Istanbul Grill

Bury New Road, Prestwich

Istanbul Grill is a modern and casual restaurant serving classic Turkish cuisine in the heart of Prestwich village. Having recently been crowned the Best Turkish Restaurant in the UK at the 2018 Asian Restaurant Awards, expectations were high.

We were greeted by ever-so-friendly front of house staff and, at seven o’clock on a Friday evening, it was already over half-full, an immediate sign that the restaurant has earned and, more importantly, maintained its reputation.

They boast one of the biggest a la carte menus I’ve ever seen, with a vast array of hot and cold starters and traditional meat, fish and vegetarian dishes. If you prefer a more select choice, there’s a set menu available, with a generous pick of starters and main courses for varying prices across the week, ranging from £8.95 on weekday lunchtimes to £12.95 at the weekend.

Turkish isn’t a cuisine I’m overly familiar with, nor am I very adventurous, as I can’t afford to gamble with spices. It’s the kind of place where I have to play it safe and order what I know and love. So I broke the foodie code of conduct and opted for a la carte rather than the set price menu. Yes, it’s more expensive, but there’s little point in going for the cheaper option when it’s not really what you want.

I was all set for going for the Turkish classic Muska Borek to start - feta cheese deep fried in filo pastry - until another heavenly combination caught my eye: creamy garlic mushrooms with king prawns. They may be two of my very favourite things in the world, but I wasn’t sure how they would combine. I didn’t have anything to worry about, as it was delicious. It was a huge bowl full of garlic mushrooms and four huge, juicy king prawns in a rich cream sauce: quite heavy for a starter, but for me, there are few things too creamy. It was accompanied by sliced pitta bread, so you could mop up the sauce, making sure none went to waste. £6.75 for a starter featuring king prawns is sensationally good value.

Garlic Mushrooms and King Prawns

My friend had garlic bread with a Turkish twist. Garlic-coated pitta bread served with a sun-blushed tomato dip. It was refreshing to see garlic bread served as a portion for one. In Italian restaurants, they’re generally designed to be shared, making you feel a little awkward if you’re tucking into one on your own.

Garlic Bread

Muska Borek

Our main courses were three vegetarian options. I’m a meat eater, but can be perfectly satisfied by a tasty veggie dish. I had Mousakka, a traditional dish which needs little explanation: an assortment of courgettes, potato, mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes sandwiched between layers of aubergine, topped with a creamy béchamel sauce and melted cheese. It was deliciously tasty and didn’t have the oily texture I’ve experienced with the dish previously.

Mousakka

My friend had an intriguing Halloumi Bake: chunks of halloumi fried with mushrooms, peppers and onions in a tomato ragu, topped with cream and finished off with melted mozzarella and rosemary. With halloumi and mozerella, you’d have to be a real cheese lover to enjoy this double dose of dairy delight.

Halloumi Bake

The third main course, from the set menu, was falafel: fried balls of chickpeas, wheat and coriander, accompanied by a refreshing yoghurt dip.

Falafel

All three main courses were beautifully presented, well balanced and generous in size.

I was already on the way to being suitably stuffed after two courses, but there was one final hurdle to be jumped before the finish line: baklava. It’s an authentic dessert which you don’t see very often and therefore has to be enjoyed at every available opportunity.

They serve it with a range of toppings: ice cream, hot chocolate sauce, cream, even with Turkish milk pudding.

We all tucked into it: I with ice cream, my friends with cream and chocolate sauce. It wasn’t the best baklava I’ve had. It wasn’t sweet or sticky enough, the layers of pastry fell apart and it was rather dry. However, with was greatly enhanced by the hot chocolate sauce. This was definitely the winning topping, so if you fancy it, the chocolate version is the way to go.

Baklava with Ice Cream

Baklava with Hot Chocolate Sauce

Istanbul Grill is a local gem. It’s a change from the ever-popular Italian restaurants and American diners and offers excellent food in relaxed yet sophisticated surroundings. There’s a very lively atmosphere too, and the staff are friendly and attentive. We sent our waiter away on a number of occasions as we were too busy talking we forgot to read the menu, but they didn’t mind and still served our food quickly.

So, congratulations to the team at Istanbul Grill on your award. It seems you’ve earned it.

See the huge menu in full online: http://www.istanbulgrills.co.uk/