Great value Turkish cuisine in Palmers Green

Neil Littman visits new venue Tandir in Green Lanes for an Anatolian feast

I don’t think it is any exaggeration to say the current economic climate for opening new restaurants is very challenging and risky.

There is still high consumer demand but also intense pressure from rising labour, energy, and food costs. New openings are running 15-20% below pre-pandemic levels, so I am very grateful to those who take the plunge and establish themselves against those odds.

Recently I ate at Tandir, following a recommendation from a friend. This is a new Turkish restaurant in Palmers Green which opened in November and is differentiating itself by offering regional cuisine from across Anatolia.

They have a short but interesting menu divided into two sections of main dishes. Tandir is also a ‘bring your own’ venue with no corkage charge at present, a bonus for drinkers.

The interior is distinctive with bare brick walls, wood-topped tables with comfortable seating and caramel and cream floor tiles reflecting the age of the building – over a hundred years old. An open kitchen at the back also allows you to see cooking and baking taking place.

The venue gets its name from the tandir, a wood-fired oven they use to cook dishes called güveç (pronounced goo-vetch), which is a traditional Turkish stew or casserole cooked slowly in a clay or earthenware pot. These are served as a complete meal with chicken, lamb, beef, sea bass, or a vegetarian option with aubergine.

Other main course dishes include pide (Turkish pizzas served on flat bread) topped with lamb, beef, three cheeses or seasonal vegetables. I can best sum this up in just two words – comfort food.

In addition, there are several starters, a couple of soups (including a very good one made with lentils) and desserts, although each time I have eaten there I’ve settled for a glass of Turkish tea.

I was impressed with their bread, which they make themselves, and which accompanies both the starters and main courses. It’s served golden-brown, with a slightly crispy crust and a pillowy, airy, and chewy interior. The bread is almost worth the trip alone!

On my first visit, I ordered muhammara, a walnut and roasted red pepper dip which was spicy and smoky with a kick of Aleppo pepper (a staple of Syrian cuisine as well). This arrived with their homemade bread, followed by a tandir dish called Topkapi, consisting of chicken stuffed with rice accompanied with roasted potatoes, onions, peppers, tomatoes with a red pepper paste – a great combination of flavours and ingredients, all for £15.

I followed this up with a return visit a few days later and ordered cacik, Tandir’s take on tzatziki, made with thick creamy yoghurt, cucumber and oil garnished with sumac, dried mint and pomegranate seeds, plus more of that pillowy bread.

My main course was an Aegean three-cheese pide topped with a friend egg and a glass of ayran, a homemade yoghurt drink – an overload of dairy products! One disappointment was a side order of hummus which was a bit on the dry side and could have done with more tahini or oil.

Service is welcoming and helpful. On one visit I heard a couple of diners sitting on the next table discussing how they were unsure about some of the dishes on the menu. They were searching for photos on their phones to show the waiting staff. Possibly they were more used to traditional Turkish dishes but also a reminder that there is always that first time for an unfamiliar dining experience. Tandir’s Instagram page also provides a helpful guide what to expect.

While opening at a challenging time, fortunately they have been busy from the day they opened, and I consider they are one of the best-value restaurants in the area, with starters from £6 and mains from £13, including vegetarian and vegan options.

Tandir is open from 12pm until 10pm every day at 323 Green Lanes, Palmers Green N13 4TY. For more information:
Visit tandir.co.uk

Do you have any suggestions for restaurants in Enfield to review or feedback on the places Neil has already reviewed? He would love to hear from Dispatch readers:
Email [email protected]

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