Clicia is a Turkish cafe and restaurant that’s open from 8am until midnight from Monday to Sunday. A Stoke Newington stalwart, this is an eternally popular and busy venue.

The Venue
Located on the charming Stoke Newington Church Street, Clicia occupies a prime position amongst the competition, and offers some outside seating for the summer months. The distinctive green and yellow awning welcomes customers, while inside is a pretty yet simple decor. The main focus are the beautiful light fixtures hanging from the ceiling, making Clicia really eye-catching in the evening. The room is painted a vibrant yet cosy orange, evoking an exotic ambiance. The aesthetic influence is clearly Mediterranean, in keeping with the food, but they have not gone over the top with this concept.

The Atmosphere
One of the most notable points about Clicia is its seemingly constant stream of clientele, which suggests a certain loyalty from locals and also means the atmosphere is always lively. It is certainly a pleasant place to sit for a while and watch the world go by. The staff are friendly and strike the right balance between efficiency and informality.

The Food
There is an extensive and reasonably priced breakfast, lunch and dinner menu. For breakfast they offer a choice of traditional English and Turkish breakfasts. The mezzes are a lovely way of tasting and sharing the dishes, and tend to be good, although many of them are a little too oily. Overall however, the food is not exceptional. A chicken salad, whilst served in a generous portion, is bland and unexciting. Their sandwiches tend to be a little soggy, due to an overabundance of oils and spreads. The Clician bread is definitely worth trying though, and tends to come with almost everything. It is salty and soft, and extremely moreish. There is a lot of choice for vegetarians. All dishes are good value, as they rarely exceed the £10 mark.

The Drink
Clicia offers a range of red, white, rose and Champagne, starting at about £12 a bottle. They offer five kinds of lager, including a Turkish and Cyprian option. Cocktails are reasonably priced at about £5. There is an extensive choice of soft drinks, juices and hot drinks, and their coffee is of an extremely high standard, and definitely worth sampling.

The Last Word
Clicia successfully combines the British tradition of corner cafes, with Turkish flavours and atmosphere. Despite its tendency towards average food, it does deserve its popularity due to its reliability, good service and a generally inviting vibe.

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