It’s the latest acquisition from the north London family that own Bistro Laz and Al Parco on Swain’s Lane, as well as the Goodfare Pizzeria (and another Al Parco) on Parkway.
But with new offering Laz – see what they’re doing here? – they’ve upped their game.
It seems an interior designer has been hired, too: step inside the deceptively long, narrow restaurant and there are Tom Dixon lights, wine bottles encased stylishly on the bare brick wall, and an atrium ceiling casting daylight into the main central room. Service is friendly; matey even.
With the Michelin-rated Market restaurant (which would have been its neighbour) now closed, the aim is presumably to attract a similar foodie crowd. On our visit it was a typically Camden mix of post-office colleagues, couples on nights out and tourists laden down with outsize shopping bags.
As for the food, it’s mostly impressive, the menu riffing on the small plates craze that shows no sign of abating. In this case it’s fair enough: the history of Turkish meze goes way back, with its “philosophy of sharing”, as the blurb points out, and the mix of hot and cold dishes served “to the whole table”.
Courgette and mint fritters were an instant favourite at ours, melt-in-the-mouth morsels with a hit of feta, and an exhuberant dill-flavoured dipping yoghurt. Another of chargrilled aubergine, green peppers, tomato sauce and strained yoghurt – not here called by its more fashionable name labneh – proved a moreish tray of smoky, tangy, meaty veg.
Not so flawless were the skewers of marinated chicken with grilled lavash bread (the soft, thin unleavened flatbread generally baked in a tandoor). Notes of sumac aside, the breast was cooked slightly over. Still, a tumble of verdant, grassy chopped flatleaf parsley and crisp red onion helped things along.
Our favourite plate? “Best end” lamb chops with wild oregano. Served juicily pink, and attractively criss-crossed from a sizzling hot grill, these were delicious, compromised only by a slightly underwhelming aubergine puree. The other downside is that at £14.50 a pop they’re gone in seconds and you’ll want another.
Lamb aside, the vegetarian plates in fact sung loudest: pickled red cabbage salad with the lemony lick of sumac (again); and purple sprouting broccoli with fiery chilli and sesame seed oil, which yielded a smooth nuttiness and vaguest hint of honey.
And it’s worth mentioning the wonderful Turkish table wine, Yakut (£20), a dry, drinkable red that’s versatile enough to go with most plates here.
All in all, a worthy find on a still-destination food street.
[review]
