- Cuisine
- Meze & Fine Dining
- Area
- Crystal Palace
Dem Restaurant Crystal Palace is a Turkish meze and grill restaurant on Central Hill, a short climb from the Upper Norwood triangle. It has built a big local following for charcoal-grilled kebabs, yoghurt-based house specials and a long list of cold and hot meze, served with homemade pide bread. The kitchen sticks closely to the classics. Adana köfte, beyti and…
Dem Restaurant Crystal Palace is a Turkish meze and grill restaurant on Central Hill, a short climb from the Upper Norwood triangle. It has built a big local following for charcoal-grilled kebabs, yoghurt-based house specials and a long list of cold and hot meze, served with homemade pide bread.
The kitchen sticks closely to the classics. Adana köfte, beyti and lamb and chicken şiş come off the grill, while the yoghurt section covers İskender, Ali Nazik and the house speciality, Altı Ezmeli kebab, served over a spicy tomato ezme. Starters such as cacık, tarama and sigara böreği work well for sharing, and there is a vegetarian section that includes musakka.
Its own website says the aim is to bring the feel of a Mediterranean holiday to south London. In practice that means a relaxed neighbourhood dining room that suits family meals, birthdays and groups of friends as much as a quick weeknight dinner for two.
What to order at Dem
These are some of the dishes on Dem’s menu worth ordering:
- Altı Ezmeli Kebab – the house speciality: grilled kebab served over a spicy tomato and pepper ezme with yoghurt
- Ali Nazik – grilled minced lamb on smoked aubergine and garlic yoghurt
- İskender – sliced kebab over pide bread with tomato sauce, yoghurt and butter
- Kuzu Beyti Sarma – minced lamb kebab wrapped in thin bread, sliced and topped with yoghurt and sauce
- Adana Köfte – hand-minced spiced lamb grilled on a skewer over charcoal
- Sigara Böreği – crisp filo rolls filled with white cheese
- Tarama – creamy cod roe dip for sharing with warm pide
- Şöbiyet – syrup-soaked pastry with cream and pistachio, served alongside baklava
Atmosphere and good to know
Dem is a casual, friendly dining room that works for couples, families and larger groups. The menu is built for sharing, with plenty of meze to order before the grills arrive, and vegetarians have a dedicated section to choose from rather than just sides.
Alcohol is served, including Efes and Peroni beer, rakı and wine, alongside Turkish tea, Turkish coffee and ayran. The restaurant is open every day from noon until 11pm. It is popular, so booking ahead through the reservations page on its website is sensible on Friday and Saturday evenings. A takeaway menu is also available.
Dem opening hours
Monday to Sunday: 12:00–23:00. Hours can change on bank holidays, so check with the restaurant before you travel.
How to get to Dem
Gipsy Hill station (Southern and Thameslink) is about a 10-minute walk down the hill, and Crystal Palace station (Overground and Southern) is around 15 minutes away on foot. Bus routes serving Central Hill and the nearby Crown Point and Westow Hill stops include the 3 and 417. Street parking is available nearby.
Menu, ordering and contact
View the menu · Order or book online · Dem website · Call 020 8761 1664
More Turkish food nearby
Browse more Turkish restaurants in Crystal Palace. New to Turkish food? Start with our guide to popular Turkish dishes or see the best Turkish restaurants in London.
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