THERE'S a real Turkish delight for foodies in Taunton town centre.

Most of us have tasted the delicious lunchtime food-on-the-run served up since 2016 from Silvan's Citroen food van parked up in Fore Street.

Now the owner, Aksen 'Silvan' Karaalp, has opened the town's first Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dine in and takeaway restaurant, also called Silvan's, at 40 High Street.

I popped along with my wife, Leonor, to try out the menu - and it proved to be party time for our tastebuds.

The interior of the deceptively large premises is straight out of Turkey, with beautiful furniture and warm decor.

To get us started we were served up with a Sumac Martini cocktail, which went down a treat. As did the second one.

There are so many delightful looking dishes on the menu that we went for a bit of everything.

The starters include stuffed wine leaves, a mixed mezze plate, fried stuffed aubergine and crushed tomatoes, cucumber, onions, parsley, mint, garlic with olive oil and chilli.

If you prefer your starters hot, I can recommend the filo pastry cigars with feta cheese and herbs, or how about the spicy Turkish sausage or chickpea hummus?

Now for the main course, unlike anything else you can find locally.

We tucked into the marinated lamb chops and rice, marinated chicken wings, grilled marinated lamb with spices and herbs and charcoaled grilled mince meat. And all served up with the freshest of salads.

To round it off, I slobbered over a Turkish Pistachio Baklava with ice fream, while Leonor plumped for a lemon cheesecake.

Being a bit nosey, I asked Silvan if I could look round his kitchen, where he and Enzi Shala-Rama painstaking prepared the meal with loving dedication. It was spotlessly clean and organised , with so much care and attention paid to every item ordered.

Silvan told me his love of cooking stems from his childhood when he would watch his Kurdish grandmother preparing meals for the family in Turkey.

And talk of service with a smile. Silvan and his co-owner, his wife Ashley, seemed genuinely equally delighted as we were when we clearly enjoyed the dining experience.

Whether you're looking to dine solo, with a friend or partner or in a group, I can assure you you will not be disappointed - and I bet you'll return.

As you'd expect, the last word goes to my wife.

Leonor said: "Wow. The food was absolutely fantastic with lovely spices and fresh ingredients.

"We were so impressed we haven't stopped telling our friends about this gem. We'll be back there soon."