In South London, two much-loved institutions are celebrating milestones of their own and coming together to mark them in rather delicious fashion. This year, celebrated Indian restaurant Babur is commemorating 41 years, while the Horniman Museum & Gardens marks an impressive 125 years, bringing two long-standing neighbours together for a collaboration inspired by food, nature and the gardens that surround the museum, Together in Bloom. The result is a celebration that stretches well beyond the dining room, encompassing a specially created 41st anniversary tasting menu, wine pairings, and botanical-inspired cocktails. At its heart, however, is a meeting of two worlds: the Horniman’s extraordinary plant collections and Babur’s instinct for transforming spices, herbs and seasonal ingredients into food that is as aromatic and evocative as it is refined.
From the Horniman Gardens to the Babur Kitchen
Running from 17 July until 20 September, Babur’s Executive Chef Jiwan Lal and Head Mixologist Rupam Talukdar have created an exclusive tasting menu inspired by the gardens and all that South London has to offer. The idea sprouted last year, when Babur founder Emdad Rahman, Chef Jiwan Lal and Mixologist Rupam Talukdar toured the Horniman Gardens with their Head of Horticulture, Errol Fernandes.
Spices are at the heart of Indian cuisine, to help build complex layers of aroma and depth, and often to build some heat. Traditional Indian cuisine relies on a foundation of spices to transform everyday ingredients into delicious meals. Established in 1985, Babur has become one of London’s longest-standing Indian restaurants and has become an institution in the Forest Hill community. It has earned a loyal following and has been decorated accordingly, being recognised as one of the UK’s Top 100 Curry Restaurants for five consecutive years.
The Horniman Museum and Gardens were opened in Forest Hill in 1901 by Frederick Horniman, tea trader and MP for the Liberal Party. It is said that he built the museum to “bring the world to Forest Hill”, providing an opportunity for everyone to learn about global creativity. Today, the Horniman has a collection of 350,000 objects, specimens and artefacts from around the world.
Together in Bloom is a celebration of South London’s diversity, and the unique way nature can shape and define culinary experiences.
The 41st Anniversary Menu: A Journey Through Babur’s Kitchen
The six-course 41st anniversary tasting menu is where the collaboration really comes to life. It moves through a series of dishes that bring together Babur’s Indian culinary repertoire with fresh, aromatic and botanical influences inspired by the Horniman Gardens. Rather than feeling like a conventional celebratory menu, there is a sense of discovery to each course, with contrasting textures, spice and acidity keeping the journey lively from beginning to end.
The opening Devon crab tartlet sets the tone, pairing sweet, delicate crab with brown butter and roasted garlic, while pickled onion and chives bring freshness to the richness.
Next comes a crispy filo-coated kebab with spiced hung yoghurt, accompanied by pink peppercorn and dill oil and roasted green mango jelly. Here, texture becomes as important as flavour: crisp pastry gives way to cool, creamy yoghurt, while green mango brings a distinctive sour-sweet note.
A kiwi and basil lolly follows, acting as a refreshing interlude before the more substantial courses.
For the main course, diners can choose between charcoal-grilled pandan chicken tikka, served with mustard mayonnaise, mint-coriander and mango sauce, or dark spiced lamb neck, accompanied by blue cheese and rosemary naan and roasted beetroot yoghurt. The chicken brings smoky, aromatic notes and the freshness of herbs and mango, while the lamb offers a deeper, more indulgent expression of spice, with the richness of the meat offset by the tang of beetroot yoghurt.
The next course continues the menu’s balance between richness and freshness. Sea bream is served with lemon, garlic and cumin, fennel and potato, green mango-coconut sauce and a samphire fritter, bringing together citrus, spice and gentle sweetness with the briny character of samphire. For those who aren’t fans of fish, the roasted beetroot and goat’s cheese dumpling takes centre stage, paired with baby spinach, garlic-basil sauce and spiced crisp.
Dessert brings the menu to a fragrant close with Rajasthani coral cake, served with cardamom syrup, saffron buffalo milk reduction and hung yoghurt ice cream.
The Wine Pairing: From Mosel Riesling to Bordeaux Sauternes
There is, naturally, the option to upgrade the experience further with the wine pairings. With the pairings from France, Germany, Austria and Australia, the wine selection is an equal celebration of international cuisine.
The crab tartlet is paired with a 2025 Monrouby Chardonnay, from Languedoc, France, with notes of lemon zest that perfectly contrast the savoury crab.
The second course, the filo-coated kebab, is expertly matched with a 2025 Axel Pauly ‘Generations’ Riesling, from the Mosel Valley in Germany. This white wine is tangy, with subtle fruity notes and a dry finish, the perfect accompaniment for the combination of flavours.
The choice of chicken tikka is coupled with a 2025 Côtes de Gascogne from the Saint-Lannes Estate in South West France, elegantly fresh with a crisp finish. While the choice of spiced lamb is delivered alongside a 2023 Bedoba Saperavi from Kakheti, Georgia, a red wine with powerfully savoury notes of blackberries, herbs and flowers, capturing the ethos of the collaboration.
For the next course, the option of sea bream is paired with a 2024 Grüner Veltliner by Weingut Waldschütz from Austria, with fresh, fruity notes and a herby edge, the most natural pairing for fish. Instead, with the beetroot and goat’s cheese dumpling, a glass of 2022 ‘Layers’ by Peter Lehmann from Adelaide, Australia, is joined. This particular wine uses a blend of Pinot Gris, Muscat, Gewürztraminer, and Semillon, creating an incredible combination of tropical and citrus fruits, with hints of spice and florals.
Finally, the dinner closes with Rajasthani coral cake, delicately matched with a sweet 2023 Sauternes from Château Delmond in Bordeaux, France. This wine has a creamy texture and aromas of peach and honey, creating a pleasant close to the evening.
All wines are served in 100ml glasses, with the dessert wine in 50ml glasses. This provides the chance to try the wine and experience the full tasting menu, without being overwhelmed.
A Garden in a Glass: The Cocktail Collaboration
The collaboration doesn’t stop at the dining table. Babur’s Head Mixologist Rupam Talukdar has taken inspiration directly from the Horniman’s gardens to create a collection of botanical cocktails that blur the line between garden and glass. Wild lavender, catmint, basil, wild strawberry and other floral and aromatic ingredients become the starting point for drinks that are as much about fragrance and texture as they are about flavour.
Two speciality cocktails have been designed specifically for the collaboration. The Botanical Tipple, a floral blend of Hapusa Indian Craft Gin, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, Cinzano Bianco, homemade spice extract and rosewater. And the Spiced Negroni, a mix of Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin, Amaro Montenegro, Campari, homemade Indian-spiced sweet vermouth, cinnamon bitters, and orange oil. These cocktails capture the sensory elements of the gardens, making them a natural extension of the special anniversary menu. Together, the food and cocktails create a distinctly botanical interpretation of Babur’s cooking, rooted in the shared South London setting that brought the two institutions together.
The cocktails are available as a limited-edition gift set, available for purchase on Babur’s website, or at the Horniman Gardens gift shop, throughout the anniversary season.
More Than a Restaurant Collaboration
In whole, the collaboration goes beyond the love of food and speaks to the importance of multiculturalism that has defined South London for decades. Since 1985, Babur has been a part of the Forest Hill community in South London, and wishes to give back to the local community. Over the past few years, they have been partnering with other initiatives and institutions, with the aim of investing in the local area. The Horniman Museum and Gardens has been a hallmark of the Forest Hill community for the past 125 years, and is mostly funded through government grants and generous philanthropy, allowing them to keep the Museum and Gardens free for all to visit.
Together, Babur and the Horniman Museum have created a celebration of South London’s past, present and future, and the important connection between nature and food.
The special menus are available until 20 September 2026 only.
To Discover More and Book, Visit: babur.info
All images courtesy of Babur.