Gezi Park

Great place, been there a few times and the food is really good and great atmosphere.
Service should improve. Had the same waitress twice and her service could be much better. The tiramisu was very dry last time I visited, so if you go for it double check; overall I recommend this place, great food and value.

I’ve walked by Gezi Park hundreds of times over the last 9 months, due to its prime position on Wanstead High Street. I admit, the façade — with its DIY-​like wooden patio out front — had put me off, so out of place it seemed to the numerous other upscale eateries along the strip. I admit again, I figured this place would be serving meat of questionable origin alongside some wilted iceberg and an anaemic-​looking tomato slice.
But after coming back from a trip to Cyprus, I was craving some hummus and thought I’d give it a go.
How wrong I had been.
The food was, to put it simply, outstanding. The homemade bread that came out with some dips was so moreish that I had to stop myself from eating it all, in preparation for the main event. I definitely would have eaten it all had the delectable meatball meze not appeared, followed by the main course shortly thereafter.
I picked something from the menu that I’d never heard of before. What I got were little pita parcels of tender lamb, atop thick yogurt, drizzled in chili oil. It. was. delicious. Even the accompanying rice on the side was so well seasoned and buttered that I couldn’t resist it. Normally, I’d leave those token carbs on the plate, but I scoffed them with abandon.
My husband ordered a chicken stew of some variety, and it arrived piping hot. When he first tasted it, he had food envy — as my meal was so insanely good — but as soon as it cooled down a bit, the chicken stew was every bit as tasty as my perfect lamb parcels.
The server offered us dessert, but we were far too full for that. Instead, she brought the bill along with some baklava-​like Turkish pastries, gratis.
All in all, one of the best meals we’ve ever had on the high street, and even in all of Wanstead. This one is definitely a case of not reading a book by its cover.