Balady
Middle Eastern restaurant · Temple Fortune
756 Finchley Rd, London NW11 7TH, United Kingdom
"First thing’s first: Balady doesn’t make its own pita. They get it in from Taboon on Golders Green Road, but that doesn’t matter. Not one iota. Because firstly, they have the good sense to realise that Taboon’s pittas are the best in the business. Fluffy and cavernous pockets that are begging to be filled with a pick ‘’n mix array of falafel, aubergine, hummus, amba, and more. Of course, you can also go straight and pair fresh warm pitta with a 2oz tub of hummus and just go at it. Tear it off and get some aubergine and tahini to soak up while you’re in the swing of things." - jake missing
"“This summer, when it finally felt kind of okay for me to leave my flat, I became a semi-regular at Balady. Week after week, I drove to Temple Fortune and sat outside this busy takeaway with a book. While I always ordered the cauliflower (because anyone who goes here must always order the cauliflower) my other choices varied. Sometimes I’d get the sabich, and sometimes I’d get a merguez in lafa from Balady Alaesh, their sister restaurant next door. But it’s their falafel pita that became my go-to. It’s stuffed with hummus, salad, pickles, beets, carrots, cauliflower, fiery zhug, tahina and amba, and served as a glorious weekly reminder that there might well be a time, one day soon, when we get to share food like this with all the people we love once again.” - OF" - oliver feldman, heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak
"Balady is an Israeli restaurant in Temple Fortune delivering falafels, pickles, salads and more to the local area for free, and further afield for a small fee. Call 020 8458 2064 to place your order." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak
"The line between what is and isn’t a salad is as blurred and cloudy as a dressing that’s just had a dollop of dijon thrown into it. Balady—the legendary Israeli falafel spot with locations in Barnet, Clerkenwell, and Camden—makes some of the most delicious boxes around. They’re filled with Israeli salad, shredded carrots, thinly sliced red and white cabbage, pickles, dollops of hummus, and squeezes of zhoug. What you choose to get in said box—steaming hot herby falafels, roasted cauliflower, sweetcorn schnitzel—is up to you." - heidi lauth beasley, daisy meager, sinead cranna, jake missing, rianne shlebak
"Balady is very good at putting or wrapping things in bread. Whether it’s aubergine and egg (the sabich), cauliflower shawarma, or their incredible falafel, everything at this popular casual Temple Fortune spot comes with a choice of salads, pickles, hummus, red pepper and jalapeño schug, as well as tahini and amba. The result is a full-on display of flavour—all for under £15. Everything here is pretty good and the handmade chips should certainly be on your table." - jake missing, sinead cranna, daisy meager
