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Ottoman Cuisine

Is the Ottoman suffering from multiple personality disorder? At times, the service is razor sharp, with knowledgeable staff keen to take you off-piste with a series of courses tailored to your liking. At others, a preoccupation with the business banquet trade and private dining rooms comes at the expense of smaller tables. Fortunately, Erkin Esen’s fine modern Turkish cuisine is unwavering in quality. Smoky baba ghanoush on warm house-baked pide redefines bread and dips. A modern spin is also given to the likes of dolma and böreks, the latter stuffed with rich braised lamb, currants and pine nuts and balanced by the piquancy of pomegranate and yoghurt. Mains such as confit duck leg with juniper are generous, but smaller dishes and interesting specials are equally rewarding. Desserts have a sharper regional focus, as seen in an ultra-special pomegranate ice-cream.