Situated at the top of the town’s award-winning High Street, Efendy is a Mediterranean restaurant offering authentic cuisine and a warm welcome. This exciting new addition to the Skipton foodie scene opened during the pandemic’s peak when indoor dining wasn’t permitted, and many restaurants battled on by offering takeaway services. Efendy started by doing precisely that, and their food instantly received glowing reviews from locals.
Once their doors opened for indoor dining, Efendy quickly became one of the town’s most popular places to eat, particularly on weekends. Having dined at this wonderfully welcoming eatery twice, I can fully understand why this charming restaurant was an instant hit.
An overview of the dishes offered and their specialties
Skipton is home to an eclectic array of independent restaurants with somewhere to suit every budget and occasion. I have lived in the town nearly all my life and cannot remember when locals have been so spoiled for choice when it comes to eating out. Any new eatery in the city faces tough competition, with the likes of Le Caveau, Elsworth Kitchen, Keelham Farm and many others boasting talented chefs, multiple industry awards and swarms of loyal customers. Efendy, however, has identified and filled a gap in the Skipton restaurant scene and done so tremendously!
On Saturday evening, I had the pleasure of paying my second visit to Skipton’s Turkish delight. Having had a thoroughly enjoyable evening there back in October 2021, I naturally chose the restaurant for an annual meal with my Mother and Sister to mark what should have been my late Father’s Birthday.
The manager greeted us at the door upon our arrival at 7:30 pm before being swiftly led upstairs to our table by a waitress. One of my favourite things about this restaurant is the ambience. I don’t like brightly lit establishments playing loud music unless I dine with my little boy during the day. This cosy, candlelit eatery offers the ideal atmosphere for a relaxed evening meal and intimate conversation.
To drink, we opted for a bottle of Malbec (£19.95) to share between us. Rich, fruity and dry enough for our liking, it was the perfect accompaniment to the red meat mains we all intended to order. Although we finished the first bottle quickly, a second one was requested halfway through the meal.
My Sister ordered the Peynirli Mantar (£5.50) – pan-fried mushrooms with creamy garlic butter and feta cheese, served with homemade pitta bread. I didn’t get to try this myself, but she was adamant it was one of the best mushroom starters she had tried for quite some time. My Mother took little persuasion to order the Hummus (£4.95) she had enjoyed so much during our previous visit. Smooth, packed with flavour and served with the most delicious Turkish bread, it’s a real treat and a bargain at just £4.95!
If applicable, information about their commitment to using locally-sourced and fresh ingredients
I struggled to choose between my favourite Calamari (£6.95) and the exceptional Sigara Boregi (£5.50) I ordered last time. These are crispy filo pastry rolls filled with creamy feta cheese and dill. Delicious, albeit a little rich and heavy for those with a small appetite. I intended to follow up this visit with a review, so I opted for the Calamari. It is by far my most ordered starter, and it does vary in quality quite significantly. I was thrilled with Efendy’s Calamari! Evenly coated in panko breadcrumbs and deep-fried until crispy, it was simple, fresh and delicious. The menu stated that it would be served with Tartare Sauce, but what arrived was most certainly Tzatziki. Not a problem for me as their version is beyond beautiful, and there isn’t anything I wouldn’t happily dip into it.
Once we had finished our starters (and the first bottle of wine), we didn’t have long to wait for our mains which arrived piping hot.
My Mother ordered the Pirzola (£15.95) for her main course – chargrilled lamb chops. Lamb is her favourite meat; if there’s one on the menu, she will always order the lamb dish when eating out. With Efendy being a Turkish restaurant, there is no shortage of lamb on their menu; from chops and skewers to meatballs and kofte, it’s a lamb lover’s dream!
My Sister and I ordered the Mixed Grill (£16.95) with some fries to share on the side. With so many excellent charcoal-grilled meats and other authentic Turkish dishes, it made sense to order this and try a little of everything. This hugely generous dish was loaded with succulent meats, including a chicken skewer, lamb skewer, chicken kofte, lamb kofte and a lamb chop. We did not need the side of fries as the accompanying salad, bulgar, Tzatziki, and rich tomato sauce complemented the meats beautifully and were more than enough to fill us.
Neither my Sister nor I managed to finish our main courses, so regrettably wholly, we didn’t have room for dessert. Efendy does the most amazing Baklava, so if you go yourself, try to leave room for dessert. Their sweet and sticky layered treats perfectly finish an exceptional meal.
