Hasan Usta Turkish - Edinburgh, City of

We visited the restaurant on a Saturday night during a festival and were able to get a table without any issues. It had recently opened and was not yet on the map. The Trip Advisor sticker on the door was from the previous restaurant. There was only one man cooking and serving, resulting in slow service. The starters, including Humus and Ezme, were served extremely cold straight from the fridge. The humus was heavy on tahini and the Ezme was interesting but would have been better at room temperature. The mains, chicken Alinazik and lamb Babagunnus, were both aubergine-based with a very smoky taste and were served lukewarm. The chicken had a firm texture, possibly due to being overdone in the microwave. The accompanying dishes were strange, such as sliced raw cabbage with sumac and barely warm rice. Neither of us finished our meals, which is rare for me. The presentation of the baklava dessert was poor with one long piece cut in half and served on two saucers. The Turkish coffee was decent. The prices were cheap at £15 each and it is BYOB. The atmosphere of the restaurant was cold and uninviting, with blown light bulbs and unlit candles. Despite the one man running the place being nice and apologetic, we were very disappointed overall. He mentioned that he couldn't hire a waitress due to the festival, but perhaps he should have delayed opening. It is unclear if the restaurant will improve, but we will not be returning as there are many other good dining options in the area.

The fresh bread at this restaurant is truly exceptional and the portion size for £8 is very generous! The Lahmacun is also delicious and reminds me of how it's made in Turkey. The owner, Mr. Hasan, is always welcoming and friendly every time I visit. I hope this hidden gem receives more recognition.

I noticed that the restaurant had recently opened on my way back from work, so I decided to get takeout from there tonight. I ordered 2 chicken shish wraps, which had generous portions of meat, were well-seasoned, and tasted pretty healthy. The chips and rice were also well-prepared and came with a variety of tasty sauces. Both the owner and waitress serving us were friendly and welcoming. From a restaurant perspective, I think they could improve the ambiance by lighting some candles and making the place a bit more welcoming, but the food was great and reasonably priced.