Review Babaganush - Hamilton

Had a quick yet great lunch while visiting Hamilton. Place was quite busy with locals - always a good sign. Service was excellent. Food - very good! Calamari meze was superb - calamari were very nicely fried, tender and juicy. Vegetarian moussaka and babaganush were delicious too. And of course, a cap of proper Turkish coffee with baklava is a must!

The best Turkish food of our family in Hamilton. Excellent service, quick to serve, food is so fresh and high quality, Lovely and cozy place. Highly recommend: beef and pear; lamb kabeb.

So delicious and huge portions for the dinner mains! Well worth the money! Lovely atmosphere and the banana + chicken pizza was very interesting and very tasty 😋 highly recommend Delicious vegetarian options too

We went as a big group We had a set menu which had excellent choices And the food Wow! Delicious Flavoursome Beautifully presented Generous portions and great value for money. Great atmosphere Patrons having fun Tastefully decorated Staff were attentive, efficient and engaging. We're going back 💯% 👍

Wasn't sure looking at it from the outside, but after you walk through the doors it's beautiful! Comfortable cushions on the wall seats, which are along all walls, the bright colours were a great contrast against the darker tables and floor. Food was on point, we got the coban meze platter and the beef moussaka to share between 2. We were stuffed, and couldn't fit the last couple of pieces of bread. The highlight for me was the tabbouleh that came with the moussaka, I would eat that all day.

Went for lunch as my office is nearby. Had mixed kebab rice and was quite good. Can get better with service but no issues so will definitely come back. Thank you..

Great food and many options. Staff are kind and attentive and always ready to help. Price isn’t bad for the quality and is good to bring larger groups for a decent priced good quality dinner.

Babaganush was amazing! The food was outstanding, I forgot to get a photo of our entree, it was the garlic bread and was fantastic! The kebab was HUGE. Pizza was awesome for the kids and the wife had the Iskender she was raving about it, the couscous side dish she especially enjoyed. Topped it off with baklava! Couldn’t have asked for a better night. We were able to sit outside which was a real treat in the sunshine. Do yourself a favor and eat here when I. Hamilton East!

The server lady was very friendly and helpful. A middle aged guy who I presume was the manager was great. The food was delicious and well priced. It was cozy and comfortable.

The food was very delicious and service was great. Nancy brought the food to us and she was very friendly. I recommend this place if you’re visiting Hamilton. I will definitely come back next time.

Have been here lots of times and it is consistently excellent � Delicious, fresh food and friendly and efficient service. Would highly recommend!!! �

At the end of a week of good dining in Hamilton - bravi bravissimi, Scott's Epicurean, the River Kitchen, the Chilli House, Bánh mì Càphê, 福满楼, and, above all, Dough Bros - I ended my visit to our fast-developing fourth city with an almost comically bad dinner at Babaganush. Inedible kalamari and olives, grey lamb with limp carrots, stale and overcooked falafel, stale and overcooked everything, really. The sweet, inexperienced service couldn't compensate. I like simple, fresh Anatolian food more than much of the hipsterish innovation that is sweeping the Tron, but this tired joint will likely be swept away by this wave without a thorough reinvention of its own.

On Saturday 1 April 2017 at approx 7.30pm we My wife and I enjoyed the dining experience immensely... the ambience was welcoming the friendly, professional staff were very efficient, the food was very tasty. The owner, Hassan, greeted us also. Overall, first class ...

Four of us went for lunch today. The service was wonderful and all 4 dishes that we had were absolutely beautiful. Can highly recommend this restaurant.

Great food but shocking service. No greeting....no offer of drinks. First response from our wait person was "are you ready to order?' My reply " well a drink first would be nice".....People arriving after us were served and already had their mains and we were still sitting waiting. When our mains arrived they couldn't distinguish which meal was which. In the end we were just glad to leave.

Absolutely loved it. Great service, great food and great atmosphere. Thank you!

We've been here several times, food (and coffee) is consistently superb, and the service amazing - very friendly, helpful and genuine staff. I particularly like the chicken iskender and my wife loves the dolma. Hummus excellent too.

Really good, tasty food, very reasonably priced. Always plenty of people eating there and the staff v. friendly

Really enjoyed our meal out at Babaganush last night. First time there for my boys and they throughly enjoyed the Coban Meze Platter to start and then there Doner Kebabs as a main. We will definately be back again!!food was devine

Fantastic food, good sized helpings, quick friendly service on a busy night, good atmosphere. We'll certainly go again!

Great service, great food, and a great atmosphere. Staff are always pleasant and accommodating. There's a reason why it's such a Hamilton institution.

Love this place!! Definitely a family favourite as well as our "go to" during the week for our coffee. Great service and food every time from Hasan, Ihaka, Nicole and the rest of the crew!!

Absolutely amazing and good, fast service.........

Another pleasant celebration...great service...friendly staff...awesome authentic cuisine...thanks Babaganush!!!

Love the great atmosphere, the friendly wonderful staff and the fact that as a Vegan accompanying carnivores to dinner we all get our food requirements met. Thank you. I will go again & again.

Cool ambience, friendly staff. We had ordered pizza, chicken iskender and mutton iskender. Iskender is must have dish and they rightly boast about it. Took a bit long to serve. Maybe because it was the odd day where they were short on staff. But that shouldn't be the case especially when its the Balloons over Waikato event. To conclude, Delicious food. Apt for the price you pay.

Must visit resto in Hamilton.Turkish cuisine at it's best.If ur in here, should try the iskendar delicacy.Its Super Yumm.The auro and ambience is the next best thing

Good friendly service they were busy for a Thursday night but we were seated quickly and service was quick and efficient and staff were very nice. I was disappointed with my Doner I would<br/>Call it more of a wrap. Hummus was almost nonexistent but overall an ok meal

Amazing service we're greeted and seated immediately. Explained the menu and then given time to choose. We choose the cream chessey filo and lamb pizza. Both of which were amazing and full of flavour. At exceptional price for 2 people. The food was amazing and the service was amazing what's not to love. 10/10 would highly recommend

Love, love this place. Their food is very yummy.  Love their iskender<br/><br/>and Baklava is so good.<br/>On a busy day service not so great, but that is understandable, so never puts me off going.

Best Turkish food, ever. As vegeterians, falafel is our only option and we love it with the pide (for lunch only), and iskender. So delicious! Our fave sauces are garlic yoghurt and sweet chilli. Service is best on Saturday lunch - evertime we go there she makes us feel incredibly welcomed. Have only tried the two plus kebab one time (but didn't love it) and am planning to venture out one day... But not yet because pide and iskender is love/life!

Turkish restaurant in Hamilton East, nice environment. Food is ok, good service. Lunch specials are good value for money, both pizza and kebabs are big portions. Also tried lamb and apricot tagine this time, not bad, but I would prefer the chicken tagine.

The environment is lovely, the food awesome! The service not so much, wouldn’t stop me going back though! Just need to keep on them to deliver what you’ve asked for! 😊😊😊

Wonderful atmosphere. Highly recommend the homemade baklava. Excellent service every time I go in. The food actually melts in your mouth. Can't wait to go back.😃👍👍

The ambience is good. Food was also good. Ordered falafel which was good. Only when they say a Turkish bread it wasn’t it seem as if it’s a normal wrap. Otherwise service is pretty good. Quick and polite.

Love the food, especially the vegetarian options. A little on the pricey side though, but worth it in my opinion. Try not to go too often or you'll get sick of it!

Very overpriced for low quality food. It seems like a lot of the food has just been thrown together randomly. However, the customer service was good.

Great food, good customer service, cleared tables nicely, refilled water often, and happily put un-eaten food in takeaway containers for us to-go 😊 Restaurant gets full very quickly with walk-ins/booked customers, so would be best to book to assure seating 😊

Dropped in casually with three friends , yesterday afternoon.  Had light snack, savoury , sweet and different coffee drinks. Everyone loved the food and ambience. Nicole served us , service was quick and  very friendly , always with a smile.  We want to go back for a bigger feast soon.

This place is warm, welcoming & super friendly. The service is quick, the staff are happy and they know what proper service is. The avocado & chicken pizza is AMAZING! I will definitely be returning.

Ambience was good.. got us that turkish feeling when we entered... I ordered ceg moussaka.. I didnt quite enjoy the mashed kumara part... but other items on the dish were new to my palate and I quite liked the flavours.... salads were spectacular... fresh and crisp.. hubby ordered chicken tagine... we weren't aware about the preparation; just took a risk.. The taste was very new for us however we liked it thankfully.. not visually appealing though... lastly took falafels for takeaway... I was sadly disappointed by that... falafels were cold.. no salad or any accompaniments along with them and they were undercooked... It is their traditional dish and that should be made to perfection, which was lacking. Could have been way better than this...😕

The vegetarian moussaka is amazing! Lovely wait staff an reasonable prices. The atmosphere is warm and friendly. Will definitely return to try more from their menu.

Came for dinner with a friend for her birthday last week. Had the vege moussaka, and it was unreal, so good. The hummus on the side, best I've ever had. Good service, cosy place, awesome food. One let down, the sticky date pudding, not sticky and not date-y.

Nice decor and good food. Very quick service. Meat and veges all were fresh.. Lamb kofte were amazing.. The desert portion is also big and can be shared. Go there with a booking as it is busy during weekends

I've never been disappointed with babaganoush. Best service in Hamilton, great food and reasonably priced. They accommodated our group of 15 with ease. Didn't take long at all for our food to come out. Highly recommended :).

Dropped be here for a late lunch while passing through Hamilton. Service was top notch - the manager was nice enough to help me charge my phone while I was waiting for the meal.<br/><br/>I ordered the mixed kebab on rice which was a pretty sizeable meal, accompanied by a green, carrot and beetroot salad, and of course, humus. The meat was good quality and tasted very fresh (which is why they can probably get away with charging $17 for a kebab meal). <br/><br/>Highly recommended for a good quality middle eastern feed and service when you're passing through the Tron!

This place was awesome when it started, however recently it has become really disappointing. The kababs are quite mediocre, dry and boring. Portion quantities have reduced. They taste no better than the ones you get at the food court and charge a premium for their dishes.

We came here for lunch with a couple of hungry kids who needed quick feeding.  Good, quick service in a nice atmosphere - Turkish without being OTT.  The staff were helpful and still kind to us even though one of the kids knocked over a nearly full drink!  We had gourmet pizza and kebabs - all were huge, and went down well with everyone!

I've dined here thrice already and there'no doubt that I will surely go back. I tried three mains from three visits: the chicken tangine, lamb tangine and the beef tangine. All did not disappoint. The beef one is my favourite. It's texture, taste, the softness of the beef, the flavour, all adds up to make this dish so delish! The price may be a little bit high, but the service, food and ambiance is worth every penny.

Mediterranean food in hamilton ..? Ur first choice should be babaganush restaurant. Warm and welcoming staff, i had ordered a platter and it was worth tasting the authentic dips. Falafel is my favourite mediterranean and they cook it really well so guys go in and try once for urself

A fantastic place for supreme Mediterranean type cuisine. The ambience matches the type of cuisine. Gourmet pizzas and Moussaka stand out. Highly recommended.

As Turkish options goes in hams this is considered one of the best. The food is good but it doesn't wow my taste my buds. For a filling meal this is where to go.

Last minute dinner decision at a family gathering last week and we all agreed on babaganush as a few of us hadn't tried it before.Boom! Sooo good,tried chicken and banana pizza,bacon pizza and lamb kofta and a chicken tagine.Great flavours through all dishes,good turn around time from when we ordered to pick up,roughly 15mins and provided a few laughs with the chilli sauce on the lamb.Defiantly going back there soon.

Great location parking no problem. <br/>We sat outside very pleasant after a hot day. <br/>I had the beef mousaka, it was the best I had anywhere. <br/>Service was great very friendly and accommodating. Prices reasonable but value for money.

Absolutely amazing and such great value for money!! It was super busy but our service was outstanding the food quality outstanding friendly lovely atmosphere

We came here for dinner. The restaurant was busy and could be noisy at times. Overall the ambiance was still nice.<br/><br/>We started with the prawn and avocado meze, and a sultan meze platter. Both were flavoursome and had pleasant textures. We then continued with a chicken and date tagine, a lamb and apricot tagine, a beef moussaka, and a lamb kofte. All the main dishes were served hot and within a reasonable time frame.<br/><br/>The chicken and date tagine had nice flavours and a bit of spice, which made it very enjoyable. The lamb and apricot tagine and lamb kofte also had nice flavours, but were too mild for my liking. The beef moussaka was a disappointment. It had little flavour and was far too dry. I would not order it again.<br/><br/>Overall, we were pleased with our experience here and will be back!

My most favourite restaurant! Great food n fab service. Amazing baklava n love the ambience. Really yummy pizzas too. Its a must try and a guaranteed repeat visit place

Awesome little cosy restaurant. I love the cushions and the colours of the place. Been in for lunch and dinner on several occasions and has never disappointed. Great food and coffee

This is going to be a short one- my partner and I went to Babaganush with his family for his birthday. When he went to the counter to order his meal, he specifically told them that he was allergic to dairy, and asked that the vegetarian pizza be made dairy free if at all possible. The lady behind the counter was more than accommodating, promising that it would be dairy free and even checking with the cook to ask if the falafel was vegan, which it was.<br/><br/>When the meal came you could see his heart sinking. While the other dinners at our table received their meals made to order, the pizza he ordered 'dairy free' was covered in cheese. We immediately went back to the counter and complained and asked if another pizza could be remade for him quickly. The same lady looked at us both and said "What are you talking about the pizza toppings are dairy free, but all pizzas come with cheese. You just asked for dairy free toppings." We just stood there, mouths wide opened. All attempts in trying to explain what our issue was were lost on the lady. After ten minutes of talking back and forth she reluctantly order for the pizza to be remade and then tried to charge us twice. Never again.

My friends at work and I love Babaganush! We go there 4 days a week for coffee, and would go 5 days a week if they were open Mondays. The staff is so friendly and welcoming, and the coffee is the best in Hamilton East. The food is delicious and very reasonable in price. Great for kids and large groups.

The coffees are fantastic. The muffins delicious. The staff are very friendly and help set a warm and welcoming atmosphere that you want to enjoy again and again. Have dined here for lunch and dinner over the past few years and the food has always been delicious, fresh and well presented. Good value for money. Definitely worth checking out and indulging your taste buds in the flavours of Turkish cuisine.

Awesome customer service and atmosphere. Staff are exceptional and a perfect coffee with food to match every time. Kid friendly and always a welcoming feel. We visit at least 3-4 times a week and recommend to everyone.

Great service here. I enjoyed my meal (Beef Moussaka). I have dined here on several occasions. I also get coffee regularly and I can't fault their customer service and their yummy muffins and cheese scones.

We recently took our daughters out for dinner to this restaurant on a a recommendation from a friend. Couldn't fault the service, but the worst food ever!<br/>I ordered a roasted beetroot and haloumi salad, I love roast beetroot but can't stand pickled beetroot. The beetroot was pickled out of a tin, not roasted at all, warmed up slightly. When the waiter asked if everything was OK, I told him that the beetroot wasn't what was on the menu, to which he replied that it was "warm" !!!!<br/>My husband ordered a blue cheese, pear, and walnut pizza. Well yet again the pear was out of a tin! Not fresh pear as one would expect!!! <br/>Never never again will we frequent this restaurant. Avoid avoid avoid!

Wasn't impressed at all dinning at this place. Not worth spending lots of money for small meals you get. Garlic Prawn was terrible and not worth the money you spend.

I love the prawn &amp; avocado salad! Amazeballs!

Table for two at around 7.30 pm on a Friday. Didn't book, and it was lucky they had a table, it was pretty full!<br/><br/>Food and service excellent. Restaurant has a good ambiance. <br/><br/>Have been there several times and haven't left disappointed. Recommended.

Good food, but service was lacking.<br/><br/>Took a good 20 minutes to get served after being seated!! No drink order taken.<br/><br/>Waitress seemed in a fluster the whole time, and chose to clean the table next store to ours rather than ours while we had a conversation with the dirty dishes still in front of us.<br/><br/>Were going to get dessert but went else where due to waiting for 25 minutes for empty plates to get taken away.

Impromptu visit on a Thursday night. We did not book, I would recommend booking as half an hour later the restaurant was full.<br/>My partner for the evening was impressed and so was I. The service was friendly and prompt.<br/>Gave us plenty of time to scan the menu. Great choice.<br/>We both had entrees which we shared. I had little filo pastries stuffed with cheese and salad, and my dinner guest and falafels.<br/>The mains - one thing about the mains were they were big, neither of us could eat all - we were asked if we wanted to take them home but we chose not to.<br/>I had vegetable mousakka - I enjoyed. My only criticism was I thought the cheese layer on top was a bit rubbery. My dinner guest had a rice dish with salad and dips and chicken, the flavour combination was great in both dishes. They also do pizzas - one which i recall was banana and chicken. <br/>We had a few drinks but no room for sweets.

We went to Babaganush on Thursday evening lucky we booked a table before hand because the restaurant was fully packed.. the service was very quick and food was amazing. I had halumi salad with beetroot, it was fantastic. I would like to go there again with my family... that was a great place to dine in but make sure book it prior.

A group of us dined here one evening recently. The service was friendly and helpful, the food was lovely.Lots of choice on the menu too. Some of the mains were larger than necessary though. Great atmosphere in the restaurant, and meals priced well. We will be back!

We dined here on a Saturday night and the restaurant was rather full but service was still prompt and our meals arrived quicker than expected. The food was amazing, dessert was delicious and coffee was good too. We definitely will be going back.

We dined here on a Friday night with our three children aged 6-13. There were other diners with children, so we felt very relaxed about being there on a Friday night with our kids. The food was fresh, family friendly and came promptly. Our meals were very reasonable priced and we were served at our table. The BEST thing about Babaganush was its service. The young man who served us was super friendly, had a great sense of humour, was informed about the menu selections and made recommendations with confidence about what to order, and assisted us with quantities (re the kids meals). This restaurant was pumping!

Babaganush was recommended to us by friends. We decided to give it a try for our wedding anniversary. <br/>To be truthful, the meal was average, it was edible, but certainly didn't have the 'wow' factor that we have experienced at other Turkish restaurants. We were both very disappointed with the meal. The service, however, was cheerful, attentive and arrival of the meal was prompt. the prices were reasonable. <br/><br/>I don't think we will be going back there unfortunately. <br/><br/>Maybe it was an off night. who knows. :-(

We had lunch at Babaganush today. My husband was not keen as he is fussy and is not willing to try ethnic food or anything different, however I assured him he would enjoy it (I had been there before). We loved the atmosphere, the owner was very friendly and helpful and we both enjoyed our meals. Unlike comments from other reviews saying that you had to order meals and drinks at the counter we were served at our table. <br/>All in all a very good experience and we will certainly go back again.

This charming restaurant was a pleasant surprise to new comers to Hamilton. We were passing though and were looking for some tasty mediterranean type food. The attractive decor of blues and oranges drew us in as it reminded us of our trips to the Middle East. We settled at a table by the window and enjoyed the Sultan's Mezze platter which we reckoned had the best dips we have tasted outside Istanbul. This was followed by generous mains. I can recommend the grilled Haloumi and roasted beetroot salad and the delictely spiced lamb kofta. My companion made short work of the seasonal courgette fritters .<br/><br/>What impressed us and what you don't find in many modestly priced restaurants is that everything including the delcious bread is made from scratch , fresh daily on the premises. This is a find and definately worth a visit if you are in Hamilton.

It's really hard to find a restaurant vegetarian meal that is different, so I was pleasantly surprised when friends recently took us to Babaganush and I discovered their Haloumi and Roasted Beetroot Salad. Yum!<br/><br/>The meat eaters all enjoyed their meals too, and matched with Lefe (Turkish Pilsner) we had a very enjoyable Turkish dining experience.<br/><br/>You can view my blog and images on this restaurant at http://celestereviews.wordpress.com/2011/11/27/turk-of-the-town/

After promising reviews from work colleagues we decided to try Babaganush.<br/><br/>We entered to find a packed restaurant with a vibrant and cosy decor. The menu had a large and authentic range. <br/><br/>However, service was quite slow even when the restaurant had emptied out for the night. There seemed to be a lack of communication between wait staff and the service felt rather distant. We were also informed well after ordering they had run out of rice, however cous cous was substituted. <br/><br/>The mains came out and 3/4 were as ordered. However the fourth was not and had to be sent back. The mistake was fixed promptly. <br/><br/>We were also disappointed to see lipstick residue on the wine glass. <br/><br/>Overall the food was great but the service lacked. Was this just an off night for Babaganush?

Funky little place! Walked in off the street...great timing luckily there was a table available as it was VERY busy so maybe best to book first...but not busy enough to hold up orders!<br/>The kebab was VERY large &amp; tasty!<br/>Prices ok! The pizzas looked yum...so maybe next time!

The food here is very good and is presented well however the sauces used on the foods do not appear to be very authentic and are way too sweet. We were shown to our seats upon arrival and were not told we had to order at the counter so sat waiting for staff to come take our orders for about 35 minutes before noticing a sign on a wall saying we needed to order at the counter.

A change of ownership earlier this year has helped this restaurant.<br/><br/>Now, the owner I believe is Turkish which makes for good food. <br/><br/>Service is good and the cushions are comfortable.<br/><br/>The only concern I have with the place is that they still insist you go up to the counter to order your food and drinks in the evening. <br/><br/>I understand this system works fine during the day but for dinner it gets annoying having get up from your seat to order anything.

We had a lovely birthday dinner at Babaganush. The prices were very reasonable (including wine), and we pre-ordered a birthday cake which was fabulous. A great night to remember.

Indulge you taste buds at this warm and welcoming restaurant.<br/>As you take a seat on the well cushioned chairs and indulge in the vibrant atmosphere, you will feel at home. The food is spectacular from the winter targiness with infused chicken and apricot paired with fluffy white rice to the huge freshly tasting kebabs that melt in your mouth; I would have to say this is one of the best café and eatery’s in Hamilton. The service is enjoyable with friendly and happy wait staff.<br/>This is a memorable experience that you could take the whole family or your first date.

Joined a large group here last night for dinner, at frist glance I felt the place was trying to be authentic but not quite getting there but was comfortable for a group and there was plenty of other dinners also.<br/>We started with the mixed platters with dips n breads... very tasty... I ordered the Lamb Kofti.. meat balls on rice with all the toppings.. it was a well portioned meal in fact I couldn't finish it. The meat balls them selves where mosit and full of flavour and a good balance of dressings/sauces, I chose glarlic yogurt and guacamole. My hubby had Beef n Pear Targin he enjoyed it but felt it could have had more pear. The desserts looked tempting but will be back to try them another time. A good place for a group or dinner for two.

What initially drew us to the restaurant was the lunch special they had displayed outside. Starving after a long day, a friend and I stopped by this place because the decor looked inviting. The walls had murals of what I imagined to be the streets of Turkey. The seating had plush cushions with vibrant patterns that made the place feel cozy and relaxed. <br/><br/>When our food arrived, a ham and pineapple pizza and a chicken burrito, we were impressed with the portion size. The pizza was disappointing as it lacked flavour and body and the crust was very thin. The burrito, however, was very tasty and filling. Overall the quality was not bad for the price we paid. The waitress was very attentive and polite, although we were the only customers in at the time. I would certainly visit again and try other items on the menu.