When The Guardian published its latest ranking of London’s top food spots, few expected a Turkish restaurant to clinch a place near the very top. Yet one Anatolian-inspired kitchen has done just that, earning not only fourth place on the influential list but also a bold endorsement: “Every chef should train here.” In a city renowned for its global cuisine and unforgiving critics, this accolade signals more than a moment of glory for a single restaurant – it marks a shift in how London’s dining scene values tradition, technique and the power of modern Turkish cooking.
How a Turkish culinary gem climbed to the top tier of London dining
What began as a neighbourhood grill tucked between cafes and corner shops has evolved into a standard-bearer for modern Turkish gastronomy in the capital. The restaurant’s rise mirrors London’s own growing appetite for regional nuance: chefs who once focused solely on kebabs now weave in dishes rooted in Gaziantep, the Aegean coast and the Black Sea, plated with the quiet confidence usually reserved for temples of French or Nordic cuisine. A disciplined brigade in the open kitchen works like a culinary conservatoire, where young cooks learn to coax smoke, fire and fermentation into a polished, contemporary narrative of Anatolian cooking.
Behind the acclaim lies a rigorously curated experience that balances comfort and ambition. The menu is engineered like a tasting journey rather than a predictable run-through of mezze and skewers, supported by a front-of-house team that treats each table as a guided tour of Turkey’s diverse food cultures.
- Fire-led cooking: charcoal mangals used with the precision of a fine-dining pass.
- Season-led sourcing: British produce paired with Turkish spices and techniques.
- Teaching kitchen: young chefs cycle through every station,from bread to butchery.
- Story-driven service: servers explain the geographic roots of key dishes.
| Cornerstone | What Sets It Apart |
|---|---|
| Mezze Counter | Small plates built on pickling, smoking and slow braising |
| Mangal Grill | Custom charcoal blend for distinct layers of flavor |
| Bread Oven | Daily-baked flatbreads used as a canvas, not a side |
| Chef Training | Rotations emphasise classic Turkish techniques with modern plating |
Inside the kitchen where technique tradition and bold flavours define every plate
At the heart of this acclaimed Turkish kitchen, discipline and intuition share the same chopping board. Chefs move in a well-rehearsed rhythm: one folds paper-thin yufka by hand, another checks the blister on a grilling pepper as if reading a gauge. Gas flames roar under heavy copper pans,while the slow,steady heat of the mangal coaxes sweetness out of marinated meats.The brigade’s mise en place is a map of the restaurant’s philosophy-bowls of sumac and isot pepper beside clarified butter; trays of seasonal vegetables lined up for skewering or charring until their edges blacken and their centres turn jammy-soft.
Every plate leaving the pass is a negotiation between Ottoman-era recipes and the city’s modern palate.A chef might finish a centuries-old lamb stew with a bright lemon verbena oil, or pair charcoal-smoked aubergine with a sharp, yoghurt-based foam. The guiding idea is simple: keep the soul of the dish intact, but sharpen its edges for a London dining room that expects surprise and also comfort.
- Fire-led cooking that prioritises smoke, char and controlled heat.
- Family recipes adapted with contemporary plating and portioning.
- Regional spices sourced from small producers in Turkey.
- Daily tastings to calibrate seasoning, texture and balance.
| Signature Element | Technique | Flavour Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Charred aubergine | Open-flame roasting | Smoky, creamy, slightly bitter |
| Lamb shoulder | Slow braise, grill finish | Deep, spiced, caramelised edges |
| Pide dough | Long cold fermentation | Light, tangy, blistered crust |
| Chilli oil | Infused over low heat | Warm, layered, lingering heat |
What aspiring chefs can learn from this restaurant’s approach to training and mentorship
In a city where kitchens often move at the speed of survival, this dining room has slowed things down just enough to turn training into a craft of its own. Young cooks aren’t simply slotted into prep lines; they rotate through stations, shadow seasoned chefs and learn why each technique matters as much as how it’s done. That deliberate pacing, paired with a culture that encourages questions rather than punishes hesitation, shows that mentorship isn’t an HR buzzword but a working method. Aspiring chefs can borrow this by treating every shift as a structured lesson, building clear learning goals into their week instead of waiting for inspiration to strike between services.
Equally telling is how the team uses everyday rituals to build confidence and autonomy. Junior staff are involved in menu tastings, critique sessions and supplier meetings, seeing first-hand how decisions are made and where ingredients come from. The message is clear: you’re not just a pair of hands, you’re part of the restaurant’s voice. Emerging chefs can mirror this approach by seeking out kitchens where they can grow in more than one direction-technique, palate, leadership-rather than chasing the flashiest postcode.
- Hands-on shadowing with senior chefs during live service
- Rotating stations to build a complete skill set
- Open critique sessions that focus on growth, not blame
- Ingredient-led learning from suppliers to service
| Kitchen Practice | Lesson for Aspiring Chefs |
|---|---|
| Station rotation | Learn the whole line, not one corner |
| Daily tastings | Train your palate as hard as your knife skills |
| Service debriefs | Turn mistakes into shared playbooks |
| Mentor pairing | Seek feedback from one trusted senior voice |
How London diners can best experience the menu from must order dishes to booking tips
For first-timers, the smartest way to approach the menu is to think like the Turkish regulars who have turned this place into a north London canteen. Start at the mangal: charcoal-kissed kebabs arrive glistening, with the adana offering a smoky, chilli-flecked benchmark for everything that follows. Pair it with lamb chops – blistered at the edges, pink within – and at least one vegetarian plate, such as smoky aubergine salad or sautéed spinach with garlic and yoghurt.Cold meze should be treated as non‑negotiable: a spread of hummus, cacık and a bright shepherd’s salad will anchor the table, ready to mop up with still-warm flatbreads.
- Best seats: Ask for a table near the open grill for theater, or deeper inside for quieter conversation.
- Booking window: Evenings fill up fast; locals book 7-10 days ahead for peak Friday and Saturday slots.
- Walk-ins: Early birds (before 6.30pm) have the best chance; late-night tables free up after 9.30pm.
- Sharing strategy: Order family-style; three meze and two grills comfortably feed two hungry diners.
| Course | Must-Try Dish | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Meze | Smoky Aubergine | Shows off the grill’s finesse |
| Grill | Adana Kebab | Signature balance of spice and fat |
| Side | Shepherd’s Salad | Cuts through the richness |
| Sweet | Baklava & Tea | Classic finish, perfectly judged |
The Way Forward
As London’s culinary landscape grows ever more diverse and competitive, the ascent of this Turkish restaurant to fourth place on The Guardian’s list is more than a single success story – it is a signal of where the city’s tastes are headed. With its rigorous approach to training, respect for tradition and willingness to innovate, it stands as both a benchmark and a blueprint for the next generation of kitchens.
Whether other establishments will follow its lead remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that in a capital where diners are spoilt for choice, a restaurant once seen as a niche destination has emerged as a standard-bearer. For now, at least, “every chef should train here” reads less like hyperbole and more like a statement of intent for London’s food future.
