This sparsely furnished Turkish restaurant feels a little like eating dinner in someone’s front room, but the head chef, Gursel Bahar, has a lofty pedigree — including nine years at Sir Terence Conran’s Quaglino’s Restaurant in St James’s. He honed his Turkish cooking expertise alongside the head chef of the famous Sofra restaurants, Haci Akdogan. As a result, Hanedan is a slice of Turkish delight. At £6.75 per person, the mixed meze starter is excellent value, as are the mains of grilled lamb and chicken. The restaurant operates a BYOB option, but there’s also an interesting selection of Turkish house wines.
The Bay Tree, 403 Great Western Road, Glasgow, 0141 334 5898
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A favourite among vegetarians, this offers a fusion of Middle Eastern, North African and Mediterranean cuisine incorporating dishes from Greece to India. Modestly decorated with wooden tables and a proliferation of shrubbery, the Bay Tree’s clientele ranges from young families to wiry old men sipping cups of strong Turkish coffee. Spices and marinades of every description are at work here, drenching the Persian chicken kebabs or injecting an extra kick into the house special, lentil soup.
Nargile, 73 Hanover Street, Edinburgh, 0131 225 5755
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Just about every Middle-Eastern dish known has found its way onto the Nargile menu at some point. House specialities include hunkar bengendi, chargrilled lamb served with creamed aubergine sauce and a faultless karni yarik, baked aubergine stuffed with mince and cream yogurt. Vegan and vegetarian options are plentiful and clearly marked, but meat eaters will most likely be drawn to the extensive menu of grilled lamb and chicken dishes.