‘Every chef should train here’: Turkish restaurant ranks fourth on list of London’s top food spots
On a list of London’s best restaurants, you would expect to see the usual Michelin-starred suspects such as The Ledbury, Ikoyi and The Ritz,But high among these culinary heavyweights sits a humble salonu tucked away in the depths of north London,Neco Tantuni, a small Turkish eatery specialising in the foodie delights of Mersin, a city located on the southern coast of Turkey, has been crowned the fourth best restaurant in London by Vittles, the trendy food magazine that has become a bible for those looking for the best (and more off-the-radar) grub in the capital,“I’m totally shocked,” says Eren Kaya, whose parents hard graft has resulted in their restaurant, situated in a far-flung corner of Enfield, being placed near the top of the 99-strong list,The small shop, which was a greasy spoon cafe before being transformed into the hugely popular food hotspot, hasn’t fully shed the character of its former self.
It seats just over 20 people and, aside from the dazzling live cooking display where tantuni is prepared in front of customers, the layout has stayed largely the same.“It’s a small and stocky place,” says Kaya.But, at the end of the day, it’s all about the food and Neco Tantuni more than delivers on that front.The restaurant’s namesake dish, tantuni (£5 each), is a simple delight.The meat (lamb or chicken) is steamed to maintain a moist, juicy texture before being tossed into a massive pan with spices and oil, which are added in slowly.
When the meaty mixture bubbles up, the homemade lavaş (a thin, flexible bread) are slapped on top to soak in all the flavours.Finely sliced onions and a dash or parsley are placed in the lavaş which accompany the flavourful meat.It’s wrapped tightly and usually eaten with a squeeze of lemon or some pickles.The end result is a mighty slap of flavour, with soft hints of sumak, punchy onions and red, paprika-infused oil to bring it together.There is also yoğurtlu tantuni (£12), where the meat-filled lavaş are sliced and topped with yogurt, tomato sauce and cooked, nutty browned butter.
Jonathan Nunn, the editor of Vittles, called the dish “one of London’s few perfect, no-notes dishes”.If there’s room for desert, then Neco Tantuni’s künefe (£8) goes down a treat.It’s doused in less syrup than you might find in other places, which gives it a richer, nuttier and less sickly taste.Neco Tantuni has ranked above Core and The Ledbury, both of which have been handed three illustrious Michelin stars.It finds itself near the top of the list just behind 40 Maltby Street , which is headed up by the Michelin starred-chef Stephen Williams, The Ritz, and the modern French restaurant Planque.
While two people could easily leave Neco Tantuni stuffed for less than £25, a five-course taster menu at The Ritz starts at £199 and small plates at Planque can creep past £30 each,It is also one of the five Turkish restaurants on the list and among the 30 situated outside zones 1 and 2,“It’s not about luxury,London is an expensive city,It is assumed that in an expensive place you’re going to have the best service and best food but I don’t believe in that.
I feel what is most important is warmth, friendliness and somewhere you can be yourself and feel calm,” says Kaya.Nunn agrees, saying if he were mayor, he would “make it mandatory to make every chef in London come to Neco Tantuni as a finishing school, to teach them the pitfalls of overcomplication, and to show what is possible if you do just one – or three – things to their absolute best”.Unlike most chefs running kitchens featured in the list’s top ten, Neco Tantuni’s head chef, Hafîze Kaya, didn’t train at Michelin-starred establishments.“I feel really proud of our shop and our mum,” says Eren.Many restaurants take years to find their footing but Neco Tantuni first opened its doors seven years ago, its success owing to long, grinding, seven-day weeks.
“My mum used to be really tired.She would go shopping in the morning and prepare the food in the afternoon.Everything is handmade, she would do all of this.She is a single mum and she had a social life but her friends would come here to support here.She had children and a house to look after as well.
All of these roles made her what she is now, a brilliant person,” he says.Neco Tantuni’s recognition is likely to resonate beyond the restaurant’s walls.“I think many people would be proud, as I am, because the Turkish community is a huge part of London,” says Kaya.
Labour is procrastinating over policy as UK’s economy goes backwards | Phillip Inman
There is a heavy cloud hanging over Labour’s Christmas celebrations.The most recent figures show the economy is going backwards and worse, the slide is prompting recession talk in the corridors of City banks.If there is a recession, it will only be slight, but with unemployment rising and businesses reluctant to invest, the economy remains stuck in first gear.In this gloomy atmosphere, not many Labour MPs will feel comfortable donning paper hats and toasting their leaders.Especially not when Whitehall is dominated by a single activity – procrastination
Zipcar’s rivals consider London expansion after it reveals UK exit
Several car-sharing companies are considering launching or expanding in London, with the imminent closure of Zipcar’s UK operation leaving a large gap in the market in one of Europe’s biggest cities.Free2Move, owned by the carmaker Stellantis, said it was “closely monitoring the London market”, and “actively assessing” options for its services. It already operates fleets in cities including Berlin, Paris, Rome and Washington DC.Enterprise Car Club, which already has some cars in London, said it “will continue to seek out opportunities to expand our network and provide people with alternative transport options by the hour or day”.Co Wheels, which operates across the UK and with a handful of cars in the capital, said it was “actively discussing” options with several London boroughs in recent days
YouTube channels spreading fake, anti-Labour videos viewed 1.2bn times in 2025
YouTube channels spreading fake, anti-Labour videos have amassed more than a billion views this year, as opportunists attempt to use AI-generated content to profit from political division in the UK.More than 150 channels have been detected in the last year that promote anti-Labour narratives, as well as outright fake and inflammatory accusations about Keir Starmer.A study seen by the Guardian has found the channels have accumulated 5.3m subscribers and have created more than 56,000 videos, with a total of almost 1.2bn views in 2025
Gavin Newsom pushes back on Trump AI executive order preempting state laws
The ink was barely dry on Donald Trump’s artificial intelligence executive order when Gavin Newsom came out swinging. Just hours after the order went public Thursday evening, the California governor issued a statement saying the presidential dictum, which seeks to block states from regulating AI of their own accord, advances “grift and corruption” instead of innovation.“President Trump and David Sacks aren’t making policy – they’re running a con,” Newsom said, referencing Trump’s AI adviser and crypto “czar”. “Every day, they push the limits to see how far they can take it.”Trump’s executive order is a major victory for tech companies that have campaigned against legislative barriers to developing and deploying their AI products
Saracens fall just short in South Africa as Sharks survive Champions Cup storm
It is a long way to go for just a point, but Saracens all but took the maximum against Sharks in biblical weather in Durban. Now that South Africa has been incorporated into the Champions Cup, these long trips are part and parcel. It meant Saracens changing 10 of their starting lineup. It meant Sharks changing 14 – and a head coach to boot.JP Pietersen, the former Springbok, stepped up to fill his new role this week when John Plumtree resigned after the Sharks’ heavy defeat in Toulouse on Sunday
Racing honours Hunt family as outsider Glengouly hits jackpot at Cheltenham
This was an afternoon at the track when the big-race result was secondary to the cause it was supporting. For Faye Bramley it also marked a huge step forward in her training career as Glengouly, a 33-1 outsider, made all the running to win the Support the Hunt Family Fund December Gold Cup.The Hunt Family Fund was set up by the BBC racing commentator, John Hunt, and his daughter, Amy, after the murder of his wife, Carol, and daughters, Hannah and Louise, to raise awareness of violence against women and support causes relating to young women.Saturday’s race, the traditional feature of the December meeting, came at the end of a series of events over the past week, including a dinner and auction at Cheltenham on Thursday, which has raised nearly £500,000.Hunt called the race as usual for Radio 5 Live, and said afterwards that, like most of those watching from the stands, he had expected Glengouly to be swallowed up by either Jagwar, the 11-4 favourite, or Vincenzo, the 7-2 second-favourite, after the turn for home
Tell us: are you a young person from the UK who has recently moved abroad?
As NHS braces for record flu cases, is the strain active in continental Europe too?
Tell us: how are you being affected by the rise in UK flu cases?
‘He was struggling with his breath. I sat beside him and sang’: the choir who sing to people on their deathbeds
‘Cruel’ amendments being used to thwart assisted dying bill, says lead MP
Strikes could collapse flu-hit NHS amid worst crisis since Covid, says Streeting