A fragrant half-shoulder of lamb is brought to your table by a smiling waiter, the interior hums with instrumental Levantine music and your bill arrives in a 1980s Turkish comic book. Efendy does Turkish well, and it gets the details right. The menu starts with hot and cold meze: pastirma and hummus speckled with pomegranate seeds, say, or fat king prawns wrapped in crisp kadayif pastry atop a spicy capsicum dip. Tableside theatrics come from the charcoal grill – a blackened eggplant arrives whole, then is halved at your table, covered with olive oil and topped with a trio of cheeses. The fall-apart lamb is another attention-seeker – it’s slow-cooked in a tandir oven and paired with grilled cabbage and a vibrant ajvar relish. The restaurant’s lively energy is well conveyed by the animated waitstaff, who explain local dishes and the drinks list (teeming with Turkish wine and raki) with plenty of enthusiasm. Efendy is a keeper.
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way.
Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide
Wine: ★ ★
Gourmet Traveller’s star-ratings, which range from zero to three stars, reflect reviewers’ first-hand experiences. The best-rated restaurants form our national Top 100. Our wine ratings, from zero to three stars, are made by wine editor Max Allen on the strength of the quality of the restaurant’s wine list. View our rating key here.
