I've had my eye on Empires for some time. A little narrow door, sometimes perennially feeling like the place is never open. But open it was on a dark and cold Sunday night and what a warm, welcoming space it is for a Scottish winter. It's a cafe serving Turkish mezze - your standards - hummus, baba ghanoush, falafel, moussaka (Veggie and not so much) as well as more interesting choices such as crushed hazelnuts in a tomato sauce (delicious, thank you for asking). Served with warm plates of pitta studded with caraway seeds, mezze it might be but we came out stuffed. We also did take advantage of the size of our table and ordered the entire menu to try the lot. Overall, I didn't find any particular bum notes - although I was disappointed with the baba ghanoush personally, but everyone had their own opinion on what was best. I loved the char grilled aubergine, the boy thought the air dried Turkish sausage was delicious. The parents tucked into crushed walnuts and meatballs with gusto. \n\nIf I went through everything we ate, it literally would be everything. We washed it down with pomegranate juice and mint tea. Water is served to the table in beautiful metal jugs (the decor of this place is just fab). Your meal is accompanied by an eclectic collection of music including local artists who also perform there live from time to time. I absolutely fell in love with this place. The boy (also known as the silent reviewer) argued that the price we paid was a little steep... I would argue for five mezze per person (16 quid), it was more than enough for one person.. three mezze may be just right. But for a throw caution to the wind and try everything meal, it was fab. \n\nOh and before I forget - it's BYOB with a corkage fee and cash only payments - be warned!
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