Long Story
Con The flavouring needs,...it needs....va-va-voom!
Per Person €€€ Food ★★★☆ Service ★★★★ VFM ★★★☆
🛈Dietary You'll need to ask.
In Pictures
On Google Images
In Pictures
On Google Images
The Story
Hopes? We wanted to be spoilt for choice by the typical vast selection of specialities Turkish food has to offer.
Reality? Not a mad massive selection, but plenty to choose from.
First Impressions? Plenty of space, slightly too much lighting. The giant LCD screen at the end of the room showing a roaring fire was welcome on a very chilly January night.
USP? Turkish specialities in a smart setting,
The offer in three words? Istanbul, not Constantinople.
Service? Credit to the two servers who worked a large room tirelessly. They needed a colleague behind the bar and taking orders, really.
Reality? Not a mad massive selection, but plenty to choose from.
First Impressions? Plenty of space, slightly too much lighting. The giant LCD screen at the end of the room showing a roaring fire was welcome on a very chilly January night.
USP? Turkish specialities in a smart setting,
The offer in three words? Istanbul, not Constantinople.
Service? Credit to the two servers who worked a large room tirelessly. They needed a colleague behind the bar and taking orders, really.
Eat me! Pide Two Cheeses A very, very welcome first course on a very chilly winter's night. Much lighter than you might expect if you've not tried Pide, we wolfed down this 40cm-long flat bread in short order and still had room to polish off the main courses. Recommended for real? For Real!
Betyi A dish that was very nearly excellent. We're talking a very generous portion of wrapped kebab, with plenty of excellent yoghurt and lots of tomato sauce. Buuuuut that sauce needed kick up the Bosphorus. It was just too polite and mild for its own good. It needed spice. Chilli oil. Something to make it more addictive. Equally generously portioned was the Mixed Grill, which prosaic name aside, is a classic and the way to try half a dozen elements off the menu if you haven't got half a dozen friends along to share dishes with. We're talking grilled, marinated chicken, lamb and beef, plus some very good rice. All the meats were excellently cooked. The only thing missing...much more spice than the very mild green pepper offered. I even had to steal yoghurt from the Betyi.
We finished with a shared Sütlac as I am a sucker for rice pudding. This was a generous portion, nicely topped, but just that bit too chilled to let its flavours shine. BTW, drinks note: a very enjoyable bottle of Turkish red was a very reasonable €18.
Friend friendly? The nature of Turkish eating means everyone gets a fair go.
Rating for dating? Yes. Not a bad choice, probably. Space to chat, although groups at tables make for a lively atmosphere rather than an intimate one.
Tip? Yes definitely. For some hardworking and impressively efficient waiting.
Change one thing? It's those seasoning/saucing options. Chilli oil or similar, please!
Revisitability? I'd happily go back to try more dishes, and maybe introduce a first-timer to Turkish cuisine.
Rating for dating? Yes. Not a bad choice, probably. Space to chat, although groups at tables make for a lively atmosphere rather than an intimate one.
Tip? Yes definitely. For some hardworking and impressively efficient waiting.
Change one thing? It's those seasoning/saucing options. Chilli oil or similar, please!
Revisitability? I'd happily go back to try more dishes, and maybe introduce a first-timer to Turkish cuisine.