Ephesus Restaurant

The menu opens with a generous spread of cold and hot meze. Cold starters include humus with tahini, jalapeño and coriander; cacik blending creamy yoghurt with cucumber and mint; and saksuka, a warm tangle of marinated Mediterranean vegetables in tomato and garlic sauce. Hot starters bring golden filo pastry parcels of muska boregi filled with minced lamb and herbs, grilled halloumi served with homemade bread, and spicy lamb meatballs slow-cooked in tomato sauce with carrots, potatoes and Turkish herbs.

The heart of the menu is the chargrill section. The adana skewer — minced lamb pressed with herbs, onions, parsley and chilli, then chargrilled on a skewer — is a signature, while the iskender kebab layers slices of lamb over bread with a rich butter sauce, garlic and natural yoghurt. For a slower, deeper flavour, the lamb guvec stews lamb with aubergines, courgettes, green peppers and garlic in a traditional clay pot, served with fluffy Turkish bread for dipping. Newer additions include karniyarik, fried aubergine topped with spiced mince, tomato sauce and melted cheese, and kleftiko, a lamb shank slow-cooked with Turkish herbs and sautéed potatoes.

Beyond the chargrills, stone-baked pizzas carry Turkish-inflected toppings — the Ephesus Special combines spinach, feta and spicy mince on a thin twelve-inch base — and traditional pide flatbreads come filled with minced lamb or a trio of white cheese, mozzarella and halloumi. A seafood tagliatelle with king prawns, mussels and cockles in white wine and tomato sauce rounds out the range.

Vegetarian options run through the menu: falafel with humus, cheese rolls of feta and spinach in filo pastry, and a vegetarian kebab of chargrilled aubergine, courgette, peppers, onions and mushrooms. The menu carries clear vegetarian labelling and select gluten-free options, and all meat is halal — beef pepperoni and turkey ham replace pork throughout.

A full bar anchors the drink offering, with a wine list that sets Ephesus apart from the typical neighbourhood restaurant. Alongside French, Italian, Chilean and Spanish bottles, the list features Turkish wines rarely seen in Leeds: Villa Doluca in both white and red, the fresh and balanced Cankaya white, and Yakut, a flagship Turkish red with cherry and strawberry aromas. Whispering Angel rosé and Bollinger sit at the top end for celebrations.

Nine cocktails — including a pornstar martini, mojito and the house @4_j_13 Special blending Amaretto, Jägermeister, cranberry, mint and lime — are available alongside a spirits range running from Turkish Raki to Courvoisier cognac. Efes, the authentic Turkish lager, shares fridge space with a local Leeds pick: Trinity American Pale Ale from Horsforth Brewery, just up the road.

Soft drinks include J20, Appletiser, juices and Italian-style tonic water, and the kitchen serves Turkish coffee and cappuccino alongside baklava for a lighter finish.

Deep crimson button-tufted Chesterfield-style banquettes line the walls, paired with brown leather dining chairs finished with stud detail — the red upholstery is the first thing you notice and the detail that stays with you. Light oak tables are dressed simply with red napkins and small flower vases, while red oval and teal serving platters bring a flash of colour to every course.

A large landscape painting of the Istanbul Bosphorus and Maiden’s Tower hangs as the centrepiece, flanked by two folk-art panels of figures in Ottoman costume. Dark wood panelling runs below the artwork zone, grounding the warm, Turkish-flag-adjacent colour palette of crimson, oak and leather.

Outside, the Victorian stone facade on Rodley Lane carries a bold red fascia reading “EPHESUS — MEDITERRANEAN TURKISH CUISINE BAR” above three large plate glass windows. The space is compact and intimate rather than cavernous — reviewers describe a warm, family-run atmosphere where the pace is unhurried and the welcome is genuine. A smart-casual dress code keeps the tone a step above the everyday.

Rodley sits on the western edge of Leeds, a suburban village with canal heritage and a distinct community feel. Ephesus occupies a Victorian terrace unit on Rodley Lane, the village’s main road, accessible from the A657 and the A6120 ring road. The Leeds–Liverpool Canal towpath and Rodley Nature Reserve are both a short walk away.

Monday: 12:00 – 9:30 PM
Tuesday: 1:00 – 9:30 PM
Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 9:30 PM
Thursday: 1:00 – 9:30 PM
Friday: 1:00 – 9:00 PM
Saturday: 1:00 – 9:30 PM
Sunday: 1:00 – 9:00 PM