Situated at the top of the town’s award-winning High Street, Efendy is a Mediterranean restaurant offering authentic cuisine and a warm welcome. This exciting new addition to the Skipton foodie scene opened during the peak of the pandemic when indoor dining wasn’t permitted and many restaurants battled on by offering takeaway services. Efendy started out by doing exactly that and their food instantly received glowing reviews from locals.
Once their doors opened for indoor dining, Efendy quickly became one of the town’s most popular places to eat; particularly on weekends. Having now dined at this wonderfully welcoming eatery twice, I can fully understand why this charming restaurant was an instant hit.
Skipton is home to an eclectic array of independent restaurants with somewhere to suit every budget and occasion. I have lived in the town nearly all my life and cannot remember a time when locals have been so spoiled for choice when it comes to eating out. Any new eatery in the town faces tough competition, with the likes of Le Caveau, Elsworth Kitchen, Keelham Farm and many others boasting talented chefs, multiple industry awards and swarms of loyal customers. Efendy, however, has identified and filled a gap in the Skipton restaurant scene and done so tremendously!
My Second Visit to Efendy, Skipton…
On Saturday evening, I had the pleasure of paying my second visit to Skipton’s very own Turkish delight. Having had a thoroughly enjoyable evening there back in October 2021, I naturally chose the restaurant for an annual meal with my Mother and Sister, to mark what should have been my late Father’s Birthday.
We were greeted at the door by the manager upon our arrival at 7:30 pm, before being swiftly led upstairs to our table by a waitress. One of my favourite things about this restaurant is the ambience. I’m not a fan of brightly lit establishments playing loud music unless dining during the day with my little boy. To me, this cosy, candlelit eatery offers the ideal atmosphere for a relaxed evening meal and intimate conversation.
To drink, we opted for a bottle of Malbec (£19.95) to share between the three of us. Rich, fruity and just dry enough for our liking, it was the perfect accompaniment to the red meat mains we all intended to order. Although, we did manage to finish the first bottle quite quickly so a second one was requested halfway through the meal.
To start, my Sister ordered the Peynirli Mantar (£5.50) – pan-fried mushrooms with creamy garlic butter and feta cheese, served with homemade pitta bread. I didn’t get to try this myself but she was adamant it was one of the best mushroom starters she had tried for quite some time. My Mother took little persuasion to order the Hummus (£4.95) she had enjoyed so much during our previous visit. Smooth, packed with flavour and served with the most delicious Turkish bread, it’s a real treat and a bargain at just £4.95!
For myself, I struggled to choose between my favourite Calamari (£6.95) and the exceptional Sigara Boregi (£5.50) that I ordered last time. These are crispy filo pastry rolls filled with creamy feta cheese and dill. Absolutely delicious albeit a little rich and heavy for those with a small appetite. As my intention was to follow up this visit with a review, I opted for the Calamari. It is by far my most ordered starter and it really does vary in quality quite significantly. I was thrilled with Efendy’s Calamari! Evenly coated in panko breadcrumbs and deep-fried until crispy, it was simple, fresh and delicious. The menu stated that it would be served with Tartare Sauce but what arrived was most certainly Tzatziki. Not a problem for me as their version is beyond beautiful and there isn’t anything I wouldn’t happily dip into it.
Once we had finished our starters (and the first bottle of wine), we didn’t have long to wait for our mains which arrived piping hot. For her main course, my Mother ordered the Pirzola (£15.95) – chargrilled lamb chops. Lamb is her favourite meat and if there’s one on the menu, she will always order the lamb dish when eating out. WIth Efendy being a Turkish restaurant, there is no shortage of lamb on their menu; from chops and skewers to meatballs and kofte, it’s a lamb lovers dream!
My Sister and I both ordered the Mixed Grill (£16.95) with a portion of fries to share on the side. With so many wonderful charcoal-grilled meats and other authentic Turkish dishes to choose from, it made sense to order this and try a little of everything. This hugely generous dish was loaded with succulent meats including a chicken skewer, lamb skewer, chicken kofte, lamb kofte and a lamb chop. We absolutely did not need the side of fries as the accompanying salad, bulgar, tzatziki and rich tomato sauce complemented the meats beautifully and were more than enough to fill us.
Neither my sister nor I managed to completely finish our main courses so regrettably, didn’t have room for dessert. Efendy does the most amazing Baklava so if you go yourself, do try to leave room for dessert. Their sweet and sticky layered treats provide the perfect finish to what is always an exceptional meal.
If you’re not a meat-eater, don’t be put off by our meat dominated experience. We are all meat lovers but Efendy does serve a great selection of vegetarian starters and mains, including Fajitas, Pizzas, Stuffed Aubergines and Moussaka. The staff are very attentive and service is always delivered with a smile so, I expect they would gladly accommodate most dietary requirements.
If you are yet to try Efendy, we highly recommend that you do so. The prices are more than reasonable for the quality and quantity of food you are served and the service is excellent.
To make a booking, head to their Facebook page or give them a call on 01756 707847
