Sariyer Balik

I've lived in Stoke Newington for over five years and for some reason only got around to eating here the other night - it's always looked so quirky and attractive when I've passed by on the bus, with it's ramshackle netting and fish restaurant kitsch.

The atmosphere is lovely and the whole thing is charming in an unaffected wines-spelt-wrong-on-a-laminate-menu kind of a way. The focus is on hot mezze and very simple grilled fish dishes with salad. The former is good, the latter is exceptional - incredibly tasty with just enough sweet charcoal flavour. It's cheap too - around £8-£10 for a main. On a repeat visit I'd go for two different grilled fish and dump the starters.

Our only gripe was the rather comedic service. Though friendly enough, they are trying to squeeze their profit margins hilariously: 'No, we have no Turkish wine today, but this is good...' (out comes the most expensive wine they have) and if you ask for tap water: 'Our tap water isn't good (eh? mine's alright and I live around the corner)... I can bring you a bottle'. And then the bottle appears even if you refuse. And then they look crestfallen when you point out you'd said no and you send it back. I'd rather pay a few quid more for the fish than have the panto... But it's a lovely place otherwise.
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, April 09, 2008

I always love eating here. This family run restaurant provides a friendly service, and fabulous food. The menu is simple, but this allows the delicious flavours of the food to come through. They provide a selection of hot or cold starters which you can have as individual dishes or sharing platters. The mains are chargrilled fish served with a delicious salad and fresh bread. Every time I've been here the fish is perfectly cooked and presented at its best. Not everything on the menu is always available, but I think that's fair enough when you're dealing with fresh fish. Absolutely worth a visit!
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, January 05, 2008