PLACES / FOOD
& DRINK
By John Oakes
There is plenty
of Turkish life "souf of the river". One gem
is Ambience, a 10-minute walk away from Wimbledon
tube (or short hop of two stops along the 156 bus route), where
you'll be met by a warm and friendly welcome at this modern family-run Turkish Cypriot
restaurant.
 |
| Tanser (R) & his cousin Ersan Ozdemir |
The only
Turkish eatery in the area, they have become a firm local favourite since
opening their doors two years ago. Manager Tanser Ozdemir, his wife, cousin
and parents pride themselves that everything they serve is prepared freshly
on the premises, rather than
being bought in
pre-prepared from outside suppliers.
We kicked off
with their Mixed Hot and Cold Meze options. The delicious platter for two is ample
for those after a light dinner: feta cheese börek, grilled hellim, suçuk
(Turkish sausage), calamari and köfte, along with a rich mix of cold meze
including cacık, pureed aubergine and humus with extra tahini, à la
Cypriot style, served with plenty of warmed flatbread.
Ambience
boasts a great drinks menu, including many lovely-sounding cocktails. However,
this being a mid-week dinner, we settled for a reasonably-priced Rioja
from their selection of wines, and very enjoyable it was too.
We opted for
two different mains: the Ambience Mixed Grill for £15.95 and sea food casserole
for £13.95. Made over a mangal (charcoal grill), the grilled meat was tender and
well-seasoned comprising lamb and chicken shish, şeftali kebab, chicken wings,
lamb and chicken köftes, served with rice and salad. Tanser explained they choose the more expensive middle-neck
of lamb cuts, and it really tells as the lamb practically melts in your mouth. The
sea food casserole was less of a hit. The creaminess of the dish was a tad too
much, overwhelming the delicate flavours of the prawns, mussels, salmon and
squid.
The dinner
was rounded off by herbal tea and two pieces of fine baklava: the filo pastry
was fresh and light, the filling crunchy and sweet. We had toyed with leaving
it – so full were we from the dinner – but were really glad when we tried it, as
they were certainly on a par with the best baklava you’d find in North London .
Separated by
a wall from its restaurant area,
Ambience also
has a regular bar, ideal for after-work drinks (they serve
2-for-1 cocktails on Sunday to Thursdays) or watching football matches. Further
back is their shisha lounge. The ambience changes at the weekend, when there’s
live entertainment with music, DJ and bellydancer – a real British Turkish
fusion. They also have themed nights such as for Valentine’s, and have become
popular with local fundraisers, such as the Hampton-based
Shooting Star Trust for severely-
handicapped children and the Turkish Pro Cancer Research Fund.
All in all,
it has a lot more social life than many other
restaurants, and is thus a very versatile centre for entertainment, whether you
are looking for a quick drink, a romantic night
out or a family celebration. They also do deliveries. In fact,
I wouldn't be surprised if the Ozdemir family eventually
move right into the centre of Wimbledon
(or open another branch), after much nagging from their regulars.
Ambience
Restaurant & Cocktail Bar & Shisha Lounge,12-14
Leopold Road London
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