Seraglio Restaurant

If you weren’t looking hard enough, you might miss the entrance to this quaint little restaurant, nestled in between shops on Beverley’s North Bar Within!

The fact that the entrance is hidden away provides an air of mystique, as it opens up to reveal a beautiful Mediterranean courtyard complete with an assortment of fruit-bearing foliage.

I felt like I had been transported from Beverley’s town centre and had stumbled on a ‘kebabci’ on a secluded side-street in Bodrum or Kusadasi; I could almost picture the men playing backgammon on the tables, drinking strong Turkish coffee in the sunshine. It is in this idyllic setting that many people choose to eat outside (weather permitting!) and enjoy the tranquil “courtyard culture” that is unique to Seraglio.



The scent from the aromatic olive, pomegranate and fig trees framing the courtyard and the tantalising smell of chargrilled meats as you open the door to the restaurant, enhance the authentic feel to Seraglio. The inside is bright and airy with Mediterranean-style tables and chairs and traditional Turkish artefacts adorning the walls, such as the infamous ‘Bodrum Eye’.

Although I have visited Turkey a few times, I had not tried many authentic dishes and so I was eager to sample the cuisine. The menu at Seraglio’s is traditional yet diverse and offers a variety of dishes: ‘mezes’ to start, grilled meat from the charcoal barbeque and the delicately spiced Ottoman cuisine.

Ali, the restaurant manager, recommended that my guest and I try the ‘Sultans Feast’, a popular way to share between friends and enjoy the cuisine. It incorporated a ‘meze’ starter including wrapped vine leaves or ‘dolma’, rice and mixed vegetables, lambs liver and feta wrapped in filou pastry. For main we enjoyed a generous platter of succulent meats including lamb skewers, pork chops and chicken accompanied by aromatic rice and vegetables. Every step of the menu is typically Turkish and at Seraglio they do not compromise on authenticity even when it comes to the deserts. We were treated to figs and apricots infused with honey and pistachio served with cream and a delicious milk-based rice pudding. We washed our meal down with Efes, a light, refreshing Turkish beer, and a crisp Turkish white wine called Dolce Vita.

The food was light, fresh and tasty and you did not feel stuffed by the end of the meal, even after 3 courses and bread and olives to start! This was because the food was extremely healthy - grilled meat cooked in olive oil, vegetables, rice, fruit – a perfect combination for the health-conscious diner.

The word ‘Seraglio’ means ‘palace or grand house built around a courtyard’ and at this restaurant you are certainly treated like royalty. Turks are famous for making one feel welcome and hospitality plays a great part in Turkish culture. At Seraglio the staff are passionate about their restaurant and they will do anything in their power to make you feel comfortable. If you have a special request or you want something that is not on the menu, they are only too pleased to be of service. This is what makes Seraglio so unique and so refreshingly different to other restaurants.

Seraglio boasts a wide variety of regular customers including families and couples and even office workers who often hold lunchtime meetings here because they can be sure of excellent service.

Having visited Turkey on numerous occasions, the whole experience conjured up nostalgia for me. The food was excellent and the surroundings were traditionally Turkish but the striking thing about Seraglio is that they have also managed to recreate that feeling that you often only get on holiday: that you are being truly ‘looked after’.

Contact Details:
Seraglio Restaurant
North Bar Within, Beverley
Telephone: 01482 887878
Web: www.seraglio.info
Email: seraglio@hotmail.com

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