Babur in Forest Hill to host five-course Ribera del Duero wine dinner with winemaker Ricardo Velasco Pla

Babur, the Indian restaurant in Forest Hill, is hosting a one-off five-course wine dinner on Tuesday 27^th October with Spanish winemaker Ricardo Velasco Pla. Each course of autumn dishes will be paired with wine from Valtravieso, his estate in the Ribera del Duero region. 

Velasco Pla is travelling to London for the evening and will talk guests through the wines and the conditions in which they are produced. The estate’s vineyards sit 915m above sea level, on limestone and clay soils exposed to strong winds and an extreme continental climate. The result is wines that favour freshness, minerality and acidity over weight. The estate was rated First Growth in Tim Atkin’s Ribera del Duero Report in 2023 and 2024.

The menu combines Babur’s Indian cooking with seasonal game and slow-cooked meats; the Spanish red wines are paired with the richer, more heavily spiced dishes as the meal progresses. It opens with a Ginger and Mustard Rabbit Roulade with braised red cabbage and mustard yoghurt, served with a lees-aged Verdejo.

The second course is Northern-style Baby Lamb cooked with warm whole spices, shallots and peppers. It comes with lachha paratha, a layered flatbread, and is paired with Valtravieso Crianza 2022. Next, there’s Slow-cooked Goat Shoulder with beetroot risotto, star anise and cinnamon, matched with the estate’s single-vineyard Vino de Finca 2021. Following it is Grilled Venison Loin with Dark Spices, served with cheese kulcha and a tomato and fenugreek sauce. This course is paired with Valdelobas 2021.

Dessert comes in the form of Vanilla Shrikhand Ice Cream, made in the style of the strained-yoghurt dish from western India. It comes with a sea-salted potato crumb and mixed berry compote. The final pairing moves away from Spain to Passito di Pantelleria, a sweet wine from the Italian island of the same name.

Tickets cost £90 per person, covering all five courses and the paired wines, and must be booked in advance.

Food Desk

Ricardo Velasco Pla’s wine dinner takes place on 27^th October 2026 at Babur, 119 Brockley Rise, London SE23 1JP. For further information or to book a table, visit the restaurant’s website here.