Upgates Restaurant

This is Istanbuls restaurant for the benefit of the other reviewer. I’ve been here a few times and I find it’s pretty authentic although it’s not the best turkish restaurant I’ve been to. The food is gorgeous and although (as suggested by others) the menu is pretty limited it has the main selections I would expect to see. Getting the mixed starter is very good if you’re hungry because it is very filling and usually comes pretty quick so that you at least have something to pick at while you wait for your main course — and you do tend to have a wait. This isn’t because the service is slack but because unless you get there early it gets very busy! The prices are very cheap for a restaurant and when they have the turkish red wine on the menu it is an unbelievably good value wine to have with your meal. If you like something exotic and authentic then it’s worth paying a visit.

I hope I’m writing about the right place — I thought this was called Istanbuls! But if it is the same place, I need to review it because it’s such a good restaurant. The food is delicious (be warned — if you order their yummy bread and dips for a starter, you won’t have room for much of a main course!) and the staff are really lovely. It’s a limited menu, especially for vegetarians, but there are all the classics such as hummus, tzatziki, shish kebabs etc. My husband always grumbles about the fact that his kebab comes with rice AND chips — he thinks no chips would be more authentic! — but this is a minor annoyance! I’ve found the tables to be a bit sticky at times and think tablecloths would improve things, but it’s hardly expensive and the food’s so good, a bit of stickiness can be overlooked. The place is always full, so it must be doing something right. And they have a good selection of wine.