If I’m in the mood for Turkish food I normally think of heading to Harringay Green Lanes or the Stoke Newington area. But if you want a good Turkish restaurant in central London I recommend Ishtar.
The restaurant is contemporary and spacious with 2 floors and a view into the open kitchen.
The service is worthy of mention. It’s very good and is on par with some Michelin starred restaurants I have been to. It’s the little things that make a big difference. For example, in our group of 12, one of us needed a extra straw, the extra straw was brought out right away, on a plate and cloth napkin. I liked that. Food is presented in a visually pleasing way and is made with care and attention to details.
The pricing is also very good. A 3 course lunch menu which offers choice is available from 12 to 6 for £13.95, factor in a drink and service pushes you to just under £20. The options on the menu are impressive especially the non meat options, the salmon and sea bass seem to go down with the others.
Just like last week at Tas, I went for the safe lamb shish, £2 extra for grilled dishes.
Portion size was good, not too much and not too little. The meat was as you expect, cooked well, juicy and succulent. In retrospect, I wish I ordered a non meat option. Im having too much meat. The chilli sauce is also something I review. Here it was home made and really good. A good blend of species and heat.
All in a all, this was a very pleasant and good food experience.
Ishtar scores high in each department as it’s hard to fault any area.
10-12 Crawford Street,Marylebone, London W1U 6AZ
This sounds lovely and the presentation of dishes looks really good!