Last updated: September 02, 2024
Saray Turkish Grill on Osborne Road is the perfect spot to enjoy authentic eastern cuisine in a buzzy neighbourhood.
Modern decor, stylish lighting and a slick looking bar area against exposed brickwork and green accents make Saray a great choice for enjoying cocktails, barbecue, meat wraps and fish dishes in Jesmond.
We started with a crisp Turkish lager and a fruity martini – the Saray Star with vanilla vodka, Passoa, passion fruit and lime juice which went down a treat while selecting starters from the massive choice of hot and cold plates.
Deciding on the hot platter, we thought this was a good way to sample a range of dishes we might not normally order and we loved the rich flavour of the sucuk (spiced sausage) and the muska boregi – parcels of crisp filo oozing with delicious feta.
While we’d seen the impressive mixed grill sharing platter many times on Instagram (this is a massive range of various cooked meats inside a large flatbread which is cut open to reveal the meat), we thought we’d try some dishes on the menu you might not have seen on socials! A friend had mentioned how Saray’s range of fish dishes shouldn’t be overlooked, so we decided on the seafood casserole. Cooked and served in a clay dish, the seafood offering was plentiful – packed with salmon, king prawn, mussel, and swordfish in a creamy tomato sauce with onions and peppers, it was absolutely gorgeous.
Having only eaten moussaka in Greece and at Italian restaurants, we were keen to try Saray’s version. With less cheese, and a subtler tasting bechamel, this dish let the aubergine and minced lamb doing the talking! The spices too varied slightly and I loved the Turkish take on this classic.
Always keen to try wines from new places, we went for the Turkish red – Ephesus. A really pleasant bottle with juicy fruits, cherry and plum. At £26, it was fantastic value.
To finish, it had to be the baklava. Layers of delicious filo filled with chopped nuts and honey, drizzled with chocolate sauce and we finished every last bit!
Saray Turkish Grill is in a great location and the setting is beautiful – if you’re a fan of meat and fish, it’s well worth a visit. The staff are warm and welcoming, the cocktails are fabulous and everything we tried was delicious. Check out a reel of our experience here and more of our Newcastle restaurant articles here.
