How Green Lanes Became London's Turkish Heartland
The story of how a North London street became home to the UK's largest Turkish community.
If you want to understand Turkish food in London, you need to understand Green Lanes. This mile-long stretch of North London is home to the largest concentration of Turkish restaurants outside Turkey—and it didn't happen by accident.
The Waves of Migration
Turkish migration to the UK came in several waves, each shaping the community we see today.
Turkish Cypriots (1950s-1970s)
The first significant wave came from Cyprus, then a British colony. Turkish Cypriots, many with British passports, came seeking work. The intercommunal violence of the 1960s and the 1974 partition accelerated migration.
Mainland Turks (1980s-1990s)
Political instability in Turkey—the 1980 coup, the Kurdish conflict—brought a second wave, this time from Anatolia. Many came from southeastern regions with strong culinary traditions: Gaziantep, Adana, Urfa. They brought their food with them.
What Makes It Special
Green Lanes isn't just a collection of Turkish restaurants—it's an ecosystem:
- The restaurants: Ocakbaşı grill houses competing on quality
- The butchers: Supplying fresh, properly butchered lamb
- The bakeries: Making baklava with imported ingredients
- The grocers: Stocking everything from dried peppers to Turkish tea
- The community: Regulars who hold standards high
Ready to explore? See our complete Green Lanes food guide.