Eating With Ellie: Tarshish

Reasonably hyped up on Instagram, and their website describing it as a place where ‘east meets west in a marriage of modern aesthetics’, it was only going to be a matter of time before I got my butt on the Piccadilly line for almost one whole hour and ventured to Tarshish. Over two floors, the venue features a sparkly wall (perhaps the stem of its Insta popularity) and has a large selection of dishes, with an even more impressive selection of drinks.

A Turkish and Mediterranean grill restaurant with panoramic views of the bustling high street beneath, Tarshish is located in Wood Green, North London. Taking its name from a biblical city in what is now the Andalusian region of southern Spain, Tarshish blends Mediterranean flavours with the spices of the Middle East, reflective of the way King Solomon sent his ships between the western Mediterranean city and the Middle East, thus creating a culinary fusion of flavours and cultures.

I opted for simple cheesy garlic bread to start, followed by the chicken beyti. Cooked on hot coals, the meat dishes offered provide an amalgam of flavours that encapsulate the Turkish-Med feel sufficiently. Minced chicken wrapped in tortilla bread and served with yogurt, topped with cheese and halep sauce formed the bulk of my main course, with a side of cheese fries. As with any good Turkish restaurant, bread is provided the moment you place your order. Due to this, dessert was not an option for us on this occasion, as neither me or my friend fancied that overstuffed feeling on a casual Sunday afternoon in the sunshine.

I am not one to venture back to a place multiple times, since London has so much to offer in terms of food. Ranked against other places offering similar fusions that I have sampled in London, I would put Tarshish in the lower middle section of my ratings. Although very good overall, personally I found the food slightly more greasy than necessary, especially for grilled dishes. My main course was also not particularly hot which is always a shame. The atmosphere and service here is top class, with the cocktails and mocktails alone serving as enough to get me back there to sample another dish. With a seating capacity of 300, the second floor has a retractable roof, which I can only assume was aptly decadent on those balmy summer nights we had in 2018.

Which part of the Mediterranean does your favourite food? Or do you prefer somewhere else in this endless culinary world we have? (South East Mediterranean is my favourite).