London’s best kebabs
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By Guy Dimond and Charmaine Mok. Photography Ming Tang-Evans
Posted: Mon Sep 1 2008
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Snack attack: Pakistani fast food at Tayyabs Kazan City
ASIA MINOR FOR CITY SLICKERS
This brand new City offshoot of the Pimlico original has an unassuming exterior, which conceals an opulent den where diners can recline on banquettes for a true Turkish feast. The restaurant combines modern touches with traditional Turkish dishes, which range from hot and cold mezze to substantial kebab mains. The ‘Sultan’s shish kebabs’ are juicy chunks of chargrilled chicken or lamb sandwiched between peppers and onions, served straight from the skewer and with perfectly-cooked rice and the house chilli sauce – a piquant, fresh-tasting concoction vastly superior to the processed stuff found at takeaways. Istim kebab is tender cuts of lamb wrapped in meltingly soft slices of aubergine, far removed from the usual meat-on-a-stick kebab. On our visit there was a notably long wait between mezze and mains, but at least this suggests everything was freshly prepared.
Kazan City, 34-36 Houndsditch, EC3A 7DB (020 7626 2222/www.kazan-restaurant.com). Aldgate tube. Feature continuesAdvertisementTayyabs
PAKISTANI FAVOURITE IN WHITECHAPEL
This Pakistani canteen has been around since the 1970s, and is more popular now than it’s ever been. Even if you’ve booked, you still need to arrive early and queue. Starters include chicken or mutton tikkas, lamb chops, seekh kebabs and shami kebabs: all low-priced, and all beautifully cooked. Don’t overload on these though, as the main courses – dhals, karahi dishes and the like – are very filling. Be warned that this isn’t the place for a relaxing meal: as soon as you’ve put down your cutlery, you’ll be rushed out the door to make way for the next people in the serpentine queue.
Tayyabs, 83 Fieldgate St, E1 1JU (020 7247 9543/www.tayyabs.co.uk). Aldgate East tube. Unlicensed: BYO, no corkage charge.
Maedah Grill
A tad incongruous in an area better known for its curries and large Bengali community, this restaurant does the Turks proud. Like many Turkish restaurants the meat here is halal, and there’s a strict no-alcohol policy. It doesn’t deter the regular punters, though, as the food is superb – cop shish comes in large portions of juicy lamb cubes (grilled on the impressive ocakbasi) with rice (light as air) and an obligatory but decent green salad. Pide are baked fresh, in their massive clay kiln.
Maedah Grill, 42 Fieldgate St, E1 1ES (020 7377 0649/www.maedahgrill.net). Aldgate East tube.
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25 comments
The Best Kebabs, Fish. and Lamb Chops are all served in Stoke Newington. Very Reasonable prices. Hussan Restaurant, and many others along the main road do a raring business and are open until very late everyday.
Everyone should try there.
I have eaten at many of these restaurants and am shocked that Beyti on green lanes by Newington Green is not there. my favourite Kebab restaurant in London. Fantastic cuts of meat, expertly charcoal grilled - all at a credit crunch busting low price. An absolute treat!
How can Best Mangal have been missed off. travesty!
Unfortunately you have missed the two best new tastes in London at this current moment in time:
TAD Restaurant in Hackney 261 Mare Street, I mean the retaurant just brings light to the area.
and the new branch TAD Mangal in Fulham, 297 North End Road
Check out the appoval given on the Kebab Kid Group on Facebook! Courtesy of some seriously loyal customers!
Testi in Stokey for me too! Mmmmmm
I think the journalists just post thse who advertise wth the magazine as so many places have been missed even in general reviews
Lahore is good, tayabs use to much colouring.
Those who ever fly out from Heathrow should def try out Karahi Express - Its an indian restaurant similar to lahore.
very popular in west london. full of locals
What about Testi in Stoke Newington??
What about the famous Lahore Kebab House just off Commercial Road in E1. I've been going there for years and despite it becoming trendy in more recent times the food is still second to none.
Also Tayyab in Fieldgate Street, E1, also great food. You'll probably have to queue.
bouzoukia on the hill n10 very friendly plus authentic dancing and music on fri and sat
lemonade hendon kosher with authentic yemeni sauces
BOLU BOLU BOLU of CAMBERWELL. and how was this missed?
Bolu Kebab in camberwell is by far the best late-night kebab shop. also Dionysus might just burn down again... acidentally....
Surely Crystal on Holloway Road deserves a mention? Easily one of the best in North London.
We need to know if the ingredients are any good or not.
Many fast food outlets (a category in which kebab shops fit) and cheap eateries cut corners by means of pretty nasty ingredients.
I wish Timeout and other publications would check the quality of the ingredients used (any establishments with nothing to hide would have no problem to allow this).
Reviews based solely on presentation and flavour should nowadays considered lazy journalism...
surely lahore kebab house in hendon deserves a mention?