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Efendy Modern Turkish Restaurant

Address: 79 Elliott Street (Corner of Darling Street) Balmain NSW 2041 Balmain East, NSW - Map - Contact details
Cuisine: Turkish
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LATEST SPECIALS
Weekday Special - Exclusive to Menulog
More info (conditions apply)

DAYS OF BUSINESS

Tue - Thu:18:00 to 23:00
Fri - Sun:11:00 to 23:00
Efendy is a stunning European-style restaurant and bar located on the Balmain peninsula midway between Balmain and Rozelle – a short drive from Sydney’s CBD. With a beautiful outdoor courtyard, separate cocktail bar and several private rooms, the restaurant is the ideal venue for private, social and corporate functions, and intimate or group dining.

Exquisitely decorated with pieces from famous modern Turkish artists, Efendy is a feast for the eyes. Wherever you look discover Turkish treasures. Blending classical Turkish art with contemporary design, let your eyes wonder over Iznik hand painted plates, antique Turkish gravures and famous Istanbul photographs.

Recently Published Reviews

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Simon Thomsen - Good Living - Sydney Morning Herald - April 2008

13/20

This friendly, affordable and pleasant Turkish restaurant keeps shared plates fashionable with daily meze, plus rustic Ottoman flavours given a modern makeover.

Value Great.

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Vanessa Santer - mx nosh - June 08

There is a beautiful balance here between traditional and modern cuisine.

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Sarah Blake - Food and Wine - Sunday Telegraph - January 2008

4/5 ****

Last year's arrival in Sydney of Ottoman was our first taste of Istanbul's restaurant fare. Now, with Efendy, we have a second exponent of that previously rare find - fine Turkish food.

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Jeff Collerson - Food for Thought Daily Telegraph - January 2008

3.5/5 ***1/2

The blue eye was a winner, perfectly cooked fish presented warm with a fresh salad of rocket, dried figs, walnuts and pomegranate vinaigraitte

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The Glebe – November, 2007 - Eat Your Words – Marie Sansom

“ Every mouthful produced a balanced, life affirming sensation”

“If you’ve never been further than a kebab or pide before Efendy is the Turkish education you’ve been missing.”

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Lifestyle – November, 2007 - Sarah Lorden

“The beautiful food is matched by sunning surroundings. With a superb outdoor courtyard, a separate cocktail bar and several private rooms, Efendy is the ideal place for office parties, special occasions or just sharing small plates with friends”

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Inner West Courier – November, 2007 – Restaurant review -Melba Toast

“ It’s great to see different cuisines attempting a more up-market experience and Efendy hits the right spots with an adventurous menu that educates and delights the palate. The service is excellent. Try this place out when you feel like something a bit different but stylish at the same time”

Latest User Reviews

"Certainly the best Turkish restaurant in Sydney, choosing mezes was so much fun and service was very friendly and courteous, it was packed on Sunday evening with mostly locals. Will be back for more."

"Visited last Sunday night and the food was absolutely sublime. For mains we had Pilic Topkapi (Halved, de-boned Windsor chicken, ic pilav filling on sautéed sweet pea and spinach) and Ordek Sarma (Shredded duck maryland stuffed vine leaves, spiced tomato yoghurt) both absolutely delicious. Desert was chocolate baklava served with soured cherries and ice cream and the most delicate pudding.." more reviews

Chef

Somer Sivrioglu - Somer is the owner /chef showcasing his homeland cuisine from Istanbul, Turkey serving traditional Turkish recipes with a modern presentation using freshest Sydney produce.

Price Guide

Entrée $16 - $21, Main $24 - $44, Dessert $12 - $19

Payment Options

Cash, Amex, Visa, Mastercard, Eftpos

Set Menus

Set menu 1 $45 2 course, Set menu 2 $55 3 course, Set menu 3 $80 4 course

Features

$5 corkage Per-head, BYO (Wine Only), Dress smart casual, Licensed, Outside dining area, Private dining area, Street parking

Ambience

Romantic, Sophisticated

Food

Vegetarian option

Styles

Cocktail, Sit down

Suitable For

Birthday/Anniversary, Business lunch/dinner, Christmas party

Restaurant areas and private dining

Area name Capacity seated Capacity standing
Entire Restaurant 120 120
Cocktail bar 12 25
Downstairs front room 18 30
Downstairs (whole) 50 80
Bosphorus room 20 35
Yali room 20 35
Topkapi room 15 30
Upstairs (whole) 55 100
Courtyard ( weather permitted) 20 30
Whole restaurant 120 120

Awards

2008 - Restaurant & Catering NSW / ACT Awards for Excellence - Finalist for Local Restaurant
 

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Dinner    Breakfast (pdf)    Lunch (pdf)    Dinner (pdf)    drink - $8 to $69 (pdf)    set menu - 3 courses - $55 to $80 (pdf, see menu)
Main
Plic Topkapi: Halved, de-boned Windsor chicken, ic pilav filling on sautéed sweet pea and spinach 26.00
Dana Burma: Rock Valley veal stuffed with asparagus, pastirma and kasseri cheese on cauliflower puree 32.00
Efendy Begendi: 4 hour ‘Yahni’ braised beef cheek, eggplant mash, tomato, walnut and mushroom sauce 30.00
Kuzu Sis: Char-grilled, paprika spiced lamb skewer, eggplant jam, house made warm hummus 31.00
Yaz Dolmasi (v): Rice, bulgur and lentil stuffed seasonal vegetable trio, watercress salad 28.00
Ordek Sarma: Shredded duck maryland stuffed vine leaves, spiced tomato yoghurt 32.00
Balik Sis: Traditional skewered, lemon and herbs marinated Kingfish, seasonal vegetables, summer salad 29.00
Karides Guvec: King prawns, tomato, okra, peppers claypot stew, almond and saffron rice 32.00
Side
Homemade Warm Pide Bread Roll: Spice nut mix, Ayvalik extra virgin olive oil 2.00pp
Gypsy Salad: Chopped tomato, capsicum, cucumber, red onion, olives, alaturca dressing 8.00
Efendy Salad: Rocket, feta cheese, dried brown Turkey figs and walnuts 8.00
Green Beans: Roasted capsicum and feta 8.00
Ic Pilav: Aromatic Turkish nuts and currant rice 7.00
All efforts have been made by www.menulog.com.au to ensure the accuracy of this restaurant's menus at the time of publishing. However, we cannot guarantee that the menu or prices will be valid at the time of your visit.
All prices are in Australian Dollars (AUD$) unless otherwise specified.
This menu was last updated on 16/12/08.

Regular specials

SummaryWeekday Special - Exclusive to Menulog
Details3 mezes + main of your choice + glass of wine $42

or

with dessert $48
Conditionsnot valid in conjunction with any other offer
PeopleUp to 60 people
Valid untilWednesday, 30th September 2009

SPECIAL AVAILABILITY

Tue - Thu:6:00pm to 11:00pm
Sun:6:00pm to 10:00pm

User rating

  (26 reviews)
Overall 8.4
Food 8.8
Ambience 8.5
Service 8.4
Value 7.8

Add a review

Only comments directly related to your restaurant experience
will be published. Swearing, personal attacks or competitor
comparisons will not be published.
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Previous user experiences

Prev - Page: 1, 2, 3 - Next
Overall 10 - Food 10, Ambience 10, Value 10, Service 10

Certainly the best Turkish restaurant in Sydney, choosing mezes was so much fun and service was very friendly and courteous, it was packed on Sunday evening with mostly locals. Will be back for more.   (numero uno - January, 2009)

Overall 7.3 - Food 10, Ambience 7, Value 7, Service 5

Visited last Sunday night and the food was absolutely sublime.

For mains we had Pilic Topkapi (Halved, de-boned Windsor chicken, ic pilav filling on sautéed sweet pea and spinach) and Ordek Sarma (Shredded duck maryland stuffed vine leaves, spiced tomato yoghurt) both absolutely delicious.

Desert was chocolate baklava served with soured cherries and ice cream and the most delicate pudding called Keskul.

Turkish coffee and beautifully homemade Turkish delight completed a veritable feast!

The 5 star food was slightly let down by 3 star service (not much life in the front of house staff on this particular rainy Sunday night) but overall a very satisfying evening.

Will definitely be back.   (daddymac - November, 2008)

Overall 7 - Food 6, Ambience 7, Value 6, Service 9

The meals came out really fast even before my kids desidered to run around.   (lanmai - November, 2008)

Overall 8 - Food 8, Ambience 8, Value 8, Service 8

Good Turkish food at a good price.

The service was efficient and the helpings generous.

They have a room upstairs for larger parties and catered very well for some work-related functions I have attended there for the past 18 months.   (Steak and kidney - November, 2008)

Overall 9 - Food 9, Ambience 9, Value 9, Service 9

The food was spectacular and the service as equally devine.   (Jessica Doherty - October, 2008)

Overall 7 - Food 7, Ambience 7, Value 7, Service 7

the entrees were awesome but the mains (beef cheek and lamb skewers) lacked any wow factor and were quite ordinary. The lamb skewer was one skewer with five or 6 pcs of lamb on a bed of hummous - pretty ordinary and definitely not great value for money. The service was quite attentive and the wine list fab!   (See my reviews (2) - October, 2008)

Overall 9.8 - Food 10, Ambience 10, Value 9, Service 10

Great, refreshing cuisine in a stylish ambience, great value as well we were there on Thursday night and the whole bill came under $100 including glasses of wine, can't wait to try the garden in summer   (chichipanda - September, 2008)

Overall 7.3 - Food 8, Ambience 7, Value 7, Service 7

We went for brunch on Fathers Day. They had a gift for my husband and a high chair for my toddler son. So great start with friendly staff. However, the service was slow and the menu was limited. We enjoyed the food, it was delicious, but was disappointed really slow service and small portion size for the price of the dish. We had to order 2 more dishes than we would normally which set us back another $20 so we left without a tip. Overall rating 7/10 and we would go back because the food was unique and tasty.   (September, 2008)

Overall 9.8 - Food 10, Ambience 10, Value 9, Service 10

Something different and original than the other restaurants in Sydney   (September, 2008)

Overall 6.5 - Food 7, Ambience 7, Value 7, Service 5

I went to this restaurant expecting a top class fine dining experience, certainly the restaurant is beautifully decorated and the food is pretty nice, however the service was haphhazard and at times unprofessional. I had to ask to place an order and my drinks took a long time to arrive at the table. Considering the prices being charged i expected more from the staff, who seemed inexperienced and poorly managed.   (August, 2008)

Prev - Page: 1, 2, 3 - Next
"...Inside, there are touch-glow lamps on every table, plush carpets on the polished floors and a whole separate dining room upstairs..."

Myffy Rigby, Time Out Sydney - February 2008
"Inside, polished floorboards and white tablecloths sit beneath stained glass windows and framed photos of Turkish countryside..."

Sarah Blake, Sunday Telegraph - January 2008
"Its cuisine sits between middle eastern and mediterranean and once the kitchen is better synchronised, Efendy should thrive..."

Jeff Collerson, Daily Telegraph - January 2008
"Quite simply, it's sensational and the find of the year..."

Colin Quigley, Village Voice Balmain - November 2007
"If you've never been further than a kebab or pide before,

Efendy is the Turkish education you've been missing..."

Marie Sansom, The Glebe - November 2007
"With a pleasant outdoor courtyard facing the street and a slick interior fit-out. The lighting was low and the room felt very swish with the heavy tablecloths and attentive service..."

Melba Toast, Inner West Courier - November 2007
"Efendy features refined interiors with tall ceilings,

marble fireplaces, modern Turkish art, Jorge Pensi chairs

and Louis Poulsen light fittings..."

Sarah Lorden, Lifestyle - November 2007