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When curating a roll of London’s best dining spots, one might anticipate well-known award-winning venues. However, nestled prominently among these gastronomic heavyweights is a unpretentious salonu situated in a far-flung corner of northern London.

An Shocking Honour

This compact Turkish spot, specialising in the street food of Mersin, a city on Turkey’s southern coast, has been crowned the fourth top restaurant in the metropolis by a influential gastronomic guide. The recognition has made the owners utterly astonished.

“I am totally surprised,” states a family member, referring to his parents’ hard graft that culminated in their small restaurant securing such a prominent position on a respected 99-strong list.

A Appeal of Modesty

The little venue, which used to be a basic cafe before its transformation into a buzzing destination, has retained much of its original charm. It seats just more than 20 people and, beyond the impressive live cooking show, the setup remains mostly unchanged. “It is a compact and cozy spot,” notes the owner.

The Signature Dish: Tantuni

Ultimately, it is focused on the cuisine, and this restaurant more than delivers. The restaurant’s namesake dish, tantuni, is a straightforward joy. The meat—whether lamb or chicken—is prepared via steaming to keep a succulent texture.

The meat is then added into a sizeable pan with spices and oil, which are incorporated in bit by bit. Once the meaty mixture heats through, handmade lavaş—a pliable bread—is laid on top to soak in all the flavours. Thinly sliced onions and a handful of parsley are placed before the flavourful meat is folded neatly inside.

It is typically enjoyed with a squeeze of lemon or some tangy accompaniments. The outcome is a strong slap of taste, with subtle hints of sumac, sharp onions and spicy, paprika-laced oil pulling it all together.

Other Than the Basic Tantuni

Another option is yoğurtlu tantuni, where the meat-filled lavaş is chopped and finished with yogurt, tomato sauce and cooked, nutty browned butter. A respected food critic labelled this dish “among London’s few flawless, impeccable dishes”.

For dessert, the restaurant’s künefe goes down a delight. It is soaked in lighter syrup than is typical, imparting it a richer, toastier and less sickly flavour.

Surpassing the Stars

Remarkably, this modest restaurant has outplaced several renowned three-Michelin-starred establishments. It finds itself just behind the top of the list, just after other notable dining destinations.

While two people could easily leave the restaurant full for less than £25, comparable meals at high-end establishments can run into significantly more than that amount.

A Creed of Hospitality

The restaurant is also among several Turkish restaurants included and is found well beyond the city’s central zones. “It is not focused on luxury. London is an expensive city. It is belief that in an expensive place you’re going to have the best service and finest food but I don’t agree with that,” explains the owner.

“In my view what is paramount is friendliness, friendliness and somewhere you can be yourself and be calm.”

This view is supported by the list’s curator, who remarked that if he was in a role of authority, he would “make it mandatory to have every chef in London visit this spot as a finishing school, to show them the dangers of excess, and to reveal what is attainable if you do only a handful of – or three – things to their utmost best”.

A Path of Hard Work

In contrast to most chefs running kitchens in the list’s top ten, the head chef behind the food did not apprentice at elite restaurants. “I feel truly pleased of our restaurant and our mum,” concludes her son.

A lot of restaurants take years to establish themselves, but this one first launched seven years ago. Its popularity is due to relentless, seven-day weeks of work.

“Our mum used to be really tired. She would buy ingredients in the morning and create the food in the afternoon. All of it is prepared manually; she would do all of this. She is a solo parent and she had a life outside work but her friends would support her to help her. She was raising children and a house to look after as well. Each of these duties forged her into what she is now: a brilliant person,” he says.

An Accomplishment for the Culture

The restaurant’s success is bound to have meaning outside its own walls. “I believe numerous people would be happy, as I am, because the Turkish community is a major part of London,” says the owner, emphasising the greater importance of this culinary achievement.