The Grill Bar

Akin333

Not worth the very long wait 25th July 2009

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We were waiting to be served during the busy time. We waited and waited. Finally after being served we got drinks and after we got our starters. An hour after we finished our starters we were asked if we wanted a dessert menu. I couldn't believe it. No main meal and an empty stomach. We got our mian course over an hour after the starters and it wasn't worth the wait. I can recommend better service at other turkish restaurants. Disappointed.

Col29

The Grill Bar, Southgate 3rd August 2008

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Upon arriving with my wife and another couple we were quickly seen to and our request to have a table outside was met with no complications.
We ordered a bottle of house red and for £10.50 was nothing more than ok. A similar quality red would probably set you back £3-4 at the supermarket.
It took some time, around 30mins , for our order to be taken and everyone plumped for the £15 a head "Meze".The starters were the usual mix of yoghurt and mint style dips along with taramasalata, houmus etc etc and an overcooked and very rubbery halloumi.
The main dish of mixed grill came within 5 mins of the starters being cleared. It included a chicken wing, a slice of chicken breast, a lamb cutlet, and 2 pieces of lamb shish, served with rice and a salad. The lamb, obviously a good cut was cooked expertly. The chicken breast was dry and overcooked and the chicken wing gave you the feeling of eating a prepacked piece of chicken similar to a famous colonel's we all know. The salad tasted fresh and the rice was cooked well.
Our second bottle of wine was a £14 bottle of Rioja which was lighter and crisper than the house red, but again I feel slightly overpriced.
Fruit came next. Watermelon, 1970's style cut kiwi fruit and grapes were presented on a platter for 4 to share. Fresh and clean they might be but I prefer a sweet for desert which would have to be paid for seperately.
With the coffee machine being broken we were brought 4 ordinary coffees to finish the meal.I would have liked to have ordered a cappacino or Turkish coffee as this was still on the menu and at no point were we made aware of this until ordering coffee at the end of the meal.
The waiters were friendly but slow. They had a work at their own pace mentality. Two young ladies sitting behind us were served before us even though they sat at their table a good 10mins after we did. The fact the waiters were all young and probably single men surely had nothing to do with this!
Food was mediocre, lamb apart. Good for large groups wanting easy eating and plenty to drink. Not great for couples or foursomes.Service can do better.
Total bill was £80 about £10 more than what I felt it was worth

Sami

There's always a first time for me to say " cheap & cheerful"... 12th May 2007

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People have various pet peeves - my particular pet peeve is the phrase "cheap & cheerful"; it sends shivers up my spine and my hatred for the saying is inexplicable, but anyway...

... and that's what this restaurant is. Cheap and cheerful. It's located on a relatively quiet stretch of the High Street in Southgate, but is packed every time I pass it. It's a Turkish grill restaurant that was opened about a year and a half ago by a young restauranteur who has been so successful that there is a second location in Mill Hill.

There is an a la carte menu but when I went, we chose the set menu for 15 pounds per person (!!! so cheap!!!) and I left so full that I couldn't eat until dinner the next day. We started with a selection of cold mezze (hummus, taramasalata,a cold couscous salad, dolma and tzatziki) all of which were very nice and served with fresh bread still warm from the oven.

Our second course was a selection of hot mezze, this time grilled halloumi cheese, falafel, sigara borek (phyllo pastry stuffed with feta cheese, formed in the shape of a thin cigar and deep-fried) and a couple of other things that have since slipped my mind. All very good as well.

Our mains were, of course, grilled. From what I remember, there was a mixed grill of lamb chops, chicken and lamb shish and something else - but it was all pretty damn good considering what we paid for it.

To finish, they brought us a lovely tray of fresh cut fruit and Turkish delight. I could not believe that all of this was so cheap - and yes, quantity by no means equates quality, but I was really astounded by the sheer amount of food and how good it was, considering how much we paid. This is a great place for group dining or if there's a birthday to celebrate and you aren't eating with people that are foodies, per se.

They also run special offers from time to time if you're looking for a reason to visit.

Worth checking out if you're ever in the area - but then again, who wants to go to Southgate? I don't even want to, and I live here!