Numara Bos Cirrik II

North London is the place to go if you want to find the best Turkish restaurants in the city.

Numara Bos Cirrik II is a family restaurant without pretensions. Found in North London, in Stoke Newington, it’s the younger brother of the place by the same name in Dalston, with equally delicious food, more options and better odds of getting a table without a reservation.

The grill can be seen from outside the restaurant and the look of the meat will make you want to come inside. Cross through the doors and the mix of flavours envelops you. The Turkish servers wait on you with diligence and kindness. The tables have red paper tablecloths, the walls decorated with paintings that wink to the Ottoman Empire.

The first things to arrive at your table are drinks and Turkish flatbread with a certain smoked aroma, a touch of onion and light as a feather. The waiter warned us that it may have some remnants of meat as it’s toasted beside the kebabs.

By the time the serve the meze – and it doesn’t take very long – the bread has already been devoured. Both the hummus and the falafel are to die for. The lahmacun, a combination of thin dough with spiced lamb, onions and spices on top, is definitely worth repeating.

The main dishes come with various salads, all very colourful and with different ingredients (but always with onion). The salads, just like the bread, are on the house. The table is full of food. The Et Beyti, a shish kebab, is prepared with garlic and parsley and cooked on the grill with mint. Accompanied by tomato and peppers, the meat of this kebab is very tasty.

The Pirzola (lamb chops), cooked on the grill, is a wise choice for those who love tender meat. The Tavuk Beyte Yogurtlu, grilled chicken with yogurt sauce, garlic and parsley on lavash bread and tomato sauce, is so abundant they serve it on a tray. The smooth texture of the yogurt mixes with the meat, with delicious results.

The vegetarian option has to be tried – the Turkish Moussaka, served practically floating in fresh tomato sauce and with a ton of flavour in every layer.

The waiters are used to the diners, unable to finish their feast, having their food packed up to take home. They take reservations every day.