Istanbul Restaurant

Istanbul Restaurant sits on Sidwell Street in Exeter and is the city's only seated restaurant serving exclusively traditional Turkish food - no fusion, no shortcuts. The interior is clean and tastefully decorated with well-dressed staff, and the room manages a relaxed-but-lively balance that works equally well for a casual lunch or a proper night out.

Meze is the strongest opener: hummus, cacik, kisir, sarma, saksuka, a spicy ezme, olives, smoky aubergine dip and ispanak tarator, all charcoal-grilled and smoky where it counts, with staff happy to talk through each dish. The mixed grill runs to an Adana kebab skewer, chicken and lamb shish, a lamb chop and chicken wings, served with rice, and the platter for two is the better-value option for sharing. There's Turkish wine and a signature Turkish Delight gin alongside the usual cocktails and daily deals. It holds a genuinely strong reputation locally - 4.9 on Google and 4.8 on Tripadvisor - and earns it.