It’s about time we make a list of all of our favourite Turkish restaurants located in Islington, right? In this article we have gathered the best places in the area serving delicious Turkish kebabs and other traditional starters and dishes we all love!
We humbly present to you the finest quartet of Turkish gastronomic establishments in the esteemed borough of Islington, as selected by our distinguished team of gastronomical experts.
Gallipoli
First on our list, we have Gallipoli – one of our favourite Turkish restaurants in Islington. The interior is super cosy, welcoming, and warm, the staff is very friendly, the service is excellent, and the food is divine which is exactly what we are looking for in a good restaurant! It’s a pretty popular place, however, if this is the first time you are hearing about it – definitely visit whenever you are craving Turkish cuisine, you won’t be disappointed!
The menu consists of traditional starters, main dishes as well as desserts. We often start off with Hummus, Cacik (Yoghurt with chopped cucumber, mint, garlic, served with pitta bread), Stuffed vine leaves with rice and herbs, a Falafel, or Kiymali Borek (pastry filled with minced lamb, pine kernel, and spices)!
Then we move on to the main dishes – we highly recommend their Chicken Guvec (Slow cooked chicken and vegetable stew, served with rice), the Keyti Kebab (Grilled lamb on skewers, wrapped in lavash, served with rice, yoghurt, tomato sauce), the Upper Street Special (Grilled chicken skewer, lamb skewer, kofte, served with
rice, a salad), as well as the Moussaka!
Of course, don’t forget about their desserts – their traditional Baklava is divine!
Address: 120 Upper St, London N1 1QP
Kilis Kitchen
The next incredible Turkish restaurant in Islington that you definitely have to visit is Kilis Kitchen – a lovely little bistro with a stylish and cosy interior, gorgeous paintings hung on the walls, serving delicious traditional dishes we all know and love!
Start with their Mix Meze Dips (includes Hummus, cacik, mutabbal, kisir, served with toasted bread) and their homemade lentil soup – a combination of our favourite starters!
Then move on to the main dishes – mouthwatering kebabs, seafood dishes, traditional Turkish pide, and so much more! We love all of their kebabs – especially the Shish Kebab (marinated lamb on a skewer, rice, grilled tomatoes, peppers). We also highly recommend all of the Pide dishes they offer!
And last but not least – don’t forget about the desserts. We really enjoy the Freshly Prepared Kunefe, the Baklava, and the Banoffee Pie!
Address: 4 Theberton St, London N1 0QX
Pasha
Next on our list, we have Pasha – a modern Turkish restaurant with sophisticated contemporary decor and an incredible menu filled with all of your favourite Turkish dishes! It was first established in 1972 and they have never stopped growing, evolving, and serving delicious food in an incredible venue!
Of course, they have a selection of hot and cold starters on their menu. When it comes to the cold starters, we highly recommend the Babaganoush, the Tabbouleh salad (parsley, mint, cucumber, bulgur,
tomato, spring onions, pomegranate dressing), and their Homemade Hummus served with pitta bread. When it comes to their hot starters, we recommend the Spicy Turkish sausage, the Spinach and Feta Borek, and the Halloumi!
For your main dish, you can never go wrong with their traditional charcoal-grilled kebabs – the Chicken Shish, Lamb Shish, and the Pasha Special (lamb fillet infused in red wine, apricot, almond, mushroom, and pomegranate sauce, served with potato gratin) are our favourites!
Of course, they have plenty of other options including even Vegetarian dishes for those of you that do not eat meat!
Address: 301 Upper St, London N1 2TU
Liman Restaurant
And last, on our list, we have Liman – another beautiful Turkish restaurant that we love visiting. The interior is incredible, the food is delicious, and the service is excellent making this place perfect for lunch or dinner with friends or family!
We love their starters – especially the Quinoa Tabbouleh (quinoa, parsley, tomato, red onion, lemon, olive oil), the Borek (pastry filled with feta cheese, spinach), and the Beef Vine Leaves (stuffed with beef, bulgur wheat, covered in a homemade red wine sauce)!
Our favourite main dishes in Liman are their Iskender Kebabs – a delicious Lamb Beyti with yoghurt sauce, Lamb Shish with yoghurt sauce, and Chicken Kebab with yoghurt sauce!
Address: 60 Penton St, London N1 9PZ