October 2015 - Food

Where to Eat this Month - Gökyüzü

While London life may not be getting any cheaper, its appetite for great value food has never been bigger. With the cost of rent and travel taking ever-growing bites out of our salaries, knowing where to find London’s best budget restaurants is more important than ever.

Large, utilitarian – and the gobsmacking go-to venue for prodigious portions of excellent cooking in London’s main Turkish neighbourhood. Consistently the busiest restaurant in this most Turkish of locales, Gökyüzü retains its position as the go-to venue on Green Lanes for Turkish cuisine. Portions are generous, bordering on the reckless, for exceptional cooking. Start with the huge ‘small’ mixed meze served with bread from the wood-fired oven: highlights being a sprightly kısır loaded with mint and spring onion, a haydari rich with dill, and a fresh-tasting soslu patlıcan (grilled aubergine with tomato sauce). Continue with a kebab, or güveç (lamb and aubergine casserole) stewed to tender perfection in an earthenware pot. Occasionally rushed service, a large utilitarian interior and a limited wine list barely detract from the excellent food. My rating 9/10.

Meal for two with drinks and service: around £37
Best dish under £5: the small mixed meze starter for two (£8.50)
Best cheap dish: for the daily stew (£7.50)