Best Tava Restaurant

In this part of town you can find a Turkish ocakbasi on every corner, which can only be a good thing if you’re looking for proof that kebabs are more than just the after dark, too late stomach liners they get painted as. Not that we need proof. Having recently been to Mangal and Mangal 2 – both within 100 yards of Best Tava Ocakbasi – we already know that kebabs have more going for them than a lot of those false prophet, gourmet fast food joints out there. But let us not get bogged down with the haters; let us proceed to praise the shish, tava (casserole) and flat breads we sampled on our visit here.

One thing you’re not going to get with any of Dalston’s Turkish restaurants is much more than a clean room filled with enough tables to make sure you’re not waiting for a seat longer than most people are waiting for their food. Tava is a simple space that relies on what comes from its grill. It is cheaper than most in the area and by our reckoning, tastier.

We try a lamb shish that comes with a heap of bread, rice and salad. The meat is moist on the inside with a flavoursome crust on the outside and comes in chunky pieces, which would stretch the biggest of mouths. We are pleased with the warm, fluffy bread and although the rice isn’t the most flavoursome we’ve tried in the area, its sticky, saltiness is enough to make it disappear before anything else is gone. Tava is named after the Turkish/Greek casserole dish and after sampling this delicious, meaty stew we agree that our future loyalty to the grill is going to be tested. Meatballs come submerged in rich, spicy tomato that makes for the flatbread’s perfect companion.

We leave without a single bad word to say about this ocakbasi grill. While the Mangal’s might be Dalston’s instantly recognisable kebab houses, Best Tava Restaurant is making a big name for itself.