Efes have brought an authentic taste of Turkey right to the heart of Sunderland City Centre, setting up a traditional Turkish eatery inside the University of Sunderland’s City Campus. It’s already a firm favourite for student lunches and casual dinners, but the enticing aroma of Efes’s open-flame barbecue grill is starting to drift well beyond their Derwent Street digs to lure diners in. Those lured are never disappointed, as Efes is reliable for big smiles, big portions, fresh preparation and beautiful flavours. The slow-cooked lamb stew does more than melt in your mouth, releasing a complexity of tastes that invites you to enjoy it slowly. Nothing is in a hurry here, and Efes is hard to beat for a satisfying, casual dinner around the city centre, especially when your tummy rumbles at mention of things like char-grilled eggplant, stuffed vine leaves, skewered meats, smooth hummus, fresh flatbread and other Turkish delights.
Fantastic food & service. Will definitely be recommending and returning. Fantastic food & service. Will definitely be recommending and returning. Fantastic food & service. Will definitely be recommending and returning.
Went with a large group of friends. The food was lovely and restaurant very nicely decorated. Best restaurant in Sunderland. Will be coming back again.
Excellent food and service. The table away ready on time and we were given menu options including gluten free advice for one of our party. Couldn’t have been better.
Amazing food, great service, we will be back! We went on a Monday night so the restaurant was very quiet, but still there was nice music and a good atmosphere.
Very good ambiance and decoration. Very friendly staff without being intrusive. Good choice of food which was very tasty and beautifully cooked. I had a glass of the Turkish red wine which was very nice. My friend and I opted for a main and a dessert each but the staff member serving us dropped off a basket of Turkish bread and some dips which were lovely and we couldn't resist eating it all up! We had Turkish coffee which was tasty but had quite a lot of "sludge" half way down the cup and the only other drawback is that, on a cold, wet, miserable night, there was a cold draft blowing on us from somewhere otherwise I would have given this full marks. Definitely planning a return visit!
What a restaurant! The staff are so friendly and helpful. We ordered the hot platter for two as a starter and we weren't disappointed. There was definitely enough for two. So much so we couldn't finish our mains! I ordered a dish that looked like two tomato breads. It had minced lamb on it and the waiter advised me that yiu must eat it with your hands and that the trick was to roll it up like a tortilla l. It was really tasty! We got a free shot of amaretto with our bill, too. Definitely one of our regulars now!
The customer service was exceptional. We were greeted at the door and seated immediately. They have us complimentary Turkish bread which was delicious and asked how we were and what our plans were for the evening! They came over a few times to check if everything was OK and I noticed they were the same with the other customers in the restaurant and were lovely with the children who were with their parents. The food was lovely and arrived quickly. On the way out the staff shook our hands which I thought was fantastic!!
Lovely staff and quick service. Would recommend the guvec and if you are having Efes to drink and are more of a beer person than a larger go for the draft (it still comes in a bottle).
Lovely time at Efes in Sunderland. Chose from the happy hour menu again and the starters were lovely followed by the moussaka. lovely to see Ahmet and the staff again (really friendly). Cant wait to come again
Very friendly and welcoming restaurant. The service was excellent and the food quality was also. With it being my first time at Efes I wasn't sure what to order so I'll be trying something different next time. It's a nice change from Indians