Banstead, Turkish Restaurant Guide

“Great Turkish food – either to eat in or take away” has earned a more-than-local reputation for this pair of Anatolian charcoal BBQs, on Fulham Broadway and near West Kensington station. (Note, ‘Best Mangal 1996’ in North End Road is a separate business).

2023 Review: “The chargrilled onions and flatbreads to start soon grab the attention” at this popular family-run Anatolian in Camberwell, founded across town in Islington more than 25 years ago. “The grilled lamb that follows is still as good as ever. Thankfully!”.

“Great Turkish food, either to eat-in or take-away” wins loyal fans for this “slightly dated, but consistently good” BBQ just north of the A4 and West Kensington tube. The ‘1996’ in the name was added to distinguish it from a now-closed cousin south of the A4 (owned by a separate branch of the family) and another (still operating) near Fulham Broadway.

“Generous portions of beautifully prepared food”, “great service” and a “lively atmosphere” combine to ensure this Turkish-Cypriot grill near Victoria station “never fails” to hit the spot. It has been consistently well rated for two decades.

“A default treat in Pimlico” – this Anatolian fixture near Victoria station with a “welcoming and helpful team” has served up “wonderful mezze and great grills” for more than 20 years. (“Made multiple visits this year, accompanied several times by close Turkish friends who say the food is authentic, and there’s a very fine Gold Raki”.)

“Always a pleasure to eat” at this “buzzing, brilliant local” in Ladbroke Grove that may be “cramped, crowded and noisy”, but “can’t be beaten for flavoursome, proper Turkish grills” – “BYO is an added bonus”.

Following success in Istanbul, London-trained chef, Civan Er opened this stylish if fairly straightforward Soho operation in 2019. The focus is using British produce to create Turkish-influenced dishes cooked over open fire: “super-tasty food at a very reasonable price”. Many dishes are to share, and ‘Manti’ (a type of filled dumpling) are a menu feature.

“Middle Eastern (Istanbul) dishes that are a little different” and can be “very good” win fans for this ambitious Soho three-year-old, which had to cope with the passing in August 2023 of co-founder and chef Esra Muslu. It has the same downsides that it has always had though – for some reporters “value just isn’t there and while it may be delicious it’s far too expensive”. Top Tip – go as a couple and sit in the “stunning, central tiled bar downstairs” (“groups often sit upstairs and/or in a dull mezzanine area”).

Aiming to “disrupt the conventional norms of what it means to fine dine” is the stated mission of Le Bab’s weird, no-longer-secret 10-seater in the basement of their Covent Garden branch. The concept includes no cutlery or plates for your £110 menu (the wine flight is £65 per person): instead you grab each of the nine courses with your fingers after it’s been dolloped onto a custom-designed heated counter. This entry is for completeness: yes it has 27K Instagram followers, but it provokes little feedback in our annual diners’ poll.

An upmarket take on Anatolian cuisine – with an “intriguing selection of food, including the expected Turkish dishes plus plenty of others” – wins praise for this “friendly local restaurant” in Marylebone, which also provides “interesting” Turkish wines on the international list. Top Tip – “really good-value set menu” served until 6pm.

“A reliable chain – mainly in the City” – these big, affordable Turks are popular “especially for lunch” and provide a relatively comfortable environment for a sit-down meal that’s a little different. Cynical reports were more in evidence this year though: critics feel “they know they will get the office trade and don’t really try” (“downhill since I visited a few years ago” with some “bland and unseasoned” dishes).

“A reliable chain – mainly in the City” – these big, affordable Turks are popular “especially for lunch” and provide a relatively comfortable environment for a sit-down meal that’s a little different. Cynical reports were more in evidence this year though: critics feel “they know they will get the office trade and don’t really try” (“downhill since I visited a few years ago” with some “bland and unseasoned” dishes).

“A reliable chain – mainly in the City” – these big, affordable Turks are popular “especially for lunch” and provide a relatively comfortable environment for a sit-down meal that’s a little different. Cynical reports were more in evidence this year though: critics feel “they know they will get the office trade and don’t really try” (“downhill since I visited a few years ago” with some “bland and unseasoned” dishes).

“A reliable chain – mainly in the City” – these big, affordable Turks are popular “especially for lunch” and provide a relatively comfortable environment for a sit-down meal that’s a little different. Cynical reports were more in evidence this year though: critics feel “they know they will get the office trade and don’t really try” (“downhill since I visited a few years ago” with some “bland and unseasoned” dishes).

2022 Review: In a quiet, pedestrianised square in the City’s sprawling Broadgate development – near Broadgate Circle – this January 2020 arrival occupies a swishly decorated unit, and has a large terrace outside for a warm day. The rustic Anatolian cuisine – much of it on the open-flame mangal – is cosily at odds with all the surrounding modernity, and is washed down with a more metropolitan selection of cocktails.

“A reliable chain – mainly in the City” – these big, affordable Turks are popular “especially for lunch” and provide a relatively comfortable environment for a sit-down meal that’s a little different. Cynical reports were more in evidence this year though: critics feel “they know they will get the office trade and don’t really try” (“downhill since I visited a few years ago” with some “bland and unseasoned” dishes).

2022 Review: With its swish, spacious metropolitan styling, this 100-seater brasserie on one of Shoreditch’s main drags does little to advertise the fact that it’s part of the Hart Shoreditch Hotel London (part of the Curio Collection by Hilton), which opened in early 2020. Knowing this helps explain the slightly over-plush styling – at odds with the strenuously hip neighbourhood – and also the wilfully un-corporate menu: inspired by the flavours of Levantine coastal towns (Levantine weekend brunch is a feature). Early reports are too limited for a rating, but all-round very good.

2022 Review: You don’t have to eat Korean food to eat well in Raynes Park! This “very friendly Turkish restaurant” serves “some original dishes alongside Turkish favourites and some excellent Turkish vintages”. “It’s a bonus to be able to see into the kitchen”.

“Run by Suleiman the friendly owner – for a long time this Turkish Grill House was literally the ONLY good place to eat in central Lewisham!” and is tipped in our poll as an excellent “cheap ’n’ cheerful” choice. “Kebabs are taken seriously here, properly charred over coals, and good stews are offered as the set meal of the day”. (In his February 2024 review, The Observer’s Jay Rayner also declared himself a fan: a “happy find. I left invigorated, fed and very grateful”).

This “hidden gem” on a Soho roof terrace close to Piccadilly Circus, “accessed via a very discreet entrance at 1 Warwick Street and then lift to the 6th floor”, serves a “very concise” menu of Turkish small plates from chef Tom Cenci (who also runs Nessa on the ground floor) – and “every one we had was exceptional in taste and quality”. Still relatively unknown as a yearling, its ratings could well rise if it finds an enthusiastic audience.