Nazar café-bar

The Spis take

A long-running family-run Turkish/Mediterranean café-bar up in Sagene, opened in the mid-2000s and built on grandparents' recipes — the sort of neighbourhood fixture that acquires regulars over 20 years. It's warm and casual and notably kid- and vegetarian-friendly; loyalists rave about dishes like the Alaturka and the halloumi and swear it does the best squash cakes in town, though aggregate scores are more middling. Come for honest home-style cooking and a friendly room rather than fine dining.