1999 was a big year for the UK. Not because Fatboy Slim released ‘Praise You’, or because the Millennium Dome went up. No, 1999 was a big year because Gökyüzü opened in Harringay. In just a couple of decades, the Turkish restaurant has become a London stalwart. Mention this place’s name to someone and you’ll probably get a slow nod and an “oh yes, oh yes” in agreement. The space—a multicoloured, pleather-filled, made-dot-com extravaganza—is enormous. But although it looks a little showroom-y at first glance, nothing is for show here. Everything is geared towards feeding you brilliant grilled meat and vegetables, among other things. In fact, from the moment your arse hovers above a seat, warm flatbread, dressed salad, and dip is put down in front of you. Resist the urge to fill up on complimentary bread and salad before ordering from the menu proper. Familiar favourites like doner and chicken shish are delicious and just over £10 with rice and salad for a ‘small’. Strong emphasis on the quotation marks there. It’s pretty much impossible to leave without being fed extremely well. It’s hard to list everything we like about Gökyüzü. We’ve been coming here for years: for big group birthday celebrations; romantic meze evenings; solo drop-ins with a çöp shish and one working headphone. It’s also one of the finest pick-up or takeaway options in London, and it’s open from 9am until 2am. This isn’t so much a restaurant for a specific type of person, than it is for the city as a whole.