After 6 years of meals at the same restaurant, you expect occasional disappointments. That hasn't…read morehappened with us at Pasha. Clearly they know how to deliver! The service continues to be top notch, the food tremendous. We've taken several sets of friends there and they say the same. If your appetite is big enough, order the Pasha Feast. Superb from starters to dessert.

Pasha, an old running Turkish restaurant established in 1972, situated on Upper Street in a more…read moremodern and contemporary decor with its white backdrop and cushioned leather bench. A lovely open terrace giving you a fresh breeze from outside and allowing you to enjoy the hustle and bustle of Upper Street. Staff were friendly, aloof at times and not very proactive but at least food was delivered quickly and smoothly Cigar borek A great start to the evening. The pastry tasted fresh, crispy on the outside before reaching the inner more delicate softer layers. Filling was perfectly balanced with lovely aromas coming from the parsley and herbs against the minced lamb. Pine nuts were a great addition adding a bit of crunch to the texture Lamb kofte Very flavourful, packed with herbs and onions giving it that complexity and depth to boost the flavour of the lamb. It was cooked to medium but still very dry creating a very firm and coarse texture rather being succulent and bouncy like I had hoped for. Luckily it tasted good. Dolma Not a very generous portion priced at £4.95 but it was very well made. The varied filling of pine kernels, soft cooked rice and currants gave it a wonderful bite as well as a lovely pleasant sweetness from the currants Aubergine salad This was refreshing with lovely silky bouncy textures from the finely chopped aubergine and accentuated by a spoonful of yogurt. Although smoked, the flavours were not as pronounced as other places I've had this dish, lacking depth. But I still enjoyed it never the less especially after all the fried starters. Turkish ravioli I like most things doughy and in sauce so I was probably more enjoyable for me. However I was still able to tell that the dough was too thick and the filling was scarce meaning not much flavour was coming from the dumplings themselves but instead from the lovely light and zesty tomato sauce around it. It is was suppose to be mandu then it was far off from being authentic. Islim kebab A very impressive dish although on the small side with only four chunks of meat. However the meat was succulent with good bits of fat to marbleise the meat making each piece very tender and flavoursome. The aubergine complemented it further with it's silky soft textures, keeping every bite moist. That lovely rich herby tomato sauce helped boost the flavour giving the dish the depth it needs to make it so worthy of ordering Aubergine rice Such a comforting dish with the tomato and aubergines giving the rice that lovely zesty umami sweetness that made it so satisfying to eat. The starch in the rice made it much like a paella and with most of the water evaporated and with everything becoming sticky and wet, the flavours concentrated to create an intensified flavoured dish. Turkish dessert plate Wished the menu was more specific and it was slightly disappointing. The title in the menu suggested something authentic but one of the pieces was a chocolate brownie which was just average. The other was a baklava and a Kazandibi (upside down burnt milk pudding) which were lovely, especially the baklava which was tasted fresh from it's crispy pastry even when it was covered in syrup. It had an indulgent sweet nuttiness to it too. The ice cream was very welcomed, a surprising cinnamon flavour which added a sweet spiced taste to the desserts we had it with. Kazandibi If they informed us that this was also part of the dessert plate then we wouldn't have ordered a separate dish. We ended up having four pieces of these. They were lovely, almost like the egg custard of a Portuguese egg tart with a top layer of slightly burnt milk giving it that slight smoky flavour as well as the bouncy velvety texture it had. Pasha is definitely trying to steer away from the typical standard Turkish restaurant that we associate with being cheap and cheerful with large portions and complimentary starters. Even it's decor is more classier with the fancy lamp shades and vivid decorated felt wall. However food is only bordering between average to good and still falling behind in flavour compared to restaurants in the Stoke Newington area which dishes up the same dishes at a more generous portion and a much richer flavour. Still I was very pleased with the meal I had. Everything was seasoned well and presented nicely only I wish there was more of it. Probably a place to go if you're on a date.

This restaurant was absolutely AMAZING!! Not only was the staff accommodating when we ordered and…read moredouble checking ingredients, but they were prompt in clearing away dishes and keeping the tables tidy for us. They got food and drinks out quickly, worked well as a team throughout our visit, and each dish was beautifully prepared. The atmosphere had us wanting to stay for hours; the decor was eye-catching from every view and they offered live entertainment! They had a live singer the night we were there; he matched the overall vibe of the restaurant and wasn't overbearing during our dinner. I would love to come back soon:)

This restaurant has recently had a refurb and the interior looks even more stunning. Only problem…read morenow is that due to changing local council regulations, it's nigh on impossible to park near the restaurant. Saying that, there are a few "official" parking spots in front of the restaurant and if you get lucky enough, you can go in and treat yourself to the usual high standard of Turkish cuisine. Prices seem to have edged up slightly but they still represent excellent value for money. My advice is that, if you are going for lunch, skip breakfast, if you are going for dinner, skip both breakfast and lunch because the portion sizes are very generous. About £20 pp inc VAT ex service, without booze.

we dined on 22 August 2023 and were delighted with our welcome, the food and service were…read moreexcellent. Portions are generous and there is a wide menu choice.

The only thing that outnumbers Turkish restaurants among Upper Street's storefronts are estate…read moreagencies... and trust me, the experience at Gem is much kinder, honest and affordable than the other 50% of shopfronts you might pop into. (#3 on that venerable list is Saturday night Essex girl flocks. The above list regarding to overall experience still applies.) Anyhow, Gem is just that. Specialising in Turkish and Kurdish fare, I'd venture to say this is one of Upper Street's only cheap 'n' cheerful spots with a wine list starting at 3.50 and some incredible traditional stuffed Kurdish bread that is prepared in the front window. While this spot struggles to find the flare that Gallapoli has thrice over, sometimes it's just nice to settle into a restaurant that's not trying too hard - just serving good, honest food at exceptionally reasonable prices.

Let's start with the incredible complimentary salad and beautiful basket of bread. Both were…read moreabsolutely delicious and accompanied by an offering of dipping sauces and freshly made tzatziki. Our dry red wine went well with the vegetable kofte served on top of a rustic tomato sauce with a light aromatic seasoned rice. We tried the ground lamb pide with an egg on top and the thin crust was great! Nothing could beat the end of this experience...a complimentary treat (amuse bouche size) and a Turkish hot tea. Five Stars!

To be honest, I had come to Harringey Green Lanes because I wanted to try out the food at Gökyüzü,…read morebut when the line at this place was out the door, I consulted the Yelp App and it pointed me in the direction of Selale. I have to say, it was the review of Yinnie C. that made me come here; I trust her opinion and if she says that eating at Selale has made her rethink the idea of a kebab, then I should come here as well. And indeed, my dining experience at Selale was great. The place itself is not very special: it's pretty much a big room with loads of tables and mostly unoriginal design. In fact, I actually thought they were trying to hard...but what it was lacking in terms of design features, Selale made up in terms of food and service. I sat down and soon a waiter came by and asked me for my order. I easily get overwhelmed by the sheer choice of different items at Turkish restaurants and so I simply asked the waiter what he would recommend. In a very friendly manner, he then placed a hand on my shoulder and pointed me to the lamb shish. I asked him if I should go for the mixed shish (chicken and lamb), but he nudged me into ordering the pure lamb shish...and, boy, am I glad I did. It was delicious! Here at Selale, every main course comes with a mixed salad, topped of with a delicious pomegranate dressing. Also, they serve humus and tzatsiki (cacık) alongside oven fresh pita bread. At the end of the meal, they also offer you a free glas of tea (çay). When I was about to get up the waiter shook my hand and I left happy as a puppy...that's what I call a great experience!

This fantastic turkish restaurant is hidden just behind Southwark station, and covered by plant…read moregrowth. The restaurant is basically located in a converted railway tunnel which adds to the charm. I selected the lunch menu. Despite the items being extrmely hard to pronounce I managed to order a starter and a main. The starter was a calamari rings in batter with a sweet chilli dressing followed by an adequate main of 4 chicken patties with bulgerwheat and salad. Very tasty, good portion and quality. This is definitely one to try again. The lamb shank looked good from what others ordered and I'll be trying that.

It is nice to see more and more places popping up in this previously quite deserted area. EV is…read moreperfect for a quick fix before or after a visit to the theatre or Tate Modern. It's self-service with all mezze dishes on display behind a massive glass counter. I can't remember exactly how much they charged for a selection of four salad items, but the portions were very generous and good value. Mind you I wasn't as impressed as I have been at TAS proper (they belong to the same group). The tzatziki and grilled aubergines were rather bland. I was impressed by the freshness of the parsley salad though and felt I was eating healthy food. EV is located under some railway arches and has the ambience of a generic self-service buffet restaurant - the type you get at National Trust properties. It somewhat lacks in atmosphere, even though the turquoise chandeliers add a touch of class. In summary: more of a quick lunch fix than a destination for a good night out.

Cute Turkish restaurant (which is also combined with an Italian restaurant next door called Cozzo)…read more The lamb in the lamb hot pot was great, however, the flavor wasn't quite to our liking. The meat moussaka was pretty standard. If you and your so can't decide on cuisine, come here for Turkish and Italian!

Excellent food good service! I recommend the ottoman kedayif! Everyone I our party of five was very…read morehappy with their selections.

Everything was amazing, would highly recommend. No reservation needed but they do get busy, reserve…read moreif possible.

Food is okay but the staff not to sure about as they are not very diverse or friendly especially…read moretowards Kurdish people. As there's been a lot of issues between there countries and Acknowledging that your living in the UK which means you need to create a Peace between yourself rather than Bicker in Turkish like we can't understand what your talking about okay.

This restaurant is a gem! Beautifully decorated, warm service and deep, delicious flavors will be…read moreexperienced here. We started with hummus and babaganoush, which tasted fresh and homemade. Followed by the fattoush salad and mixed grill plate. Chef's kiss! We loved the sweet, sour, savory, charred flavors, even the rice had a lovely, buttery finish to it.

Great food at a decent price…read more.. A nearby pub recommended this place to me when I asked for food at a Sunday evening past 8pm... "Everything is closed - try Fora down the road: the food is good, price decent and servings big enough so you won't leave hungry..." And so it was: despite being really busy they immediately had a table for me. Service was fast and friendly, food was great. I will be back for sure.