Our review of Kervan Kitchen in Cardinal Park in Ipswich

Kervan Kitchen opened its doors on September 2 following a major refurbishment to convert the former Punch & Judy pub in Cardinal Park into the Turkish restaurant.

I do not have many memories of the Punch & Judy when it was open but when I went with friends to the transformed space we were met with the most amazing service.

Kervan Kitchen in Ipswich (Image: Tom Cann) An Aperol Spritz at Kervan Kitchen (Image: Tom Cann)

There was a number of staff on hand to greet us as we entered, opening doors for us as we entered.

All the staff were very friendly and attentive as we took our seats in one of the very comfortable booths.

For starters, we went for the stuffed vine leaves, cheesy filo pastry, hummus and the hummus kavurma.

Kervan Kitchen's hummus (Image: Tom Cann) The stuffed vine leaves at Kervan Kitchen (Image: Tom Cann)

With both my grandad and my mum being born in the Middle East, I have grown up having Middle Eastern cuisine whenever I went to see my grandparents, one of these being stuffed vine leaves.

Kervan Kitchen's were excellent. They were packed full of rice, had a lovely flavour to them and were beautifully presented.

The hummus and the hummus kavurma (hummus with diced lamb) were both creamy and you could tell was made fresh on site.

The cheesy filo pastry (Image: Tom Cann) The freshly baked warm bread that is brought to the table (Image: Tom Cann)

The cheesy filo pastry was also creamy, filled with cheese. They were crispy on the outside and were served very warm.

For the starters, they range between £6 and £8 and it was definitely worth it.

As well as the starters, we were given a basket of freshly baked warm bread that we could get refilled.

The hummus with warm diced lamb (Image: Tom Cann) The mixed shish (Image: Tom Cann)

For the mains, I went for the mixed shish, with three cubes of chicken and three of lamb fillet marinated, costing £21.

This was served with a piece of bread underneath, salad and rice.

It was incredible. The pieces of meat were cooked to perfection so the chicken and lamb was soft and tender. The rice was light and fluffy and had a great flavour to them and the salad was a great extra, with the salad dressing being the best I had had before.

The Tavuk Guvec at Kervan Kitchen served with rice and salad on a separate plate. (Image: Tom Cann) Inside the new restaurant (Image: Tom Cann)

One of my friends went for the Tavuk Guvec, a dish which is cooked in a tomato sauce with chicken, mixed peppers and onions. This was also served with rice and salad and also cost £21.

She said the chicken was very succulent, sauce was nice and hot and had a great flavour to it. She said it was like having a big bowl of fajita style chicken and sauce.

My other friend went for the £24 Kleftiko, a lamb shank cooked in a tomato sauce served on mash potato.

The Kleftiko, a lamb shank on a bed of mash (Image: Tom Cann) Inside the men's toilets (Image: Newsquest)

She said the meat was tender, falling off the bone and the mash was buttery and smooth.

The carrots were soft and it was all flavoured beautifully by the tomato sauce.

For what you pay, it is definitely worth the price. You get big portions, flavoursome food, beautifully presented and the greatest of service, with food coming very quickly.

We all agreed that, considering you can sometimes spend £15 on a mixed kebab at a takeaway, it is easily worth the extra money for what you get in return.

The passion fruit mojito (Image: Tom Cann)

One of my friends also went for one of their cocktails, the passion fruit mojito, which she said was "zingy, fruity and a flavour bomb in the mouth".

In terms of toilets, they were lovely and clean and the accessibility in the restaurant was excellent. The premises feels very spacious, despite there being many tables, and there is more than enough room for those with disabilities to move around.

Kervan Kitchen was outstanding, I don't think I can put it another way. Service was outstanding, food was outstanding, the décor of the restaurant was outstanding, the attention to detail was outstanding.

I urge anyone to go there for a date night, or as a large party. I for one, can't wait to go back again.

Inside the new restaurant (Image: Newsquest)