Defne Turkish BBQ Restaurant

Using the freshest veg and juiciest meats and fish, plenty of aromatic herbs and regional spices, the food of Turkey – where east meets west – is all about the taste. The family behind Defne originally hail from historical Hatay, a southern Turkish province on the Mediterranean coast.

There’s an extensive choice of both hot and cold Middle Eastern and Mediterranean-style meze dishes on the menu – for vegetarians, there are falafel patties served with hummus, grilled hellim halloumi and deep-fried sigara boregi feta cheese and parsley filo packages, plus cacik (a kind of tzatziki) and abugannus aubergine dip; for fish-lovers and meat-eaters, think regional delicacies of taramasalata or the Turkish sausage sucuk. Platters are available if the choice is too overwhelming. The section called charcoal special includes kofte meatballs and chargrilled kaburga lamb ribs, cooked on an open barbecue for extra flavour, plus iskender, a Turkish favourite of chopped adana lamb kebab on hot bread with iskender sauce and yogurt, and beyti, chargrilled lamb mince wrapped in a flatbread served with garlic yogurt. Main dishes include slow-cooked lamb or chicken guvec casseroles and grilled whole fish, such as sea bass, plus classic veggie-friendly options the likes of vegetable moussaka and yaprak dolma stuffed vine leaves, ticking the healthy and wholesome boxes along with flavourful.

There’s a choice of traditional sweet pastries to round off your meal: think honeyed baklava, nutty kadayif and sugary sekepare. Drinks-wise, there are wines old and new world, and for a true taste of Turkey, give the Efes lager a go.

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