Turkish flavors abound in this sleek Richmond restaurant specializing in traditional mezes (Middle Eastern small plates).

by Contributor

Named after the city at the center of Homer's "Iliad," this polished eatery transports neighborhood foodies to the warmth of the Mediterranean. Large windows let afternoon light in, while at night lights are dimmed, bringing the red tones of the walls and Greco-Roman-inspired artwork to life. The dark-wood dining room offers familiar choices--dolmas, spreads, calamari, etc.--perfect for sharing, as well as kebab platters, moussaka and grilled meats hearty enough to stand alone as a meal. While the food is concentrated on the Mediterranean, the wine list spans the globe; you can order a bottle of red or white from California, Italy, Spain or Chile, or bring your own and pay $15 in corkage.

03/04/07

Excellent Turkish Food

by brookec

I dined last night at Troya on a whim and had a wonderful experience. I had never heard of it but felt the need to get out of my home neighborhood (the Marina) and exerpience what more cultural SF has to offer. I therefore did some homework online and read some good reviews about Troya, and decided to give it a go. I travelled through Turkey a few years ago, and walking into Troya the aromas brought me back there.. We started with a greek salad, which was excellent (no suprises, just the way we like our greek salad). We then tried a meze sample plater of hummus, babba ganouj, and a couple of other spreads. The spreads themselved were good but the pita bread and focaccia they were paired with left us wishing there were something crispier and thinner to spread them on, such as a lavosh cracker. The spreads on soft bread together were too mushy. However, the generous portions and prompt, friendly sevice kept us happily swirling our wines in anticipation of our next course. For an entree we feasted on the mixed kebab platter including beef, chicken, lamb, ground lamb, vegetables, rice, etc. All of the meat was to die for, and we weren't suprised when we found out that they actually prepare their meat inn the traditional way of marinating it for a minimum of 10 hours before cooking it. It is apparent in how the meat just falls apart, and the flavor of the lamb really knocked our socks off. We topped off the evening with a traditional turkish coffee, which was as authentic as I have ever tasted. We capped off our feasting with a pleasant walk down this peaceful, charming section of Clement street. Altogether we had a wonderful experience, and will reccommend Troya to friends. Even my non-adventurous boyfgriend declared that we will be back soon.

• Pros: Affordable, Authentic Cuisine
• Cons: Need crackers for the hummus

01/29/07

A great experience!

by medgrrl

Went on a Saturday night, restaurant was full and had only a short wait. We asked our server, who was wonderful, for recommendations. His choices were spot on!! Definitely recommend the Haydari yogurt with pita, the Sigara Boregi (filo dough shaped "cigars" stuffed with feta and spinach), the Mucver zucchini cakes, and the Beyti (think turkish ravioli in lavash instead of dough). Wine list looked interesting, but we chose the Efes turkish pilsner upon suggestion of our server, and were again pleased. For dessert, don't miss the kunefe (shredded dough with cheese filling and syrup) and of course, the TURKISH COFFEE!! Service was excellent and knowledgeable, and the manager/owner visited with diners personally. The food was excellent and you are made to feel special, which adds up to a very pleasant dining experience!

• Pros: excellent food and service!
• Cons: parking can be tough on Clement

09/24/06

Authentic, charming and reasonably priced

by shoshd

After walking past all of our tried and true spots on Clement (Q, Burma Super Star, etc.), my friend and I happened upon Troya. It had a great energy going already... almost all of the tables were full, even though it was fairly early on a Friday night. Plus, the menu looked good and we were in the mood for Middle Eastern cuisine, so we wandered in. The entire experience was very positive, from start to finish. The humus was the best I've had in the city (very light, and really good quality olive oil on top), my entree (beyti... ground lamb wrapped in lavash) had the most amazing tomato yogurt and butter sauce, and we even discovered an incredible wine (Root:1 cabernet from Chile... try it if you like juicy Zins, but not quite as "big"/tannic). The food, ambience and service far exceeded expectations, and the price was less than I'd expect for this sort of place. Good date or group place, and I think they're open for lunch too so if you're in the neighborhood and looking for something more casual try it then. Places that do it right like this deserve more business, otherwise I'd be keeping my mouth shut for fear of finding no space when next I wander in ;-) Enjoy!

• Pros: Good humus, beyti
• Cons: Parking in the neighborhood can be tough

08/11/06

Delicious falafels!

by shoegal84

Stopped by here the other day, had been meaning to try it out. The place was pretty packed for a Thurs. night, and boy was it loud inside. It's pretty small but nice. The staff is really nice and attentive, the have a good amount of wines to chose from, and some good things on the menu. Our problem was that we ordered to many spread type dishes that are either paired with freah bread, or pita bread.

I was a little saddened that I went home full on bread and spread, but it was my fault for ordering what I did.

It's worth a try, and definitely a change of pace from all of the other restaurants on Clement St.

• Pros: Falafels and hummus
• Cons: need more meat!

07/22/06

Great food, ambiance, service

by rxpharmgirl

We just moved into the neighborhood and accidently happened upon Troya. The menu looked delicious so we ordered takeout. The food was amazing. We've been to Turkey, and I can say the food at Troya is very authentic. The service was very prompt, and the ambiance in the restaurant was lively (there was a large group) and romantic (couples sitting by the windows) at the same time. Highly recommend- reasonably priced!

07/13/06

A great find in the Richmond

by mpsfcsearch

A great new place on Clement, and my only regret in listing it is that it'll make it harder for me to get in. (But they deserve itthey really do a great job.)