Restaurants

This stretch of Green Lanes is solid with Turkish cafés, almost all following a similar pattern. They serve filling daily stews, standard grills, soups and pideler (Turkish pizzas). Everything is freshly prepared, usually in front of the diner. Selale stands out in having a small fountain inside and a covered, fenced-off area on the wide pavement outside with a few more tables. Our pide was of a high standard (the lahmacun is notable here too), but the music on the CD player oozed cheese. Halep in a thick sauce was energetic rather than subtle. Water features aside, these cafés survive on the authentic freshness of their food rather than on any claim to originality, but several thrive on this basis and are worth a visit. The atmosphere at Selale was relaxed and the staff friendly, overcoming an initial confusion over the order.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009