- Price
- ££
- Cuisine
- Meze & Fine Dining
Gem is a Turkish and Kurdish restaurant on Upper Street in Islington, with Greek and Middle Eastern influences on the menu. The dining room has an Anatolian feel, with a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Charcoal cooking is the focus. Cold meze include patlıcan soslu and olive-oil green beans, hot meze take in börek, grilled sucuk and crispy mantı, and house specialities…
Gem is a Turkish and Kurdish restaurant on Upper Street in Islington, with Greek and Middle Eastern influences on the menu. The dining room has an Anatolian feel, with a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.
Charcoal cooking is the focus. Cold meze include patlıcan soslu and olive-oil green beans, hot meze take in börek, grilled sucuk and crispy mantı, and house specialities include mantı, ali nazik and İskender. From the barbecue come Adana, beyti, chicken and lamb şiş and lamb pirzola.
It suits a group dinner on Upper Street, a weekend bottomless brunch or a relaxed meal before a show at the Almeida.
What to order at Gem Restaurant
Mix a few meze with one of the house specialities, then add a grill for the table.
- Patlıcan soslu – fried aubergine in a tomato sauce
- Ezine peyniri – white cheese from Ezine, traditionally served with rakı
- Mantı – small Turkish dumplings with yoghurt and spiced butter
- Ali nazik – lamb on a smoky aubergine and garlic yoghurt purée
- İskender – sliced kebab meat on bread with tomato sauce, butter and yoghurt
- Beyti – spiced minced lamb kebab from the charcoal grill
- Kuzu pirzola – grilled lamb chops
Cook it at home
Liked what you ate at Gem Restaurant? Try our sigara böreği recipe, mantı recipe and İskender kebab recipe at home. You can also read more about meze.
Atmosphere and good to know
Gem has a bar, and its bottomless brunch pairs unlimited drinks with Mediterranean meze. There are plenty of vegetarian dishes among the meze.
Halal status isn’t stated, so ask when you book. Upper Street is busy at weekends, so booking is sensible for groups and for the brunch.
Gem Restaurant opening hours
Opening hours aren’t confirmed yet, so check with the restaurant before you travel.
How to get to Gem Restaurant
Highbury and Islington (Victoria line, London Overground and National Rail) is around 5 minutes’ walk away, and Angel on the Northern line is roughly 15 minutes. Buses 4, 19, 30 and 43 run along Upper Street and stop close by.
For live routes and disruptions, use the TfL Journey Planner.
Menu, ordering and contact
Website · Menu · Instagram · Call 07342 520033
More Turkish food nearby
Nearby, try Levent Börek Islington and Nova Grill (The Grill Club), or browse all Turkish restaurants in Islington & Angel. New to Turkish food? Start with our guide to popular Turkish dishes or see the best Turkish restaurants in London.
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