Review of Gökyüzü - the best Turkish restaurant in London!
I’ve been going to Gökyüzü for a number of years now. Despite there being so many successful Turkish restaurants in London, I always go back to Gökyüzü. Once you walk in, you’re greeted with the wonderful display of meats and the sound of the sizzling charcoal grill. Food is great, but if I ever got there without a booking, then I was bound to have to wait in line for a table. Guess that’s what you get with a popular restaurant.
Gökyüzü (meaning sky in Turkish) is a family run business that has been opened for almost 20 years. It’s probably the busiest on the lengthy Green Lanes in Harringay (so busy that they opened up a second restaurant in Chingford in September 2015!). I recently paid them a visit and was pleasantly surprised that Gökyüzü has had a big refurb! Not only have they spruced up the place, they’ve even taken over the spot next door and doubled in space. But the queue is still just as long!
Lucky I was smart and had a table booked.
Whilst you’re deciding on what to order, you’re served a basket of freshly made Turkish pide bread, tzatziki and a plate of salad.
To accompany these, we ordered the small mixed mezze (£9.50) which consists of:
Kisir – wheat, celery, mint, herbs, tomato sauce
Haydari – yogurt, dill, feta cheese
Soslu Patlican – aubergines, garlic, tahini, yogurt
Humus – chickpea puree, tahin
All of these are perfect to go with the pide bread. It’s also a great way to get the group digging in, sharing and having a great start to the meal.
We also had the Fried Calamari (£6.50) which were huge rings that had been coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried until absolutely crispy. They were perfectly cooked and so moreish too. It’s the first time I’d had seafood at Gökyüzü and I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty it was. The price might have seemed a little steep though, considering there are only 4 on the plate.
I also had to order the Lahmacuns (£3.00) as they’re probably my favourite food from Turkish cuisine. This is a traditional Turkish pizza, that is rolled out super thin and smothered with minced lamb, onions, fresh tomatoes, parsley and red peppers. It’s then baked until super crispy. Gökyüzü serve theirs with a wedge of lemon, and that extra citrus zing really enhances the flavours of the lamacun.
On to the main event now, and this is pretty much the reason why I keep going back to Gökyüzü – the massive Full Platter (£37.00) which is made up of:
Lamb shish
Chicken shish
Adana kebab
Lamb ribs
Chicken doner
Lamb doner
Chicken wings
Rice
Bulgar
This is the most perfect plate of food that you can have at a Turkish restaurant! There’s such a large variety of meats, that it’ll keep everyone happy. All the meat is piled high on top of the rice and the bulgar, so the meat juices are all soaked up – yum! Now if you have a family like mine, there’s always a fight for the best bits. So I always grab my favourites first. The first thing I always go for, are the lamb ribs. They are so juicy and packed full of flavour. Next I’ll go for the chicken wings – perfectly cooked and with a little smokey flavour from the open grill. Once I’ve had these, I can sit back, relax and enjoy the rest of the plate!
Even after all that food, I still order dessert – because a Tukish meal just can’t end without Baklava (£3.00) and some Turkish tea (first cup free). I love how the baklava is crispy and flaky on top, packed full of pistachio nuts in the middle and then has a sweet soggy bottom from being soaked in syrup. Turkish tea is quite strong and you can have it without sugar, but I add sugar because I think it does actually taste better.
If you’ve ever been to Gökyüzü, then you’ll understand why I speak so highly of it. If you’ve never been, then I hope this review inspires you to go. Trust me when I say it will be worth travelling across London for! I’ve been to Turkish restaurants across London, at different price ranges. But none have been able to replace Gökyüzü for me and I’ll probably be going there for as long as they stay open!
Website: http://gokyuzurestaurant.co.uk/
Address: 26-28 Grand Parade, Green Lanes, London, N4 1LG
Email: info@gokyuzurestaurant.co.uk
Phone: 020 8211 8406