Located on Bold Street, Elif is an authentic Turkish barbecue restaurant that offers diners a laid back, traditional dining experience. It’s a small and intimate restaurant, with a romantic and rustic feel. Everyday, between the hours of 12 and 6pm, Elif offers a two course deal that is incredibly affordable, alongside a brilliant selection of a la carte dishes available all day long.
The Elif menu begins with Cold mezes like chargrilled peppers topped with feta cheese, olive oil and a hint of garlic, along with minted Turkish yoghurt, smoked aubergine puree and tender leaves of fresh spinach in a yoghurt sauce. If you prefer to start your meal with a hot dish, try the soup of the day, a pan-fried pastry filled with minced meat and spices, or the Roman-style deep-fried homemade fresh calamari. Elsewhere, a plate of arnavut cigeri sees pan fried pieces of lamb's liver served with an onion salad, spicy Turkish sausage is grilled on charcoal and the hellim is a much loved Cypriot cheese that is lightly grilled and served on lettuce. The charcoal specials are where the menu really comes to life. A prime example is the Adana, a renowned dish from the south of Turkey that is made from chopped prime lamb, mixed with with peppers, flat leaf parsley and flaked chilli.
For your main dish, there’s a traditional Turkish feast of grilled lamb or chicken pieces served with bread, yoghurt and tomato butter sauce, or an authentic Turkish moussaka made with lamb mince, aubergine, courgettes and carrots, cooked in a tomato sauce and finished with bechamel sauce. Seafood specials at Elif include the kremali salmon with onion, green peppers, red peppers, spinach, mushrooms, and a creamy sauce, along with a veggie favourite of falafel made with pureed deep-fried chickpeas and celery with spices.