Ozer Restaurant Review: Turkish Delight
(15 July 2009)
www.aboutmygeneration.com
Peter Morrell, Food and Drink Editor at AMG reports on dinner at Ozer, a busy and sophisticated restaurant that is a stone’s throw from Oxford Circus.
About two years ago, after an early evening reception, a couple of us stumbled upon one of the restaurants in the Sofra chain. It was a warm night, the restaurant had a queue, but the manager gave us a large glass of wine and we happily watched the world go by in Shepherd’s Market, Mayfair as we waited for a table.
I was mightily impressed with the service and the food, and a little piece of detective work revealed that it is owned by Turkish food entrepreneur Huseyin Ozer. So I was looking forward to sampling the food at the flagship restaurant in the group that proudly bears his name, Ozer, to see if it lived up to my earlier Sofra experience.
Enjoying a meal out is about so much more than the quality of the food. The service, the decor, the ambience and even the other diners contribute to the overall experience. And I am pleased to say that Ozer scored well on all counts.
The restaurant is split into three distinct, zones. There are tables outside, where you can experience the Parisian-like hustle and bustle of Langham Place. Inside, the bar area with comfortable seats and scatter cushions looks like the ideal place to relax after a hard day and the main dining space with rich, dark coloured walls and muted lighting is stylish and sophisticated.
Crisp white tablecloths and napkins decorated with a ruby red ribbon added to the sense of occasion and the smart crowd of fellow diners, a mix of couples, friends and work colleagues, were all contributing to the lively, buzzy atmosphere.
OzerAlong with menu, our charming waiter brought a complimentary starter of olives with hummus, that put the supermarket versions to shame and some positively delicious Turkish ‘straight from the oven’ bread. Relaxing with an Efes lager,we got down to the serious business of choosing from the extensive menu. This is a fusion of ‘East meets West’ hot and cold starters including Black Cod and some interesting looking battered squid soaked in vodka.
My dining companion and I both opted for the cold starter plate. A combination of no less than nine starters arrived elegantly presented on an oblong glass plate.and included some distinct and intriguing tastes like the duck spring roll, baby broad beans and tabbouleh.
The mains menu was no less impressive with sections of fish, game, poultry, chargrills and daily specials. Again the East meets West theme continues with spicy fish with coconut cream competing for attention with the duck tagine and lamb stew with smoked aubergine caviar. And for the non meat eaters there is a separate vegetarian menu.
But the lure of the chargrilled meat proved irresiistable and we both choose the special mixed grill. This was a great selection of lamb patties, marinated chicken and lamb kebab, lots of it and all ultra tender.
The wine list offered a good selection of both new and old world wines, but as a Turkish wine seemed more appropriate for the meal we had chosen the Cankaya white, a snip at under £14, was ideal. With a floral bouquet and a clean, zesty lemon taste on the palate. it was just right for both the starter and the main courses. If you want a red with your meat then the popular, smooth Yakut is on the menu, again at under £14.
When it came to choosing a dessert although we looked longingly at the possibilities of Kunefe, shredded pastry filled with cheese, pistachio and syrup and the Kazandibi , upside down milk pudding with a caramelised top of cinnamon powder with Tahini ice cream the portions for the first two courses had been so huge, that all we could manage was a coffee.
The meal came to around £30 per head including wine which really was extremely reasonable for food, service and surroundings of this quality.
I often meet friends in central London for lunch or dinner and where to eat is always an issue. Ozer, with its great atmosphere and location, just a few minutes walk from Oxford Circus tube station, is the perfect solution.
So to sum up, if you want sophisticated dining, in a good atmosphere with some really different food at a reasonable price then give Ozer a try, you will not be disappointed.
OzerAnd finally, did Ozer live up to the reputation of the Sofra experience from two years before? The answer is a definite yes.
Ozer
5 Langham Place
London W1B 3DG
020 7 323 0505
