After 6 years of meals at the same restaurant, you expect occasional disappointments. That hasn't happened with us at Pasha. Clearly they know how to deliver! The service continues to be top notch, the food tremendous. We've taken several sets of friends there and they say the same. If your appetite is big enough, order the Pasha Feast. Superb from starters to dessert. read more

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Pasha, an old running Turkish restaurant established in 1972, situated on Upper Street in a more modern and contemporary decor with its white backdrop and cushioned leather bench. A lovely open terrace giving you a fresh breeze from outside and allowing you to enjoy the hustle and bustle of Upper Street. Staff were friendly, aloof at times and not very proactive but at least food was delivered quickly and smoothly Cigar borek A great start to the evening. The pastry tasted fresh, crispy on the outside before reaching the inner more delicate softer layers. Filling was perfectly balanced with lovely aromas coming from the parsley and herbs against the minced lamb. Pine nuts were a great addition adding a bit of crunch to the texture Lamb kofte Very flavourful, packed with herbs and onions giving it that complexity and depth to boost the flavour of the lamb. It was cooked to medium but still very dry creating a very firm and coarse texture rather being succulent and bouncy like I had hoped for. Luckily it tasted good. Dolma Not a very generous portion priced at £4.95 but it was very well made. The varied filling of pine kernels, soft cooked rice and currants gave it a wonderful bite as well as a lovely pleasant sweetness from the currants Aubergine salad This was refreshing with lovely silky bouncy textures from the finely chopped aubergine and accentuated by a spoonful of yogurt. Although smoked, the flavours were not as pronounced as other places I've had this dish, lacking depth. But I still enjoyed it never the less especially after all the fried starters. Turkish ravioli I like most things doughy and in sauce so I was probably more enjoyable for me. However I was still able to tell that the dough was too thick and the filling was scarce meaning not much flavour was coming from the dumplings themselves but instead from the lovely light and zesty tomato sauce around it. It is was suppose to be mandu then it was far off from being authentic. Islim kebab A very impressive dish although on the small side with only four chunks of meat. However the meat was succulent with good bits of fat to marbleise the meat making each piece very tender and flavoursome. The aubergine complemented it further with it's silky soft textures, keeping every bite moist. That lovely rich herby tomato sauce helped boost the flavour giving the dish the depth it needs to make it so worthy of ordering Aubergine rice Such a comforting dish with the tomato and aubergines giving the rice that lovely zesty umami sweetness that made it so satisfying to eat. The starch in the rice made it much like a paella and with most of the water evaporated and with everything becoming sticky and wet, the flavours concentrated to create an intensified flavoured dish. Turkish dessert plate Wished the menu was more specific and it was slightly disappointing. The title in the menu suggested something authentic but one of the pieces was a chocolate brownie which was just average. The other was a baklava and a Kazandibi (upside down burnt milk pudding) which were lovely, especially the baklava which was tasted fresh from it's crispy pastry even when it was covered in syrup. It had an indulgent sweet nuttiness to it too. The ice cream was very welcomed, a surprising cinnamon flavour which added a sweet spiced taste to the desserts we had it with. Kazandibi If they informed us that this was also part of the dessert plate then we wouldn't have ordered a separate dish. We ended up having four pieces of these. They were lovely, almost like the egg custard of a Portuguese egg tart with a top layer of slightly burnt milk giving it that slight smoky flavour as well as the bouncy velvety texture it had. Pasha is definitely trying to steer away from the typical standard Turkish restaurant that we associate with being cheap and cheerful with large portions and complimentary starters. Even it's decor is more classier with the fancy lamp shades and vivid decorated felt wall. However food is only bordering between average to good and still falling behind in flavour compared to restaurants in the Stoke Newington area which dishes up the same dishes at a more generous portion and a much richer flavour. Still I was very pleased with the meal I had. Everything was seasoned well and presented nicely only I wish there was more of it. Probably a place to go if you're on a date. read more

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I really love Pasha. This restaurant is soo good and so tasteful, in more ways than one. I had the delightful chicken shish here and my date had the vegetarian moussaka. The staff was extremely accommodating and waited on us hand and foot. This place is so classy. We came here on a special offer (independent of this place) and the staff honoured it with no problem. I found myself short of cash to tip with and I had to return later on that evening to compensate the extremely gracious staff. This place is a really excellent restaurant. Truly 5 star. read more

Pasha - Really Tasty - Turkish Near Me - London, XGL

Impressively underwhelming! I'm no Turkish expert outside of being a tourist in Alanya turkey, but I do expect the food to be seasoned at least with salt. Every fish except for the prawn guvec was bland , I mean I spent quality time with the salt giving my my arm a good exercise. I'm not surprised the only dish I remember is the prawn dish that did not need any seasoning. I would be disappointed with myself if I did not give this over priced restuarant a miss next time as I find myself being impress with the decor more than the food which should be a sin. To make matters worse the decor was not even all that. I have decided their are better ways to waste my money rather than meeting with my good friends and spending my money here. It wasn't a complete miss as I believe my over friends enjoyed it which was good as they made it a night to remember. Friends = 5/5 Pasha = 2/5 read more

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You won't be disappointed if you're looking to eat Mediterranean food. We got the feast, 5 cold meze , 4 different kind of protein Over delicious rice & a dessert trio! You can't ask for more darling ! If I return to London I'd go again! Awesome service ! We Gad a couple of bottles of wine to go with it. So so good. read more

I went here for Valentine's day once and it was the perfect place for it - the service discreetly attentive, the ambience soft and mellow, and the food wonderful. There was a set price Valentine's menu and I went for the veggie options including an exquisite Mousakka and mixed meze starter. Breads and Baklava were also included. This is a classy looking restaurant with service and products to match - an excellent place for a special occasion. read more

With the wide selection of Turkish places on upper street, I've only just made it here. We had a booking for 9pm and weren't seated until nearly 10....some days that would kill the review, but on this day I wasn't starving and had good company, and there was a bar, so it was ok. Between 5 of us we had three mezzo selections and two feasts and it was a TON of delicious food. Too much really, but we powered through because it was too good not to. The meats were juicy and beautifully spiced, the dips were oh so tasty and it was a good time. The restaurant is pretty small, so booking definitely a good idea, and even if you do, be prepared to wait if our experience is anything to go by. If it weren't for the crazy long wait, this would be a 5star review and I look forward to my next visit. read more

Arguably the best, casual Turkish joint around. I was impressed by just about everything put in front of me during my "Pasha Feast" a couple of weeks ago - though admittedly, there were two misses as well (a fishy paste that wasn't well described, and the relatively dry falafel). Particular highlights include the hummus, the main kebabs (the chicken was especially fantastic), the Mousakka, and the Baklava. And for 20 GBP a head, it is hard to argue that Pasha is not well priced. But that all said, I have to rank Pasha just behind Galipoli in my hierarchy of Islington Turkish food for one main reason: the service. While our waiters at Pasha were far from bad, it did become a bit of an ordeal asking for water (at least three times before we received it) and chilli sauce. Would I go back? Definitely. I thought the food here is definitely worth a repeat visit, and, it's the most dressed up of the Turkish places around (arguably "sleeker" than the local competitors). But, the service was irritating at times. And that is something to watch for. read more

Loved the food here - it's refreshingly inventive and quite a bit different from what you'll get at neighbouring Gallipoli et al. Despite the differences, the food retains the distinctive Turkish flavour, so mezze fans will not be disappointed. The decor is clean and modern, with a more upmarket feel than many of the aforementioned neighbours. We were well catered-for as vegetarians, and enjoyed a fresh and delicious three-course meal. Our only gripe during a recent visit was unfortunately a fairly big one: we were sold a different wine from the one we'd ordered. A 2005 white Rioja was unceremoniously transformed into a far less interesting 2008 version (from a different vineyard) by the waiter, who seemed to pretend not to have heard when we pointed this out to him. My partner and I were on a bit of a 'romantic night out' so did not want to make a fuss and ruin the occasion. But the swapping of the two wines really didn't help. We drank the one we were given (and paid full price for it) but suspected we had been ripped off. Suspicions were further raised by the fact that we were legitimately using a diners' discount card for the food, and one wonders if the wine trick was a way of offsetting the difference! The food at Pasha is lovely enough that I could not give it less than 3 stars. But it was a real shame our experience was marred by being given the wrong wine! read more

Such an amazing dining experience here; I have been a few times when visiting my friend in Angel so when I had to pick a restaurant for a get together including 3 vegans I was so pleased that the maitre'd here was so accommodating! They brought all the dishes we could have as vegans along with the aubergine main dish and we all tucked in- there was so much variety and everything was so tasty! The non-vegan decided to go for fried ice cream dessert while we went for a sorbet which was actually quite remarkably tasty as I always expect sorbet to be a boring dessert but I was pleasantly surprised! The wait staff were excellent and so attentive- I will definitely be back next time we are in London. read more

Upper Street is lined with a number of Turkish restaurants and this was one i hadn't tried before. First advice ... call and make a reservation. Do not book online. According to the online reservation system, there was nothing available after 7:00 pm that sunday. But i got a table for 7:30 when i called ... and when we went, we found that the whole place was almost empty. The food was decent. I had the Albanian liver for starter which was tasty ... but a bit on the drier side. The Iskander for the main course should have been a standard order. The quantity was sufficient, but i was perturbed by the excess of green chillis in the dish. Maybe it is the way the dish should be made, but i had to drink too much water that day and couldn't really savour the food. Pasha made up for it to a certain degree with the dessert. The rice pudding with berries was just brilliant ... not too sweet ... just right. On the whole i would recommend it if you were in the area ... but not worth a special visit. read more

Upper Street has way better Turkish restaurants - Gallipolli for instance. Pasha's fare is bland and overpriced. Will skip next time I'm craving an authentic meze platter. read more

Every man the approached my table was hotter than the previous ... whoa, ladies go here just to be waited on by these lovely men. Was out to grab something light, some wine prior to heading out and this place hit the mark. The ambiance is great ... some little candles, open out front, did I mention nice looking waiters? They had an octopus salad on special that was delicious and I got the babaganoush as a filler and it was good as well. The glasses of wine were plentiful, the action of Upper Street gives it a great energy as well. Will definitely go back once I try out all the other Mediterranean spots on the strip (ha!). read more

Seriously good, modern Turkish cuisine in Islington.

Armed with a tastecard, a dinner for 2 that included appetisers, main dishes, a shared dessert and a glass of wine each usually costs no more than £35. Amazing deal, friendly wait-staff who are happy to recommend their favourite dish out of the mouthwatering menu, and good service makes me lean more and more towards this Turkish gem on a street that seems to have endless options for good food and drink. read more

Up market decor, good service, nice food, sensibly priced. They also give little extras sometimes that make people feel good and come back. A good choice for turkish food, although the manager is turkish, many of the staff are not, so may not know detailed turkish cultural things about the menu, if you are that kind of customer. A nice place and a nice choice for Turkish food. read more

OK Turkish restaurant. £60 for two, for 2 starters, two mains, one desert, one coffee and four glasses of wine. Friendly and efficient staff and good decor. Tables a bit close together. Would say that food at Tas is better, though wine and desert a bit better here at Pasha read more

Went there on a Wednesday evening around 8. They were almost full but we got seats without reservation which was quite lucky. The special grill I had was really delicious and my friend enjoyed her duck as well. The wine from Turkey was great surprisingly which both of us haven't tried before. There were two tables celebrating birthday that evening and it seems that everyone is happy although I kind of feels like the waiters are not welcoming a little bit. read more

Welcoming and stylish, good food, but, I don't know, it all lacked a certain je ne sais quoi. Good service and friendly staff nonetheless.

I've dined here now twice and would definately go back again. Friendly, efficient and attentive staff. Fresh, flavoursome, quality food, which is well presented. The decor is tasteful and there is a good wine list. Dined here on Sat at 7pm. £65 including tip, got my partner and I two starters, two mains, a £20 bottle of wine, desert to share and two coffees. read more

Very pleasant atmosphere and tasty food. Price is OK too.

Went to Pasha for an evening meal. Staff were really welcoming and friendly and the food was excellent, highly reccomended

Definitely great food here, but the only thing that leaves my sour is the price is costs. Would come here more otherwise. Their lamb kebab here is excellent. read more

My favourite dinner restaurant. It has a great selection of food and all taste amazing. I love Turkish food but even if I didnt I would love this place. The Hummus is amazing.... read more

The restaurant was quite empty at the time that we went and the staff seemed nice at first. When we sat down I checked my phone and one of the staff members behind the bar commented on the fact that I checked my phone as soon as I sat down but he said it in turkish, as I am turkish I understood what he said but I chose to ignore it. Later when our food arrived, my friend wanted to take a photo of it so she did and the same guy commented on that too, so I turned around and asked him to stop commenting on what we do and that it was rude. He went on to deny it and said he wasn't talking about us. When we were done with our food he came over and started attacking me, shouting and being extremely rude saying I had no right to call him rude and how he was talking about some other girl taking photos, which was fine and I may have misunderstood but when I brought up him commenting on me going on my phone he ignored it and carried on shouting at me. This is the worst kind of treatment I have ever gotten from any restaurant before, no matter what he should not of have shouted at me and if he had approached me in an appropriate manner i'm sure things could've been better and dealt with properly. Absolutely disgusting. I regret paying for the food and service. I will never go back there and make sure no one else I know does either. The food was average and in small portions too, definitely not authentic Turkish food. I would recommend cafe gallipoli across the street. read more