Every year my dad and his pals go to the London Art Fair opening. It is an annual outing to see the work on display, discuss the state of the art world, and catch up on boy chat. When the doors close, and the crowds drift off, they visit Pasha, an authentic little Turkish restaurant on Upper Street, Islington serving reasonably-priced delicious food. This year, for the very first time, I was invited along, a rare and generous offer.

Upper Street has numerous restaurants, cafes and eateries… almost every cuisine and style of food is represented. Aside from the chains, there are many cosy independent places to eat and enjoy a fun time with friends. My dad is picky with food, so his recommendation alone told me that Pasha was worth a visit.

A slightly chippy waiter greeted us at the door and sat us down near the window, the restaurant was full and the atmosphere busy but relaxed. After lengthy procrastination, it was decided we would each have Mixed Meze, three meat and one vegetarian, a selection of hot and cold dishes, many familiar Turkish favourites. To my delight, a feast was promptly delivered, here’s what we got: Imam Bayildi, spinach and cheese borek, lamb on skewer, chicken on skewer, lamb kofte, kisir, hummus, babaganoushe, tabbouleh, cacik, mucver and falafel. It was a nice mix of deliciously seasoned and grilled meats, fresh crisp salads, and warm pitta bread. Everything tasted homemade and flavoursome, considering the array of food we started with it was a surprise to see every plate practically licked clean. I love this style of food, sharing and picking at different dishes makes every mouthful different and interesting. If I had to criticise anything: my lamb was a little fatty with not much lean meat and I would have liked more lamb kofte, a kind of meatball that I adore, but the selection disappointingly only included one mouthful.

Aside from having to join in a few manly conversations, it was a lovely meal and for authentic, fresh, wholesome Turkish food, Pasha is the perfect place to go.

Visit the website here.