Efes Taverna

We went to Efes for our Christmas party. Food is fresh and authentic and I should know after living in istanbul for years! Some cheesy and inclusive Turkish dancing music and entertainment and then a dj in the midnight hour for those of you who like to move like jagger. A great place for groups. Super friendly sta

+ Great and tasty food
+ Low price
+ Helpful staff
— The décor could be refreshed and updated
— The choice of desserts is a bit limited

I did not know what to expect when I came here… all i knew was that it was a Turksih restaurant. so when I rolled up to discover it was a buffet, I thought hmm I will give this a go.
The décor was quite comfy, with large tables to accomodate large groups, which is what people tend to choose before a night out. a good feed at a buffet.
Sitting down, the waiter eventually appeared to take our drink orders. there were a couple of turkish looking beers so I decided to get a Efes.
Now on to the buffet. when walking up to the trays I saw some massive empty mussel shells discarded on the side… my excitement was dampened when I could not find any in sight to eat.
I always eat tactfully when i got to buffets as I know how easy it is to get carried away. For my starter plate. I could choose from soup, prezels, chicken, pizza, garlic bread, turkish pasty looking thing and fishcakes. to me this did not feel very turkish. everything was nicely labeled though.
On to the mains, there were lots of cheese based items, like cauliflower, spinach and ricotta bakes, lasagne looking things and stewed meats. I tried some of the wedges with these bakes. with some chick peas… it was all quite tasty but not memorable.
Second course done I waited for dessert time at 8 o clock with Jonny. now I thought the desserts were a little stingey. there were tons of profiterols, tiny synthetic cheese cakes and these pastries that looked like grubs from Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, containing a green gooey centre. Oh and squirty cream. no icecream though :(
Overall I thought this place was okay, but I wish a) they had more fishy dishes b) wider selection of desserts c) have more of a Turkish feeling. I found Italian based foods confusing. d) Waiters be more attentive, we could have walked out easily, because we waited aaaages for the bill
Oh and I did not understand receiving a service charge… when we actually did the serving ourselves… the cheek if it

As with Jonny Q and Michael B, it’s three stars from me. I had a nice meal here but don’t think I’d return for the buffet on a weekday, although I would definitely consider coming as part of a group on a Friday or Saturday night.
The food was pretty good. I ate a lot. I have a bad habit at buffets of worrying that I’m not getting my money’s worth which leads me to eat to excess. The buffet itself could have been set up a lot better — for example, there was a range of cold salads such as Russian salad, tabbouleh, aubergine and feta salad, but as they were crammed away in the corner with the desserts I didn’t even spot them until I had moved on from the savoury courses.
The food was actually very tasty and tasted quite fresh, which was appreciated. A lot of it was focused around the advertised Mediterranean/​Middle Eastern theme but some of it was slightly odd, e.g. French fries, spring rolls, doughnuts etc. I didn’t try everything but did sample a pretty wide variety of dishes. Surprisingly for me I really liked the chicken dishes (chicken wings and cajun chicken). Beef koftes were also very nice, as were the lamb ribs. Moussaka and lasagne were tasty too. I thought I would love the spinach feta filo pie but it didn’t quite hit the spot, although maybe I was just too full by that point.
For dessert I tried cheesecake, ‘banana delight’, doughnuts, baklava and pineapple. I wouldn’t recommend cheesecake or doughnuts. They looked and tasted as though they had come out of a frozen party tray from Iceland. Baklava was delicious, banana delight was a comforting treat that reminded me of childhood, and the pineapple was very fresh and juicy.
The price was decent. For buffet + beer I paid around £15 which as Jonny pointed out included a service charge! That’s really a bit cheeky in a buffet restaurant, especially given we were all likely to leave a tip anyway.

I would agree with johnny as food was ok but have
had better buffet meals and this didnt compare.
The food it self was cooked ok and everything was labeled
but every thing seemed to be a mish mash of foods
that dont go together so you ended up with all odd bits on your plate.
nothing was set out right as it should of had a section for starters
then another for main ond one for desserts but dessert, main and starters
were all put together
desserts were kiddy like with the tinest of portion of cheese cake
and the baklava were sickly not made with the right pastry.
i wouldnt go back here again or reccommend this place to
any of my friends as it was a dissapointment.
luckily the good company i was with made up for it!

We popped to Efes on Thursday night and I have to say I’d probably give it a 3.5 if I could — the offering was nice but there were a few bits which seemed to let down the experience.
The best bits!
1. Tasty food and as much as you could consume in one seating — I only had 2 plates of mains and one of dessert but I seriously was struggling to breathe afterwards (in fact I couldn’t even finish my pint in the next bar I was that full!)
2. There were some tasty Turkish treats but it was very international with all sorts — the lasagna was particularly enjoyable. £10.90 wasn’t a bad price to pay for it.
3. The desserts were ace — profiteroles were so so so good!
The bit’s which let it down slightly
1. The beer selection was pretty lame with just generic lagers on sale — I only drank half of my Efes beer which looked like the best bet. No craft beer or ales.
2. The atmosphere was a bit lacking considering the buzz is that it’s electric at the weekends — maybe they could do with adding something in the week!
3. I thought it was a bit (a big bit) of cheek putting a 10% service charge on our bill seeing as it was a buffet — I’ve seen some strange things in my life and this goes up there in the WTF stakes!
Overall an enjoyable night out with friends but I’d struggle to five it a 4 on this visit.

A gang of us came here on a Thursday evening to try out their locally famous all-​you-​can-​eat Turkish & Mediterranean buffet for £10.90 per person.
As there were a few of us we’d booked the table beforehand — other groups were dining in as well so it’s a popular spot as people can pick precisely what they like (and importantly, how many times they get up for another plateful!).
The drinks menu is pretty standard, with wines, beers and spirits available. We opted mostly for bottles of San Miguel or Efes beers.
Once these were served, we were free to head over to the buffet and help ourselves to a plethora of food from Greek, Turkish and Italian cuisines. There was a very varied choice of options, from slices of pizza, stuffed vine leaves, chick peas, kofta kebabs, chicken wings and salads.
I can only describe the experience as feeling as if you’re in a themed casino dining hall and people were filling their faces before waddling back to the slot machines. It was all about the food and there didn’t seem to be anything to make the dining experience feel all that Turkish or Mediterranean.
On the whole though, the food was all pretty good, though some things such as the pizza and the mini portions of cheesecake for dessert weren’t great. The baklava (rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo) were by far the best dish — eat as many as you are able to!
Perhaps if we’d chosen to eat here on a Friday or Saturday night we’d have experienced some more ‘culture’ with singing and dancing. Week nights are a much quieter affair here.

For the first year I was at my job I tried as much a possible to conceal how nuts I am however ALL HAS NOW BEEN REVEALED thanks to our super fun night at Efes.
Firstly, it’s really well set up for groups so look into it if you have a work/​bday type do. There were about 15 of us and ordering and food delivery went extremely smoothly. They have a two course deal for £19.50 with loads of great options — I obviously had the mezze platter to start and the meat platter for my main. Both tasty although I might go for one of the other starters next time as lots of the mezze elements were great but you don’t get that much of each because the overall portion is so generous (i.e. this isn’t really a complaint). The meat I thought was a very high standard, I enjoyed every element. Nice condiments accompanying it too.
We were a little late to arrive so the entertainment (live singing) started while we were still eating — this made it impossible to chat so they might want to consider better volume control depending on what stage people are at with their night.
However the entertainment was in general great — not the best belly dancer I’ve ever seen but very enthusiastic. The waiters also danced which was hilarious (note: some of them quite fit) and then they got everyone in the restaurant holding hands kicking randomly not-​so-​Turkish-​style. I think this was the juncture at which my friend who knows I Unilocal turned to me and held up five fingers.
Finally there was some DJing and we were dancing until at least 1am (and I’m sure if we’d wanted to stay out longer than would have been welcomed). Hilarious and fantastic range of songs from current top 10 to Spice Girls Wannabe and a whole load of other cheesy classics. I danced like nobody was watching. Unfortunately a large number of my work colleagues were watching and some of them had cameras.
Overall if you’re looking for something sophisticated/​upmarket it’s clear from all the reviews this isn’t the place but if you’re a group and want a bit of a laugh with some decent good value food this is ideal.

If you are looking for a good venue for a night out with decent food, live music and dancing then Efes is just what you’re looking for. Every Friday and Saturday night Efes have live music and belly dancing. The live music is Turkish and involves everyone getting up and dancing to traditional tunes led by the waiters. The food comes in banquet style with a vegetarian option available. You certainly get a lot of food with dips and pitta, mixed starters (including falafel, kebabs, halloumi and vine leaves) and a mixture of main courses with rice. The food is good and the service is efficient and friendly. The place looks a bit dated but think that adds to the authentic Turkish feel. A great place to head to for a lively night out.

This little slice of Greece, is how can I put it!
It’s a little slice — having been to Greece and Cyprus and turkey and having eaten in tavernas high and low. Main drag and back street. It’s not really a patch on them.
I read previous reviews on Efes and thought it looked ok.
Went in. Very slow at taking drinks order and no direction of what to do in terms of plates or getting the lunch buffet. Eventually we found some plates behind a fridge .
Good points — lots of choice of meat
Bad points — not hot — barely warm food
All meat not much veg, pudding shop bought not even any good baklava
Two drinks ended up costing £5.75 not that bad for a buffet
Probably won’t return if customer service had been better then maybe but I doubt it

Efe’s doesn’t look like much from the outside, or the inside for that matter — but stay with me! I had a delicious meal here last night and would definitely go back.
I was lucky enough to win a competition on Twitter which entitled me to a free meal for 2 at Efe’s Mediterranean all-​you-​can-​eat buffet. However, even if you go there as a paying customer, you’ll still only be spending a tenner to stuff your face with food and that’s a price one cannot grumble about.
The food is a mixture of Greek, Turkish, Spanish and Italian, so expect everything from pizza and meatballs to stuffed vine leaves and moussaka.
I was really impressed with the amount of healthy options. Normally, all-​you-​can-​eats are a feast of fatty, fried rubbish that requires a hammer and chisel to in order to break into mouth sized morsels, but Efe’s has a great selection of fresh vegetables, pulses and herb dressings.
Staff were friendly, if a little young and shy, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Drinks prices are pretty standard for Manch city centre. I had a glass of Prosecco, which cost just under a fiver (we only got the food for free).
Efe’s was much busier than I imagined it would be. I suspect it’s one of those places that few know about, but those few go there often.
There is a stage for live music and belly dancing on weekends plus they do special deals for groups, which are worth checking out if you have a hen or stag do planned.
Like I say, this place isn’t really aesthetically pleasing but with good food and low prices, I’ll definitely be back at some point.

Ok ok!! I am a Greek!! And I like good food! And I can actually find it at Efes! Trust me it worths it!! First of all, it’s a buffet during lunch times! Secondly, it’s damn cheap. I mean, 5.95 pounds for AS YOU CAN EAT??? Seriously???The food is awesome –its turkish cuisine– and the atmosphere is more than ok. If you take out the really irritating waitress (she is always there during lunch) that thinks that is superior to everyone, I cannot find anything bad for that place. Try it from 2 to 5pm and get awesome food at an even more awesome price!! I ll definitely keep going!!! PS. If you are a vegetarian, it’s not the best place to be since almost everything has beef, chicken, lamp or fish…

This review is for the weekday lunchtime buffet at Efes Taverna which is £6.95. As a vegetarian, I generally avoid buffets but decided Efes was worth a try on the basis of OK Unilocal reviews, bargain price and being Turkish.
I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere, with a couple of nice young ladies tending to the front of the house. I asked one of the girls to point out the vegetarian items on the buffet, which she did in a knowledgeable and friendly manner. The vegetarian options were plentiful, and each dish is labelled with names and (v). I had a salad plate — hummus, feta, sauerkraut, grated carrot, tomato/​cucumber, tomato pasta and few more, plus focaccia. Then a plate of hot foods — spinach & chickpea, vegetable cannelloni, rice, spinach pizza and a couple more dishes. I found all the food tasty and very healthful, and there were several items I would like to try on a return visit especially a couple of falafel types.
I passed up on the desserts as I was full — think profiterole, cheesecake, brioche.
On their website, their USP seems to be good food plus Turkish entertainment, and overall the Unilocal reviews suggest they can deliver on both — I got the feeling staff knew how to enjoy themselves! The décor, however, might be a deal-​breaker if it’s a classy date venue you’re after.

Efes is a good, cheap choice for lunch. It is admittedly a bit like a pub function room with pictures of Turkey on the walls. For lunch there’s a massive buffet on the dancefloor. The offerings are a little erratic– there’s pizza, cauliflower cheese and all sorts of ‘filler’. But the Turkish items like tabbouleh, hummus, falafel, salad (and I’ve heard the kebab meat) are all excellent. Especially at £5.50 for all you can eat. Or you can pack up a takeaway box to take back to the office.

Ok so my review is coming from a bit of a different perspective here, I came for a birthday party… and what a night!
I’d heard of Efes but hadn’t really considered going before as I wasn’t sure I liked Turkish food… I wasn’t really sure what it was… even now I’ve been, I’m still not entirely sure what it is!
As for the place itself… the interior isn’t great. Everything is wooden and very very old fashioned. There is a tiny dancefloor right in the centre and the toilets are ridiculously small for a restaurant that size… it sort of reminds me of an upstairs function room in an old pub!
The other thing that surprised me is that is was absolutely dead. We were the only people there! Not great on a Friday night at 8pm in a restaurant in the city centre!!!
We sat down to eat, there were 30 of us in total and we had pre-​ordered about a week before so the only problem was remembering what we had ordered! Everything came out very quickly and all together so that was great, no awkward waiting around for everyone to be served.
The food was good, I had garlic mushrooms for a starter and king prawns in tomato sauce for a main course, because I’ve never been to Turkey or eaten at a Turkish restaurant I can’t comment on the authenticity but I liked it. My friends all enjoyed theirs too, the selection was things like leg of lamb, vegatable moussakka, chicken with salsa… all very mediterranean.
After the two courses were done we had the birthday cake with the usual embarrassing singalong from all the waiters but this was following by the waiters pulling the poor birthday girl on to the dance floor for a little turkish dancing… much more fun!
After throughly embarrassing her, the waiters carried on and it got a fair bit more raunchy… the waiters started to pick girls out and throw them around the dancefloor (quite glad I hid behind my friend at this point as it did get a tiny bit carried away but the chosen girls seem to be loving it).
Then they brought out a belly dancer. She was dressed incredibley scantily and she too picked a victim to dance with… my best friend’s husband. Slightly awkward, he didn’t want to look like he was enjoying it and she was playing the supportive wife but I bet he got in a fair bit of trouble at home later! All in good fun and we certainly enjoyed it!
We had paid £5 deposit in advance the week before when we had pre-​ordered so we only had £10 to pay on the night for the food plus the drinks so it felt like a very cheap night. However, there was only us and one other table there in a huge restaurant so they need to work on their publicity or I’m sure the prices will have to go up which would be a shame.
I’d definitely recommend it though as something a bit different than your normal birthday night out in Manchester!

I was here for lunch on a particular day and I had quite a great time in here!
The lunch buffet was extremely cheap, just £5.50 for the amount of food they offered and the choices delivered. The food was very turkish and meditarranean, with lots and lots of lovely olives and garlic. The starters were a plenty with obviously humus and pita bread being the stop starrers.
They also have music and dance from residant musicians and belly dancers, and absolutely entertaining night with your mates. A great place to celebrate an ocassion too.

Efes restaurant is named after Efes, or Ephesus, an historical city in Aegean Turkiye and once the Roman Capital of Asia, which even features in the popular classic, The Bible.
It absolutely necessary to point out, as James does, that this place is selling itself as something it isn’t quite. Not only is there the website, which makes Efes look like a chic bar and kitchen for yuppies and professionals, but they also hand out leaflets which advertise belly dancing, live music from resident musicians and folk dancing as if its literally going on 24/​7, and have a number of photos of the restaurant crammed full of happy faces.
If you do go for the mucic or dancing, Efes would be an excellent place for parties and birthdays. If its just for a regular meal, its right to point out that the décor is a bit old and the website and photos don’t quite match the reality, but it is nonetheless, a good inexpensive Turkish meal.
I had the Halibut Kalkan, which was a lovely and sizeable piece of fresh white fish in a beautiful sauce. At around £13 it wasn’t cheap but it was well worth the money and there are much cheaper options available. The starters, both hot and cold Mezze, are also faultless.
I didn’t personally notice the onion rings and spring rolls, but if you don’t approve of them being served, you could perhaps consider not ordering them?
Though nothing special, definitely worth a visit.

If you’ve checked the website before booking be warned that the pictures aren’t a true reflection of how things are when you actually get there. The photos show a vibrant atmosphere in a luxurious setting. The actual experience is discount meals in discount décor– I hate to say it but there is an unavoidable air of tiredness about the place, as if it’s better days are long behind it.
That’s not to say that the staff don’t try hard, on the contrary they couldn’t be more welcoming with that famous Turkish hospitality– which is why this review is particularly hard to write– but a good salesman must have a good product and if he doesn’t he at least has to believe in it– I wasn’t convinced that Efes did.

Strangest twist on Turkish food I have ever experienced; they serve up onion rings and spring rolls here!
Found this place had no real atmosphere and the décor was tired and out of date.
If you have going out for a special occasion I can see the appeal as there is live music, belly dancers etc however I think of much better alternatives in manchester to this restaurant so keep looking.

I hate to be one of those people that contradict every other review of a restaurant but I can only base my review on my mid-​week trip to Efes.
The photos on the restaurant website are not a true reflection. I’m sure when it is full of people with live music the atmosphere is great but with only one other table occupied the restaurant looked tired and had no atmosphere.
The buffet was the only food on offer. At £8.95 it is good value for reasonable food. I didn’t, however, realise onion rings, curly fries or spring rolls were Turkish delicacy but you live and learn. By far my favourite was the chicken stir-​fry (again, is that really Turkish?). On the plus, there was a huge selection.
Overall a disappointing experience and I’ll probably not go back despite the other positive reviews.