Zahter

It would be sacrilege to discuss Zahter’s food offering in chronological order – and by that we mean starting with its small plates and ending with dessert. For the greatest thing you can order from its well-engineered menu of mezze and platters is the baklava, a flaky hunk of filo pastry that oozes just-sweet-enough syrup and a pleasing, ASMR crunch as your spoon sinks through each layer. On top of this extraordinary achievement sits a ball of clotted cream and, finally, a generous dusting of crushed pistachios. It is one of the greatest iterations of baklava we have ever tasted. Hey, it’s one the best desserts we’ve ever tasted.  

In many ways this triumph was expected, for the high calibre of its preceding dishes functioned as a crescendo to the butter-rich high note. Zahter's menu takes diners on a well-balanced journey through Istanbul cuisine via a series of hot and cold sharing plates, priced between £10-20 each. Meanwhile, a charcoal oven flickers away behind the bar, where you can watch the chefs shape and bake rounds of fresh pide bread. Do order the stuffed artichoke, which sees sticky, aromatic rice shoveled between every crevice of its fleshy petals. Thinking we were finished after gleaning every last grain, our brilliant waiter exclaimed ‘No! You’re not done’, before showing us how to scoop out its soft, edible heart at the bottom. 

This Carnaby Street spot is on to something wonderful. The only trouble is that everyone else got the memo. The restaurant went from busy to heaving within about an hour, although it wasn’t enough to deter staff (who were running end-to-end sprints all evening) from delivering our dinner with humour and personality. Sure, service was slightly slower than usual, but we forgive them. They probably could have shouted Turkish curse words at us and we’d still come back for that baklava (and maybe one of its chilli margaritas, which are very good).  

Zahter is a Middle Eastern Restaurant located in the heart of Carnaby. The Zahter menu has been designed by Chef Esra Muslu, and is designed to give diners a true taste of Istanbulite cuisine. The restaurant is smart and modern, with a large Art Deco-style tiled bar lined with bar stools and feature lighting. The restaurant serves mezze, platters and cocktails. 

If you are visiting Zahter, you will find a menu of Turkish small plates, mains and desserts. These are seasonal and changing; however, you may find dishes such as leverk marin, which is a lime and mustard marinated sea bass served with pickled onions, and signature muhammara. It also includes ali nazak, a ground lamb and beef dish with burnt aubergine and pistachio, or dana kaburga - slow-cooked beef ribs with barbecue glaze and watercress.

Istanbulite desserts include Firin Sutlace, which is a wood oven-baked rice pudding served with hazelnuts, and classic baklava with kaymak - a dairy cream similar to clotted cream. If you’re looking for drinks and nibbles, you can choose between a range of beers and cocktails, plus soft drinks. Maybe you’ll go for an Applegenie made with Bombay Sapphire green apple, sorrel and lime, or perhaps you’ll try a Coffee Royal made with rum, whisky, espresso and 75% chocolate. Zahter also offers hookah and puts on an affordable pre-theatre set menu offering hot and cold mezze alongside mains, bread, and a glass of Prosecco. 

Zahter is located just off Carnaby Street in Soho, meaning it is ideally positioned if you’re looking to explore the city. Perhaps you’re heading to the shops or museums all within easy reach, or perhaps you’re going to the London Palladium, and you’re looking for some small plates and cocktails before you go. Zahter is also close to Liberty London and Piccadilly Circus.