Just finished a wonderful dinner in the Great hall of Baluchis. Worth every bit as you get to take in the magnificent architecture of the old St Olaves and keeping up with the theme the amazing Baluchi and its mouth watering food. All courtesy of Chef de Cuisine Jomon Kuriakose aka @chefjomon who took a special interest in us just by seeing a familiar malayali surname in the many bookings he had for the day! He recognised we were from the same state and made us feel very homely by giving the grand tour and sharing his vision of plating naadan authentic Indian food with the subtle touch of divine Kerala taste. One to visit and experience definitely...

I went there with a friend of mine for dinner and from the first second on I noticed how absolutely perfect their service is. Everyone was so customer-focused and friendly. The restaurant itself is stunning. The food was great as well. Highly recommended.

We had a very nice dinner full of flavours. Service was very polite and taking care of you all the time.We said we didnt like much spicy and they helped us choosing the proper dishes. Even the chef came out of the kitchen to ask us if everything was ok!

Catered and hosted our wedding reception. Cant say highly enough about the food. All 61 guests praised the lamb starter and butter chicken. I loved the paan kulfi. Hotel manager went above and beyond the call. They have mine, my wifes and probably our guests custom for a long time.

Went as a family group, so tried quite a few of a dishes - samosas, chicken, lamb, paneer to name a few - Portions are reasonable and food so flavoursome. Excellent customer service. We really enjoyed the food in the relaxed atmosphere of the great hall. Would really like to go again soon.

Great concept, cute presentation. However, the experience was underwhelming. I scheduled a High Chai for 2:30pm on a Friday. I was one of two dining parties in the entire Gallery of the Lalit. As a single diner, I was seated directly in the center, facing the wall. The empty space was quiet with soft music piped in; staff were mingling about setting up for (what I hope) is an evening rush and a phone loudly ringing near reception, and the echo of footsteps and dishes in the room over. First was the masala chai and mango lassi. Cute presentation, I was given a small whimsical glass of tea and a bottle of lassi with a straw. both good. I ordered the vegetarian plate. The samosas were good and probably the highlight. The veggie kathi roll was also okay but not a personal favorite. The second tray included the array of chutneys, bhel, and dhokla. The bhel had a slightly salty flavor that lingered, similar to a large flaky salt. Would have preferred a citrus or tangy aftertaste instead. And the khaman dhokla was dry, even with the addition of chutneys. Top level sweets were also good, but nothing fantastic and could have had more variety. I was provided only one cup of chai, and was not revisited by wait staff after the snacks were delivered and waited almost another 20 minutes past finishing before I was asked about the bill. The handful of staff in the Gallery seemed to be unaware there was a customer and spent this time pacing across the room in front of my table without so much as a smile to warm up my dining experience. While this is something unique and a wonderful space, it lacked passion, creativity, and liveliness that it should have had. I would my experience receiving masala chai while queuing for Dishoom was much more invigorating and provided more value in quality and environment. The lack of service and personality make the High Chai at the Lalit a pass rather than a cant-miss.

Located in The Lalit hotel. Went over the Xmas holidays - Was a bit quiet, so Service was exceptional (and personal). Had a lovely (Spanish?) Server called Santiago who was talktative and helpful with recommendations. Food was very, very good. In particular - the Mushroom kebab (melt in your mouth soft) & Paneer Makhani-Naan for mains. Dessert - Paan infused Kulfi was falooda was dee-lish! Only one thing that was average was the Kateil (Jackfruit) Kofte. Couldnt make out whether there was any Jackfruit in it! Meal for two - two starters, two mains (with two naans), two desserts & two cocktails came to £110 (incl Service). In short: RECOMMEND.

I decided to dine here with my family and a friend as we were staying in the Lalit. The waitress was more than accommodating and the staff were quite welcoming. I found the food to be adequate yet the portions were small at times.The desserts were really amazing! The ambience was really luxurious and the restaurant had a beautiful sophisticated decor. Overall a great experience, would definitely revisit for the dessert.

I hate to say it, but the food just wasn’t very good. There are so many amazing Indian restaurants in London and although this one is beautiful and the dishes look nice, it just wasn’t very good food. There are much better and definitely less expensive options in London, so this was does not hold up. Food was not super flavorful not spicy (even though I requested), I’m soo disappointed. They may be better for cocktails than food. Staff was friendly..

Excellent! We came here for afternoon tea on a Sunday. Food and service were both excellent, and I intend to return soon.

Baluchi is a pan-Indian dining restaurant in London within the Lalit hotel, set in the historic Grade II listed former St. Olave’s Grammar School. Baluchi can be found in what was the Great Hall and it’s one seriously stunning location. The high ceiling, royal blue colour, dark woods and beams, floor to ceiling windows and chandeliers give it a truly sophisticated, regal feel.Chef Jomon was funny, passionate and absolutely lovely. He told us tales and stories from India, the history to naan and tiffins (they are lunch boxes with different levels which used to be shared among colleagues/friends at lunchtime) and made plenty of jokes. You could see his passion for the food, and his team, shine through throughout the whole evening. He even introduced us to part of the team and let us know that they all have a say in the menu and how things are presented at Baluchi.The Naan’ery experience at the bread bar (£55 for solo, £99 for two) at Baluchi, features four courses of bread with accompanying dips and wine, followed by a tiffin to share. We were sat at the bar, right at the front of the restaurant, where we could see the breads being prepared.Chef Jomon told us how to make the naan – we even got to have a hand at making them ourselves! We rolled, filled and flattended them, ready for Chef Jomon to bake in the tandoor oven which is super hot! It was a fantastic experience getting to help and see it all up close. We were impressed by the fact they had a tandoor oven out by the bar so the bread could be cooked right in front of people dining.The first naan course is a fig and cheese kulcha, made with paneer. The paneer was grated rather than in the usual chunky form, making it spread throughout and giving the naan a creamier finish overall, rather than just little pockets of oozy cheese. The fig added a sweet edge too.The second naan is a porcini and truffle one. It’s a delicate balance of earthy truffle and nutty mushrooms. The definition of umami – a flavour which enlightens all the taste buds in the mouth. It arrived with a powerful tamarind dip, which added an extra element to the potent flavours and complimented the mushroom well. The paired wine was an MS Fratelli White; a smooth, crisp wine which complimented the mushroom well.The third bread course is a blue cheese naan made with a French blue. Again, this isn’t overly powerful, yet the blue cheese adds a nice creamy touch and a delicious underlying flavour. You wouldn’t have thought it was blue cheese though if you hadn’t been told – this bread actually changed Chef Jomon’s opinion on this type of cheese! It came with a delicious, tangy tomato dip making this course almost remind us of pizza – the cheese and the tomato.A glass of the MS Fratelli Red was served to accompany the naan. It was full-bodied, with tannins, making it quite potent. We thought the wine was fab, although perhaps could have had a slightly lighter variety to go with the cheese.Last but not least, we ended on a sweet note with a coconut and mango naan. It reminded us a touch of peshwari, subtle-y sweet. It’s served with a fantastic red berry/cherry dip, making it feel like a dessert option. A small glass of Muscat de Beaumes Devenise accompanied the final course. It’s a sweet dessert wine which is very sweet, and incredibly moreish. We couldn’t get enough.The breads were rounded off with a tiffin filled with Butter Chicken, Dal Baluchi, pilau rice and carrot halwa. The butter chicken was tender, creamy and aromatic. A fab, smooth and tasty curry which isn’t very spicy. We loved the lentil dal which was packed with flavour, and the pilau rice was perfectly cooked and fluffy. The carrot halwa was super sweet and stodgy making a delicious end to such a feast.This was an incredible experience at a seriously stunning pan Indian restaurant in London. There was also next level service, which such passion and humour radiating from Chef Jomon.

Fantastic Indian food. Service was beyond expectation. Really loved the overall experience. Thank you guys!

Lovely atmosphere, grand setting, great staff and the food was fantastic. Highly recommended.

Very nice place for lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.

Very nice placeExcellent food, great wine list, bathrooms has heated toilet seats!

Very grand and quite restaurant with lovely food and service

Visited here for Dinner. Visited the Teachers Room first for a delicious cocktail. The staff literally couldn’t do enough for us and helped us with our food choices. The food was out of this world with so many pan-Indian dishes to choose from. My spouse is not the biggest fan of Indian food but loved the Baluchi. Would highly recommend.

Great menu, beautiful dining room. Good selection of Indian wines.

Total waste of time and food quality was very bad. We had food poisoning with severe diarrhea from the restaurant food.I have emailed many times now, but no response yet!!

Amazing setting, (very) high ceilings, attentive service. The menu is varied but not overwhelming. Tasty Indian food, spicy but not too hot, flavourful but not too greasy. All served in style. Food not only tasting good it also looks great, in a balanced, non ostentatious way. Deserts are all in the same delightfully tasty and beautiful to look at vein.

We had the high chai experience at circa 4pm on a Friday afternoon.The food was great, service was great, ambience was great.....a very nice peaceful tea experience not too far from where we live. Couldnt ask for more.

Brilliant place, food is delicious

Brillant food. Brillant service. Highly recommended.

Amazing stay ... great rooms... lunch and breakfast superb ... will definitely stay again and highly recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a comfortable stay in London or just a great place to eat

One of the top Indian restaurants in London. I really recommend the octopus and the lamb.

Exceptional service and delicious cuisine. Reccommended.

Is this the best Indian in London??Superb food, wonderful setting in a converted school Hall. Roomy, well spaced tables. Friendly waiting staff.The food, truly exceptional, great flavours all nicely judged. Excellent portions .In a word perfect!

Magnificent food, exquisite atmosphere. Staff know exactly what you want before you want it.

Nice place for authentic Indian food. They make nice cocktails with some Indian blends. Food is delicious although portions are not huge. Sharing dishes are meant for maximum of 2 people. They also serve Indian deserts with modern touch. A bit expensive but we were lucky to get 2 hours free parking too.

The food was mostly very good, although horrendously overpriced... that said, the portion sizes were huge for the main courses (one main course could comfortably feed two people with normal appetites) so that may account for it somewhat... My only complaints about the food are that the poppadoms were very dry and tasted almost entirely of black pepper, and the nan bread was doughy and tasted overwhelmingly of raw garlic...However, the low rating is really for the service, which was pretty appalling. The restaurant was more than half empty and there were plenty of staff milling around, yet we had to wait 3-4 minutes at the door before someone even came to seat us. Then another 10 minutes for a menu. 10 minutes for an order of bottled beer to arrive. 30 minutes for the meal to arrive. 20 minutes to get someones attention to get a bill... and THEN another 15 minutes to get someones attention to pay the bill. Ridiculous. Ask yourself if you really want to pay £40 per head for this kind of service...Also the menu was incomprehensibly laid out - there was an attempt to be post-modern by having a bizarre school theme, but this was just confusing and irritating to be honest.

Good food, but service was sub standard. were given starters within 5 minutes of ordering, and mains arrived directly after starters when we asked for a 20 minute break. we asked for more time between courses,.so they reheated the food and sent the same (now cold) nans 20 minutes later.going by other reviews it must have been an off day, but the service was rushed, and no single waiter over looking the table, at least 5 different waiters offering service within minutes of each other, resulting in conflicting service. did not even get asked if I wanted another drink.ps. the restaurant was not busy, felt like ordering food at McDonalds.not the expected service from a fine dining restaurant. the chef did come talk to us and gave us free deserts as compensation, but the experience wont be forgotten.The front of staff needed to coordinate the staff better.

Amazing space although does not really know what it is trying to do with its decor. Echoey lift music added to the confusion of ambience. It should have been more lively on a Friday night. Food was tasty and worth another visit perhaps. Octopus well spiced, venison tender, and rich black dahl unctuous. Marred by service, but perhaps we had a new recruit. Do not ask to take plates away before we have finished, don’t top up the wine every 5 seconds, and when the woman of the party asks for the bill, don’t give it to the man. Drinks ridiculously expensive with a 300% markup.

Pricey but very good Indian food

Very nice decor and food is delicious. Price is not too bad. Dining for 2 is around £80-£120

Great location, very close to London Bridge Station. Venue was beautiful and so was the food!

Sadly linked to a terrible hotel

Went for a birthday, during lunch time Sunday. Great food and in a wonderful old school setting. I will definitely go back and try some of the other dishes, that friends had and that also looked delicious!!

Chef Jomon and his team are truly wonderful. They always come up with dishes to please an individuals taste, all you need to do is ask. The service is exceptional, and second to none. The ambeince is decent.

Staff was a bit snobbish and threw a bit of attitude. Didn’t get my order right twice and didn’t even bother to apologise. Go there only if you don’t have any other options . Food quality is ok.

Really good food and a ostentatious environment with an impressive choice of food that excited every palette with a blast of flavour. Vibrant colors and amazing staff complements the high cealings and environment.

Treated my mum to tea for Mothering Sunday. The food and service were excellent. I particularly enjoyed the Kathi roll and Punjabi samosa (with proper pastry).There were a couple of things the establishment ought to improve. Firstly, my mother ordered a normal breakfast tea. This was charged as extra. Not a huge deal but frankly it came across as rather stingy given that we were already paying £47 a head. Finally, when we came to settle the bill, the staff member who did so very clearly didnt know how to operate the card machine or take customers through the process. A request to split the bill prompted an attempt to fetch a calculator - I just did the calculation on my phone. Then the staff member inserted one card the wrong way round (you could clearly see the chip protruding from the machine) and for the second card attempted to bill £141,000 instead of £141. Obviously a bit of a difference. An an establishment like the Lalit, I expect staff to be ready to fulfil their duties before theyre let loose on paying customers.

Amazing and authentic Indian food. Highly recommended of you are in London. The vegetarian dishes are very, very good.

We went to this place for my birthday dinner last week and I have to say that everything was great. The service, food and wine - all were exceptional. I was really pleased with the service as we have been to a number of places in London for Indian food (including Michellin Star dining places) and I beleive Baluchi stands out for sure (for good reasons obviously!). Will definitely come back again

The first impression of this huge scale restaurant space is totally wasted because they havent got the lighting right.Although the chandeliers are impressive, the lighting of the room is wrong and has created no ambience whatsoever. Consequently, there is no night out atmosphere.The colours of midnight blue with black painted wood panelling adds to the gloom.The food was great. service so,so.

Amazing food and service. Very happy to find this place, so beautiful too and quite quiet. Went on Sunday

The food was lacking spice, a bit boring. We ordered a la carte, and they brought the starters along with the main without any reasoning behind it. Great decor though.

A let down from our last visit. Service was rushed and food was serviced luke warm

Its one of the best restaurants near Tower Bridge

Delightful taste of Authentic Indian food and quieter place

Food was nice... Limited Vegetarian Options but overall decent food for Indian tastebuds

An amazing venue , show casing class and styleChef Jomon, has exceptional culinary skills and pride in his workService and Food , meet and exceed expectations

High quality Indian food, served by extremely professional and friendly staff. The ambiance of the restaurant is also spot on. Expensive though.

Didnt enjoy the food as much.not a good service and expensive.

Great food and really nice decor, excellent service by Cristina

Perfect Traditional Indian Food.Loved their Dal Makhani and Butter Chicken

Service time is high but food is good. Order portions are huge.

Fabulous tasting menu, excellent ambience and very attentive service.

The staff was super great and the food so so good, Ive really enjoyed 😍

Excellent food and service. Lamb dish was as good as anything I have tasted anywhere.

As an Asian, my friends and I found everything very bland.It was ok... I do feel like it was overpriced as the cost was not justified by taste or presentation of foos

Beautifully decorated restaurant serving high quality Indian food. Let down by erratic service

Couldnt find it

The food at Baluchi was great. We had the mushroom galouti which melted in your mouth and the Salmon chatpatta - beware that this is not a tikka but more like ceviche. It was still great, though not what we were expecting. The black dal was really good too. However, the service was terrible. Firstly, my husband ordered whisky neat, as he always does, and the waitress got it over ice. When he told her that this wasnt what he ordered, she gave a big sigh, before eventually replacing it. Then, while we were ordering, I wasnt sure if I wanted rice, so just asked my husband if we should get some and another waitress very rudely said you dont need rice. What if I really wanted rice??? Then, once our food came, the waiter and his assistant had a bit of a tussle over who would hold the tray and who would put the dishes on the table. It was amusing, until they almost dropped the tray!!! And lastly, we ordered a pistachio kulfi for dessert, and then overheard yet another waiter place an order for a paan kulfi instead!!! We had to call the 2nd waitress and double check and sure enough, they had placed the wrong order! So, all in all, while the food was great, the service left a lot to be desired.

We were so pleasantly surprised how good the thali was here. The kaffir lime chicken was amazing The sugar free rasmalai too. This place was much much better than I expected based on the reviews. Would definitely come back and try the high chai which looked really good as our table neighbours were having it.

From brand Lalit and the ambience, I expected better food. The poppadums served in the beginning were bit soggy, the food overall was avearge. Chicken starter had lovely spices but chicken itself was not cooked as well. The vegetarian platter was not bad but not special either. I enjoyed the kadhi pakora. The butter chicken was trying to be westernised but was neither here nor there. This restaurant has great potential given the brands legacy in India, but just needs to find a better footing in London, cause it takes a lot more to win the London market.

Great meal, very good service, nice for a special occassion

Lovely setting but I found the food very average and the service decidedly lack lustre and bordering on curt with the exception of one solitary waitress who saved this from being a two star review. Unlikely to return.

Good for mains. A bit over priced for starters

Excellent incredible Indian food Amazing charming place and Professional staff One of the place in London U must see

Food was average. Late Service..We were waiting for 15 + min to get the bill.

Make no mistake food was amazingly delicious despite the quantity they serve for the price. The service was disappointing. They forgot to deliver ordered dishes. If it was once I can understand but happened twice.

The service was terrible for the price, the staff didnt speak fluent English or understand their own menu. My chair was kicked several times as staff would reach across you to serve someone else instead of walking around the table. I asked if they did any beers on draft and was told kingfisher, I asked for a pint. They brought me an £8, 330cl bottle, and I said it wasntw a pint, only to be told it was by someone who clearly spoke English but didnt click every word. I didnt argue, just chalked it up to one bad waiter....but they all missed key words of English.The food was better than average but not amazing. The setting was better than average but not amazing. Its quite gaudi. It was quiet for a Saturday night (you soon realise why) and you really do feel youre in a school hall (which is what it is/was) at some points.Theyd not listen to us as a group when they brought our meals out, theyd often take things back to the kitchen despite us saying the other end of the table ordered that dish, ask down there. It really was as if they didnt quite understand us or what good restaurant service was. Bizarre in places.One starter, 3 small beers and 1 main is c.£50 per person. I expect better.

Ok, you can get better for what you pay for. Staff are friendly. Food is average.

Food was bad. Under cooked chapaties. Ordered for Raita got a bowl of khichdi instead. You have to chase for items you order. The bill was incorrect as well included the khichdi that I didnt order. Wont recommend.

Great decor nice ambience, 3stars as not allergy friendly.

The worst Indian restaurant ever..Me and my friend were looking for a good retaurant. But on Friday it was very tough to find any restaurants. So we dicided to go to this restaurant. there were only couple of tables with customers, there were so many available tables. I wondered wht this luxyy, looking good reasutant were empty. But it didnt take too long to find a reason.1. Team-work failureSome waiters coudnt even speak English. Even the small requests were asked. I think its very basic way to take care of the customers in especially hosipitality industry, So in that case his seniors should have come and help him an figure things out.2. The meals(2 course manu) do not deserve the price at all.Too much indian spices killed the origin taste of the ingredients.3. No sense of hygeineI found a grain of hair in the main menu Butter chicken. Butter chiken is one my favorite food ever in my entire life, But I got sick of it becuase the hair would remand me.4. Incorrect calculationAfter all, they brought the bills. but it was too much than i ever thought. then I asked the manager to be sure. And I found they overcharged upto 60 pounds. there were no appologies at all.I and my friend were totlally defended from this restaurant.And now we understand why there were so empty not many customers minewhile the others were full of waiting ques.

Fantastic food, great ambience, dal was exceptionally good.

3.9 for the main course4.9 for the deserts, overall it is great

Not any offering if someone doesnt like spicy food

Awesome Food and Decor

Good food and gay friendly too!

Luxurious restaurant good quality food

Great interior and attentive staff.

Amazing would highly recommend

One of my favourite places in London currently

Delicious Indian in a stunning setting.

Ok place. Small portions

Very fine Indian dining

Good Dinning

Awesome

We had a wonderful evening, the food is excellent, the waiters are very friendly and smiling and the place is really beautiful. We decided to try the bar at Naan and we do not regret it, the naans are just a REGAL, they are made in front of us, served all hot .. A delight! I will return to this restaurant every time in London!We had a wonderful evening, the food is excellent, the waiters are very kind and smiling and the place is really beautiful. We decided to try the Naanery and we do not regret it, the naans are just a real TREAT, they are made in front of us, served all hot .. A delight! I visit you every day I visit London!

A unique place in an old school. A very refined Indian cuisine of very good spicy but not too spicy gastronomy. A service with small onions (red) ...

Indian cuisine of 10. Very nice local and very good service.