Ishtar

The Ishtar Restaurant is absolutely fantastic. The food is always fresh and the hospitality by all staff 1st class! Highly recommended from a regular guest who's whole party is often treated to a complimentary coffees and that in central London.
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Regula Marsh-Hilfiker - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, January 12, 2008

I've been to this restaurant twice in the past week, as it was conveniently open over the xmas period when many restaurants in the area were closed.

On both occasions, I was served a superb meal. On the first visit , I sampled the lamb iskender, and it was good. The acidity of the tomato sauce blended well with the fresh yoghourt, and the lamb gave it good body. It was a very generous portion. On the second occasion, I chose the lamb with pears, apricot and couscous. It was a sensational dish. The lamb had been slow cooked to perfection, so that it fell apart in my mouth. The dish was elegantly presented, and the unusual combination of cooked fruit and meat tickled my tastebuds delightfully.

On both visits, I ordered a bottle of the Gamay Noir, very good value at only £16. In fact, there is a good choice of wines under £20, which means the total bill never gets out of control.

Service was pleasant and polite, which was refreshing. All in all, I thought this a great restaurant, and will be going again.
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Cameron
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 10
Friday, December 28, 2007

this restaurant is nothing like you might imagine it to be after reading the reviews. It is a well decorated place with a nice feel to it, but thats where all good things end.

Service was terrible... really slow... starters cam first before drinks... 15mins later our drink arrives, run out of bread for dips, so had to wait another 15mins 4more bread.

Mian course was pre cooked, slightly heated dry dry chicken with 1 cauliflour, 1 broccli and 1 carrt. Complained, got another one made, still just as bad.

Managed to get 25 pound knocked off the bill because me and my partner didnt eat main course atall. Total Dissappointment.
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Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 1
Monday, October 15, 2007

I would like to endorse the reviews of other diners. Service was swift (almost too quick), polite, helpful and careful. (Proper note of who ordered what when main courses served). We had mixed meze and 4 different mains - a lamb kebab, lamb cutlets, salmon and chicken kebabs - all of which were freshly cooked and very tasty. Our bill, starters and mains for 4, 2 bottles of modest Gamay, 4 coffees came to £122 inc service. Excellent value.
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Peter Bench
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, March 21, 2007

We went to Ishtar for a Hen Party. What a great evening! Excellent service, atmosphere, entertainment and value for money. Party menu was great, especially starters and dessert. Highly recommended, especially for a special occasion.
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Lauren
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Sunday, January 21, 2007

We had a christmas party at ishtar

Music was great, nice dancing area downstairs. Service was abit slow but the food was excellent, especially the steak with the kofta was very tender and juicy.

I've been other Turkish restaurants but

I think this is the best Turkish restaurant in London .I would definetly recommend this place.
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Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Sunday, December 17, 2006

Ishtar is one of my friends restaurant and its a really good place to enjoy your meal with the good quality of atmosphere, service and entertaintment, which is downstairs. But the caves downstairs isn't that good if you go there in large groups because its very hot esspecially when you keep getting up to shake your booty ;)
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B
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, December 11, 2006

I have been there many many times for lunch, supper and dinner and it has always been great!! If you like to eat in peace sit down upstaris but if you like listening to live music while you eat then sit down downstairs, the singer and musician offer good entertainment singin in Turkish and English, some times on weekends you can find a belly dancer show, staff are great!! very friendly, you don´t even need to ask for things you´d like they somehow know what you´d like to ask for before you could do it! this restaurant has a lot of regular customers, the manager is very friendly and so his staff. Food is great! for starters you can find borek, fallafel, king prawns, mix mezze, as main courses both types of kebab are great (meat cubes and the other one), meyvely kuzu is great between sweet and salty because of the lamb and the pear, for desert kazandibi is great but backlava is the best one! and I love that they match the ice cream with a fruit kebab.

Perhaps when it gets very busy your food can be delayed but if you try to go again you will find it perfect, especially if you are a regular customer, they will give you special attention.

Ishtar really is one of the best restaurants you can find in London!
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Stephanie
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Having heard some great reviews for this place, my fiance and I finally booked a table for two last Friday night. The ambience was ok, though being seated downstairs, I found the red lighting to be rather painful on my eyes. I must admit the falafel we sampled for starters were very good. However, it all went downhill after that. The menu being limited, I finally settled on the chicken iskender. My fiance ordered the sea bream. By that time we were done with our starters and feeling good. However, the main course took over 40 minutes to arrive and when it did I was disappointed by the small portion I got. The chicken was completely bland, covered in a tomato sauce that tasted like tomato puree. Worse still, the fried bread underneath was soggy and was awful. Aside from this, service was atrocious and it took forever for them to bring us the bill! Neither of us even managed to finish our main course despite the fact that we had spent a better part of the evening waiting for it. It sim[ply wasn't wort finishing.
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N - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 1
Tuesday, October 03, 2006

My wife and me went there last Saturday (26/08/06) and despite it being very busy, we had another superb meal. We've been quite often since it opened and have alwys found it excellent.

The staff must be some of the best in London.
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David Kitto
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, August 29, 2006