Efendy

It's not often you find a heritage sandstone restaurant (complete with basement bar) specialising in upscale Turkish food. Even more exciting is the quality and variety on offer. Turkish waiters, clearly proud of their culinary traditions, guide you through a vast menu full of unusual regional dishes. Mezze include babaghanoush topped with pomegranate, the eggplant puree infused with a delightful, lilting smokiness. Gozleme is hugely different to the usual market-stall version, with a good mix of fetta, spinach and mushrooms in thin, crisp pastry. Lahmacun (Turkish pizza) comes topped with the traditional spiced minced lamb, and pan-fried lamb's liver is fresh and tender. Main courses reflect the Turkish love of the chargrill, including whole snapper barbecued 'Bosphorus' style, with lemon, olive oil and toum (Middle Eastern garlic 'mayo'). Twice-cooked lamb shoulder comes with burghul, warm yoghurt and pine nuts. The esoteric dessert list includes an intriguing bittersweet cherry ice-cream that's a world away from plain old vanilla.