TRY: Güverte Café

Turkish meatballs topped with Mexican sauce and cheese, anyone?

In Istanbul, Turkey, my sister brought my BFF and me to Kadikoy, a laid-back residential neighbourhood with lots of eateries commonly patronised by youngsters according to her. She introduced us to Güverte Café, a pocket-friendly café that serves mulled wine in winter.

While Melon was excited to try the food, she was also happy to see my sister again after a year.

Traditional Red Lentil Soup ₺10.00 (~S$2.30)

Taste: 5/10

Even though I'd had more than enough Middle Eastern cuisine, I went ahead to order a bowl of red lentil soup served with crunchy croutons to share, especially since the weather was quite chilly that evening. While it had a nice consistency, it was somehow leaning towards the bland side in terms of taste. 

Fettuccine Güverte ₺34.00 (~S$7.80)

Taste: 8/10

I certainly didn't regret ordering the café's signature pasta dish topped with dried basil and parmesan cheese. Even though there wasn't much of the garlic cream sauce, it was delicious. Accompanying the al dente fettuccine were haddock, calamari and shrimps. 

Grilled Meatballs with Hot Mexican Sauce ₺38.00 (~S$8.70)

Taste: 7.5/10

The cafe's modern take on Turkish grilled meatballs topped with sweet and sour tomato-based sauce and cheese turned out to be rather interesting. However, the so-called Mexican sauce wasn't that spicy, which was a tad disappointing. The very lightly salted fries served on the side were crispy.

Brownies ₺12.00 (~S$2.75)

Taste: 6.5/10

For dessert, we shared two pieces of chocolate brownies topped with chocolate sauce and roasted peanut crumbs. They were more cakey than fudgy. I harboured a love-hate feeling for them because I enjoyed their rather rich chocolate taste, but they were somewhat dry.

Mulled Wine ₺18.00 (~S$4.15)

Taste: 8.5/10

The moment I was waiting for finally came. Being mildly sweet, the red wine infused with spices and lemon juice warmed my body and soul. It'd be even better if it were to be served at a higher temperature. The mulled wine came with chocolate chip cookies, but they were nothing special. 

Melon's Rating

Taste: 7/10

Ambience: 7.5/10

Service: 7/10

Overall: 7/10

I'll be going to Istanbul again next year, and I don't mind dropping by Güverte Café once more. Pika's advice: Should you wish to have a lighter main course, you may want to opt for any of the wraps served with fries and coleslaw.

Güverte Café

21/A Moda Street

Istanbul

Turkey

(Daily: 10.00am - 1.00am)

http://www.guvertecafe.com/

*Prices quoted are nett prices.

Have a nice meal,

Cliff(y)