So needless to say, we have visited most of the culinary spots of Leamington over the last two years of living here. However, while browsing through the suggestions of trip advisor I spotted a restaurant I didn't think I'd seen before..Elma. A Mediterranean Turkish restaurant in the centre of Leamington - perfect, I booked a table for two immediately!
When we arrived I realised I had been before, two years ago when the restaurant had a different name (which I can no longer remember!), and potentially under different ownership.. It was good then, albeit very quiet, but now it is fantastic.
We arrived to a mood-lit stained glass scene, with smartly dressed staff to take our coats. Despite this formality, Elma retained a friendly as opposed to pretentious feel - there was no 'tasting of the wine'- thank god as I can't cope with the embarrassment! We took our seats at our table, albeit not the best (but we did book last minute!).
With a bottle of wine (not as pricey as in other places given the quality) quickly quenching our thirst we tucked into our fish platter for starter...generous piles of calamari and prawns were followed by salmon, bread, dips (including the vibrant beetroot dip!) and more. A good start! After that Joe had the mixed grill, with a lamb steak that even I liked (and I don't usually like lamb..) while I had the sea bass - I never can resist sea bass on a menu! Once again, it was a good choice (though I wasn't sure the sauce was the best match) and fulfilled my attempts to be be healthy with a side of rice rather than chips. If you're into chips though, Joe did of course have a sample (complaining that he never gets to have tem at home..!) and confirmed them chunky and delicious. We resisted puddings (opting instead for more alcohol in the form of cocktails instead!) so I can't comment on them...but that'll give me a handy excuse to revisit soon 🍴
Overall...as my first score for my first restaurant review...I think I'll have to go with an impressive 8.5/10 - I'm already looking forward to returning.
C
