Review of 'Kapadokya'

In the area for a well-earned break it was a bit of a trouble to find somewhere to eat. Sure, there are lots of takeaways and pubs but we wanted an actual sit down meal that tasted good. Arriving in Barrow after a long day of driving around the Lake District we parked the car and had a bit of a wander. To be fair, we initially walked right on by Kapadokya with it's garish sign as it looked like yet another takeaway but walking by the second time we noticed in the otherwise deserted city centre it was the one place that seemed to be hopping despite it being early in the evening (about 5:15 pm)…A quick check at the menu it looked quite good so we decided to give it a go. Confirming they actually had a table for us I popped next door to the hole in the wall for some money (they do not accept plastic).

The restaurant has a ground and first floor with tables that are quite close together. The friendly staff showed us to a table in the middle of the room. The menu is divided into “Hot Starters” (Sicak Mezeler), “Cold Starters” (Mezes), “Chef Specials”, “Kapadokya's Mix Meze Platters”, “Charcoal Grill”, “Fish Dishes”, “Pides” (a Turkish pizza), “Premium Pizza”, “Steak”, “Burgers”, “Family Meals to Share”, “Side Dishes”, “Salad”, “Drinks”, “Wraps”, “Kids Menu” and, finally, “Desserts”. So no shortage of things to try then with options on the menu for those visiting who are not into Turkish food. Reasonable prices as well including a $9.90 two course lunch special.

Amuse Bouche

We took a few minutes to decide what we wanted but eventually we picked a mixture of what one might think of as traditional Turkish along with at least one more unusual option. Having ordered a complementary “amuse bouche” was delivered to the table: Some chips looking an awful lot like tortilla chips (but much lighter and similar in texture to pita chips) with side dips of Tzatziki and a Tomato salsa (yeah, I know salsa is not Turkish, but there you go). These disappeared very quickly.

Calamari

Our starter was an old standby for us: Fried calamari (£6.40) which is always a test of whether the kitchen can deliver the tricky to cook calamari (over cooked, rubbery, under cooked, slimy and, frankly, inedible). The busy kitchen is open to the ground floor seating and despite being busy they delivered perfectly cooked calamari presented elegantly on a slab of wood with a small but tasty side pile of salad showing attention and pride in what was served. This attention to detail continued in the food with the calamari not at all rubbery and very tender.

Meaty Moussaka

My companion had the traditional “Meaty Moussaka” (£11.90) for her main (from the “Chefs Specials”) which was a rather large portion of the aubergine dish. The moussaka was on top of a bed of tangy tomato sauce on top of a flat plate. Unusual and again, very attractive, presentation. Delicious.

Kasarli Sucuklu Pide

I went a bit off piste with my main trying something I have never tried before: “Pide”. According to the menu “Pides are a Viking boat shaped pizza”. Yeah, so not much to go on there, nothing for it but to give it a try. I had the “Kasarli Sucuklu” (£11.90; “Turkish sausage and cheese, topped with parsley and a pinch of chilli flakes”) which was another large portion cut into a small pieces with a good amount of delicious slightly spicy sausage with quite mild cheese. The dough was crispy around the edges but otherwise the perfect slightly chewy texture. Again, delicious.

Rice

A side of “Turkish Rice” (£2.50, though I think it was included with the moussaka as it was not on the bill…) was a small mound of white rice topped with a soft red, tomato flavoured rice. Perhaps a bit of overkill after the large portions of the rest of the dishes. Our small table had very little space to spare…

Turkish Delight

Too full for dessert we asked for our bill and while this was delivered to the table so too was another complementary small plate this time of a a few small cubes of wonderful home-made turkish delight on toothpicks. Delicious.

At £34.60 for the two of us (excluding tip but including two bottles of sparkling water) this was quite a reasonably priced, if not actually “cheap”, meal and absolutely delicious if more than a bit filling. Despite being very busy the staff were very friendly with the maitre'd making sure to shake everyone's hand as they left. Looking around at the other diners their happy banter and smiles on their faces really reflected appreciation of the restaurant.

A great option if you are in Barrow (according to other reviews I have seen, perhaps the BEST option in the city) though don't be caught out by the unusual fact they only accept cash. Friendly staff and delicious food.

Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”

Review Date: 2018-09-01


Cuisine: American/British

Address: 9 Dalton Rd, Barrow-in-Furness LA14 1HY

Location: Cumbria (England) - Barrow-in-Furness

Map:

 

Show in Google Maps  Get Directions

Telephone: +4 (0) 1229 824848

URL: