Tad

Restaurant in Dalston
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5 / 10 from 11 reviews
Address
261 Mare Street
Dalston
London
E8 3NS
Map
Telephone
020 8986 2612
Cuisine
Other
Region
Dalston
Nearest Station
London Fields
0.15 miles
Opening Times
Monday Open 11:00 - Closes 00:00
Tuesday Open 11:00 - Closes 00:00
Wednesday Open 11:00 - Closes 00:00
Thursday Open 11:00 - Closes 00:00
Friday Open 11:00 - Closes 00:00
Saturday Open 11:00 - Closes 00:00
Sunday Open 11:00 - Closes 00:00

All In London Review

Great food but the service will certainly scare some people away.

East London is home to a range of Turkish restaurants and despite the claims that Dalston is home to the best of them, Mare Street is staking its claim. Located towards Hackney Central, Tad is one of Hackney’s finest – just don’t mention the service.

You know the food is good when people brave the exhaust fumes of Mare Street to get a table at Tad. It’s much more exciting to sit at one of the exterior tables that line the restaurant, given that the Ocakbasi’s interior is so simple. The open space is filled with tables and ornamental pieces but all you really need to see is the beast of a BBQ. Hot coals line the pit that covers half the restaurant’s bar from where you can watch a continuous rotation of lamb, chicken and fish passing through.

Service can be frantic, slow and brash but what arrives at our table on this occasion is worth the wait. The lamb shish is left succulent whilst remaining in possession of a gentle char. The salty rice that accompanies it is moist and rich – and dare I say it – savored more than the meat. Meatballs come next. The dish is a rich stew reduced to a spicy, oily soup of sorts completed with minced lamb balls submerged. Going ‘off grill’ is an audacious move and one that is rewarded. The meatballs and their sauce are the star of the meal. That is unless we include the bread and side sauce. Grilled onion and pomegranate sauce comes together and the bittersweet pleasure of it has the plentiful bread supplies dwindling fast.

The menu has a long list of Turkish meals including whole fish dishes but we stick to the classics. Tad is a simple, unassuming restaurant that thrives on the food alone. The bustling atmosphere, coupled with the heat from the grill, makes it an intense experience that is well worth the schlep out to Hackney Central for fans of real Turkish food – just don’t expect any smiles from behind the grill.

Reviewed by T.A.O
Published on Aug 13, 2013


Useful Tips from AIL Users

Soups and specials!

Jennifer Sanin, London

Try the aubergibe kebab it's delecious.

Harry, Hackney

Best For

Where to get London's best kebabs picture

Where to get London's best kebabs

Shish, these are good.

Anybody who has ever found themselves hungry in Hackney and down to their last £1.25 would be grateful for the existence of Tad’s lahmacun. The lamb and salad rolled flatbread is one of the cheapest meals around. Beyond that there is a selection of lamb stews, proper shish kebabs and more.

User Reviews

Jennifer Sanin
from London

Apr 1, 2017

Wow. I never even particularly liked middle eastern cuisine but Tad has blown my mind. At a super affordable price of 12 pounds I got an incredible creamy chicken soup with little rice bits that just killed me, and a chicken special which is an incredible juicy, luxurious stew served with a giant salad, brilliant rice and large couscous AND bread, all that extra on the house, super quick service, and I've almost never enjoyed a meal in London more. I liked it so much I actually wrote a review online, and that's something. The interior is not the flashiest so if you're looking for atmosphere it may not be the way to go but service was good, polite, no nonsense and as I've said, food blew my mind. I'm used to the places I like changing or going out of business so DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN so I can come back often. Thanks everyone.
Harry
from Hackney

Jan 25, 2017

Ive been coming here for many years and never found the time to write a review, but having visited yesterday evening with friends i hsve to say this is a must try place, the staff are very friendly and the food is excellent.
T.A.O

Aug 8, 2013

I can completely understand some of the other comments about TAD. I probably wouldn't eat in due to the staff's unrelenting will to appear put out by everything you ask.

However, the food is always good and I takeaway regularly. The bread with grilled onion-pomegranate dip is too good to let go - even if they forget to add it to the bag half the time. Service terrible - food good.
HARRY LEWIS

Jan 12, 2012

I'm sure if we have been going to the same restaurant for four years now, but i went to TAD just yesterday evening, it was my girlfriends birthday and there were 16 of us, the bill came to £210.00, after all we did just eat. As always the food was excellent and the waiters were cheerful and very helpful, there was a bald headed barman he kept dancing to Turkish Music and making us laugh. we didn't have to wait long for food, the drinks were average price and filled to the top. I don't know about rest of the reviews below but we always have a great time and I would highly recommend this place to anyone, obviously there are better places to go to, but in hackney TAD is the only place for us. the reviews below are to too far extreme, may be because I didn't pay the bill hmmm???? :)
mutleymoo

Jan 6, 2012

The male staff in this palce are so rude, I have never been treated the way I did when I went there november 2011. The waiter found everything we asked him hard work, grabbing,slamming things and rolling his eyes in his head and made us feel so uncomfortable, I could not wait to leave and I have made a promise never to return. The food is not that great and there is so much better turkish resturants around the hackney area, much better food and service than tad.
joopar00

Oct 3, 2011

God forbid any hard working man or woman spending their money here and expecting both good food and service. Keep away from this place at all costs! I can relate to the previous comment as being a regular customer there a few years ago, me and my friend decided to meet up for a reunion and spent roughly £70 between 2 people which was a considerable amount of food and drinks.
What the hell happened to this place! We waited approximately an hour and a half for our food before I asked once again to the waiter. Being rude he stormed off and slammed two large plates of cold burnt food on our tables, to rub salt in our wounds 5 minutes later him and his colleagues started placing chairs on the top of other tables to indicate they were closing. So here's where the nail really got hit in the coffin, as we were hurriedly scoffing into our meals they again slammed another small dish down this time the bill!!!
If you guys want a good Turkish restaurant with decent food and value for mone around mare street, head to Anatolia or Cirruck which is near hackney downs station. Great food and great service consistently.
shannon29

Jun 6, 2011

I would never go back to this restaurant again. The male staff are very rude and ignorant. I have been a few times before and each time had a bad experienece.
The first time we went was for a birthday with 12 guests the bill came to £250.00 when the bill came and we was about to pay the waiter mentioned that he was expecting a tip. He was given a £10.00 tip but if he didnt ask we was going to give £20.00. He didnt even let us pay the main bill before he asked for it.
The next time we went the same waiter was very rude and arrogant. we ask for food to takeaway and the chips were a joke if counted in the portion was around 15 chips so we mentioned it to the waiter to have him look and roll his eyes in his head. He then snatched the credit card of the payer of the bill and stormed away no smiles throughout the evening. one of the takeaways were paid in advance never turned up we then had to request the money back and he was furious and began to have a go at the person whom refunded the money. The female staff here are very polite but as for the male staff they need some customer care training we spent around £150.00 at the last meal and thats how you get treated. i will never attend this restaurant again nor recommend it to anyone ever again. the food is ok but there is much better out there. Do not attend this restaurant if you do not want to have the same experience.
Seila Sarramian
from E8 3HQ

Mar 5, 2011

I will never go back again. I have been in the restaurant for 2 or 3 times before last Sunday. The food is ok, nothing amazing but fairly cooked, we have noticed in our last visits that only the female waiters were kind and give a good service. But last Sunday was a total disgrace, the waiter was rude and cocky, really unpleasant and disrespectful. The food was again nothing special, you can find this level of quality in almost any grill kebab in the area, cheaper, and they may be nicer to you!!
So explore a bit more and don’t risk an unpleasant evening. 05/03/2011

Name: Seila Sarramian
Location: E8 3HQ
Anonymous

May 23, 2010

We ate here Friday and the experience was insulting. Our starters (hallumi cheese and a meat pizza) were just bland and flavourless, The main courses (donner kebab and lamb stew) were uneatable, I had four mouthfuls, 3 of which I spate out because of inedible fat, my partners lamb stew was very oily and greasy, we requested yoghurt to go with it three times and never received it. I asked for the bill and said I was not paying for the mains, the bill was brought and I was told we would be charged for the mains but the wine was free – wine £11.50 mains £16.50, did they think I was that stupid ? We certainly will not be eating here again.

Anonymous

Jul 22, 2009

This is a real gem in hackney. The smell of grilled meat pumped on to the street from the huge extractor fan is enough to drag you in. Once in, you will be very happy with the quality of food, friendly informal service and fair prices. Wine is not overpriced and selection is reasonable. The charcoal grill cooks up a fine plate of food you will struggle to get through. I have been several times and keep going back. There may be better Turkish restaurants in the area but I haven't found one and this one has converted me!
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