Parsifal

Having had been a vegetarian for 18 years, I found it quite fitting to do a review of this almost total vegetarian restaurant now that I'm a carnivore in Istanbul. The atmosphere at Parsifal, which is French for Puss 'n' Boots, is elegant, yet sparse. It has a warm provincial feel with ochre walls, bleached hardwood floors and simple, bistro style table and chairs to seat 34. The posters and lighting are reminiscent of a Paris of years ago that was conjured up on a Hollywood film set; cozy but not glitzy. Tucked away on a tiny street behind the Fitas cinema, Parsifal is a quiet respite from the hectic chaos of nearby Istiklal Caddesi. The feel is upbeat, positive and young; a total contrast with the stress and hassles of the boulevard.

The service is quick and efficient making it beneficial for the specially priced lunch. It's only 3,000,000 TL for the soup du jour, a salad and a main dish choice. We were quickly served plenty of warm corn bread and whole wheat bread with an herbed spicy butter that was a delicious treat in this part of town. The prices are reasonable and the portions are generous. An example of this is a tasty stuffed cabbage roll with spicy red sauce and yogurt we ordered to share as a starter, which was more than adequate for a main dish at only 2100 TL. The presentation and plating of dishes is simple yet colourful without garish garnishes.

The chef knows how to please the eye as well as the tummy. The food is fabulous, tasty and filling but not oily or heavy. It didn't leave any of us with a stuffed feeling but rather a contented feeling of a nice meal. This is a Mecca for veggies and non-veggies alike attracting a sophisticated, well-heeled business crowd from all over town who like to come to Taksim to slum "elegantly." The low-key background music is a mix of ethnic world and alternative offbeat movie soundtracks instead of cheesy muzak or country Turkish.

My carnivore friends raved about the large, tender, tasty white meat chicken curry swimming in a flavourful mushroom curry sauce accompanied by rice for 2700ML. The Chinese style stir fry veggies consisting of crisp, well-cooked carrots, corn, potatoes, zucchini, flat green beans and peas with a strong soy sauce flavour was absolutely delicious at 2100 TL The banana crepe rolled with vanilla ice cream inside was excellent. We shared it for dessert to have something sweet with filtered coffee, espresso and a large variety of herbed teas. Parsifal serves wine and beer, accepts Visa, Mastercard and AmEx and is open 7 days from 11 am until about 11.30pm. This is definitely a place for a warm, cozy meal during the cold winter months to come.