This snazzy restaurant and bar in Eltham is ideal for diners from south-east London looking for a night out with a great menu of Turkish food without having to head into the West End. Rox, however, is definitely not your basic east Mediterranean joint.
As you walk through the doors, the aroma of sizzling meats and smoky vegetables entices, while the slick interior is an inviting mix of minimalist leather furniture, warehouse-style exposed brick walls and dangling pendant lighting. The design is understated and the vibe is cool, while by day natural light streams in through the large windows to brighten things up.
The extensive menu starts off with a range of hot and cold mezze. Garlicky seared tiger prawns and crushed beetroot dip make for excellent starters before carnivorous mains of dry-aged steak skewers grilled with vegetables and lamb tomahawks cooked over flames in the open kitchen and cleanly presented with salad on elegant crockery. The charcoal-grilled dishes and mezze are perfect for sharing family-style, though large portions mean you might feel full after the mezze.
The meat-central menu is emblematic of Turkish cuisine and even extends to some European classics of chicken dauphinoise and beef stroganoff, but there are plenty of pescatarian and plant-based options for diners who want a lighter meal. The food is modern and creative, while still staying true to its Turkish roots.
The repertoire is broadened even further at lunchtime with wraps and stone-baked pide as well as some non-Turkish pastas of the four-cheese ravioli and seafood linguini ilk.
Rox’s flashy cocktail bar adds an extra element of fun to proceedings, with cocktails on offer including the unashamedly pink Strawberry Lagoon featuring vodka, rum, Frangelico, strawberry purée and lychee juice. Otherwise, a reasonably priced global wine list has a couple of Turkish bottles or, if you’re not drinking, mint tea is extravagantly presented on a metal stand.