Come on a journey to a

land of coconut palms & spice.

From tropical Kerala, South India

...to the forests of Melbourne's

Dandenong Ranges & the Yarra Valley

You’ll find the home cooked style dishes

you miss from Kerala

and a dash of India’s favourite street foods.

Welcome to

Babajis Kerala Kitchen

Bringing our communities together with homely South Indian cooking
&
a warm Aussie country welcome.

Order Takeaway

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Melbourne's best South Indian restaurant

We do Kerala!

Kerala, a little Southern state of India ... tropical, spice laden and with its own unique cuisine & culture.

... and whilst we've got butter chicken on the menu to keep the Aussies happy, it's far from 'our food'. That's the thing less known about India - travel the country and you'll feast on regional delights. For us, that's 'lighter' dishes, coconut infused, lentils, crispy dosa, soft idli and a surprise to some - our Kerala beef curry is our Aussie equivalent of a parma!

Visit Babajis with no expectations.

With our Kerala specialities, picturesque locations & friendly Aussie service

... we're far from typical.

Visit us to try our...

Sadya - Our banana leaf feast!

Served on fresh banana leaf, this is a feast that truly takes you to Kerala. We hope you'll use your fingers to truly appreciate each of the 13 dishes ~ their textures and own distinct flavours.

Check out our full menu

FIND US IN THE MOUNTAINS ...

The beautiful mountain drive to Babaji’s is just as much part of the experience as our Kerala cooking and our friendly Aussie welcome.

BABAJIS BELGRAVE, DANDENONG RANGES

Is just 50 minutes from Melbourne’s CBD at the start of the Dandenong Ranges National Park, a 5 minute drive from the 1000 Steps, Puffing Billy Steam Railway and 15 minutes from the Tesselaar Tulip Festival.

Come for a hearty feed and hot chai, stay longer for a forest walk and to breathe the mountain air.

📍 1/1644 Burwood Hwy, Belgrave, 3160

☎️ Book here. We only take bookings on line and not by phone.

📸 Explore our favourite local spots to visit in the Dandenong Ranges.

BABAJIS WARBURTON, YARRA VALLEY

You’ll find us 90 minutes from Melbourne.

Nestled at the start of the Yarra River | Birrarung in picturesque Warburton.

We’re 10 minutes from the majestic Redwood Forest and 20 minutes from Mount Donna Buang where you’ll find the closest snow to Melbourne in winter.

Set in a 1930s cabaret dance hall, with open fires, a beer garden on the river and surrounding mountain views, Babajis Warburton oozes romance and Munaar vibes.

📍 3305 Warburton Highway, Warburton, 3799

☎️ Book here. We only take bookings on-line and not by phone.

🎁 Venue hire available for groups of 60-200.

📸 Explore our favourite local spots to visit in the Yarra Valley.

Opening Hours

⏰ Mon, Thurs, Sun 12-8pm, Fri & Sat 12-9pm. Open public holidays. Check our Google listings for unplanned closures.

🐕 Outside dog friendly dining available.

Belgrave Restaurant Info | Warburton Restaurant Info

You say …

"We were swept off to Kerala for lunch. Decor is so vibrant that you can't help but smile from the moment you walk in'. Ria, Google, 2023"

"I had a nostalgic evening, eating dishes by mum and grandma used to cook when we were young'. Shena, Google, 2022"

"Amazing place. With such ambience. Purely South Indian feels'. Maverick, Google, 2022 "

Corporate Catering

at Babaji's Dandenong Ranges

at Babaji's Yarra Valley

Belgrave Restaurant Info

Warburton Restaurant Info

Supporting Our Community

PAYING IT FORWARD AT BABAJIS

2025 and many of us are feeling stretched... for some of us, every $ counts and a Babajis treat isn't an option.

That's why, we regularly cook for our local food bank 'Community Casseroles'... making sure that everyone in our community gets some Babajis love.

You can help us do this by donating to our 'pay it forward' fund, either in our restaurant or when ordering take away online.

To date (June '25), with your help, we have raised $8000 - which has directly helped us to cook over 1000 meals.

COMMUNITY DAYS AT BABAJIS

It's our favourite day of the month when we come together to raise some much needed funds for a local cause.

Our Community Days see us donating 10% of our total sales - dine in and take away - directly to a local not for profit group.

Here's why we do community!

Over the years we've helped preschools build playgrounds, the local scouts send their members to camps, and local artists rebuild after an arson attack on their studios.

Are you a local community group looking for support? We'd love to help. Please send us an email to