Reviews of Oklava. (Restaurant) in London (London).

Oklava

599 Reviews

346 Comments

Restaurant

Turkish restaurant

74 Luke St, London EC2A 4PY, United Kingdom

Description

Information of Oklava, Restaurant in London (London)

On this page you’ll find the address, open hours, more popular times, the contact, photos and real reviews of this business.

This business has received very good reviews from their customers, so probably it’s a place you should try if you are looking for this kind of services.

Map

Open hours of Oklava

Popular times

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Friday

Reviews of Oklava

J. G.

Would preferred if there was seafood options. Food was quite heavy. would recommend sharing between 3-4 people instead of 2 people. Service was nice as well, but will only revisit if menu changed a bit more because of the limited selection of dishes. I would recommend ordering the cabbage. The bread was undercooked, but the butter was amazing.

D. Z.

Modern, innovative take on Turkish food, with intoxicating flavors in a hip setting. While the service was at times slow and some of the portions were small for plates meant for sharing (especially the starters), the friendly staff and delicious dishes had us sold from the start. Chef Kiazim used to have a couple of other restaurants in London, both were fabulous and I’m heartbroken they’ve now closed, so glad to have had another taste of her food. Not pictured are two starters - the hellim and the muhammara - that might have been the best in the entire meal (along with the cheese pide). I highly recommend booking in advance as it’s a small space, and you want to make sure you get a good spot.

C. P.

NYE visit Food - amazing. One of those rare places where every single item is delicious. The Black Sea Pide fully deserves its reputation. The Kunefe here changed my opinion of this dish completely - it’s heads and shoulders above any version I’ve tried elsewhere. Setting - in a nice quiet area away from the bustle. Small intimate restaurant where you can see the goings on of the kitchen. Nice ambience, no loud music and good noise control so we could hear ourselves over the other diners. Service - somewhat let down by the service. Staff were lovely but the kitchen was very slow despite several empty tables. It felt like we were waiting about 20 mins between each small plate. They arrived one at a time and it was kind of annoying as there were some dishes we had imagined eating together. Bill - we liked that the service charge was incorporated into the food price.

J.

Modern, innovative, tradition-inspired are the words that describe this place. When you enter the place you see the open kitchen right in front of you where chefs are making Turkish and Cyprus influenced dishes with a modern twist. You definitely have not seen anything like this before. Dishes are well thought through with a selection of wines from turkey, Georgia , Armenia etc. to complement the dishes. I have this stove oven baked dish and it was superb. Will definitely try other dishes next time. Highly recommended!

M. F. &. D. L.

It was great to be back inside the restaurant after our last visit where we enjoyed a fabulous al fresco dining experience back in April. I also have to say that the turkish food we enjoyed on saturday was probably the best we’ve ever had. This was matched with fabulous cocktails , good wine and fantastic service. So you can understand why Oklava is clearly one of our favourite restaurants to visit. So yes this led us to saturday and a truly amazing visit once again. The restaurant is nicely tucked away on the corner of Luke Street in Shoreditch and literally less than ten minutes from Liverpool Street station. When we arrived general manager Conall remembered us from earlier in the year and was delighted to see us back before showing us to our table. In fact he couldn’t have looked after us any better throughout our entire lunch. We started to look at the menu when one of the chefs came over to ask if we had any questions and also to inform us of the two specials on offer. We then ordered a cocktail each a Cherry Spritz and a Beet Negroni which were both absolutely fabulous. Now it was time to order the food to which we managed to have all dishes that we’d never tried before including the specials of the day. These were mackerel which is my wife’s favourite and hake which is one of my favourites. So now let’s get started and of course you have to begin with the amazing Baharat Bread & Medjool Date Butter it’s simply to die for. We followed this with Crispy Fried Aubergine with greengage ketchup & kyseri spice that was heaven. Our palate was slightly refreshed by a delightful salad of Fava , grilled summer salad , kale ezme & black cypriot olive oil. Now it was Pide time and in my opinion their best yet. The Black Truffle Pide with feta & pickled hen of the woods was an absolute flavour sensation. This was followed by the Pekemez glazed grilled Quail with fragola grapes & rosemary brown butter. The dish was accompanied by the Tomato Salad with lemon braised greens & sherry caramel which complimented the quail perfectly. We now moved onto the two Specials of the Day. My wife had the Mackerel which when you looked at her face you could tell how good it was. For myself I had the Hake which was topped with apple and in a light buttery sauce. It was truly amazing and you would have to go along way to try and beat this. So all credit to head chef Dawid for not only these two specials but for every dish that we had the pleasure of eating today. Now after a nice little rest it was time to finish with desserts and these were not for the feint hearted. The Spiced Rice Pudding with fig leaf oil , mahlep ice cream & hazelnut crumble was absolutely delicious. The Malt Custard with caramel ice cream , summer fruits & pecan wafer was lighter than the rice pudding but equally fabulous. These desserts were a fantastic way to finish a truly amazing Turkish lunch. This brought to an end yet another amazing visit to Oklava and a restaurant that I would highly recommend visiting yourself. The food was absolutely amazing so thanks to head chef Dawid and the team. The service led by Conall was excellent. So when you put this all together you can see why already looking forward to a return visit. Thank You Selin , Dawid , Conall and all the team for an amazing lunch and hope to see you all again soon

T. C.

Firstly - get the bread with date butter. Even if you don't like dates. Secondly, get the lammachun. Thirdly get the hellim. And finally, book in advance because I watched a fair few people get turned away. It's hardly surprising given the quality of the food that Selin and co. have created. You might not understand everything on the menu, but fear not as the incredibly friendly front of house staff will explain everything to you on the menu, and make sure you have an incredible experience. If you're considering Oklava - go.

T. K. Z.

Absolutely wonderful food, we ordered the set menu and every item was delicious. Much recommended!

M. B.

The fixed wine menu was quite pricey per person, the amount they serve is way less than I expected. On the other hand food menu (fixed) was quite filling for two to share. I recommend 👍🏻 Sweet potato fries plate was a bit meaningless in this curated menu. The staff doesn’t have enough wine knowledge.They couldn’t explain the ones they served to us. The location and the atmosphere is great.

E. D.

Went for anniversary dinner, the food was out of this world a must visit for food lovers! Great setting and brilliant service.

C. G.

We tried tasting menu, two cocktails (sumac & turnip?) and wine. + Nice & modernised Turkish food + Seftali kebap was amazing + Good service = Decent atmosphere - No raki, limited wine selection (mostly Turkish wines)

S. M.

Absolutely delish flavours. Lots of gorgeous little sharing plates that were delightful. An absolute gem of a restaurant. Quietly sophisticated. Warm service. Just a little hot and loud at busy times.

R. J.

Where to start?! Got seated as a walk in quite late, no problem. The hellim (halloumi), cauliflower, fava salad, cheese pide….all unbelievably amazing. Cannot fault a thing. Had an Armenian white wine, was a really nice match to the food. Service was very friendly and efficient. Highly highly recommend, great night out.

A. G.

First time here with my Girlfriend and WOW! This place really did not disappoint. Incredible flavours across the board and immaculate attention to detail. Oklava has exceeded my expectations and I certainly hope to be able to return! They need a michelin star aha!

K. M.

We had a really lovely meal here a few days ago, the food was simple, beautiful and flavourful- the Medjool date butter which comes with the Baharat bread was seriously amazing (the bread too, damn) the seasoning throughout the whole meal was amazing. honestly, above everything the service was just so warm and friendly- we loved the food, but will be back again and again because of the hospitality (and the date butter 👀)

O. G.

The pide may be the best thing I've ever eaten. This place is an absolute gem.

L. O.

Wonderful food, atmosphere and service. The food is an absolute delight. The cheese pide was the stand out but everything was so flavoursome. Loads of choice and great for sharing.

E. Ö.

Must try: Seftali (It's so good that I ate it without taking a photo in 10 secs 😅)

B. F.

Great meal with lots of unique dishes. Staff was lovely and took the time to explain the menu to us. Favourite dish was probably the roasted cauliflower

A. K.

Oklava is a jewel of a restaurant. Selin Kazım is one of the most talented chefs in London and in the whole world. I can't wait to see her getting multiple Michelin stars. Her dishes often come from her Cypriot roots, combining flavors in amazing ways yet with that home-made feeling. It's absolutely worth a visit

A. M.

Oklava was an all round great experience. This small restaurant is tucked away in the bustling side streets of Shoreditch and boasts of a fantastic menu (the kind of place you want to go back to just so you can try everything you didn't manage to order!) Would really recommend the cauliflower dish however the stand out was 100% the pide - have never had anything like it and it was sublime! Also, make sure you make room for dessert as you'll definitely want to try these. The only set back was that I did find a hair in my lamb kofta which somewhat tarnished my experience. Despite this, the staff were super friendly and apologetic. It's an easy mistake to make so I didn't let it ruin the eve and would still thoroughly recommend :)

K. K.

The food here is exceptional. Sweet date butter with fresh bread to the salty sweet goodness of herb honey lathered halloumi. Our wine choice was not the best but this was significantly out weighed by the quality and ingenuity of flavours. Will definitely be back.

X. Z.

Great place for a casual lunch date. The spiced cauliflower is my favourite by far. I could just eat that all day. The lamb chop is good too. Service is friendly and fast. We thoroughly enjoyed it!

J. H.

We had such a wonderful time and I would definitely recommend oklava. We had the tasting menu with wine and everything was perfect. To start with we had the bread and butter and the butter was the best I have ever tasted, so much so we bought some to take home, after that the tasting menu just got better and better. A big shout out to the staff who where so friendly and helping and really made our evening. I cant wait to go back

D. B.

Delicious and creative dishes. Service is great too.

K. F.

All in all: very tasty, beautiful presentations and combination of flavors, but a bit pricey. We had lunch on a Saturday and arrived at 1pm, where the restaurant was not very busy. The dishes are meant to be shared, so we ordered 3 starters (loved the bahart spiced bread with date butter and the hellim) and 3 mains (in pictures: glazed carrots, chili roast cauliflower, bulgur wheat stuffed lamb kofte). Portion size is a bit on the small side, but the flavors combined in the dishes made the quality ingredients really stand out. Service was excellent and we liked the recommendations!

A. M.

A perfect lunch in a lovely setting. Absolutely delicious food. Staff also perfect, polite, attentive, unobtrusive, not arrogant. Nice to see the chef behind the counter cooking. Each dish is well thought out, balanced, delicious and looks great too. We will be back!

I. P.

The most amazing food and the staff were incredible. Saba and jontatan were exceptional. 5* service. Halil made delicious food and we left with a warm heart and a full stomach. Thank you oklava

B. C.

The food is very good but at least in our visit it took a very long time to come, the place is quite loud and feels more a cocktail bar than a restaurant. Service also good but quite sparse and spread thin. We would've liked to try the meat but they'd run out!

C. K.

We had a wonderful dinner at Oklava. The food and drinks were both excellent. We ordered the octopus pide, fried peppers with goats cheese, halloumi and lamb sweetbreads. I would recommend all of these dishes. We didn't go for the set menu but that might be better value if you don't mind the oklava team ordering for you.

C. M.

Lovely and cozy atmosphere. Friendly staffs. One of the best Turkish restaurant in London. Especially the chilli grilled Calliflower was amazing! I could become a vegan if I could eat this everyday😋

I. M.

We had such a lovely evening. They really took care of us. Food was delicious, great flavour and value for the 3 course menu.

E. T.

Definitely go for the Oklava menu where you get a taste of all the great dishes on their seasonal menu. Lovely twist to your usual Turkish food, fresh ingredients and much attention to detail. Just a small note to say food is on the salty side. We sat at the bar and was entertained by all the kitchen action. The dessert kunafeh is to die for! Delish! Also 5* to the lady who served us behind the drinks counter! Love your smiles and hospitality

I. S.

Oklava has an interesting selection of dishes. While some dishes were very tasty such as their fresh made bread, cheese pide and the cauliflower dish, some of their dishes were not great such as the steak and the sheftali. The steak was very hard to chew and needed salt and the sheftali smelled too much of the lamb. The wine was not great at all. The service was also a slight disappointment as they came to serve us the wrong dish twice and they brought us a glass of wine instead of a bottle that we asked for about a third of the way through our meal. Given the high expectations we had of this place we had good food but was not impressed by anything in particular and given the cost nature of the restaurant I was expecting the service to be a little more organised, it seemed a little chaotic at times. If I were to visit again again I would strongly recommend trying the halloumi starter dish, the cheese pide and the cauliflower dish.

E.

I like Turkish food but this place blew all the other Turkish restaurants I've ever been to out of the water. Medjool date butter with your bread? Yes please. A massive slab of grilled halloumi? Ooh baby. And those were just the appetizers. Interesting wine selection too: the Arcadia red from Turkey was a winner.

J.

Everything was good, the food, the atmosphere...all you want from a restaurant. I love Oklava is not afraid of flavour, salt, spice, sweetness. Every dish we had was tasty but their stand outs were the beef mantı, black sea cheese pide, whipped feta and candied pumpkin (more pumpkin please)!

B.

If you have experienced classic Turkish dishes and flavours before, this will be a delight. The tasting menu is great and changes regularly

T. U.

Absolutely fantastic food, the first successful attempt to modernise Turkish cuisine. The Lahmacun is almost as good as Antepliler

W.

Oklava - Modern Turkish restaurant (tapas styled) The food is different from the usual Turkish restaurants but the taste is phenomenal. I'm usually not a fan of halloumi but they do it perfect 👌 however things were a tad salty and I much prefer the side dishes to the main * I will put a 👌 on all my favourite dishes: Baked lamb fat potatoes w/ fried duck egg 👌• Seftali Kebab • Grilled Hellim👌• Lahmacun (Turkish pizza with lamb • Grilled Cypriot Pastirma Sausage 👌• Chilli-Garlic Chicken w/ Za'atar crumb • White Cod (Market Special) • Carrot Borani 👌• Baharat Spiced Bread & Medjool Date Butter

L. C.

I ordered the tasting menu which included 7 courses for 35 pounds. Indre, the amazing bartender, tried to warn me how much food I was about to receive but I did not heed her warnings. I was not able to finish all of the food but have no qualms about trying all 7 courses. The haloumi was incredible, bread delicious, chili cauliflower was a great mix of flavors, and the fish was perfectly cooked. The rib was good but probably my least favorite of the set. Amazing food with stellar service made for fantastic way to end the evening.

J. B.

Went for the £45 menu and was not disappointed. One of the best Cypriot food places I’ve been (apart from my mother place, obviously), front of house (Chantelle?) was lovely and hilarious. Selin is an artist. Get the Black Sea pide and the künefe.

S. T.

Had a beautifully tasting, quality meal and experience at Oklava, every dish was a delight and opened my eyes to Turkish food and for London the price wasnt crazy, we would not hesitate to return, thank you.

A. F.

Amazing fresh food prepared right in front of you. Go for the tasting menu to get a taste of the best. The mackerel was a favourite and dessert are highly recommended! Staff are super friendly and a great cosy atmosphere. Highly recommend!

C. W.

Delicious food and very attentive service. Sumac martini, cheese pide and date butter were highlights. Many thanks in particular to Howard for looking after us on Thursday night. Highly recommend.

D. T.

Turkish fare is served in a well-styled modern interior. Highlights include: - Baharat Spiced Bread: Whoever came up with the Date Butter is a genius! - The Charcoal lamb - The flatbread: Crispy and moreish! The pomegranate cocktail was quenching (but not strong). Note - I added a note when booking to see if there was space for a child and pram. They ensured that we had a table close to the door and provided us a high-chair! It was great to experience such accommodating staff.

E. M.

Fantastic food, well trained attentive service staff. Maybe a bit more pricey than an average weekday lunch. But definetly worth the extra $

L. P.

Had an absolutely stand out meal here for my dad’s birthday. Every dish was beautifully presented and completely delicious. My photos do not do it justice!

W. P.

Offer a great lunchtime set menu with glass of wine or beer. Service was friendly and the food was delicious. Lots of vegetarian options and the octopus flatbread is lovely!

J. S.

This place is something special, hidden away in Shoreditch the food is delightful. The only issue is that it is a bit pricey, but the food is amazing, freshly cooked and really tasty. Hiya recommend!

D. H.

Being a food lover and cuisine explorer,I should say this restaurant represents the best interpretation of a modern Turkish food that I have ever experienced! The design is minimal and very basic which was a bit disappointing when I walked in at first so maybe not the best option for our anniversary; BUT the food compensated for the whole design thing! We had date butter with spiced bread which was a great start for our pallet and continued with halloumi, meat/onion Pide and Seftali kebab As main course and finishe with a great cup of turkish tea and a divine Kunefe !

J. C.

Not quite what I expected from Turkish Cypriot cuisine. The dishes were tasty but on the small side, with some really interesting flavours which I hadn't experienced elsewhere. The lamb main had very little lamb flavour and the octopus flat bread was really sweet. I'd go again but probably to try out some different dishes.

S. A.

Amazing food, served in small, tapas-like portions. Get at least 4 to enjoy a full meal. Try the Turkish red wine for an extra buzz. The staff was the friendliest I've seen in years.

T. D.

It was our 5th wedding anniversary and my husband booked a table at Oklava, wow being Turkish Cypriot I really enjoyed the food, I can honestly say you have to try the şeftali köfte and the lahmacun and sütlaç (rice pudding) the waiter's were very helpful, the food dont come as your average Turkish restaurant portion, so please dont think its not enough, believe me our eyes are larger than our stomach, unfortunately I didn't take any pictures because I was so excited to start eating i forgot. Highly recommend, Hope your all enjoy your food. Afiyetler olsun to everyone. 😋

S. C.

Food was unreal and staff were amazing. Feta, Pide and the kebab were favourites but throroughly enjoyed every dish. Lovely setting and great atmosphere. Thanks for a fantastic night

V. K.

Oklava is a Turkish restaurant with a modern approach to Mediterranean cuisine. Some of their plates are exceptional. Made with high-quality super fresh ingredients and taste very delicious. There were some dishes with which I was not very satisfied but this is just a personal taste. Service is excellent, welcoming, efficient and very knowledgeable. The atmosphere is ok. I sat outside but there wasn't much of a connection to the restaurant's vibe. Tall chairs surrounding the restaurant. Windows closed so very disconnected from what's happening in the restaurant. Value for money is the major area Oklava didn't earn many points from me. Small portions (tapas size) highly-priced. Chips with a dip at £7, doesn't sound right. Would I return as a customer? Only if I am around the area

M. W.

Mostly excellent Turkish food with a good relaxing atmosphere. But a few things weren't great. We had the Oklava set menu which was good. But the bread with the date butter was too hard and crusty, not the best. The lahmacun was nothing to get excited about and at £9 is three times the price of my local Turkish place and was exactly the same. But the roasted cauliflower was very good and so was the fish dish. I wish we had the lamb tomahawks though. The cocktails we're okay, overpriced at £10 as they weren't especially made well. But we enjoyed our meal here overall.

W. Y.

Very tasty Turkish food. The environment is very nice. Though the portion is very small as the dishes here are mainly for "share and taste".

S. S.

Yum yum yum. We went as a table of 8 and were put on the tasting menu. They were very accommodating to have 4 vegetarians, a couple who ate fish. The food was all sharing plates, very tasty and well timed. The perfect catch up place as it's fairly small so not too noisy. Sorry not to take photos of the food but it was too much fun eating it to bother.

J. C.

Had lunch there on Saturday- casual place, no fuss or thrills. All their dishes are designed to be shared. It is quite expensive because you have to order quite a bit to taste things and to have your fill. We ordered several dishes like the Aubergine on flatbread some little nibbles and the seafood special of the day but to be honest was not too impressed especially considering the price per dish.

b. h.

Absolutely incredible food with the best customer service. Highly recommend this little gem hidden away in Shoreditch 👌🏽

P. F.

Great authentic Turkish food. Quality of ingredients is on point and the wine list is also interesting! The level of service does however vary greatly depending on the waiter/waitress which is a bit of a drawback.

u. r. a.

Pros: Great, amazing food. The date butter is to die for. The beef pide and kokorec (first pic, this one contains lamb meat, liver, intestines) are both well made. The kunefe (dessert in the second pic) is not overly sweet, has a lot of pistachios in it and goes very well with the clotted cream. Cons: Small portions, and it’s a bit pricey. As a Turkish place, you’d expect them not to charge for the tea. All in all it’s worth it. Recommended.

J.

Overall good experience. Nice food and ambiance. Only downsides: service really pushy and a bit pricey for tapas/to share style restaurant.

Y. C.

High Quality Turkish Kitchen with relatively little portions but the taste was so good. I highly recommend you to try helloumi cheese appetizer. Meat dishes were very well presented and cooked. Turkish pastrami on toast bread was a tiny portion and blacksea cheese pide was smaller than what we expected from the pictures. The best part was Kunefe desert with thick cream and some sultanas on top. Check the picture out and enjoy your meal.

G. P.

Been wanting to try this restaurant for a long time. Flew in from Bahrain & I wasn’t disappointed. Service & food was on point.

h.

Incredibly delicious! Lovely spices, portions small but still worth the price.

N. C.

Interesting menu, good food, friendly service, reasonably priced. Nothing wowed me, but I’d still recommend the experience

D. D.

Great service and nice ambience... Open kitchen concept , you can sit at the bar and keep entertained watching the chefs preparing your dishes.

I. M.

Delicious delicious food. And great staff. So friendly. Place has a cool vibe too.

A. R.

Service, food and atmosphere really good. Very enjoyable

D. K.

Absolutely fantastic food! A very interesting take on the Turkish Cypriot cuisine. You have got to try the Turkish coffee there also. The staff were very polite, friendly and helpful. Really brilliant! I absolutely loved this place.

O. K.

Amazing experience, food that was off the charts good, the staff were helpful and very informative helping us with understanding the menu. Can't wait to come back!

f. g.

The food was too salty for my taste but rather than that, it's worth it.

e. o.

Good food, delicious pide! Service was also quite fast.

S. I. D. L. C.

We went here for the brunch option,which brought a delicious cheese,vegetables,and fruit platter,followed by some egg dishes. All with unlimited black tea!

M. C.

Fantastic dining experience. Highly recommend the tasting menu - every dish was beautiful.

J. W.

The waiter was amazing, and so was the food. Highly recommended.

a. v.

The staff was friendly. Some dishes were really nice but overall the quality of the food is not justifying the prices. Very limited choice of drinks and average booking experience, as in order to get a low table rather than a high top with bar stools you have to reply to a long email that you receive after booking online.

I. d. L. M.

Great space, service and food. The bone marrow pide exceeded my expectations

A. K.

I've been waiting to come for well over a year and wasn't disappointed. The food was fantastic. The black sea cheese pide was honestly one the best things I've ever tasted.

B. F.

Superb. Relaxed, unpretentious service with a modern take on everything that’s brilliant when it comes to Turkish food. Everything we ate was brilliant, and full of surprises and excitement. The outdoor seats on a cobbled side street of Shoreditch made the experience feel personal, as if you were in your own restaurant.

H. H.

Really delicious food and cocktails, lovely staff and great atmosphere.

P.

Very good food, particularly the Turkish “pizza” and very interesting wine selection

K. A.

Excellent. Every dish subverted expectations in an interesting way. The staff were very professional, and the ambiance of the place is great too. Well worth a visit

L.

Great food, atmosphere and service. Three of us sat at the corner of the bar overlooking the kitchen. We were in front of the bar and the bar lady ensured we were always cared for with regards to drinks or questions about the menu. Food itself is very tasty - recommend the cauliflower or the halloumi which is full of spices and flavours. Decent value too!

A. P.

Excellent environment, amazing turkish-cypriot gourmet tapas, unique and value for money, dessert out of this world..will be back definetily..

M. T.

The tasting menu was tasty but certainly not generous - I can't remember the last time I spent so much money for so little food, £150 for 3 people!

k. a. (.

We went for the £30 menu that is on offer post covid which is some small bites /starters including date butter (delicious), bread (two small slices), whipped fetta crostini and a Courgette fritter. We then had to choose between a pide or a lahmacun to share between the two of us. We were reassured the pide was of sharing size. I can confirm it is not sharing size! The starters you get are very small which is fine if you are going to be served a proper main size dish. Everything was delicious but I do think the portions are really disappointing. You should either get one pide / lahmacun per diner or make it a sharing size. We came away still hungry which I personally don't think is good enough for £30 pp. HOWEVER I have scored higher because oklava have a great pay policy for their staff and seem to look after them well. Service charge is reflected in the price of the food and so staff do not have to rely on minimum wage to get by.

C. M.

A little gem of a restaurant. It was a hot day but the many windows were flung wide open to create an airy feel. The staff were super helpful recommending how many dishes to order for the 5 of us and everything was delicious. We particularly enjoyed the bread with date butter and the cauliflower. One of out party said 'I never knew cauliflower could taste like that!'. We needed a good restaurant as we were celebrating an 80th birthday and it was just right. The fact that all the staff, front of house and kitchen, joined in with Happy Birthday was a nice touch. At no point did we feel we needed to hurry up as can sometimes happen with lunch bookings. We have already recommended to friends and family.

M. H.

Fantastic reasonably priced food. Friendly helpful staff

B.

Absolutely delicious small plates - being able to sit at the outside bar an added bonus. Beware - the book quickly mounts!

C. A.

Everything was delicious and the host was super nice and helpful.

M. R.

Really tasty, vibrant and unctuous food - I think that sums it up. Surprised at home good the food was. We went for lunch and had a mixture of everything with friends. Gorgeous food and nice little place with good atmosphere. Servers were very knowledgeable if a little over eager at times. Favourite was the trout salad and hellim- simple but oh so tasty! Would definitely go back!

I. S.

Came here with hubby for an anniversary dinner after the owner/head chef was featured on a TV program we both like. Smaller than expected and we were given a seat near the open door, on a cold day (no option to move as fully booked, but perhaps the seat shouldn't be as close to the door...). Service polite but slow, staff able to answer questions about the food, and food tasty. However portion size was very small - the set menu titled 'Sunday Feast's was anything but... We normally like this cuisine for amazing portion and flavor but Oklava let us down. For the price paid it was not worth the money. Also saw food waiting on the bar to be served, next to other customers, with no attention paid by the waiting staff... On the plus side the red pepper and walnut dip (I forget the actual name) was amazing and both DH and I commented on it. Shame we had to pay so much to taste it! Glad we went on the experience as it linked to our shared interest and was an adventure, but won't go back.

H. Z.

A great restaurant choice in central London. I’ve now been several times - the food is perfect for groups to share. While the meat and seafood is tasty, there is also a lot of choice for vegetarians. My tip is to request a table when you book and otherwise you may be seated at the bar. The bar is fun for twos or threes to watch the chefs in action, but you might want to ask for a table for a larger group. Imaginative food, interesting and tasty flavours, and atmospheric.

W. F.

Best described as Turkish tapas, bursting with fresh spices, curious flavours and interesting dishes. So good.

B. C.

Very good Turkish food, incredible balance of flavours. It is quite small though so be sure to book. There are no tables for couples - we had to sit at the bar, but that was quite fun watching how our food was made. Would recommend ordering a maximum of 3 dishes each as we were very full after we ordered 4 - the food was so nice we had to eat it all!

M. L.

My favourite dinning experience whilst travelling through London. One of the highlights of my stay!! I could feel the love in every dish. The food was delicious, staff, and atmosphere were awesome!!

P. S.

Lovely intimate restaurant with an open view into the kitchen. Food was absolutely delicious and I can highly recommend the £35 set menu. We left the restaurant completely stuffed and very satisfied. Great variety of Turkish cuisine. Not a huge amount of room so I would recommend booking a table beforehand. Service was very prompt and friendly. Overall great experience, will be coming back!

G. H.

We had the set menu which was different, tasty and with a superb pudding of rice pudding, rhubarb and white chocolate crumble. Service was great, friendly and helpful. Only downside is that we were sat near to the open kitchen and their extraction could be better, we really smelt of food.

K. H.

Really delicious food! Every bite was flavourful. One star knocked off, as I wanted to try the set menu, but they dont have veggie options for the meat dishes. I wouls have paid the same amount so works in their favour, but nevermind. The date butter - wow! My favourite dish was the tomato and cheese pide with all the pickles though!

a. d. s.

Oklava is currently doing a £30 per person set menu made up of a variety of small snacks / dishes followed by either a lahmacun (thin pizza style bread with lamb) or cheese pide. The snacks were all absolutely delicious - my favourite was the whipped feta crostini and the date butter with bread. However slightly disappointed by the ‘mains’ particularly as we were a group of 5, and only got 1 lahmacun and 1 pide to share between us. I realise it’s meant to be 1 between 2 however as we had a fifth person, there wasn’t quite enough food - and the boys in our party didn’t leave that full so not the greatest value for money. Saying that, we all did enjoy our meal - just would have been better if we had only been a party of 4!

J. P.

My husband and I greatly enjoyed our meal. We ordered drinks and then a few small plates to share. Good wine selection, delicious halloumi. Would highly recommend and will definitely return.

E. B.

Great place, me and my friend had some of the best food we've had in a while. Not to mention the cocktails are on pointe. This little gem has made my "London Favourites" list. In short, I highly recommend this place, great if you want to impress someone or just for a casual dinner in a great atmosphere with the tastiest food, reasonably priced (get the Cheese and Leek Pide mmmm). Easy to book online, which is worth doing as it got very busy. The restaurant is cosy and very aesthetically pleasing - you can also see the Chefs preparing the food behind the counter. I always like that! We arrived a bit early but they were more than happy to seat us ahead of our booking. We started with a Sumac and Pomegranate Cocktail which is honestly the best cocktail I've ever had, and I drink a fair few cocktails! The food was top notch, really flavoursome and well thought out. I am half Turkish, so was really intrigued by the menu - they nailed it. All the my favourite flavours from my childhood on a plate. Brought me lots of joy! We are both vegetarian and had a plethora of choices, and they weren't boring either. We had 4 dishes and Pudding - we had to roll home we were so full. The service was also extremely good, friendly and gracious hosts, our waitress was able to describe all the dishes, with detailed knowledge, and any words we didn't understand. She also recommended dishes that were excellent choices. This dishes themselves are like tapas style, so smaller than a main but still plenty of food to share on dish between two. The quality for the price is exceptional. The pudding was also immense, Rice Pudding like you've never seen it before. I will definitely be returning for date nights, or with friends to show off this excellent find! Hats off to the chef!

N. M.

Absolutely fantastic food and wonderful service!

E. T.

We had our anniversary dinner at Oklava on Saturday night and loved every moment. The food is delicious and exciting, the atmosphere is relaxed and the service is fantastic. We had the Oklava menu - a chef's selection of dishes and were presented with dish after dish of delicious food at the most reasonable price you're ever going to pay for 7 courses in London - almost criminal! Oklava feels like that restaurant that you discover when you're on holiday and wish you could take back home with you so much that you annoy all your friends by talking about it for the next six months.

C. W. C.

Good Turkish/Cypriot food. Nice, small sophisticated twists on dishes. Dishes are ordered to share, we spent about £25 per person including one drink. Whatever you order, make sure you for the salad with it! Paid parking is available nearby (it's about 1 street away, be careful not to park on the permit only sections), or go after 13:30 on a Saturday or anytime Sunday for parking on the doorstep.

O. T.

Great food, super tasty, small hidden restaurant from the busy of Shoreditch!

H. D.

Loved this place! The staff were all genuinely warm and friendly and eager to offer advice on the menu. We were seated at the bar and the staff behind it who were prepping food and making drinks made sure to check we were ok without being overbearing. Check out the hellim cheese cooked in honey, it is TO DIE FOR! Not exactly a budget-friendly kind of place, but worth the ££ for a treat.

E. G.

Cosy place and really delicious food. Amazing.

A. M.

The cauliflower, the warm spiced rice pudding, the Turkish apple tea, everything was perfect and the waitresses know the products very well. Do not hesitate to ask them for recommendations. It is tucked in hidden street in central London but it is definitely worth going there.

J. D. S. C.

Beautiful decor, great location and amazing location tucked away from noisy Shoreditch. The food is incredible and also has plenty of vegetarian options if you are scared off by the meat. I’d highly recommend getting the cauliflower and lemon sole (although fish changes daily with what’s seasonal). Great experience for food lovers and the occasional celebrity spotting.

V. M.

One of my favorite restaurants in London! If you're looking for a gustative trip, it's the right spot! Food and recipes are just to die for! Every plate is unique, and the staff is very welcoming! Perfect for a date night or just if you're craving good levantine food!

B. C.

Food and priced appropriately. 5 stars so far... -1 Was offered bar service when we arrived, and was told we needed to specify if we needed a table when booking. My thoughts on this, "if you need your customers to tell you this, you need to advertise it a LOT better". -1 Super noisy because of all the hard surfaces reflecting conversation sound. Probably won't go again, but if I did I would only go at a quiet time.

N. X.

Just had a delicious meal here! The cauliflower was roasted with this red pepper sauce that caramelised around it. I was always team lahmacun but the octopus pide here converted me to team pide. It was really fun watching the staff manning each of their stations, respect for their hard work!

N. R.

Tasty Turkish Cypriot cuisine served in sharing plates, with tasty cocktails in an intimate setting

D. B.

Had a lovely dinner, good service and great wine! We asked the server pick our food and we enjoyed every dish. Especially loved the feta crostinis, octopus pide, the cured trout and the Diren Collection wine. The portions could be slightly larger but I was delighted with the unique flavors.

Z. A.

After months of awkward anticipation I finally tried Oklava, and by no means was I left dissapointed. I have 18 years of intimate experience with great quality Turkish Cypriot food due to half my family living in Northern Cyprus. Of those 18 years this is the best Turkish food I've had. The produce was of a great quality and it was immediately obvious that the team at Oklava genuinely care about the food they distribute to their customers. Dishes were, for the most part, authentic (The Lahmacun was the best I've had in England by a country mile), and the modernised dishes were also fabulous (the Octopus pide was an usual but delicious twist on a Turkish classic). The service was top notch and the atmosphere was snug. My new favourite restaurant in London.

A. L.

The expectations where compounded by an amazing-looking menu, so before even setting foot in the restaurant, there was much to deliver on, and deliver Oklava did. We attempted to have at least one dish from each section of the menu, starting with the bread with Medjool date butter, a fried duck egg with baked lamb fat potatoes and the braised octopus pides and moving on to the seafood and meat: we chose the citrus monkfish and the crispy pomegranate glazed lamb, topping it off with two desserts (everything pictured). Each dish was a different and interesting combination of flavours. I can't wait to go back and try everything else on the menu! The only thing that disappointed was the Turkish wine that was recommended to us by the staff (would have been a 4.5 otherwise).

A. F. d.

As much as I looked forward to this given the reviews both on the web and in the papers, I'm sorry to say Oklava didn't blow me away and I have to admit I was slightly disappointed. I thought the flavours were interesting but there wasn't anything so good that would tempt me to return any time soon. The meat dishes and roasted cauliflower (a veg I usually avoid) were good but I thought the seafood dishes were mediocre; my monkfish was undercooked and the octopus barely noticeable. Service was good and the venue feels inviting. Just disappointed that I was not more inspired by the food. Agree with the previous reviewer re: woman who runs front of house. Found her just a bit rude and prickly especially when we were updating our reservation.

T. C.

Sublime! The food here is really delicious; I couldn't recommend highly enough. A few standout dishes were the grilled octopus and olive flatbread, the haloumi, the chlli roast cauliflower and the lamb kofte. We sat at the bar seeing into the kitchen which was cool and they just pass you dishes over counter as soon as they're ready. In short, the best meal out I've had in ages – the food was top notch!

K. N.

Wow. This might have been the best meal experience I've had in London in the last two years. The service is fantastic, the food is exciting and delicious and the space is intimate and welcoming. We loved everything we tried, including the grilled hellim, carrot burani, octopus pide, and a beautiful dry red wine from Turkey (Kalecik Karasi). The spiced rice pudding for dessert was also incredible. Don't miss this!

A. N.

Tasty food but way overpriced for what it is. What I thought were the mains were actually tapas at mains prices, group of 4 over £70 a head for normal food (a better alternative would be a Greek restaurant as several of our dishes were Cypriot in any case!). Service was good.

S. A.

Absolutely love Oklava and recommend it to my friends and family. As a Cypriot myself I really appreciate the menu and flavours. The dishes come as and when and are small plates of deliciousness. Have never had a bad meal here and will always return. Oh and the bread with the date butter is gorgeous. I even went and bought the date butter from Selfridges as they sell them there. We are a fan of Selin's food who is the chef/owner there and have bought her recipe book which she was kind enough to sign for us also. Highly recommended!!!

P. K.

We decided to go on Sunday and selected Sunday Feast Menu. The experience was a mixed bag. The waitresses, though friendly and nice, didn't explain what was being served on the plate. They showed up at the table with food and left before we even manged to ask any questions. I mean, be proud of where you work and tell a story. I want to be taken on a journey, if wanted to eat another boring meal I would stay at home and fix myself a bowl of bolognese. Sunday Feast Menu included cold meze, hot meze, a variety of kebabs and koftes accompanied by a salad and fries. We also ordered The Real Seftali cocktail, which was very tasty - no complaints here. The food, however, was a bit of a different story. While cold meze were simply packed with flavour and I say the best part of the whole lunch, the rest left us a bit disappointed. Especially with the size of portions. I was under the impression that it was more of a tasting menu. As much as I hoped for it to be a feast, it was not. The koftes came warm, not hot. The cutlet was way overdone and the fries were soggy and burnt a bit. I was under the impression that the whole experience is going downwards as we progressed. The last dish was a tiny kebab or sausage that the two of us had to slice in half and share. I would not say that we left hungry but the whole lunch was definitely not worth £80 (cocktails and service included). I would not recommend, unless you are not really hungry. The restaurant has a nice vibe and I would love to give it a try during a weekday with a different menu. I doubt I will be coming back for the Sunday Feast Menu though.

M. M.

The food, service and ambience were faultless. While we were finishing up we were jealous of another couple that we saw being served the Pomegranate Lamb as we knew what a treat they were in for. It's so good. Covid-19 update: we visited Oklava again after lockdown started to be lifted. Almost three years after the last visit. Tables were well spaced apart, staff wore the correct PPE and sanitizer was available on every table. It felt very safe. Food was at the same very high standard. The date butter was amazing.

A. A.

Had SUCH a perfect night here for my 30th birthday. From the first cocktail to every delicious meal to the dessert - it was brilliant. Staff were friendly and really accommodating (they went above and beyond in waiting for a friend to arrive). 100% recommend.

D. D.

I've been here a few times now and I can't wait to go back. The food is exquisite and never disappoints. The service is also fantastic they are very attentive and polite. I'm in love with the cauliflower dish... please never take it off the menu! See you soon.

I. S.

The only Turkish Cypriot restaurant in London worth visiting. One of my favourite places to remind me of my heritage. Problem is with some of the stupid reviews below is that when a Turkish person visits they expect the big spread of poor meat with rice and chips for £15.. This is all about its unique taste from Turkish Cypriot food and Selin has grabbed its unique taste and just taken it into another level. It's fine dining people from a unique place.. Not your local kebab shop.

F. H.

Everything on the menu (and wine list) is delicious! This place is relatively new but is already a real local favourite. Only tiny negative is that staff (especially at reception) could be a little better trained...

M. F.

Amazing place where the taste is valued more than how it looks on the plate, which is rare these days. I went here twice: one time with one other person and one time with a group of 5. When we were 2 it was an amazing experience: plate size is perfect to share for 2 and a very nice flow of the food. When we were 5 it didn't live up to my memories of the 1st time. Portions were too small and the flow was off. Tapas are great but you need to adjust to table size: either make bigger plates for larger groups or really warn them about the size. Also, with tapas you don't have to worry so much about time between plates, we waited 15 min for our last dish, which was devoured in 2 minutes by a group of 5. So definitely go there if you're a small group but order wisely if going with a large one.

H. Y.

The set menu is a phenomenal deal. We ate our fill and were constantly surprised by the dishes arriving at our table. Everything was delicious and very filling. Highly recommend

S. I.

Emphasis is on the small plates here, you are better in a group so you can order more. The food is light and very delicious but the service is terribly slow. We essentially had all of our starters before the "pre dinner" drinks turned up and we waited a good 40 mins for 1 desert to show up. The wait staff seem to be working really hard and they are incredibly nice but something about the system or the restaurant layout seems to have them running in circles without achieving much.

A. P.

Oklava is tucked away on Luke Street in a quiet street 50 meters from Great Eastern Street in Shoreditch. The brainchild and chef at Oklava, Selin Kiazim is not only a finalist in the 2017 series of Great British Menu but worked with acclaimed chef Peter Gordon at The Providores in Marylebone. The food at Oklava definetly lives up to her credentials. We visited Oklava for a business lunch with our group of six people arriving to our table around one in the afternoon on a Wednesday. Since the time of this review I have visited Oklava an additional two times and the food still continues to exceed my expectations. Firmly serving food in Turkish-Cypriot fare is a great alternative to the more traditional restaurants in the area. Think Turkish tapas with a menu offering a selection of salads, breads, dishes, meat and fish. Upon entering the first thing you notice is the kitchen-bar complete with stone oven and charcoal grill (mangal). The restaurant space is relatively small, with no more than ten tables and eight spots at the kitchen bar. The best seats are the bar tools at the kitchen table, providing an eagle eye view of the open kitchen and food preparation in front to you. For those looking for a more romantic or quiet spot ask for the tables. The food is not what you would expect from a traditional Turkish establishment. It is full of unique combinations and flavours. The cocktails are refined and balanced. Case in point their medjool date butter provided at the start of the meal with with baharat spiced bread, is outstanding. The lamb dish is crispy with a pomegranate glaze which together with the warm Jerusalem artichoke salad with medjool dates and krispy lavash are delicious. As for the desserts, the warm spiced pudding with hazelnut crumble, pear ice cream and pear sorbet is the simplest yet wonderfully tasty dessert I have had. Some of the reviews mention the food is overpriced. It is relative to area of town and the prices are no higher than restuarants in terms area including The Rivington, Jamie Oliver's Fifteen. The difference is the quality of the food. We actually took advantage of the Lunch Set Menu which is £18 per person and has to be ordered by the whole table. The lunch set menu includes the choice of two dishes per person and snacks including a glass of wine. Having been to Oklava three times, the service is super friendly and efficient - although at times it is hard to get the attention of the waiters. The front of the house, regardless of a reservation or a walk-in has been accommodating and personable. Highly recommend Oklava for those looking for amazingly tasting food and an alternative to the more established resturants in Shoreditch. It is hands down, the best Turkish restaurant in London and it gives places like Palomar (see separate review on highly recommended place as well) a true run for its money.

F. M.

Small and friendly and it expanded my appreciation of Turkish food. It's a sharing concept (of course). By really scouring the menu we managed to find a kebab!

Y. H.

Oklava is a gastronomic take on Cypriot/Turkish food in an intimate, cosy open-kitchen setting. The location is off the main beat in between Old Street and Shoreditch High Street stations. I'd advise reserving because it is small and there aren't that many tables for larger groups, as their website indeed warns. You will be greeted with a pleasantly simple menu with a focus on small tapas-style bites and a handful of pides (Turkish boat pizzas) and grilled mains to choose from. My group were eating pescatarian so we went for a few veggie snacks: whipped feta on a chilli cracker with a square of candied pumpkin, Middle Eastern-spiced sourdough with date butter, and courgette, feta & mint croquettes. Each snack was original, tasty, and very warmly received by everyone at the table. Be warned though: the portions are tiny and most snacks only come with two portions in a serving. The grilled prawns (four king prawns to a serving) were very well seasoned and slathered in cooking marinate. You're even encouraged to go to town on them with a bowl for the shells and warm water bowl to clean your fingers The pides took a little longer to arrive than expected and - in keeping with the rest of the menu - smaller than expected too, but were easily the best tasting pides I've ever had. That sentiment was echoed by our guests, who had the octopus-topped pide (we had the vegetarian option - Cypriot potatoes, fennel, tulum cheese). We finished with chocolate delice and cardamom cream and a hazelnut & sumac ice cream, along with a traditional Turkish tea. Overall, the slight concerns with portion size, price with regards to a non-meat meal without alcohol (approx £35 per head) and casual service were all quickly forgotten by the end of the night. Every dish was delicious and warmly received and, if you're a fan of this cuisine, you deserve to try it in its most gastronomic guise at least once.

S. A.

Interesting and unusual food, friendly staff, pleasant atmosphere. I wouldn't feel compelled to go again, but this was a nice experience. We had the tasting menu (£35pp)

S. M.

My girlfriend and I ate here last night. I'm not a vegetarian myself but out of courtesy to my girlfriend who is, we ate purely vegetarian food. We sat at the bar where we had a great view of the chefs and chatted away to the New Yorker bartender who explained the menu knowledgeably. We certainly weren't short of vegetarian options and not a single thing we ate fell short of absolutely bloody delicious. The menu wasn't re-inventing the wheel but rather rested on Turkish flavour combinations which are known to work - with subtle twists and executed to perfection. We had courgette fritters, honey and orgeano-coated hellim, salty and spicy cauliflower coated in pistachios and a big pumpkin Pides which was filled from corner to corner with satisfying flavour. A crunchy and well dressed salad further balanced out the richer components of the meal. We had a delicious pudding and the whole lot was washed down with a hearty Turkish red. When we played "guess the bill" at the end - it came in well under estimate which is always nice. It's good to see women running the show with a fresh perspective in this male-dominated industry. What is more to like? Would come back here any day of the week!

T.

Unbelievably delicous lamb main, excellent courgette fritters superb chilli cauliflower. Excellent service, great drinks and was the perfect venue for my wife's birthday. If I could would give 6 stars

D. N.

Food was really flavoursome and service was perfectly good. Similar to other reviews, pricing and sizing of the larger dishes would probably put us off returning. Shame as the food was really nice. 3.5 stars from us

E. A.

Nice ambiance and good service overall. Complementary salad, bread and water. However, the portions are disproportionate to the course type. Main dishes are too small and overly priced. The lamb dish we ordered was served without any garnish or side dish and it would be served as a starter/appetizer. The price for it was £13. The Turkish pastrami on the pide was thinly shaved pieces, which is not typical of original Turkish pides. The kunefe was below average as it was ready-made and heated in the oven. I wouldn't probably go there again.

O. C.

One of my fav Turkish restaurants in London! We def needed this! Lovely interior and good vibe! Don’t expect to have something very traditional, it is more contemporary and fusion style. Portions are not big so getting a starter is a good idea. Sucuk is absolutely amazing! I love their Lahmacun, very crispy and thin. They have some good Turkish Wine options as well. Highly recommended!

D. B.

Flawless service, that was one of the best experiences in London: everyone is so attentive and friendly. There is a great vibe from the visitors, matching the surrounding area of high tech and design. Dishes are bursting with a wide range of flavours. Really great experience overall.

E. H.

Being a Turkish person in London i always like to check out any places offering Turkish food. I went with my wife yesterday. Service was very friendly and efficient. i wanted a normal table but only the high tables and stools were available for the time i booked. still they were not to bad in the end but a little limited on space. We had the Lamb on toast / medjool date butter and bread / Spiced Cauliflower / Chilli garlic chicken / Octopus Pide / Lahmacun / Turkish coffee We loved the Pide / Lahmacun / Date butter and bread / and Lamb on toast. The Cauliflower and Chicken i didn't dislike but they both had a very complex and intense taste and were frankly just a little bit of hard work to eat! but they will definitely be to some peoples tastes i suppose It was nice to see the Turkish Cypriot brand of Turkish coffee - Ozerlat so finished off with that. Price was pretty reasonable all in all

M. B.

This is a great place to eat. Lovely intimate environment, with a large kitchen open to the diners so that you can watch their meal being prepared and finished. Great menu and drinks choice and a very enjoyable experience.

A. S.

One of my favourite restaurants in London. The BBQ monkfish was devine and the sticky lamb was so tender I even ate the fat! The service was attentive and friendly. I've followed the rise of this talented young chef Selin and learnt that another sister restaurant will be opening soon- I'll be sure to dine there.

M. M.

Delicious food, every bite is full of flavour! Would recommend everything I've had, especially halloumi and lahmacun. The fries are also a nice surprise:)

C. B.

Exceptional service and food. Luke the manager really knows his stuff and makes this place world class. Great Vege options! I didn't like one of the cocktails and it was promptly replaced with something I did like at no charge.

S. S.

Would love to go again, friendly staff, food arrived timely and in twos which was different to any other place I've been, I adored how it was away from the main road - no city sounds - tucked into a corner. Great food! The best halloumi I've ever tried!

A. L.

Understanding the universal language of politeness and treating guests as you would like to be treated is a lesson that the front of house manager with blonde hair needs to understand in great proportions. Her dismissive, aggressive and offensive behaviour completely ruined our evening and overshadowed the hard work and passion that came from the kitchen. We thoroughly enjoyed our food nevertheless with an establishment such as this it's important that the service is also on par. With such strong competition in London, Oklava cannot afford to mistreat their customers, for that reason alone I will not be going back to the restaurant. "A great restaurant should not just be measured by its food, but also by its service."

S. A.

The food was great but the service wasnt great. We were told when we came that we had the table for two hours only which we already knew from the reservation email however they continued to mention this throughout the meal making us feel very rushed and unwanted. We were done will within an hour and a half and the constant an reminder and pressure really put a damper on the meal.

J. S.

A brilliant meal, with well seasoned, inventive food that makes the mouth sing. We were practically licking our plates. The cocktails are also a must. Already booking our next visit.

G. A.

Good service, and menu, loved some of the innovative starters, very meat centric as you'd expect, seemed to get home clothes very impregnated with a lamb smell, the place is pretty tight with an open grill

W. L.

Portions were quite small but food was delicious but the price was too much I think, a bit pricey. Nonetheless, good place, great atmosphere.

G. S.

Why I loved it? The food was amazing, the people were passionate, the atmosphere was fresh and clean. I'd adjust the volume of the music, but apart from that, I give it give stars.

S. C.

Super friendly and helpful staff and the food just amazing!!

A. N.

Absolutely delicious food. The flavours are absolutely unreal. Highly recommend the cauliflower dish and you cannot not order the Lahmacun!

R. C.

Lovely food, nice friendly staff and great ambiance. We sat at the bar and enjoyed watching them make all the dishes. Would go again!!!!

R. M. T.

Amazing food and great wine! It's very tasty and the choice of dishes is way different to what I expected 👌🏼

j. M.

I loved this place so much last year that I’m going back first thing this year after arriving back in London. Delicious food, good drinks, great service. One of my favorite places to eat in London.

D. L.

Warm and friendly service with an unbelievable range of dishes meaty and vegetarian. Cant wait to go again.

J. B.

A small but stylish Modern Turkish restaurant with some truly delicious dishes. The Pides (Flatbreads) are a revelation. Chilli Roast Cauliflower is a must and if you're in the mood step outside the usual choices and try a Turkish wine, the crisp whites are quite lovely.

A. R. B.

Amazing restaurant with delicious food and the staff are all amazing. Prices are incredibly reasonable and the open kitchen is nice to watch while not being loud or hectic at all

M. Y.

Loved everything about this evening. The service was gracious and unobtrusive. The food was incredible and the cocktails matched perfectly too, would recommend this very highly!

M. B.

very interesting menu, full of wonderful flavours ...staff were very friendly and happy to talk us through each dish ...would def recommend it

s. m.

Great new place from chef Selin Kiazim, serving Cypriot Turkish food in sleek, if a bit cramped, surroundings close to Old Street. I went during opening week, so some details were less than perfect -ex. the pace and order in which the dishes came out, with the pide at the end. However, the food made up for the teething problems - big bold flavours presented with a refinement that did never become fussy. The Lamb Kofte, wrapped in paper-thin durum and served with a refreshing yoghurt sauce, was a highlight, as was the delicious seabass with pomegranate molasses. A place I will surely revisit again and again

D. M.

Simple ingredients taken to the next level, attentive service too

I. P.

Super friendly staff, relaxed atmosphere and delicious food. Feels like you are on holidays without leaving the city. Will definitely recommend and go again! Thank you!

T. S.

The food here is awesome! Everything about this place makes it one of my favs of London. Great service as well! Perfect for an intimate dinner or large group dinner or lunch!

J. W.

Flavors were wonderful, the eggplant dish inspired me to do more with my eggplants. Small bites that were of good portions. Seating is limited though

S. S.

The most amazing place for a celebration, food was spot on and the staff were really lovely. Can't wait to go back!!

L. L.

Simply wow everything is perfect. From the date butter to the kunefe. They make delicious cocktails too.

H. v. E.

Best Turkish and Eastern Med. cooking I have had in London. The Medjool date butter and bread, the Courgette fritters, the fried Prawns, the Carrot Borani salad all five star. What a delightful restaurant. Thank you Kiazim and staff!! Henry van Eck.

M. M.

Amazing. Great service, delicious and unique food served excellently. If you are hungry and nearby then this is s must. I will be back.

J. m.

Superb vegetarian and meat delights. We went to this place after watching the chef on Great British menu, and it was an absolute treat. Highly recommended!

D. G.

Good quality and bit pricey for the portion sizes. Very friendly staff and nice cosy atmosphere and location off the main street. Don't forget to try the halloumi there, delicious

P. J.

Beautiful contemporary Turkish food that is of high quality and taste. This place is still quite new and very busy, best to make a reservation well in advance.

M. N.

Selin has just taken Turkish Cypriot food to the next level. We ordered individually but when everyone's dish arrived we were all eating each other's. Amazing flavours. See you soon Selin and team

S. E.

Absolutely amazing food!! A unique and modern twist to Turkish Cypriot food - Super tasty. I’ll definitely be back!

J. H.

Amazing Turkish food in a relaxed open kitchen atmosphere. Everything I’ve had has been great, particularly the halloumi.

J. K.

Hands-down one of the best meals I have had in years. Couldn't fault it. Will be taking friends and family back here.

E. A.

Amazing, probably better than the much-hyped Mangal 2

S. B.

Pricey but simply amazing food that you will remember for the rest of your life. The staff were accomodating and very friendly.

P. W.

Some of the best food I've had in London, service impeccable and fun sitting by the kitchen bar watching the action. Highly recommended

E. K.

Wonderful food!

C. W.

Amazing food! Watching the chefs cook was a delight. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough.

M. G.

This was our second visit here this year. The first one was exemplary but this time both the dishes we ordered were very average.

D. B.

Cute restaurant with kind staff and cosy atmosphere. Great food that shows Turkish cusine is not merely consists of Kebab.

J. M.

Overrated as it was very difficult to get a booking. Most of the stuff was greasy, try the halloumi and lahmacun, everything else was forgettable.

J. L.

Brilliant absolutely love this place the food was Michelin star standard and very reasonably priced you must have the Turkish coffee to finish sublime.

H. J.

Love this place, menu changes fairly often so there's always something new to try. Amazingly delicious food and wonderful service.

A. A.

Excellent food, loved the combination of flavors in each dish. Recommended and would definitely come back.

E. C.

Really delicious food and great staff. Loved that all the chefs and kitchen crew are female - not the norm in the industry!

T. P.

Excellent meal, went for the tasting menu which is extremely good value for money. Would recommend to all.

A. M.

The most amazing pide/ lamacun I have had. Çok güzel! Great for a first date or if you are trying to impress a special someone!

T. M.

Seriously delicious food. Great for sharing... The flat breads are amazing. Sadly no room for pudding....

A. C.

I had a really nice dinner at this restaurant. Food was superb and service was good. I will definitely come back!

C. F.

Very nice food, both vegetarian and non veg. Cosy, good attentive service. To be repeated

T. S.

Great food, atmosphere and service. Sat at the bar watching the magic happen. Great sharing dishes at a reasonable price.

M. D.

Maybe I had higher expectations than I should have. Alright food, very nice customer service. They need proper raki glasses.

J. T.

Delicious food, great atmosphere and service. I fell over in the snow on my way there and they kindly bandaged my grazes. Will be back!

W. J.

Good Turkish. Portions are a bit weird sized if you're with a group. Better for couples

B. M.

Great selection of food. I had vegetarian - very tasty and we'll presented.

A. F.

Failed miserably on the lunch menu. Not much choice and not much meat. I can see how some people might like it but wasn't for me

H. H.

Fantastic food and wonderful service. One of the best restaurants in the area. Looking forward to the next one opening!

J. B.

I love this place! The food is amazing. Great flavour and so fresh. You must go!

G. B.

Amazing experience .Great food ,well done to the team .

E. J.

Fabulous Sunday brunch!! Best seats are at the bar overlooking the kitchen. Lovely lovely food.

M. C.

Pricey but, worth every penny. My personal favourite was the figs and Za'atar bread. Just sensational

D. C.

Lovely, intimate spot for dinner. Set menu was awesome!

M. R.

11/10 delicious - the date butter was one of the best things ever - a must if you're there

J. B.

Please Google, add the sixth star for this one ✌️

P. T.

Very nice food. I was slightly underwhelmed as was expecting great things after the head chefs appearance on tv

O. M.

It was OK for lunch not mind blown though and service was a bit snobby not very attentive. Maybe dinner next time would be a better choice.

A. B.

Gourmet Turkish food. Excellent flavours. Worth the price tag.

R. K.

Small and friendly place, good food to share, fair prices. I would come again.

L. M.

Beautiful, delicious food. Highly recommended for foodies and those looking for a special place to eat!

K. B.

Very good food, but quite pricey. They have vegetarian options.

H. T.

Small portions rather expensive compare to that. Spicy Turkish cuisine with a modern touch.

N. A.

Amazing food, excellent service and not bad value. Cocktails were a hit too...

C. B.

Really lovely flavour combinations and great list of different cocktails to try!

J. G.

They can't fault the service and the welcome however the food is disappointing, way too much sugar in everything they serve for my taste.

A. L. c.

Food is always great here.. Only problem is fitting all the good on the table.. ;)

M. P.

Food is good, a bit pricey. Loved the grilled hellim with honey.

C. S.

Good food but the portions are very small. Was still hungry after our dinner

G. R.

Good food and atmosphere very lively. A bit small and felt crammed in.

C. L.

Perfectly decent, nice open kitchen. Would not go out of my way to go again but not unhappy to end up There.

j. m.

Very nice place. Sharing platters and delicious food. Slightly pricy

E. C.

Okay food, if a bit fat. Very pricy for the size of the portion, even in a tapas place.

E.

Friendly staff. Food was good but portions are tiny which makes food overpriced!

I. P.

Great food and service. Amazing vegetarian dishes.

H. T.

Nice menu, kind staff, delicious & high quality food.

D. C.

Jewel in shoreditch Turkish tapas style food lunch was Devine really is a must loved it

D. S.

Good Mediterranean food. Fairly horrendous mark up on wines, however.

S. M.

We loved this place, food was great, sèrvice and staff were superb...definitely going back 😉

D.

Amazing food. Book in advanced. You won't be disappointed 🤙🏽

S. C.

Very tasty food and nice atmosphere, although the waiting staff can be rushed and act impolite at times.

S. S.

Delicious food and great service

L. C.

Really enjoyed coming here again. The food was as good as we remembered

J. B.

Nice tasting food, but you really don't get a lot of anything for your money. Seriously.

J. G.

Fantastic food. Great atmosphere. Will return for more.

L. N.

Delicious food, amazing staff and lovely atmosphere.

B. T.

Amazing food and service, get the lamb breast if available, absolutely incredible

L. M.

Very good food, but the venue is incredibly noisy

N. A.

Best Turkish restaurant in London. Its even better than some Turkish restaurant in Turkey😄

E. G.

Loved it both times 😍

A. M.

Incredible food and wine. As good as Turkish/Cypriot can get

J. A.

Seriously great. So many good flavours all in one dish

A. W.

Been a few times, try as I might, still doesn't do much for me. Small plates, pricey, just a bit meh

L. M.

Amazing food and staff! Can't wait to eat here again!

O. I.

Livr this restaurant, definitely a destination and will become a regular eatery for us.

s. j.

great food nice lunch experience great pide with a twist

M. M.

Definitely one of the best places I have visited, Highly recommend, Will be back soon

E. C.

Excellent service, food was fantastic.. recommended whole heartedly.

R. K.

Very impressed with the food. Lovely feel about the place.

D. P.

Tapas are delicious. The cauliflower is a must!

S. S.

Service great .. food great

A. M.

Service was amazing and the food was incredible!

G. H.

Exceptional food. Recommend the Halloumi with rosemary and honey.

T. C.

Excellent. Good quality Turkish food.

R. C.

Amazing menu, lovely staff and pleasant evening. 😀

N. M.

Incredible food, fantastic service.

J. H.

Amazing food and service

A. S.

A must eaterie for Cypriot food, we loved it.

B. W.

Good filling food, nice cocktails, slow service

A. A.

Great tasting food in a nice and clean environment.

V. R.

A great place. Love the tapas. Very nice

D. C.

Finally a contemporary Cypriot restaurant in London that actually tastes good

C. W.

Fantastic food, especially the lamb kofte.

j. m.

Nice Turkish restaurant with great food and service.

R. K.

A delicious Turkish place with amazing flavours and execution

S. W.

Great atmosphere. Good food.

T. K.

Amazing hidden gem, must be tried by everyone 😍

A. T.

Great innovative food in a lovely new restaurant.

M. F.

Delightfully good. Great service. Just a little loud.

T. H.

their desserts are better than their main.

C. R.

Just delicious!

J. D.

Unreal and well priced, great wine too

G. I.

Small plates of modern Turkish food

A. F.

Innovative but simple, fantastic flavours and atmosphere

J. B.

It was better than Cats and I'm going back again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again

H. H.

Delicious, modern Turkish food

A. R.

Great food and service, recommended

E. S. E. (.

Yum. Yum. Yum. Proper mediterranean, and open windows!! Wonderful!!

J. S.

Wonderful food, well recommended.

N. C.

Great innovative food with warm service

C. A.

Amazing food & service!

A. M.

Simple, excellent food. Go.

S. G.

Delicious food and great ambiance

S. B.

Excellent food. Super service.

K. R.

The food is just amazing.

S. J.

Very small, good for a date

R. C.

Delicious food and great service

N. T.

Very good turkish food

R. A.

Delicious food, reminds me of home

B. P.

Best place for this kitchen in London

L. G.

Delicious food. Really good wine too. Service was good. I had the blood orange ganache for dessert and it was honestly the best dessert I’ve had in a long time.

S. R. H.

Incredible cuisine by Selin and team!

J. G.

Good food great wine

N. K.

Amazing cod. Stunning

C. A.

Great food and atmosphere

M. M.

Excellent food. Very tasty. Food took a long time to come & wine serving by glass is minuscule. But I would return

H. A.

Great food and atmosphere

M. C.

Delicious Turkish Cypriot food

T. T.

Great food and staff

J. S.

Delicious vegetables in particular

E. O.

Simply delightful food!

A. K.

Great food!!

P. S.

Amazing food!

B. H.

Amazing Food!

A. S.

Good

B. G.

Delicious food

A.

Great customer service

I. M.

Yum!

J. C.

Tasty

J. C.

Nice

C. v. m.

Try before you die

J. D.

Mediocre

h.

Extremely amazing

E. B.

Beautiful food

A. B.

Amazing food

R. J.

Interesting concept

V. A.

Marvellous

A. B.

An amazing food experience !

P. S.

(Translated) Although relatively new, the restaurant is exceptional - every dish has character and impeccable flavour, presentation and execution. The theme is Turkish Cypriot cuisine, with minor adaptations and homage to English and contemporary cuisine. The counter experience was great: you can follow all the work in the well-tuned kitchen. The drinks are also noteworthy, with bold flavors and a good balance between the spirits used. The seafood special is among the best dishes we've ever eaten - but it was seasonal. (Original) Apesar de relativamente novo, o restaurante é excepcional - todos os pratos tem personalidade e um sabor, apresentação e execução irretocáveis. A temática é cozinha turco cipriota, com pequenas adaptações e homenagens à culinária inglesa e contemporânea. A experiência no balcão foi ótima: você consegue acompanhar todo o trabalho da bem afinada cozinha. Os drinks também merecem destaque, com sabores ousados e bom balanço entre os spirits utilizados. O especial de frutos do mar está entre os melhores pratos que já comemos - mas era sazonal.

C. L.

(Translated) Good tasting… everything was exquisite. One of the best restaurants tested this year. We especially liked the Black Sea cheese pide, fried halloumi and hispi cabbage. The cocktails were also very successful. In short: fabulous. (Original) Bonne dégustation… tout était exquis. Un des meilleurs restaurants testés cette année. Nous avons particulièrement aimé la Black Sea cheese pide, l’halloumi frit et le hispi cabbage. Les cocktails étaient très réussis également . En un mot : fabulous.

F. A.

(Translated) Beautiful Turkish restaurant! A splendor in all the plates. A very nice service, a framework that could however why not be more cozy at least more comfort at the seating. Anyway it's divine every dish is marked and authentic. Long live the Mediterranean cuisine. (Original) Magnifique restaurant turque ! Une splendeur dans toutes les assiettes. Un service très agréable, un cadre qui pourrait cependant pourquoi pas être plus cosy du moins plus confort au niveau des assises. Quoi qu’il en soit c’est divin chaque plat est marqué et authentique. Vive la cuisine méditerranéenne.

G. G.

(Translated) during the covid in which it is not yet possible to dine inside we dined outdoors on the window Friendly staff Good food Good price (Original) durante il covid in cui ancora non si può cenare all interno abbiamo cenato all aperto sulla finestra Personale cordiale Cibo buono Prezzo buono

J. A.

(Translated) Menu of the day (four tapas) with wine € 18. Good food, different dishes and plenty of vegetable options. (Original) Menú del día (cuatro tapas) con vino 18€. Buena comida, platos diferentes y bastantes opciones de verdura.

D. M.

(Translated) Interesting reinterpretation of Turkish cuisine, with an average price but all of excellent quality and kind and fast staff. (Original) Interessante rivisitazione della cucina turca, dal prezzo medio ma tutto di ottima qualità e staff gentile e veloce.

F. V.

(Translated) Great dishes - Ideal for sharing multiple dishes (Original) Super plats - Idéal pour partager plusieurs plats

M. T.

C. M.

D. M.

D. P.

J. B.

F. K.

T. G.

J. N.

J. C.

A. P.

S. K.

M. I.

B. B.

J. C.

S. P.

J. “. M.

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