Restaurants
Efendy
(02) 9810 5466
79 Elliott St
Balmain, NSW, 2041
Efendy
The ochre-coloured walls of this renovated Victorian-style mansion are covered in traditional Turkish talismans and decorations. Colourful glass lanterns light up the room to recreate a look of the Ottoman Empire and the trendy bars of Istanbul. Share plates of mezze with friends upstairs over a bottle of Efes Pilsener and embrace the slow dining, drinking and conversing idea. Not to be missed: the Efendy Salata of wild rocket with fig, feta and walnut, mucver zuccini puffs and hommus-laden lamb kofta.
Have enjoyed many a dinner at Efendy over the years but this was the first time dining there for breakfast. It's a $32 per adult set menu which is all inclusive of breads, cheeses, olives, spreads, house made jams, fruits, vegetables and hot dishes of sucuk and scrambled eggs, which we enjoyed with Turkish coffee and apple tea. (Kids are $15 which includes bakery items only) It's a bountiful breakfast spread and I particularly enjoyed the simit (those sesame crusted bread rings sold from red carts across Istanbul) with butter and sour cherry jam; it's the simple pleasures in life.
The service from our waitress was warm and attentive despite the restaurant being busy.
We started off with the dips of Capsicum humus with pastirma, Pistachio chili smoked babaganush and the Walnut, capsicum muhammara all came with freshly baked bread as per pictures. All the dips were delectable with the soft fresh bread.
For mains we got share plates which consisted of: Zucchini, feta and walnut gozleme, Bosphorus fried mussels with white tamara, White hot chicken wings with mint yoghurt and Sautéed scotch fillet, capsicum, tomato, chilli, flat pide. Everything was superb! Quite filling for 6 people.
The restaurant also had their own home made chilli pickles which was hot but not boiling to the point you needed milk ;P.
Overall a great experience as it was my first time visiting, yet will not be my last :).
Hello,
I was here to support a collegue on awards night and was suprised on how good it was. Started with Meze dishes, then a main dish and then tea & sweets. Had the 7 hour roasted lamb. All the food was wonderful. The sweets at the end was to sweet for my liking. The staff was very helpful and great. Planning on going back.
A must try.
