Antz
I'm sure you were getting 'antsy' for my return, so I am back, to review none other than 'Anatolia' a Turkish restaurant on Earlsdon High Street
Anatolia
https://www.anatoliacoventry.co.uk/
52B Earlsdon St.
Having decided to go out for some food, and spending quite some time perusing trip advisor for 'Coventry's best restaurants' my friend and I decided to head to a nearby pub which was highly rated by a large number of reviews. However, upon arrival- disaster struck, as despite arriving at 7.30 and food advertised as being served until 8. The surly waitress informed us in no uncertain terms that the kitchen was closed. Well, this left us in quite a pickle, what to do, what to do- when my friend had a lightning bulb moment- let's try the Turkish place in Earlsdon. So, driving over there- we called them up to make sure there was space-and despite the restaurant being absolutely rammed- the friendly waiting staff managed to squeeze us in a table (although even that was 'touch and go' for a moment).
Location and layout
The location is excellent- with Earlsdon High street a prime location in Coventry- easily accessible from both Coventry and Warwick University and of course enjoyed by the locals, with several other bars and eateries along the high street to choose from- the fact that it is extremely busy every night speaks volumes about the quality of the place. The layout of the restaurant is neat and tidy with an elegant sideboard. What is even more pleasing for me- is you could see the kitchen in full view- so you can see the food being prepared fresh.
Menu
The menu, unlike my previous review- IS extensive, with a wealth of options to choose from, delightfully- you will receive complimentary fresh warm bread and salad- whilst checking out the menu. Then you can move onto the starters- with a large selection of both hot and cold starters which includes all the Turkish dishes you would expect, Cacik, Muska Boregi to name just a couple. However, my friend and I opted to share the mix hote meze starter for 2 which consisted of Calamari, Halloumi, Sigara Boregi and Sucek. Delicious!
For the mains, there is even more choice!!
Traditional Main courses (grilled meats) such as Chicken Shish, Adana Kofte Kebab, or even lamb chops. All served with your choice of either chips or rice (then the choice becomes plain rice or spicy rice- yum!)
Not to mention if you didn't fancy that, there are 9 house specials, plus steaks, plus fish dishes and lahmacun(Turkish pizza) and pides dishes.
Naturally being a greedy git (GG) I went for the Anatolia platter for one (Lamb Shish, Chicken Shish, Adana kofte, and rice) Pictured
I can assure you it was 'straight up delicious' and washed down by traditional Turkish lager 'Efes draft' which is a tad confusing with draft in the name, but being a bottled lager. Regardless of this foible, this is one of the nicest lagers I have tasted, so was slightly aghast when trying to order a second one to learn that they had 'run out' for the evening.
Starters 5 Nik-Knacks
Mains 5 Nik-Knacks
Drinks 4.5 Nik-Knacks (would have been 5 if they hadn't run out of the chosen drink)
I should note here- that as far as I'm aware Anatolia is the ONLY place in Coventry you can sample an Efes Draft. There are bottled Efes available elsewhere but this is NOT the same drink)
Price
Now- the unpleasant matter of the bill. Anatolia is not the cheapest around, however, it's not going to break the bank either. The starter platter (for 2) was a more than reasonable £12. and if you go as a part-ay of four (you will need of course, unlike me, to have more than one friend :D I jest) the starter platter for 4 is an even more reasonable £20 (a lady Godiva each if you will- look up the Coventry reference)
The mains were a bit more pricey(although that can also be attributed to me being a fat bugger and ordering one of the biggest meals. The Platter for one came in at £17.90. Drinks for the Efes draft were £4.50 a bottle. The standard price for a beer these days really.
Now, important to note- in case any of you university scamps are reading this (which I hope you might be) if you have some time during lunch- That Anatolia does lunchtime 'special deals' which all come with a soft drink and are served with rice. Examples include; Chicken Shish Wrap meal £8.50 (still including rice or chips) Falafel Wrap £8.50 Well worth visiting during lunchtime if you get the opportunity.
Overall, price-wise, it's not the cheapest- but equally, there are plenty more restaurants in Coventry that charge more, for a lesser quality, and with the lunchtime deals taken into account, it's a healthy 4 Nik-Knacks for the price section.
Summary
Having been to the similar-sounding Antalya on ball Hill and finding it to be 'okay' I was very impressed with my food at Anatolia. Leaving with a very happy stomach and merry enough on Turkish lager (although still upset I only had one Efes Draft) the second choice lager was still a tasty enough beer. Anatolia has firmly established itself as one of my favourite restaurants in Coventry, and indeed since this first visit, I have been back multiple times, with the quality remaining in full effect. Indeed 'thus far'(touch wood it continues) I have not yet had a bad experience here. Wait that's a lie- my one bad experience was when I tried to book a table and they were full for the evening-so Key tip- if you are going in the evening- book a table in advance, it's often very busy!
If you are looking for reasonable food, in a nice atmosphere, and enjoy meat- this is the place for you.
Overall it's a very impressive 4.5 Nik-Knacks for Anatolia.
Hope you have enjoyed this trip down taste bud lane- Next blog I will be reviewing Rodizio Rico, a Brazilian restaurant in Coventry City Centre.
Güle güle
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