a seat and enjoy a meal, even try one of their specials!! Definitely by far, the best Indian food around at the moment!

I've been hearing good things about this St Kilda restaurant over the past month and was eager to see for myself what all the fuss was about. Babu Ji is situated on Grey Street St Kilda in The George Hotel complex. The place was pretty full in fact it was pretty much the only restaurant in St Kilda that had any life in it. Lucky for me my mate had already arrived and secured a table. It was Sunday and they had their all you can eat Thali, which simply translates to 'a round plate serving food'. In this case it was a selection of three dishes for $25. Once seated I went through the menu, but there was something missing. Babu Ji doesn't have a beverage list instead they have two double door fridges full of a great selection of beer that you simply went up to and grabbed what you wanted, which was novel, but raised a few RSA questions. If you wanted wine I imagine that you'd have to BYO that one, with a $10 corkage for each bottle. We opted for the Thali, but had to pry out of out waiter what was on offer, which was lentils, butter chicken and a curry goat. Our first round of dishes came out and looked and smelled amazing, so I was looking forward to digging in. I had the butter chicken, the meat was tender and melted in your mouth and the sauce was fragrant and creamy. It wasn't the best butter chicken that I've had, but it was nice enough. Next was the goat. Being a curry I expected a little heat but was disappointed. The meat was cooked well but the sauce had a bitter taste to it. Next was the lentils. Now I'm not a huge fan of lentils so to be honest just found this dish boring. Whilst the food was overall good and the atmosphere was good it was the service that was lacking. We had to literally waive down a waiter to ask for more dishes, which took several attempts before we actually received our second round. Most of the wait staff just looked disinterested and if I was to be honest walked around like extras on the set of the walking dead. Look it wasn't bad but it wasn't great. What did look good was the a la carte menu, so when I return I'll certainly order off the menu as I felt the all you can eat was a bit blah.

Seriously, Babu Ji deserves 5 stars, except there are a few things I just can't get my head around. You want a beer? Get up and go get it from the fridge yourself. Want to pay by credit card? There's a surcharge. American Express? Double-double surcharge. Set menu? Not if there's less than 4 of you. Wine list? Kind of short. But the food... oh, the food. We've been getting take-away from there since the week they opened, and have had a meal dining-in as well. The House Daal is insanely good, as is the Roasted Goat Curry. The Butter Chicken is dangerous... only because you will struggle to stop eating it. I've had pretty much everything on the menu, and I don't think there is anything I wouldn't suggest trying at least once. I recommend the take-away, just because I personally can't get past those little pet-peeves I mentioned above... ESPECIALLY the credit card and Amex things. Owners: if you're reading this, seriously rethink your decisions above... your food is worth it! For anyone else: order this food. Tonight. You won't regret it.

Just had a great dinner with great service! Hope to eat here again while in Melbourne. FYI. Learned the opened a restaurant in San Francisco and Manhattan NY. Really good. Try it!!

Having heard so much about Babuji, we decided to have dinner on our third day of visit to Melbourne. It was not at all worth the hype! Australia in general has been amazing when it comes to flavors but not so much in Babuji- the food was just meh! We ordered sticky cauliflower followed by their naan and paneer prep. It was just okay! I almost had a similar review for Babuji NYC- thought maybe the australian version would pack a punch- not so much!!

I ordered takeaway but would have rather eaten in - great atmosphere and the service is attentive. I love the beer policy of grabbing your own because they have a really cool selection of different beers from all over the world including craft local; and you don't have to wait for that drink! As for the food, it is delish! Try the 'nacho'version for a starter with some of the freshest tasting samosa ever. The northern india curry is fantastic as is everything on their menu. They now have 2 restaurants so you can split your time.

Overrated in my opinion. None of the dishes stood out, except the tandoori/grilled chicken. The service was pretty good as well. A bit overpriced for the quality delivered.

Had to literally wave down waitstaff to order and get attention. It took forever for them to bring drinks and food. They had absolutely no knowledge of the menu when I asked questions and the place was quite empty (which raised questions about the food quality in my mind, to be honest) for peak dinner times/days. Only order a couple dishes between the two of us but the portions were absurdly tiny considering the high prices. Very disappointing as the menu appeared like it could be interesting. We felt somewhat ripped off.

Ordered deliveroo from them. Tandoori chicken okay. Dhal was awful. Won't do it again.

Loved this place! Food was fantastic, portions generous (and they offered refills with the tasting menu), and the service was top notch! We tried the drunken puri pani, cauliflower, tandoori chicken, lamb, and the butter chicken. They were all very tasty!

Excellent Indian food. Always served attentively. Must try the 12 hr dhal. It's amazing. A large serve that my daughter and I could order for the two of us. With a side of rice and riati. Many other dishes on the menu are great also. One of our local favorites

I went on a sunday night for their special 3 curries all you can eat for $25. As a vegetarian going with a family of non vegos i was pleasantly surprised to be given 3 separate curries of my own, each amazing and tasting completely different. My family also assured me their curries were equally good. special shout out for the pumpkin curry which i would never have ordered off the menu myself but was definitely the star of the trio. Whilst this ends up being a bit pricier than expected with drinks and bread added in, it is so worth it for the most beautiful and refreshing tasting indian i have had in a long time (and still quite cheap). Only marks off were for the dhaal which was slightly bland but i think only in comparison to the other curries and having to duck down the road because they don't accept eftpos on sundays.