Turkish food in London: 9 spots to eat on Green Lanes

By Halal Xplorer City Guide England Food London Turkish March 17, 2022

Green Lanes in North London is an area that homes predominantly Turkish, Kurdish and Cypriot residents, restaurants and shops. It is a buzzing street where you can sample some of the best Turkish food London has to offer. In this post, we will list 9 spots that you really need to check out when you’re in the area.

1. Taksim Cafe

There are a number of places you can get the legendary Turkish breakfast spread from, but we liked the look and feel of this small and cosy spot. The decor has an authentic vibe with seating area at the back and samples of the fresh Turkish breakfast spread at the front. And at the very front you’ll see a couple of women working on making the Gozleme. In terms of food, you can go for the Turkish breakfast spread of course, as well as the Turkish breakfast staples such as Menemen and Gozleme. They also do Turkish variations on English classics like the Eggs Benedict. You can also go for their authentic hot drinks like the Turkish tea, coffee and Salep too. The Turkish breakfast options here are delicious, I probably wouldn’t get the English breakfast items again.

2. Gozleme House

Gozleme is stuffed flatbread (basically stuffed paratha for the Asians). It is one of the most popular breakfast dishes in Turkey. Common fillings are potato, cheese, spinach and meat. Our personal favourite is the potato filled one. This spot here specialises in this dish (you can get a couple other things too). In all honesty, we felt the Gozleme here lacked flavour (we’ve had better). You can also get Gozleme from Taksim Cafe, as mentioned, so it may be worth trying there too to compare.

3. CigKoftem

Cig Kofte is a very unique Turkish dish that you will rarely see outside of Turkey. Previously it was using raw meat, but as of late due to strict regulations, bulgur wheat is used instead in Turkey. Turkish cuisine is full of meat options; just look at the plethora of kebab varieties. This right here is a super popular vegetarian dish you’ll see in Turkey. It’s a very unique taste: I don’t mind it, but the wife isn’t a fan. I would still definitely try it for the novelty especially if you aren’t heading over to Turkey any time soon. They also do Tantuni, but we’ll leave that for the next spot.

4. Durak Tantuni

Tantuni was one of the finds of our trip to Istanbul. We absolutely loved it. This wrap is something you absolutely have to try! It is THE Turkish dish you didn’t know of that you have to try. We only found out about this dish when we tried it in Istanbul and we fell in love instantly. It was one of the best things we had there. As soon as I posted a video of it on Instagram and TikTok, people were quick to recommend this place to me. One even went a bit far and claimed this is better than anything out there in Turkey. Technically, it is not on the same road and it is about a 10 minute walk from the main cluster of restaurants. Was it as good or better? Definitely not better and I don’t think as good, but it is definitely still delicious – worth the walk.

5. Ustun Lahmacun & Pide Salonu

This one is quite far from the main cluster. It is about a 10 minute drive, but still on Green Lanes. They specialise in one thing and one thing only (love such restaurants). Their menu is an encyclopaedia of Pide options. This is Turkish pizza (don’t tell the Turks that though); one is flat (lahmacun) and one boat shaped (Pide). We didn’t have the best of experiences, but if you’re a fan, it is worth the drive. I’d love to return and try something different.

6. Gokyuzu

For a Turkish restaurant to be Tripadvisor’s No.1 restaurant in London for a few weeks (back in 2013) is an outstanding achievement. It most definitely one of the best Turkish restaurants we’ve had in London, quite possibly one of the best we’ve ever had. It certainly lives up to the hype. Often I find at Turkish (and Lebanese) places the meat dishes are a tad too meaty in taste. However, here, there was none of that. The meat platter was delicious, the Manti (Turkish dumplings) was a find and the Sultac (Turkish rice pudding) was sublime! A top tier restaurant serving up top tier food.

7. Antepzade

One of the things that surprised us in Turkey was the quality of their desserts. The dessert scene truly blew us away. The best dessert we had there and as a matter of fact the best thing we had there was the Caramel Milk Cake from Hafiz Mustafa. This spot right here on Green Lanes does quite possibly the best milk cakes in the city. An absolute must for dessert and milk cake fans. They are also known for their baklava.

8. Antepliler Kunefe

Now that you’ve had the baklava and the milk cake, there’s only one main dessert left to try and that is the Kunafa. And there’s one place really that you have to try it at. Antepliler have established themselves well on the street with a main restaurant, a doner place, a baklava place and this one here: a place that does kunafa only. It is the perfect post meal sit down dessert spot. The seating is very authentic (almost on the floor) and you can watch them make the kunafa too. The menu is simple: straight up kunafa, kunafa with cream or kunafa with ice cream. The milk cake above is definitely the lighter option for dessert, but this right here is for those that want more of an authentic experience. It is super popular and you will always find the place full (don’t worry though, you can sit in their doner place next door and order the same kunafa too). I prefer the Palestinian kunafa, but this Turkish variant here at Antepliler is truly brilliant. It seriously reminded me of why kunafa is such an elite dessert.

9. Yasar Halim

This is a Cypriot bakery, grocery and butchers. They’ve been around for a number of decades with a few branches scattered around London. Here you’ll find all your daily needs. A proper institution. Pickled chillis and kaymak are a must as they are from any Turkish grocery. Here specifically, make sure you get their homemade hummus too – so good! Once you’ve got your essentials, pop in to their bakery side and pick up some sweet or savoury goodies. We loved the biscuits in particular.