When searching for Turkish food on Green Lanes, there are four obvious options: Gökyüzü, Antepliler, Selale and Diyarbakir. All have been around for years, serving home-style Turkish food to loyal masses that return again and again for a comforting feast. If you’re a local, you pick a favourite and rarely go elsewhere.
Gökyüzü is undoubtedly the slickest of the bunch. After a massive renovation a few years ago, it has classy leather seats, spacious booths lining the walls and loads of big tables that are well-suited to groups and families. In summer, there’s an al fresco dining section out front that soaks up the sun, and at the front of the restaurant, there’s a big, smoky open kitchen where chefs can be seen shaving off kebab meat.
If you’re a hungry carnivore, order one of the huge sharing platters. They arrive loaded with lamb and chicken shish, doner, wings, ribs and adana kebabs. Gökyüzü’s strength is its meat: all the grill options we tried here were absolutely delicious. Not quite up to the sharing platter task? There are loads of other menu items to keep you occupied. Don’t miss the beyti section of the menu: a Turkish dish where different meats are wrapped in soft lavash bread, topped with cheese and served with a yoghurt and tomato sauce. Gökyüzü’s minced chicken version (sarma tavuk beyti) is massive, juicy, spicy and superb.
Smaller dishes, like the lahmacun (Turkish pizza) with minced lamb, and meze dishes like falafel and halloumi, are a little plain compared to what else is on offer. But no matter, every meal there comes with free houmous, unlimited bread, salad and bulgur wheat, so you won’t need to order anything beyond a main course.
We love Gökyüzü because eating there is almost always superb value. No matter what you order, you’ll end up with a proper Turkish feast.