Cilicia

Review on behalf of my mother Olga (who doesn’t use the web lol)
” i’ve been going there for years with friends and family and always found the food tasty and good value for money. The staff are always really friendly and happy to help. Would recommend this as a great lunch time option in Muswell Hill especially the chicken pesto.”

Meat option of set menu for 2 — £29, starters very good, main course probably partly reheated — calamari and the rest kept in a heat too long, just because when you have starters they do you main and the waitresses try to push you to finish your starters till they are so desperate to tell you the truth that your main is ready and it can burn if you’re not gonna have it as soon as possible. Anyway we had it 10 min later because quick meal wasn’t our purpose. On walls lamps made of half vases with holes and all the others interior accessories makes a nice ambience though it isn’t enough when you get a cold welcome and you’re not happy with the way they want you to hurry up with your meal when the place is half empty. The staff don’t have a wine knowledge so they gave us to try 2 different wines — that was a nice gesture.

After giving Cilicia a 4* review I’m disappointed to have to change my rating. I visited today with a friend and although I still appreciate the gorgeous décor and it was a cool respite from the hot day we had a few slip-​ups that really did spoil our meal.
My friend asked the waitress if the tatziki came with bread to which she simply responded ‘I don’t know’. It turns out it did not and she was not offered any or told this at any point. Second, my boyfriend ordered the Noah’s Ark breakfast and was hugely disappointed. The portion was tiny, ridiculously so, and the food substandard. Finally, I ordered the lamb pitta which has always been delicious. She asked me to repeat my order twice yet still got it wrong and brought me falafel. I had to send it back and when I did finally get my meal (after the other two had finished theirs) the lamb was extremely fatty.
All in all a disappointing meal, I don’t think we’ll be back in a while.

We’ve been there without great expectations but it was indeed a nice surprise. The decoration of the place fit perfectly with the Mediterranean themed menu and even though the place is small, tables and gangways are the right size so that nobody step up on one’s shoes or bump into one’s chair.
Servicewise, waiters were nice and discreet, topping up the wine and delivering the food in no time.
The food was the good surprise. We took Calimari, Avocado Tricolor, Lycian Chicken and Lamb Gordion Knot and everything was at the right temperature, fresh and properly cooked, which sadly is not always the case even in pricey restaurant. Don’t go there if you’re looking for a light meal, main courses are more of the hearty meal sort, cooked in crème and all, but flavoursome. We also took a nice (and affordable) Pinot Noir and were too full up to even think about dessert.
The whole «experience» was good. Whatever the place, it’s always nice to spend the evening without hassles or disappointments. And the bill was reasonable with 60 pounds for the meal for two (tip included).

Great Turkish (and general eastern medeterainian) food at very reasonable prices. This place is rammed on a Saturday lunchtime, and deservedly so.
You wont end up spending much more than a tenner on lunch and a drink.
Although service isn’t incredible, i’ve never found the staff here rude.
In the universal triangle of — Good Food /​Good Value /​Good Service — you only get to pick two!

Nice atmosphere. Friendly. Breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner — a favourite. Try the Trojan chicken– amazing!

I want to love this place, but if there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s bad service.
They are SOOOOOOOOOOOO SLOW to a) acknowledge your presence, b) take your order c) bring you the bill. Goddamnit, it’s so frustrating, especially when the place is not that busy.
I have been here a few times now, and whilst it is cute and decorated nicely, the food is pretty average and has a weird selection of options.
The last time I was here I had the Cicilian Breakfast (after waiting for 15 mins, by which time the restaurant was less busy, and then I finally gave up and asked them to bring me a menu… then waited another 10 mins, before grabbing their attention and asking if I could order) it was a weird breakfast that consisted of: halloumi cheese, garlic sausage, egg, mushrooms, olives, cold tomato, cucumber and flatbread. These things weren’t mixed together, all spread out separately. Weird combination, but it somehow works. Too bad it was super greasy (do they not realise that you can dry-​fry halloumi? Does my ass look like it needs OIL FRIED CHEESE??) and that half of the plate was taken up with greasy mushrooms. The bread is good, and on a different occassion I enjoyed the Tri Color sarnie.
Anyway I digress. I had to ask for the bill twice after waiting for ages and toying with the idea of hot-​footing it out the door without paying.
This place would be a lot better if they had fewer items on the menu, but paid attention on making a few amazing, specialised meals. Also, work on customer service.
I will be back… but I will still get huffy when you keep me waiting.

Often visit for the excellent value lunch, they’re pittas with tender lamb is amazing and will fill you up for the rest of the day! friendly staff and a relaxed atmosphere help make this one of my favourites in muswell hill. just wish they did the lunch menu in the evenings too!

Whatever they’re trying to achieve here, it’s all Greek to me. I just don’t get Cilicia. It wants to be a laid back informal Greek taverna on the Aegean Sea. It isn’t.
For an informal mediterranean meal head just a few doors down to Pamphylia. A local Tapas bar, also offering full meals, breakfasts and lunchtime offers. For an evening on the Ionian head to The Bazouka on The Hill.
To be fair I have only sampled their breakfasts and lunches, not evening meal, but nothing they have offered me has made me want to go there in the evening. In the morning I was presented with a half decent fry up for £5 and certainly it looked healthier than something from a greasy spoon, but the restaurant had the atmosphere of a department store café.
At lunch I sat outside and certainly enjoyed the opportunity to do so. Sitting i the sun, I ordered a large greek salad. It was plentiful, but tasted no better than something I could have knocked up myself. You know the difference between restaurant salad and your own salad, well thats what I am on about.
This isn’t an awful restaurant. I feel bad giving it 2 stars, but I want to make sure you understand, it simply isn’t up to scratch with the other restaurants in Muswell Hill. They need to raise their game.