Bibi Ji

Overview

Amar Singh, the legend behind some of Sydney and Melbourne's most forward-thinking Indian restaurants, opened Bibi Ji on the Carlton end of Lygon Street in May 2024. Much like Daughter in Law in Chinatown, Bibi Ji is home to Singh's much-loved brand of 'inauthentic' Indian food.

Inspired by street food snacks in India, but reimagined for a contemporary Australian audience, Singh's dishes are all about big flavours served up in an easy-to-share manner. To start, for example, you'll find the likes of a vegan chutney platter, spicy chicken bites, and zingy dahi puri among a heap of other snacks.

You could easily treat Bibi Ji like an alternative sip-and-snack bar, stopping by for a few drinks paired with reimagined street eats. But it would be a shame to miss out on the extensive list of curries. Here you'll find Aussie staples like butter chicken and tikka masala, plus plenty of lesser-seen options, most of which are vegetarian.

Beyond the curries, tandoori chicken cooked on the bone, lamb seekh kebab, achari prawns and paneer tikka are streaming out of the in-house tandoor oven.

When stopping by, we were also pretty blown away by Bibi Ji's set menu. For just $55, you get to experience Singh's version of a South Indian tradition: thali. You start off with a huge banana leaf covered in chutneys and papadums, before a stack of entrees get dropped off at the table. Once you're about done with these, staff will come by with a selection of curries that are then dropped onto the banana leaf with a good pile of rice. If you want more curry, all you've got to do is ask for another complementary serving. And if you want it even cheaper, you can get the $35 option that comes without entrees. It's one of our favourite set menus in Melbourne.

A healthy selection of classic and Indian-inspired cocktails and mocktails is available, as well as a long list of beers, whiskies and wines. When it comes to vinos, you can expect an entirely Victorian selection that covers your usual suspects as well as a few natty options.

Design-wise, Bibi Ji could not be more different than the space's previous occupant, Cafe Notturno, which was there for an impressive 45 years. This 80-seat Indian diner is fully embracing the more-is-more aesthetic.

The ceilings are covered in a kaleidoscope of draped fabrics, the walls are either tiled, mirrored, or covered in bright paintings, a few big birds of paradise plants are dotted around the restaurant, and the bar is a symphony of colourful tiles, marble, and shimmering plastic garlands. It's hard not to crack a smile when first walking into Bibi Ji.

And we don't expect you'll lose that grin at any point during the dining experience.

Images: Jana Langhorst