Date of Visit: 3rd August 2017
So it might be slightly unfair to review a place that specialises in Turkish pizza and not actually reviews them for their Turkish pizza
I finished work late and wanted a quick bite but wanted to try something new on this occasion. (my go-to is usually banana tree or hankies)
I walked past Babaji located on Shaftesbury avenue and decided to give it a try and, there were no waiting times.
I was seated upstairs where the decor has blue tiled textured walls and contemporary gold and shiny decor. I was seated towards the rear where I sat on the comfy seats with a view that overlooked the west end. Nice seats.
The menu is relatively small for a Turkish, but still, features all the usual suspects in the mezes and mains department.
I opted for 3 mezes:
The calamari deep fried, Sujuk (a spicy sausage), and Börek a Fino pastry filled with cheese and spinach.
None of the starters were dishes I would recommend. 4 pieces of Börek, I had one bite which was enough, the pasty was too flaky and the filling was not tasty.
3/10
The sausage was a single one, cut in half and looked like it was over cooked. The appearance was very unappealing and furthermore, it didn’t taste great.
4/10
The calamari, average, the batter was nice but the filling slight rubbery, I don’t know why I bother, nothing will beat busaba’s
5/10
For the main, we shared a Kulbasti, grilled bits of lamb, served with tomato sauce and bits of bread that could be mistaken for chicken. This was a nice dish, the lamb was tender and cooked well and had good flavours which were enhanced by the rich tomato sauce.
7/10I was surprised that there was no complimentary bread served. When I asked they said they don’t do that, but then brought some out and offered it as complimentary… so I guess you have to ask.
Overall, the location of this restaurant is what drives sales, definitely not the food. It’s below average in terms of quality and taste. The positives were the decor and atmosphere, the upstairs is nice and the prices are not too bad considering it’s a tourist hotspot. Would I go again? Based on the 4 items I had. Nope.
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