Food: The Tent Restaurant

A fancy(ish) Turkish situated on Ilford High Road of all places (opposite one of the best HFCs ever), what The Tent lacks in originality in its name, it more than makes up for in the experience.

The first thing that strikes you is the decor itself: lush fabrics and carpets all over the place, with a couple of enclosed private "tents" (hence the name) for larger parties, there's no doubt that this was a nice place in which to eat. But the atmosphere pimping didn't end there.

While we were eating we had a live singer belting out classics from the 80s and 90s; fans of Magic or Heart will love this place for him alone. And after we were done we hung around a bit for the (interactive for some) belly dancing. This wasn't just a restaurant, it was a whole entertaining night out for all, be it large birthday parties, families or smaller groups.

And we've not even come to the food yet! Although of a good enough standard, there was nothing particularly special about the menu here - we stuck to the basics of Adana Kebabs and Chicken skewers, both of which were served promptly and perfectly edible. Service was above satisfactory and we were allowed to hang out at our table long after we had finished.

Considering the food alone the place was pretty pricey - we were charged a whopping 15 quid a head for the mains, a couple of sides and two bottles of water. A similar meal would have cost less than half that elsewhere, but considering the added extras it was all good value overall. Very impressive for a local joint and thus totally recommended.