A Taste of Turkey in Newcastle: Lezzet restaurant review

By Ania Askwith

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Lezzet, Front Street, Four Lane Ends, Benton NE7 7XE

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If you’re looking for authentic Turkish food in the North East, you have to check out Lezzet Turkish Restaurant in Benton. I found it to be fine-dining vibes but with a friendly, laid-back feel, perfect for both a casual meal or a more special night out.

Incredible Menu

Starters

The menu here is a dream for anyone who loves Turkish cuisine, with a mix of traditional dishes and modern twists. We started with our usual go-to in a Turkish restaurant – mezze dishes. We opted for the assorted mix platter, which came with sucuk, falafel, muska boregi, humus, beetroot salad, cacik, and olives.

It was all insane, and the attention to detail as well as the presentation was amazing. Not to mention the freshly made Turkish bread. I enjoy most types of bread, but the traditional Turkish one with sesame seeds on top is just one of my absolute favourites. So fresh and delicious. If I didn’t have much time and only popped in for a quick bite, this sharing platter would easily be enough to keep me happy. It was gorgeous.

Mains

For mains, we shared the Mediterranean salad—a fresh and zesty (especially that I squeezed a wedge of lemon on top too, ha) mix of greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions. We actually had to ask the manager what was in the dressing because it was addictive – and we found that it was pomegranate molasses that added this sweet but tangy taste. Mixed with the other ingredients, it was heavenly. I know not everyone would describe a salad with such a superlative, but as a salad fan, I loved every mouthful of this dish!

Next, we had the bostan kebab. We ordered it on recommendation from the staff, and it was nothing like we’ve ever had before. Grilled aubergine stuffed with juicy lamb, all topped off with bechamel sauce and melted cheese. Pure comfort if you ask me! I also loved the presentation of this dish—it reminded me of some of the MasterChef Australia challenge dishes. It was stunning.

Quite predictably, I opted for the seafood casserole, which had prawns, mussels, squid, and salmon, all baked in a creamy, garlicky tomato sauce. IT. WAS. INSANE! I mean, the size of it was probably my whole day’s food intake, so I did take a doggy bag home as I couldn’t possibly eat all of it in one go, but it was absolutely stunning. I have had many, many, many seafood dishes in my life and most recently had some incredible ones, and this one was certainly up there with the best.

If you are as much of a seafood fan as me, you NEED to try this dish. I was actually torn between this one and the prawn dish, and next time I will be sampling their prawn dish (in the name of research, you know) to see how that compares.

Desserts

Absolutely stuffed, we had to skip the desserts… JUST KIDDING! Of course we had some, because as my mam says, the dessert goes into your heart, not your stomach, so there is always room for that, ha!

If you’ve never had kunefe before, you need to try it. Layers of shredded dough, melted cheese, and syrup, topped with clotted cream and pistachios—it’s a sweet tooth’s dream.

The chocolate souffle was just as good, served with vanilla bean gelato—perfectly rich and soooo decadent. I do have to add – the pressure of taking a good video of getting my spoon into this was real; only helped by Ryan saying, just as I was about to go in: you only have one chance at this! But hey – my video may not be perfect (shaky hands is my USP), but the taste was. It was delicious.

Of course, we didn’t skip our favourite Turkish drinks. I went for Ayran (the classic Turkish yogurt drink, which is just the best) and Efes beer, which Ryan recently developed quite a taste for.

We had a fantastic evening and honestly can’t wait to go back already!

What Makes Lezzet Special

• Lezzet isn’t just about the food. The vibe here is what makes it a bit different. You’ll know what I mean when you go.

• The staff are super helpful and even showed us pics of dishes on their phone to help us choose—seriously. I mean talking about going the extra mile, right?

• There are real roses on each table. It’s a small touch, but it makes the place feel extra special. And I was even gifted one when I was leaving – such a lovely touch!

• Gorgeous presentation across the board. Every dish looked like it belonged in a food magazine. As I adore taking food pics, this is even more of a plus!

• The music is chilled, and the fine-dining atmosphere makes it perfect for a relaxed yet special night out. Yes, we visited on a Monday night right after the Christmas/New Year rush so I guess usually there would be more people and less of an intimate atmosphere, but if it was more lively, I think it would only add to the experience.

• The service was incredible; smartly dressed staff (very refreshing to see places still do this) who really know their stuff and go the extra mile to make the experience extra special. And it wasn’t just the service staff who were super helpful; the manager himself was serving the food and even helping to clean up the tables which I think really shows the kind of spirit in this place. And between all this, he took time to answer our questions and chat about the dishes. Not only that, we also met Izzet – the owner and head chef – who took time to chat to us and tell us about the dishes, and even show us some more pics of the incredible food they serve here. He even made recommendations for our next visit – so we have our order ready already, ha!

Location

Lezzet is located on Front Street, Four Lane Ends, Benton NE7 7XE, and has its own free car park. It is a lovely building – you won’t miss it.

Tips for visiting

• Lezzet is open every day: Mon-Sat: 12:00–22:00, Sunday: 12:00–21:00 so if you’re looking to go out on a Monday, this is one of the few places that you can pop in to!
• Book ahead to avoid disappointment—it’s that good. And usually gets very busy, so definitely make a reservation.
• Don’t expect the usual. Lezzet offers a refined twist on Turkish food, so go in with an open mind and try something new. We did, we loved it, and we’re going back soon to try more of their signature dishes.
• Whatever you order – you NEED TO try the chili sauce. It is made from around 15 different ingredients (the manager knows them all – just ask – it is impressive) and it is INSANELY delicious.

Link

To check out their menu, any special deals and offers, visit Lezet’s website here, or follow them on their socials here.

Reviews

This one was easy to research as it literally tops all of the review charts, with 5 stars everywhere I looked. Tripadvisor’s 5.0 rating from 3,828 reviews is impressive, but not as impressive as their award! Lezzet ranked 5th for ‘everyday eats’ in the UK and earned Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2023. I mean – it doesn’t get much better than this, right? Well deserved, in my opinion.

Best For: Turkish food, special night out, family dining, fine Turkish cuisine, Turkish restaurant Benton

If you’re after a spot that combines amazing food, great service, and a cool atmosphere, Lezzet is a must-visit. You’ll definitely be coming back for more – just as will we!

Enjoyed this post? If you love discovering things to do, places to go, and the best spots to eat and drink in the North East and beyond, be sure to follow my blog for more reviews, recommendations, travel tips, and hidden gems. And for a closer look at my day-to-day experiences, follow me on Instagram@ania.askwith for behind-the-scenes content and even more discoveries! Let’s explore together!

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