Efendy Modern Turkish restaurant Review

Food bland, tasteless, 20 dollars for 3 pieces of octopus, 20 for 2 "king" pranws, everything so small and overpriced. The waiter had also the audacity to said we order too much food, we trusted him and ,at the end, wasn t even enough for 8 people. He couldn t even organize the right amount of entrees, very confusing about the portions , keep talking by him self and literally reading the menu when we just want it too know how much food should we order. Did not had the skills to guide as throu the menu which was impossible to read. Asked one of the girls, after long time we finish eating ,the desert menu:she brought it and she start to clean the table. The waiter told her something like not to do that (he was nice with her) since we had still the table dirty, but man, if i ask for
It, means that you didn t follow the table propely , and she did well. This restaurant need a front of the house staff capable to sell and guide the costumer throu the menu and work on the size portion and taste ,because is not worth it, seriously.

I do not recommend you to go as a group, especially if you do not recommend that you take the fix menu.
1) We saw that the $ 65 menu you see on the Internet is different when you go to the restaurant
2) There was pastrami on the hummus, now there are chickpeas.
3) There were 8 pieces in Cigkofte in the past and there was one serving for 4 people. When it wasn't enough for us, we asked for another serving, and they wrote an extra for it.
4) There is a "Baked Cauliflower" which is not written in the menu, we asked.
5) Efendy's signature dish Alinazik is made of ribs [although it is stated, something came out of the sausage. 4 servings came to the table, 75% returned. The servant of a god said, "Sir, is there a problem, why didn't you eat?" beam.
6) The bread is very weak, it is necessary to take measures immediately. Since it loses its moisture since it is heated afterwards, it becomes like a cool when it cools after 5 minutes.
7) We had 18 people 4 competitors, 1963 TL account came, we have no objection, but they wrote $ 144 tea money.

Exquisite Turkish breakfast thy name is Efendy. Delicious Apple tea and Turkish coffee until you can drink no more. The tastiest fruits, cheeses, breads, spreads, eggs, sausage ... All amazing. My absolute favourite place for weekend breakfasts.

Dinner set menu very good, limited and expensive wine list for what it was.

Nice place, good food, authentic modern turkish food.

A well rounded restaurant with a twist on Turkish cuisine. Highly recommended.

Not a good example of Turkish cuisine which normally has ample different foods than served here.
Kind service and clean restaurant but not worths money as the portions are very less, and does not reflect the generous Turkish kitchen culture.

Fantastic Turkish restaurant, great food that is made with love and attention to details.
Food tasted fantastic and was presented beautifully on the plate.
Jerusalem artichoke was sweet but the accompanied chilly provided the balance needed, so don't be afraid to bite!
Staff were very attentive, friendly and accomodating, service was great.
We even got a bag of Turkish Delight to take home (after they found out I was fond of it)
There's a fair selection of gluten free dishes.
One only recommendation to the owners is, to allow guest to BYO wine, as we had a nice bottle that we really wanted to consume with our meal.
Coming back for sure

Food: 5/5 but Price: 1/5
Fantastic authentic Turkish food with great customer service.
A must try for lovers of authentic Turkish and middle eastern cuisine. We had breakfast there. Delicious with great diverse taste. Book in advance on weekends to avoid potential long waits. Will definitely go back!

Delicious food and great service. Will definitely dine here again.

We went for a lunch as we had been there before and enjoyed the food. The food was still very nice, and mostly the service was good - except for one particular waiter (he) could learn to smile. The bad taste I was left with was when paying on eftpos, the same grumpy waited handed me the machine telling me to leave a tip. I was so stunned by this that I did leave a tip, even though i felt the food already pricey and this particular guy was kind of rude - then for an hour after I felt really stupid for having done so. I won't be going back as although the food was tasty it was very pricey ($30 kebab in a bowl) and the thing with the hard sell tip is crap.

Fast service, very tasty foods and a nostalgic place

One of the best restaurant I ever been.Breakfast was imazing.I recomend to everyone try it .......

Dined there with my friends last night, not happy with the menu changes. We missed not having the baba ghanouj with the Turkish bread. Desert was amazing!!!

Get food pampered with what Efendy has to offer. Really good concept for breakfast that will keep your conversations going with endless food and beverage and friendly service. The variety was amazing and exceeded our expectations especially during busy breakfast times. Perfect for families and a group of friends alike.

one of the best restaurant that i had visit in Sydney
delicious menu , perfect service, friendly staff,
The cleaning 10/10
Staff ,service 10/10
Food 10/10
Price 8/10
i was there with my family they welcomed us very well specially (Mehmet)
he was very gentleman with our table
im in this major (hospitality) too i tried to find bad points on You guys but i couldn't
I Recommend everyone to visit Efendy _Balmain

Quite disappointing. My partner had been before and it was delicious then but we went May 2017 and the food was very average but the price was not. We also booked online and asked for a table by the fire but they were unable to deliver and we sat next to a cold window.

I visited on Sunday and was in for a Turkish Feast at Meze Bar. The Lebanese beers were outstanding, very unique and a great way to start. Dips with fresh bread took the edge off my hunger and set the stage for all to come. Kofta, eggplant, delicious liver & onion (not like your grandma made!), salmon with artichokes and okra, and even lamb testicles for those wiling to go the extra mile down the taste extravaganza! I finished with a dessert plate, with all 3 desserts and a pistachio coffee, which was sweet and rich and perfect. Love my meal, great service & can not wait to get back for more!

Best Turkish in town...a nice drinks selection, really tasty dishes and the dessert sooo yummy!

The dinner menu is a modern take on Turkish food. Nothing like traditional Turkish restaurants. Small portions, well presented and tasty. Staff are helpful and friendly but make sure to book ahead as the dining area is small and booked out most of the time.

Delicious delocious delicious! Turkish beer - Efes - very good

Fabulous service and the food is so good! Can guarantee you will not have a bad experience

Feast for your eyes and belly! This restaurant served a wonderful breakfast to us however we felt its set menu is very over priced. You're served A LOT of food so make sure you're hungry! They serve this crazy sweet turkish tea which i had to keep watering down just to be able to drink it, but everything else tasted good.
Price wise im not sure if we'll go back.

Excellent food full of flavors great service, thank you Efendy team for making my birthday so special!!!

disappointing..The food was overpriced and didn't have much flavour.

Great food and service. Lots of vegetarian options. Will be back soon.

Husband and I came in for dinner with no reservation and they still accommodated. The atmosphere is perfect for dinner. Our server was attentive without bothering, always checked on our needs throughout the evening. Food was superb. I've been here for the breakfast feast and dinner. I only have pic of hummus because we ate the others items too quickly.

Love the dimmers of the restaurant, the staff are very busy but also very attentive.
Great tasting turkish food. The rose bomb dessert is absolutely amazing.

We were really disappointed with our experience last night. We paid $200 for the banquet for two and a bottle of wine. The banquet was really only dips, one chicken thigh each and four small slices of lamb. Plus the waiter cleared our dips away before we were completely finished. There was nothing bad about the food but we left feeling incredibly ripped off. The banquet was worth more like $30 each than $75. We won't ever be going back.

Fabulous Turkish food and plenty of vegetarian options that are very tasty! There is only one vego main but we just had 3 of the mezze (small plates) and some dips that was plenty. A bit noisy to be romantic but a great place.

Nice venue, beautifully decorated and large space inside. We didn't have a booking and had to wait 45 minutes for a table which was fine as we went for a walk. It was so busy they weren't answering the phone whe we called to make a booking. Tasty food, but qite pricey for the serving size. Service was average, not overly friendly or unpleasant either- just did their job. Breakfast menu looked interesting and may come back for that.

Came here for lunch and loved the feast and great service.

We were really anticipating this place to accommodate for our hunger that we purposely maintained for the contemporary few hours prior to our arrival.

OH BOY! we were UTMOST DISAPPOINTED!


[Note: there is NO DISCRIMINATION against the race/nationality of the restaurant owners, as I'm proudly declaring that I belong to the SAME RACE!
.
I feel DEEPLY OBLIGED and RESPONSIBLE to let other NAIVE RESTAURANT SEEKERS (such as ourselves ) to AVOID such "restaurants" disguised as MONEY-SUCKING VAMPIRES/THIEVES]

The seemingly accommodating nature of the waiter and waitress were INFACT disguising the HORRIBLE level of CONS (i.e. negatives) that FOLLOWED SUIT :

-RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE (we felt we were LITERALLY ROBBED by this NASTY RESTAURANT). We were ROBBED $200 that felt EXACTLY like having a few bites of a typical THAI RESTAURANT ENTREE-SIZE DISH!!!

-FOOD PLATE and QUANTITY is BEFITTING that of HOBBITS/DWARVES (the restaurant keepers perhaps have a fascination with BILBO & FRODO BAGGINS from LORD OF THE RINGS! or more REALISTICALLY and most PROBABLY, having a GREAT MOCK of the HUMAN-SIZED customers!

-To further COMPLEMENT and MOCK the FOOD SIZE, the drink "bottles" completely resembled that of a 200ML BABY-BOTTLE!!! YES, you HEARD CORRECT, a BABY BOTTLE!!! (REMINISCENT experience of toddlers sucking fluid from BABY BOTTLES).

We LITERALLY went to a PIZZA RESTAURANT afterwards to fill our HUNGRY BELLIES!

(Yes, after being COMPLETELY ROBBED $200, we spent MORE MONEY on PIZZA in another, MORE CIVILISED restaurant . We were TREATED AS HUMANS, not HOBBITS or GNOMES!

End CONCLUSION:

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!

(UNLESS of course, you are content and in peace to be ABSOLUTELY ROBBED! )

May ALL of YOU reading this BE IN PEACE!

(My apologies for the pessimistic/CAPITAL LETTER emphasis of certain words & phrases; this was purposely achieved to DRILL in the NEGATIVE-REALITY EXPERIENCE).

Amazing food and worth going with a group so you can try the many delicious dishes.

Excellent food, unusual dishes which make for an interesting experience. We had the banquet which was good, the matching wines a little parsimonious which was a disappointment. But I will definitely recommend giving it a try.

Efendy was a great find in the heart of Balmain. The restaurant is intimate and very cosy. Perfect on what was a cold night. The cuisine is traditional Turkish with emphasis placed on quality over quantity. Leave any expectation of bottomless plates of sides and bread at the door and you will not be dissapointed. Every dish we sampled was an absolute delight! My advice is to order lots and share amongst the table.

The size of food is very small. It is not turkish style that their food is big. It is not worth. I pied 100 and still I am hungry.

Great tasting Turkish food. An array of dishes that's perfect for sharing in a couple or for groups. The hommus and babaganoush are a must. Their mains dishes were delicious and varied. Was quite surprised at the taste from the Lebanese Pale Ale.

Outdoor area is great on a warm day or night. Restaurant has a very informal setting and feels like a locals place. Staff were attentive and friendly. Location is tucked away in Balmain and there was plenty of parking in the surrounding streets.

I'll definitely go back to try all the dishes. A must recommendation.

Wine and meze night was disappointing. Service was great and plenty of free flow wine, but food was disappointing - both in flavour and serving size. Dips were bland, cheese was chewy and sweaty and pastrami was dry - they were obviously laid out for hours beforehand. Based on that experience I wouldn t bother trying what I ve been told is a great restaurant. Shame as these winter offers are usually a great way to get an idea for a place and usually would encourage me to return. Not in this case.

Really great good and service. Large outdoor and indoor space. Good for kids.

Wow where do I start!!! Great vibe and awesome people. Loved their Turkish breakfast...full of delicious food (especially baby fig jam) with a great Turkish tea to nicely wash it down. Of course followed with Turkish coffee. Everything was flawless and they have a great customer service, really nice people. Environment is friendly and warm. I loved the classic old Turkish movie posters and quotes. Certainly recommended if you happen to visit Sydney.

Had the fortunate opportunity to attend the one-off and very unique Good Food Month Offal Degustation menu. A showcase of traditional, and clearly dear to the Chef's heart (no pun intended), offal dishes from Turkey.

This was quite a different meal and experience to an ordinary visit at Efendy, but still a great glimpse into what this local favourite has to offer.

The food was beautifully prepared, with great bold flavours throughout the courses - each one building on the last and leaving all diners more than satisfied. The tripe soup was a beatufiul savoury and rich start, with a type of creaminess that wasn't at all heavy. A definite highlight was trying the "Ram's eggs" - a dish which can only be sourced from Efendy we were told, as they hold the monopoly on the sole butcher in Australia offering these, A very robust gamey taste. Next up, and dish of the night was the Kochera - charcoal intestines - which were smokey, crunchy and perfect in every regard. Finishing on a very interesting dessert, which also featured meat with the unique incorporation of chicken breast, this was light and texturally like a firm pudding with a delicate sweetness. Perfectly paired with crispy almonds and a sweet kick through the 'fairy floss' sprinkled on top.

The service was somewhat disorganised, with younger waiters a little unsure of themselves, but overall very friendly and mostly attentive.

Value for money was very good when considering the quantum and plethora of food had, as well as some of the unique dishes on offer. A nice selection of Turkish wines were on offer as well. Starting 'cocktail', sparkling and pomegranate seeds, was disappointing and lacked creativity.

Overall a fantastic night and I would certainly go back for a second round and visit on for the 'normal' menu or fantastic sounding Sunday Van (Turkish style brunch)

Great middle resturant with creative fushion of food and wines, it was our first time here but will be back for more

Wonderful turkish breakfast on weekends, excellent service and delicious food :)

Fantastic staff. The food!! My my goodness. We couldn't eat enough. Must go back

Best turk sh restaurant good service nice atmospheres always

Have lived in Turkey so I know wut I m sayin,, The food was okay but the service was super slow and the portions are TINY, it took them ages to serve us! Would not go back

Great food. Service could be better especially when they are busy.

A great, relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, thoroughly recommend this place for a cosy dinner. We decided to get the recommendations of the staff - and we were very pleased with what she suggested. It always a relief when the staff actually know the menu and offer great suggestions! Especially as very undecisive customers. Natasha greeted us with a friendly smile and was helpful making sure we were tended to but not so much that she was lurking. The house red was divine, and baklava tasting like it was actually made in Turkey!

Good location, friendly team, poor quality food and drinks, over priced for the size and quality.

Went here for breakfast on a Sunday morning. I was told they had won best breakfast in Sydney, and it is easy to see why!

Breakfast is about $30, and for that you get a middle eastern smorgasbord of delights. A stack of different breads, some dips - both sweet and savoury - and some hot things like sausages and so on. You also get free coffee or tea with your meal.

Everything was amazing! The style of the meal, with everything being small tapas style dishes, was to graze here and there and just enjoy, with no regard to time. And that is what we did. There was no feeling of being rushed at all, and it was great to just sit, relax, and share a meal.

Definitely a place to put on the list!

I was craving a traditional Turkish breakfast, the breakfast board at Efendy is as close as you get in Sydney. More expensive than other breakfast places but certainly worth it. Come hungry, leave happy. Plenty of food. I recommend going with a small group (2-4 people).

We had our family Christmas lunch here and the food was amazing.

We had outdoor seating and the restaurant was very accommodating, swapping our benches for chairs and providing our Nan with a cushion for her to sit.

The whole lunch consisted of 7 share dishes (a cold mezes, 2 seafood mezes, a hot mezes, 2 large plate dishes and a dessert). The whole affair took about 4 hours with a significant wait for the 2 large plate dishes, which were a Clay jug baked lamb shoulder Tandir and a rocket, brown fig, string haloumi salad. We didn't expect the lunch to take that long, but because the first few dishes were so rich and heavy it was actually good to have a break between meals.

The baked lamb was delicious and we were told that it had been cooked for 6hrs!

The staff were super friendly and very accommodating. We had outdoor seating as that was all that was available when we made the booking. When we first arrived, we were ushered to the table with bench seating. As we had a few elderly members in the family, we requested to have chairs instead and the staff had no problems accommodating that. Later we also asked for a cushion for one of the elderly guest to sit on and again there was no problems there.

Great food and would definitely consider having future Christmas lunches there.

Horrible Horrible HORRIBLE Service. Extremely rude staff, specially the man at the register. He does not know how to say hello or greet customers. I have been to this place twice, as I wanted to give it a second go and still received horrible service. I will never ever recommend this place to anyone.

Amazing food and service. Nice and warm atmosphere. Felt like I was in Turkey

Food was tasty, full of flavour. But the value wasn't there for me, and parking is atrocious. Highlight was the coffee that came with a Turkish delight!

Delicious and authentic Turkish food in a great setting.

My favourite restaurant in Sydney! The service is always impeccable. They are the kindest team and really make the experience that much more special. Food is delicious, beautiful and always on point.

Great atmosphere, friendly service and fantastic food

The drinks and food was overpriced. The food was served in a small portion.

We've been going here for years. The food and cocktails are beyond amazing.

When we first walked into the restaurant my daughters first reaction was, this place is so home like, and it smells just like your cousins house! Fruity and fragrant. The service was warm and very hospitable.

The highlight of the evening was the Iskender. Made in the traditional way with hot butter poured over the dish at the table. I have been looking for this kind of Iskender for a long time at other Turkish restaurants but this one brought back the nostalgia.

For dessert the Turkish mess was noteworthy. It was a kind of Turkish version of the Pavlova. It was a meringue with a special intriguing creme patissiere, served with strawberries and blue berries. The creme was really nice, not overpoweringly rich, and the dessert was just right on sweetness.

Efendy Strives to achieve very good traditional Turkish cuisine, with a home like atmosphere and for that I have given them five stars.

The food was yummy but served in a small portion, a bit pricy!

Food is very bland, lamb very tough, eggplant also very bland, and small servings for the price.

Had a wonderful evening and the food was delicious. Alp served us and was attentive and helpful with recommendations all night

They are not transparent with menu and charges. Portions are very small and their serving are not sufficient for individual eatery. They are pushing for group eating which doesn't suit everyone. Their menu description is very poor and unclear. You get 100% better quality Turkish food with very reasonable prices in Auburn for example. Try Auburn restaurant and see for yourself and compare for example Cook and Co. If I could give them _ star I would have.

Lovely place Beautiful food,big menu to choose from,the salads and fruits are so fresh .Coffee,tea , ice cream and deserts were perfect ,the Turkish delight was so lovely it tasted so freshly made .Also the staff was so nice, always smiling and very pleasant, all the time they asked if everything was fine?.Thanks very much to the chef and staff, we loved everything :)

Very nice, high-quality food. Excellent customer service. Wish I took more pictures of the food, but I was too busy enjoying it.

Main meals are small portion, overpriced and served by rude staff. I have ordered iskander which was like kids menu size. When I politely asked why the portion is so small, the waitress said:
"We are fine dining restaurant and if you are looking for bigger portion you should go to Turkish restaurant in Auburn!!!"
Never go back there again!

The food at Efendy is always fantastic! From the Mezes to Mains to Desserts- everything is delicious and presented beautifully. The wait staff are very good, explaining every dish as it is served and the setting and ambience, whether you sit outside or inside is very pleasant. There s a good drinks list and the Turkish Chardonnay is very nice.

Came here with the group of 4 after checking out the review and picturesque photos of brekky platter.

For drinks, we got served apple tea or black tea.
Then the platter comes with the selection of jams and dips, 3 kind of cheese, ham and watermelon. We also get a plate of tomato scrambled egg, and a tiny portion of cut up sausage with side of breads

We didnt end up finishing the dips/jam as they dont even given enough bread.

The bill came up as $140 for the total, $35/person it seems didnt add up, we received the same amount of food with 3 people sitting on the next table to us.

At least for $35 per person you can get 1 and half decent portion for breakfast in a normal cafe. Keen to try other menu they offered but breakfast menu is tad expensive compare to what you get, i guess you pay for the experience.

Amazing food, service was fantastic and such great ambience + setting.