Restaurants

There’s a somewhat playful atmosphere in Troia (‘Troy’ in Turkish). A large framed copy of an Ancient Greek relief shows the Trojan horse, with warriors looking out of windows in its side as if riding a bus to work. The restaurant’s walls are bright red and yellow. Two spiral ‘chandeliers’ made from collections of coloured Turkish lanterns dominate the ceiling. Despite all this, the busy dining room isn’t garish. Many of the customers are tourists, yet this isn’t used as an excuse to make the food inauthentic. The menu may not be extensive, but it isn’t restricted to basic mezes and grills. A starter of zeytinyağlı bakla (broad beans with yoghurt) had a light, clean taste that worked well alongside our mantar izgara (spicy grilled mushrooms). A main course of íncik, lamb melting off the bone, came with potatoes and baby sweetcorn. The chicken breast featured in kuskonmazli tavuk had been spiced before grilling and was laid on asparagus spears with lightly steamed vegetables. Service was unhurried and chatty. This fine restaurant seems to be thriving, despite being slightly lost in the space between Waterloo and the London Eye.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009