Restaurants

A bustling crowd fills Mangal II most evenings, making it one of the most popular Turkish restaurants on a strip that has many. Families like to come here for Sunday lunch. The walls are bright pink and have been decorated with framed prints; white tablecloths are topped with practical blue covers. We were served good bread, which arrived in plastic bowls. For starters böreği were enjoyable, but the filo pastry triangles were a little overdone, with the cheese melting. No complaints, though, about the meltingly tender böbrek (lambs’ kidneys). Next, the plump tasty little quails that make up Bıldırcın were accompanied by a well-constructed mixed salad. Iskender came with lots of yoghurt; its sauce was an unusually dark brown and (in a pleasing modification to the traditional recipe) contained mushrooms and other vegetables. The fresh chilli sauce was undeniably hot. To finish, we suggest deviating from the ubiquitous baklava and sampling tulumba (pastry with cream, pistachios and syrup), keskul (milk pudding with ground almonds, pistachios and cinnamon), or firin sutlac (rice pudding). Despite the full house, the atmosphere remains remarkably relaxed.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009