What critics and publications have said about Iznik
Good mezes, great lamb dishes, and an extensive vegetarian repertoire are what pull the crowd at this exotically decorated, authentic Turkish tavern. We rate this currently as the best all-round Turkish restaurant in London.
High Point: The Atmosphere
Jeremy Wayne, The Guardian – The Guide
Turkey is a country with an underrated cuisine, but a visit to Iznik in north London may surprise you. Just up the road from the Arsenal ground, this friendly, affordable restaurant is a café by day and an exotic Turkish eaterie by night.
The menu has all the usual Turkish stalwarts but with some unusual, enticing additions. Falafel can be bland, but mine was burnished and spicy. The main course, diced lamb with creamy aubergine sauce and grated cheese, was delicious too. For pudding, if you’re not a baklava fan, choose the bramble mousse, followed by raki, the Turkish equivalent of Pernod, which will clear any palate. Iznik is a true Turkish delight.
Francesca Ryan, GQ Magazine
Excellent, authentic Turkish food, concentrating on oven-cooked dishes rather than grilled meat. Save room for the rich desserts.
The Food and Drink 50, Time Out Magazine
Diners love the exotic atmosphere of Iznik, with its Ottoman tiles, Turkish lanterns and romantic candlelight. The food is delicious, plentiful and cheap, and ventures beyond the beaten track of most Turkish restaurants.
Start with a dish of fried grated courgette and feta cheese or borek (filo fingers stuffed with cheese or minced lamb), then move on to karniyarik, aubergine stuffed with meat and herbs. The wine list lives up to the standard of the food.
The Times – “10 Top Tastes of the Med: A guide to the best Mediterranean restaurants in London and the South East”
Our quest, after two months’ absence from the Sublime Porte, was to find a taste of Turkey somewhere in London. Turcophile friends suggested the Iznik Restaurant in Islington, and we made the evening journey to discover a place full of character, with mosque lamps hanging from the ceiling and walls covered in tiles and calligraphy.
Mezes arrived first, including Iznik’s patlican salatasi – a charcoal-grilled aubergine dish enriched with yoghurt, cream and green pepper. Olives, pickles and white cheese accompanied raki and a bottle of Cankaya, a crisp and fruity white wine.
The menu offered a wide range of familiar Turkish dishes such as hunkar begendi, kadin budu kofte and karniyarik, alongside a few Middle Eastern influences. Our host Adem Oner chose the main course – fresh sea bass and monkfish with a light sabayon sauce – beautifully cooked and delicately balanced.
Desserts followed in abundance, including ayva tatlisi, revani, ekmek kadayif and a bramble mousse. Tasting everything, the ekmek kadayif scored full marks for authenticity while the mousse matched it for pure deliciousness.
Even if this is not exactly Istanbul, it makes a promising substitute – and if we lived in Islington, Iznik would be the kind of place we would easily make our local.
Christopher Ryan, Cornucopia Magazine