Gallipoli

The best thing about Gallipoli is the value. It's perfectly possible to eat and drink to one's fill for well under £25 per head. Last night, 30 of us had this experience for a friend's birthday.

As there were so many of us, following the set menu made perfect sense. It was a vegetarian meze to start; normally, I love meze, but I was disappointed that every dish except one contained lots of peppers. I dislike peppers and thought it was a bit lazy to fill every dish with them - I had to do a lot of picking around them.

There was an extensive choice for the main course and I opted for the king prawns. It was a generous serving and they were nice - grilled and served simply. The prawns were accompanied by rice and salad, which was a bit bland really - and virtually everyone's plate was made up of the same rice and salad. Even if it wasn't a particularly exciting dish, it was filling and decent fare.

For pudding, plates of milk pudding and apricots were placed at points around the table and we helped ourselves. Having to share the cutlery was a bit unorthodox and probably too informal, but we'd drunk enough cheap wine (the first bottle of which wasn't chilled properly) by that point that it didn't matter too much.

On balance, the service was ok, as it's some feat to serve a party of our size. However, it was quite unprofessional at points and the tables were being rearranged before some people had finished. Then members of the group were rather abruptly asked to leave, as the next sitting was waiting for the table.
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dawnage - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Sunday, January 27, 2008

Unfortunately Gallipoli is a restaurant that survives on reputation and surface image, not quality food.

I have visited Gallipoli three times now, and each time I have been more disappointed. I'm always eagerly anticipating some exotic morsels, and every time it's just incredibly salty and bland. The tabbouleh is banal, the stuffed aubergine mediocre, the service merely adequate, but nothing compares to the hideous, gloopy moussaka. I really want to love this place, as I live so nearby, but it's just shockingly bad.

The last experience I had there will, without a doubt, be my last. Myself and a friend had what was supposed to be moussaka, but it was so unusually unpleasant neither of us could finish it. We would have sent it back, but we had already complained about the bread and I felt rude.

The culmination of this unfortunate evening was The Balsamic Vinegar Incident. I asked for some balsamic vinegar, only to be served chip (malt) vinegar. Again, I was too scared to say anything, but at the end of the meal I saw another table of people complaining about being served malt vinegar. I said to the waiter -

'This isn't balsamic vinegar. Those people are right. It's chip vinegar'

At which point he asked -

'What's the difference? It's vinegar, isn't it?'

Someone who cannot distinguish between watery, acidic malt vinegar and thick, dark balsamic vinegar should not be running a restaurant.
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Rose
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 2
Friday, January 04, 2008

Went here for lunch a few days ago. Food absolutely excellent. Ordered the meze for two and every last scrap was eaten. Saw some of the grilled dishes going past and they looked great too. I never thought I’d devour a simple bowl of tabouleh but it was simply too good to leave. Extraordinary flavour. At £7.50 a head this was extremely good value for money. I will say one thing though: we had plenty of space on a Monday lunchtime, but I can imagine this place on a Friday night becoming very packed and very hectic. There’s not a lot of room between the tables. In fact there’s not much visible floor space at all.
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NGJ
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Friday, December 07, 2007

I have been eating here for years and have frequented all three restaurants in the chain several times.

I generally enjoy the whole Gallipoli experience. The food is great with a large and extensive menu. As a London born Turkish Cypriot, I have always been impressed by the standard of turkish food. The hummus, falafel, borek and koftes are particularly good.The decor and lively atmosphere add to the whole experience.

My one major criticism in the last couple of visits is the way that they have continued to pack more and more tables into what is already a very intimately packed restaurant.

My husband and I were sat at a table where we were literally knocking knees and elbows with the people next to us. We thought that was bad enough but after about 30 mins, the staff started moving the tables even closer together in order to add more tables!!!!!. In their greed, they didn't even leave a large enough gangway to enter and leave the restaurant and because of where we were seated I was knocked 'up side the head' everytime someone passed our table.

This really is such a shame because this restaurant is such a gem and I fear that they have forgotten about their customers and are more interested in making money. My advice to them would be to move out a few of the tables - and stop packing people in like sardines.

I will go back occasionally because of the food but only when i'm in the mood for a lively and noisy evening - i would not recommend this place to anyonme looking to have a decent conversation or a relaxed meal.
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I M M
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 8
Saturday, June 16, 2007

GALLIPOLI RESTAURANTS ARE THE BEST PLACES TO UNDERSTAND, TO FEEL AND TO TASTE A CULTURE. SUPERB DISHES AND UNUSUAL FRIENDLY STAFF. A++++
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MICHEAL FOXTON
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, February 01, 2007

My friend and I were looking for a nice place to eat and had passed the first 2 Gallipoli restaurants b/c the first was crowded and the second looked like a lounge, then seeing Gallipoli again, we had to stop in b/c it was that inviting.

From the moment we walked it the wait staff was very attentive (almost too attentive, perhaps b/c it was early in the evening?). We got the turkish beer and ordered. I had the charcoal chicken, I can't remember the name but it was so delicious. It was very basic, just marinated chicken that was grilled over charcoal with amazing flavor! Rice and salad was served with it. My friend had the eggplant and chicken which was also amazing and looked really great with the eggplant wrapped around the chicken and the rice and yogurt sauce next to it. The waitress also brought us their chili sauce. We thought she would just bring a bottle of whatever hot sauce they had but it ended up being freshly cut red/green pepper and chili with garlic and onion relish/salsa. It was a very welcome addition to our meal, as we both love spicy food. We both cleaned our plates. Even though we were full, we got some turkish coffee to help and were given spoonful of apricot and cream with crushed pistachios. Then another waitress came over and brought our check and another 2 spoonfuls of the dessert, we couldn't say no. On leaving the restaurant, all the wait staff and host said goodbye. It was one of the best meals I've had in London since I moved here. I definitely plan on returning!
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Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, January 03, 2007

I went to Gallipoli on Saturday night with three friends and had a really unpleasant evening. The staff were rude, the tables packed so tightly together that there wasn't room to breathe, and we were kept waiting outside for 20 minutes past our reservation time - not ideal in December... We couldn't wait to leave, and if two of our party hadn't been male I would have felt even more uncomfortable...
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Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Friday, December 15, 2006

Have been going here for some time now and love it. I am half turkish and grew up eating the dishes served and the cooking is very good indeed. All the starters are delicious - boreks are crispy and not too salty(as they often are due to the cheese), great falafel and the lovely mix of different been dishes are really lovely - just like the ones my Nan serves with all her meals(not quite as good as granny as you'd expect).

The one thing on the menu that I often come back for alone are the Kofte(minced lamb burgers) - they are the best i've ever eaten outside of my families cooking. SERIOUSLY. Just make sure you eat them with their homemade chilli sauce(more like a fresh relish - yum!!!!)

Lovely staff - after discovering that I am of Turkkish Cypriot descent, I am always welcomed personally by the manager and the waiters and they are attentive with all their patrons.

If you only go for the atmosphere, you will not be disappointed. Just a word of warning - if it is your birthday and you are shy, don't let on until you've partaken in a few of their cocktails as one of their traditions is to put on very loud turkish music and insist that you dance on you chair. You are rewarded with a free flaming sambuca though!!!!.
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Isla Mahmout
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, December 06, 2006

My parents and I ate at Gallipoli to celebrate my AS results and their anniversary. We had a wonderful time!

Much to my mother's relief, Gallipoli isn't too far from Angel station, nor is it very difficult to find.

My parents ordered the Meze. There wasn't much of it, but it was just enough and was apparently delicious. I was equally impressed by their variety of vegetarian dishes. The evening was further improved by a complimentary dessert and drinks.

Whilst the walls are lined with Turkish artefacts and memerobilia, the restaurant is a little bit crampt. Nonetheless, it is a wonderful place to dine and I would be happy to do so again and recommend it to others.
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Juliet Chrispin
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Friday, September 01, 2006

Had a table for 11 at Gallipoli Again, 120 Upper St, on Sunday 30th August. Slightly confusing that there are three branches so close to each other. You need to be sure about which one you are booking.

Previous reviewers are right. The food was absolutely delicious and the portions generous. (I am fussy about food having run my own catering business.) We were originally going to have the meze, at £7.95 per head, but thought it might not be enough for lunch as everyone was hungry....what a mistake.

Instead, most of us had the £11.95 set menu of vegetarian meze, a choice of main course from the a la carte menu, dessert and coffee.

Just the meze alone would have been plenty......but the main course Harem Chicken Kebab and Lamb Iskender were particularly good. Try the delicious and refreshing Turkish Apple Tea instead of coffee.

We sat in the garden which is a bit rough and ready, and the chairs are not particularly comfortable. But we will definitely eat here again, as the food is so good and it is handy for Sadler's Wells. Website: www.cafegallipoli.com
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Jane Hibben - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Thursday, August 10, 2006