My first memory of Turkish food is from dining in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant somewhere in the middle of New York City with some Turkish colleagues who wanted to showcase their cuisine. Since then, I’ve dabbled in a few bites here or there, but it never really grabbed me as something I was obsessed with. That was all about to change when I Love Foodies was invited to dine at Saray Restaurant at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.
I suppose that, unless you’re particularly familiar with Turkish cuisine, the first thing that comes to mind when you think of dining at a Turkish restaurant is a collection of familiar favourite Mediterranean dishes – think hummus, falafel, etc.
If this is true of you, then, like me, you’re probably unlikely to expect much beyond this.
Saray Restaurant Menu
But arriving at Saray for an early Sunday lunch, the first thing that struck me was the enormity of the menu – filled with pictures for folk like me who need a bit of help when it comes to deciphering foreign foodie names and pages and pages of dishes that sounded both completely unfamiliar and yet strangely familiar – steak, stews, and all the rest.
The interior of Saray is characterised by greens and blues for a very comfortable ambience.
Not quite knowing where to start, I do what I always do when dining out for I Love Foodies, and that’s to ask for recommendations. After all, who better to ask than the people who work there? It’s also a great indication of the knowledge of the staff – or even how much the restaurateurs care about their staff, since waiters being unfamiliar with dishes is largely a sign of them not having had the chance for proper training (which includes trying the food, of course).
Luckily, we were in good hands and off to a fabulous start.
Usually, at this point, there’d be a perusal of expansive wine or cocktail lists, but Saray is a 100% Halaal restaurant – which also means it’s a completely dry restaurant. Of course, this makes it enormously popular with the Halaal community – both Cape Town locals and visitors.
But I was so engrossed in the foodie element of it all, that it wasn’t until we had dessert and my sister, Sabine, pointed out the lack of alcohol that I even realised I completely forgot about any wine right up until that second.
That’s a good sign.
I Love Foodies Saray Review
Turkish Meze Starters
So let’s backtrack a bit from that thought and take a look at the starters.
Saray’s starter menu includes a variety of meze, all incredibly well-priced and with a table serving of traditional-style baked bread.
We had the following:
- Haydari: Yoghurt and garlic starter with a touch of dill served with baked bread (R85)
- Falafel: Traditional chickpea balls served with humus on the side (R85)
Unlike most people in the world, I’ve never liked falafel, but felt compelled to try it here – and boy am I glad I did. Both meze portions were absolutely massive – each easily enough for two people – and insanely delicious.
The meze portions are generous and delicious.
Both the haydari (left) and the falafel (right) were deliciously fresh.
Everything tasted super fresh, with that real homemade feel, even though the dishes were served super quickly. This is a restaurant that knows what it’s doing.
We were off to a good start.
Turkish Main Dishes
Choosing mains was a bit more difficult, but we were advised to choose one dish from the traditional grills section and one from the traditional Turkish mains section. So, we had:
- The Mix Grill Platter: Collection of Adana, lamb chops, kofta, and chicken kebabs, served with rice and chips on lavash bread (R290)
- Et Sote: Beef cooked in a tomato sauce with seasonal vegetables, topped with cheese and served in a clay pot with baked bread (R205)
Prices of mains was a little higher, but the portions, again, were absolutely massive and you could very easily share one dish.
The mix grill platter includes Adana, lamb chops, kofta, and chicken kebabs.
The Et Sote gave us cheesy bolognese feels.
Taste-wise, though, you really wouldn’t want to share at all, since every single bite we had absolutely blew us away. High praise, I’m well aware, but true nonetheless.
The meats in the mixed grill platter were succulent, full of flavour, and truly excellent, while the clay-pot-beef dish can best be described as nothing else than absolutely moreish.
This is comfort food at its finest.
What’s quite beautiful to note is that this a restaurant that works as well in winter as it does in summer. In summer, you have a beautiful outside section that feels light and airy, paired with fresh meze and salad. But at the same time, you have a comfortable interior, that still feels light and open, with hearty dishes that are perfect for miserable weather.
Baklava & Turkish Coffee
What works for every weather, though, is dessert – and coffee. To round off our absolute fabulous experience, we tucked in to some more traditional items:
- Baklava (please note that I tried a mixture of baklava, including traditional, chocolate, and cold, which are available individually on the menu at prices ranging from R110 – R120).
- Turkish coffee (R35)
- Cay (Turkish tea, R18)
Baklava can often be quite sickly sweet, but this is not the case at Saray, and I only wish the portions here were bigger.
Collection of baklava (left) and Turkish Delight (right), which is served with the Turkish coffee.
The coffee was as you’d expect traditional Turkish coffee to be – thick, rich, and strong. and, bonus, served with a side portion of surprisingly delicious Turkish Delight (that’s something I never thought I’d say). And the tea was a perfect in-between in terms of flavour and lightness to round off a meal.
Visit Saray Restaurant In Cape Town
All in all, Saray absolutely blew us away and this is one spot you should definitely put on your must-visit list. They are extremely popular though, so booking is highly recommended.
You’ll find all the Saray contact details below.
Saray Restaurant Contact Details
Address: Clock Tower Building, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
Website: www.saray.co.za
Call: +27 66 430 3391 or +27 82 868 4210
Email: sarayreservations@gmail.com
Written by Benike Palfi
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Article Date: April 2024
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