Asitane

It’s not often that you’ll get the opportunity to sample Ottoman dishes devised for the palace kitchens at Topkapı, Edirne and Dolmabahçe, but this is what’s on offer here. Since 1991, the chefs here have been hunting down historic recipes and trialling them in the kitchen – only the most delicious make it onto the menu. Try the vısneli yaprak sarması (an 1844 recipe of vine leaves stuffed with sour cherries) and ayva kalyası (a recipe from 1539 featuring quince, lamb and chickpeas cooked in a grape molasses syrup); we’re sure the sultans would have approved of them as much as we do. The surrounds are modern and elegant, featuring a pale-green colour scheme, comfortable seating, pristine napery and an outdoor courtyard for summer dining. Vegetarians are well catered for and there’s live Ottoman music on Friday and Saturday evenings.