Thrilling grills embrace the taste buds at Zeugma, Sheffield - review

Sheffield is one of those places that rewards exploration when it comes to finding a variety of dishes that can take us on a culinary journey, and tonight Matthew, we were hoping the same would happen to us on our visit to the Turkish restaurant, Zeugma.

We started off with some appetisers, which consisted of flat bread, olives, gherkins and chilli oil. The flat bread, freshly cooked, was delightfully fluffy and moreish. This was swiftly followed by our drinks, a large glass of the house white wine, a bottle of Efes Sisko - a draft lager - and our starters.

After the appetisers, most people won’t have much need for a starter but seeing as it was a special occasion (it was a Friday evening), we had to push the boat out. We went for the Spinach Boregi, light pastry parcels with spinach mixed with mozzarella and deep fried. It was quite nice, deep-fried to perfection but the taste overall was a little lacking… it could perhaps have done with something to bring out its personality more. I kind of wish there was more mozzarella inside. Alas, on this occasion it was slightly unmemorable.

Bear with me though, as we moved to the main dishes things took a remarkable step up. WE chose a dish called Adana, hailing from southern Turkey, it consists of finely chopped prime lamb mixed with flat leaf parsley, peppers and chilli, before being charcoal grilled and served on strips of traditional Turkish flat bread with rice and salad. It was delicious, two decently sized lamb kebabs, with fresh veg. The meat was tender, juicy and tasty and the rice was cooked to perfection. Usually I’ll reach for hot sauce - or any other sauce - but on this occasion it was more than sufficient on its own. It’s not too bad at all.

The second main was also a tasty affair. The Guvec is a searingly hot dish - in temperature not in spice terms - with diced lamb, aubergine, tomatoes, mushroom, alongside green and red pepper chunks, which has been baked in special pot and is served with rice. I would like to have given a deeper insight but it was finished before I could go in for a second taste. If that’s not a sign of satisfaction, I don’t know what is. It both looks and tastes delicious.

Finally to bring things to a close, we settled on the Tiramisu for dessert — ladies choice. Now I am not a fan of coffee in my dessert, I’ll happily enjoy an espresso but as the actual dessert? It’s not something I would go for. However on this occasion it certainly paid to go against my own misgivings. The Tiramisu was delicious! The perfect balance of flavours, the sweet cocoa powder and a boozy coffee mixture wonderfully complemented one another. I may even be a convert.

Zeugma is one of those quietly unassuming but also understated in its ability to keep you coming back for more. Serving up a selection of dishes fresh from its open grill, Zeugma is a wholesome treat for the most part. All in all the total bill for a starter, two main dishes, a couple of drinks each and a dessert came to the grand total of £59.75, which isn’t bad.

If you’re looking for the ideal setting for food with friends in a relaxed atmosphere, it’s very easy to recommend Zeugma.