Neil Littman ventures to Edmonton for a Capital dining experience

How much food can two people eat?
That was my first thought after our ‘complimentary’ meze of salad, dips and bread arrived at Capital Restaurant in Edmonton – they managed to effortlessly exceed the generosity score.
I decided to visit the Fore Street venue after a suggestion that I ought to include more areas of the borough in my quest for good dining out experiences, and it was good advice as it turned out. To date, I have only reviewed two restaurants in Edmonton, but hope to remedy that in 2025. Reader recommendations are also welcome!
Capital Restaurant is big, very big, and I could only guess how many people they could accommodate. I had heard about Capital some years ago, from a friend who lived in Surrey and thought it worth the journey, although there may have been fewer opportunities to eat Turkish food outside of North London back then. As well as Edmonton and Wood Green they now have a branch in Hammersmith.
I realised long ago that at least one other dining companion is essential if you are visiting most Turkish restaurants. I told my friend who accompanied me, on a cold wet evening, that the selection of dishes that initially arrived at our table, including dips and salad, were not the starters but the ‘pre-starters’!
The menu at Capital is long and has some interesting dishes in the chef’s specials section, as well as an extensive range of vegetarian dishes and Turkish pide (their take on pizza). Our starters (proper) were a portion of mücver – vegetable fritters made from courgette, carrot, onion, and white cheese – a sort of Turkish latke and baba ganoush – a creamy savoury, smokey aubergine dip, plus homemade bread dotted with paprika and olive oil.
For mains, we ordered a whole grilled sea bream with sauté potatoes and a chicken shish accompanied by Efes beer and a glass of merlot. The food was outstanding.
Another difference with other Turkish establishments I’ve eaten at, particularly in Haringey, was in the presentation of the dishes and nice touches, like the freshly baked bread and the herb dip that accompanied the fish
Our bill came to £76 including service, which was reasonable, although I do worry about the cost of dining out going up in the near future after the rise of employers’ national insurance in the recent budget.
Capital is also open for breakfast and has a children’s menu. It gets busy at weekends so it’s worth booking ahead. If you are travelling there by car, parking is free in the local streets after 6.30pm but do check the area on Tottenham Hotspur matchdays when the regulations are different.
Before I end this review I want to give a rundown of my favourites from 2024. For best new restaurant I’d say the new branch of Limes in Hadley Wood, and for best pub food, the Rose and Crown in Clay Hill. Best Italian is a tie between Marcus Kitchen and Lizzie’s Cucina Also, a quick shout-out to the excellent Val’s Thai at The Hop Poles in Baker Street, which closed at the end of the year.
For more information about Capital Restaurant, including opening times:
Visit capitaledmonton.foodbul.com
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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