Gökyüzü

After seeing all the raving reviews for Gokyuzu we trekked all the way to Haringey to try. On a Sunday evening the place was busy but we managed to get a table immediately. Portions were generous but I did not find the food anything special. The Turkish pizza/​lahmacun was particularly disappointing, the dough was thick and soggy. I can find much better crispy freshly baked lahmacun in Islington at Antepliler without going all the way to Haringey. Or there are numerous Turkish restaurants in Hackney. Gokyuzu was not worth the effort to go to for a greasy meal of cheap grilled meat.

How could I not have reviewed this place yet?! Everything about this place is amazing — the food is plentiful and delicious. Especially the meat which is tasty and cooked to perfection. The platters are huge! We took food home for the next day because we couldn’t finish it all.
The service was great, the manager is very friendly despite how busy the restaurant is. And be warned: this place is constantly full — call ahead for a reservation.
Highly, highly recommend.

I visited London with my husband for our honeymoon. We don’t have many Turkish restaurants in South Carolina, so this was my first experience. It was AMAZING. I still crave it to this day, and we were there over 2 years ago. The starter salad was incredibly fresh and bursting with flavor. I had the Sama Kuzu Beyti as my main course — delicious. And the tea brought out after the meal was the perfect finish. If we ever end up in London again, this is sure to be on our list of «To Do’s».

The best Turkish restaurant in London! The food is mouth watering. Don’t let the long queue put you down, it is sooooo worth waiting. If you are in a big group of meat eaters only, I suggest ordering the platter that way you can have a bit of almost everything. Variety of veggie options available too. Can’t fault the staff, always very pleasant and very helpful.

First Turkish restaurant on the Turkish district and completely blown away by the food. Kebab dish that we ordered was pretty good, so were the mezes (arnavut cigeri bir harika!) but Lahmacun was the highlight of the dinner. It has the perfect blend of spices and crust, absolutely delicious. Highly recommended!

Probably one of the best meals that I had in London to date. It’s location is not the easiest, but it is well worth the trip. We walked in on a packed Saturday evening; however, we were seated relative quickly (note we were only two, I’d assume a longer wait for more people). As soon as we sat down, we were given delicious warm pide and cacik sauce. We also received a large salad before even ordering a meal. All of the appetisers and entrees had unbelievable flavour as well. Overall, the service was friendly and fast, and the atmosphere was enjoyable. Highly recommend, especially if you want to have a night away from a pub.

Had an excellent meal here on a Saturday afternoon.
They bring you — automatically, i.e. without your asking — a basket of fresh bread (something akin to pita) with a yoghurt-​cucumber type dip, followed by a salad with toppings like beetroot and carrot, tomato. The missus and I were broadly down with this, figuring this was just customary for the restaurant; and we assumed that we would be charged for it at the end of the meal. We were incorrect. These two starters, both of which were great and far beyond anything I have ever had in the ‘free starter’ department.
The mains (lamb grill for me, chicken soup for her) were both good, tasty and hearty. Generous portions, very good value.
The service was attentive and matter-​of-​fact. I don’t need servers to be my buddy — I prefer it when they are effective, and these folks definitely were. Attentive without being overbearing, and friendly enough so that I never felt like I was an imposition. It’s hard to strike this balance, and the servers here did it well.
The restaurant itself is reasonably large but it doesn’t feel cavernous or anything, and the servers manage the space efficiently. On our visit, it was busy but we were seated quickly nonetheless. It’s not a fancy setup, but it’s all clean and light and quite comfortable. The clientele ranged broadly in terms of demographics, from teenagers to pensioners, families with their children, couples, groups of friends, many different races and ethnicities. Great to see so many people getting down with Turkish food.
This place was excellent from top to bottom. Great food, excellent service and unbelievable value. I would highly recommend a visit.

What can I say about this place that hasn’t already been said. Have to give it 5* for everything. Only slight niggle is that the place does get absolutely rammed at weekends and they pack the table close together which can be a little clostraphobic.

Gokyuzu was highly recommended to us by a relative, and so we ventured FAR up the Piccadilly line for lunch today. Here are my thoughts:
Ambiance is great. This place is casual but clean with an airy feel.
Service is just okay… our server was a bit impatient but this could have been a language barrier on both sides?
Food was good and not-​so-​good.
– Salad was delicious. Loved everything about it.
– Lamb kabob was excellent according to my 10-​year-​old who devoured it.
– Vegetable stew wasn’t really a stew at all but just dried mixed vegetables accompanied by rice. I didn’t enjoy this much.
– Chicken kabob was undercooked — my husband had to send it back for additional cooking.
Overall Gokyuzu was just okay for us. Since we’re in the minority it could be that we just didn’t order right? So if we’re in the area we might give it another go.

OMG !!! Ce restaurant est absolument exceptionnel.
Vous y trouverez une cuisine turque traditionnelle, et si vous êtes un gros mangeur, accrochez-​vous, ce restaurant est un paradiiiiiiis sur Teeeeerre !!!
Le personnel vous y traite comme un roi, à peine arrivé que j’avais déjà sur ma table du pain turc tout chaud avec une assiette géante pleine de humus, une énorme salade, des pizzas turques, sans avoir rien demandé!!! Wooooaw !!!
J’ai ensuite partagé un plat (j’entends par là un plateau entier) de viandes avec deux amis… Côtes d’agneau, ailes de poulets, viandes style kebab, kefta, blanc de poulet, le tout mariné, parfumé, grillé, plongé dans une tonne de riz et de légumes, cuisinés de plusieurs façons différentes en fonction de là où on regarde sur le plateau… Autant vous dire, je né savais plus où donner de la tête. Et il y avait de quoi manger pour 6 personnes alors que la carte le conseillais pour 2 ou 3 personnes, un bonheur sans nom!!!
Enfin, la petite surprise finale, vous aurez le droit à du thé turc en illimité et gratuitement ! De quoi se décontracter après la bataille rudement menée !
La nourriture était délicieuse, en quantité démesurée, à des prix très raisonnables, le personnel très acceuillant et réactif, c’était de loin un perfect pour moi !

When I lived round this area I used to be in here at least once a week for dinner or to grab a takeaway. This place still doesn’t disappoint and packs amazing flavour in all their dishes. You get a salad and bread free as standard when you order any kebabs. The portion sizes are ridiculously huge and if you’re in a group you can even get large platters that are 3 – 4 but does actually feed 5 – 6. The best bit has to be that they dab the bread over the meat to soak up more of the deliciously meaty goodness, maybe avoid if you’re a veggie. The only downside is that as its popularity has grown, so has its prices (slightly) and their bottles of homemade garlic and chilli sauces seem to be more commercial and I see this expanding into a nandos type chain. I hope this doesn’t happen and it keeps it uniqueness through its growth. (Visit — 12/​03/​2015 Lunch)

It’s good. I guess. Not for me though. Most men love it, as the meet is a hill on your plate, but all the meet tasted like the thing you light the charcoal with… all the same white spirits taste.
Still very good are the daily stews. This I recommend. If you come:
there might be a long queue on the weekend and some evenings!
But try yourself.
Or stick to their veg and stew.
Or go to Antepiler next door for a truly awesome and cheap fresh crunchy tasty Lahmacun :)

Hope you are hungry. Refreshing to know that a visit to this fine Turkish establishment will guarantee you walk out the door fully satiated. Servings are generous, restaurant is spacious (so you can just turn up), and prices economical.
Make sure you visit with a friend so that you can share dishes. On my visit delicious fresh bread and tea were thrown in complimentary.

I remember when it was opened and its first days. They were really busy and nothing has changed since then. It tells everything. I always order lamb beyti which is great and they are the best indeed. I don’t want to repeat other reviews but can’t finish my review without stating that:
Mix grill is huge can be shared with 4 – 5 ppl
Salads are mouthwatering
Bread is warm and delicious
(You can be full even with bread and salad)
Don’t forget to get your free Turkish tea

Best Turkish restaurant. The location is far from central London but the travel really worth to take for this amazing restaurant. The portions are big. They give you one meze and salad with Turkish pide as compliment before you order. Foods are really delicious.

This is my top 5 place in London. If you read other reviews you’ll already know why but here’s a few pointers.
— Turkish food gives HUGE portions.
— Get the platter if in a group. The meat platter gives you every charcoal meat you can think of (doner, shish, ribs, wings, small pieces) along with a few peppers and some amazing rice. I honestly would take the hard work of looking through single dishes on menu and just get this.
— The free salads and bread that come with the platter are exceptional. Turkish salad is great on it’s own to be honest.
— The starter mezes are lovely.
— The free tea. Ah unlimited free tea. Just ask.
— The service. They like most Turks are renowned for customer service.
— Sometimes you even get free Baklava.
— It’s a buzzing place and is always packed. But this adds to the experience.
— You can take away your food in a doggy bag. Meaning GET THE PLATTER. Then save some for the next day. It’s just too good!
Gokyuzu for me is THE place to go to on Green Lanes. The hub of a Turkish community where you will find many great restaurants in fact (Hala, Antepliler, Diyabakir). But Gokyuzu is the most popular for good reason. Come hungry and if you like tasty meat and the meat sweats that will come with it. Come here.

When I read about how Gokyuzu is the best Turkish restaurant in town, my first reaction was that it’s just excited Brits overrating decent Middle Eastern food.
Um, no.
It’s really good. Always expect queues, no matter what time it is, although we never waited for more than 5 minutes. The meat platters are massive, so think again before ordering that jumbo size. The smaller one is supposedly for 1 – 2 person (s) but it can easily feed up to four (especially if you order starters). IMHO their lahmacun is slightly average (definitely not bad, just nothing special), but the chicken beyti is indeed exceptional. I wouldn’t go anywhere else for Turkish food in London.

Best Turkish food on Green Lanes! Always get the sharing dish because we can never choose just one meat dish each. With the bread and salad to start and then this, we are always taking the leftovers (half the food) home and scoffing them the next day.
Dare you to go and not come out with meat sweats. So worth it though.

Certainly the best Turkish restaurant outside of Turkey. The place is always packed. Very helpful staff. Just go easy on the starters otherwise you’ll be too full for the main course.

I think I’ve had better food here than in Istanbul. Seriously.
The place was jammed to the gills when we arrived around 7:30 Saturday night. And it only got more crowded the later it got. But hot damn, I understand why! The service is INCREDIBLY efficient once seated and the platters of food are HUGE. The aubergine dip is liked smoked, creamy, delicious crack. I could have inhaled the whole round plate, with dollops of olive oil and warm pita bread, but had to restrain myself. I also hot the halloumi pide with a sprinkling of red peppers (they were a bit stingy there, as more red peppers would have been good). Melted halloumi+ warm bread= winning.
My husband got a lamb dish which was similarly enormous and he said quite flavorful.
I got the house Turkish wine and it was bland, bland, but no fault of the restaurant.
For two people, an app, two main dishes, a wine and diet coke (with leftovers to boot) for 51 quid was a steal. We would happily return and bring others!

The first time I visited, I was slightly disappointed as they had run out of lamb so was forced to order something I didn’t want. Plus, no one came to take our order for a long time.
Nevertheless, I visited again and was very pleased with the food. The portions are just right, they don’t overdo it plus the salad is the best I’ve ever had, especially the red cabbage! They give complimentary warm bread and dips but make sure not to fill up on it as the mains are worth saving space for.
The prices are very reasonable but it is a very popular restaurant and gets busy so make sure you arrive early and be prepared to wait.

Restaurante de comida turca muy rica, variada y a precios muy ajustados. Traen pan recién hecho a tu mesa antes de que se termine el que tienes.
Fuimos un grupo numeroso un sábado Por la noche y estaba repleto de gente, tuvimos que esperar unos 20 minutos pero el restaurante Es amplio y tiene varios salones. Los platos de carnes a la brasa para compartir son una opción casi obligada

At this authentic Turkish eatery, your meal starts with complimentary Turkish bread, dips & salad, but make sure to leave space for the wide range of delicious starters!
Dishes include mezze such as hummous, haloumi & Turkish pizza breads. Mixed platters of mezze or mains are available which are huge mountains of chargrilled meat, rice and salads. We ordered so much that we had to take half of it home with us!
If you still have any space you can finish with baklava and Turkish tea! The price was very reasonable and service friendly.
The only downside was it was very busy on a Saturday night & we had to wait quite a while for a table, but a takeaway option is available for those lucky enough to live nearby!

Everything was great: place, service and food. They make their own bread in wood oven. Try the Ezmeli Kuzu Sis; one of the most tender and tasty lamb I have tried.

This restaurant is always packed — a great sign.
The food is amazing quality for the price you pay.
Flat breads arrive on your table as standard, so we ordered hummus to accompany it.
We then chose to have a mixed grill type dish. The menu suggested it was for between 2 — 4 people, costing £25.
The food that arrived in front of us was a huge pile of meaty goodness.
Lamb koftas, shish, chicken wings, chicken shish, more bread, rice, bulgar wheat, salad, and dips.
It was definitely too much for two, so we requested a doggie bag and had enough for lunch the next day.
Commentary baklava and hot tea rounds off the meal nicely.
I wouldn’t eat Turkish anywhere else in London!

Uno de los mejores restaurantes turcos de Londres, sin lugar a dudas.
Los platos son bastante grandes, así que si queréis ir, no pidáis demasiada comida (aunque puedes optar por el take-​away).
Para empezar, mientras pensáis que queréis comer, os traen a modo de aperitivo una ensalada y pan con salsa de yogur. La salsa simplemente es increíble.
Después de haber abierto boca, os traerán los platos que habéis pedido. Normalmente puedes elegir entre carne o verdura; pescado no hay mucho. Para mi, el mejor plato es el Sarma Tavuk Beyt; muy recomendable.
Su situación no es céntrica, ya que está cerca de la parada de metro de Manor House (podría decirse que colonia mitad española-​mitad turca), pero no es difícil llegar.
Además, si siempre está lleno de turcos, por algo será.

Another first rate Turkish restaurant in London.
And this is a good one.
Fantastic raw ingredients don’t hurt here.
Superlative yogurt — almost like whipped cream.
Great flat bread.
The salads are very subtly dressed — and thus depend on great raw ingredients —
and they absolutely deliver on that front.
One cheese and vegetable salad we ordered stood about eight inches off the plate — a one person serving that would have fed a whole potluck.
The slivered cheese came in a thick layer of about two to three inches on the top — and was first rate stuff.
Underneath that in the greens, the slivered cabbage and the cucumbers were 20 to 25 fantastic olives — more than one gets in a dish of olives in some spanish restaurants.
Lamb soup was simple hardy stuff — fine as it was straight from the kitchen — and even better when doctored with the generous array of condiments provided on the table. (A great Turkish hot sauce and a nice strong sumac powder were available and welcome.) Note — lamb soup without a drop of grease — a sign of attention in the cooking.
Vegetable stew had strong tastes on each of the ingredients and every vegetable had its own flavor.
(How many ratatouille variants have you had of eggplant/​marrow/​tomato/​basil mush all cooked together to the point of being practically bolognese sauce?)
Mint tea with about triple the mint leaves you get in some other places.
And even though the lines to get in are humongous — the service never rushes anyone — and attentively offers you all sorts of goodies like a good host.
This place is highly popular and that popularity is well deserved.

Not quite as good as Devran but close. Good food, good service and good prices. Also very popular so can get busy in the evenings.
Our second favourite place on Green Lanes for a sit down Mediterranean meal.

I’ve only had the opportunity to visit Gokyuzu once while on vacation in London, but the lamb shish was delicious. I had tried another Turkish restaurant down the street a couple times, and I think the lamb shish take-​away is better here.
The restaurant is basically located in a Turkish/​Eastern European neighborhood of London, so there’s a lot of competition nearby. That said, I think this place is worth the wait and I will definitely keep it in mind for my next visit to London. Already looking forward to trying some other items off their menu.

The best lamb shish I have ever had.
Free salad — they’ve done something to it that made me ask them to pack it up for me so I can finish it at home! Delicious.
Cold aubergine meze starter (sadly…forgot the name!) — light, refreshing, perfect compliment to the lamb.
Free tea — bonus!
Warm squidgy bread on arrival with cold refreshing tzatziki — I am not a bread person, but goodness it was so warm and soft and heavenly — I couldn’t resist to have a couple of slices.
I went there for a Sunday lunch with myself — it was packed!
Service? Great.
I’m going back to try out the rest of their menu!