Durak Tantuni

Green Lanes, one of London’s longest stretches of road, spans across North London, from Newington Green all the way to Manor House. Since the 1950s, this bustling street has been home to Turkish and Greek Cypriots and latterly Kurds, Bulgarians, and other South-Eastern European minorities. A place that highlights a history of immigration into London, and ethnic communities living in harmony, Green Lanes as you can imagine, is also somewhere you can find proper good grub.

Durak Tantuni drifts slightly off Green Lanes and onto West Green Road, without losing anything culturally vital. This Turkish spot is the real deal. For 22 years, it has sat there, unfussy, unchanged, consistently serving Tantuni that you will be craving the next time you’re stumbling home from the pub 7 pints down.

The exterior and interior are that of a standard kebab shop, familiar and an initiator of unquenchable hunger. The cooks, standing casually, fry minced lamb in a wide, silver, shallow pan. I’d like one of them. Both cooks gesture to a table, asking- “Wrap or bread?”. Caught off guard by their directness, I asked for a couple more minutes. Confident I thought. They know how good their product is and that I will most definitely like it.

You don’t have many options on the menu to choose from. Two to be precise. But you need no more. The cooks are experts in what they do. They have mastered the art of making Tantuni. And this reputation is evidently cemented here in North London, with friendly exchanges between regulars and staff occurring every few minutes.

Tantuni, if you didn’t know, is a famous street dish that originates from the Southern Turkish city of Mersin. There are mild variations in how it can be prepared, but generally, it involves frying either beef or lamb in cottonseed oil alongside tomatoes, parsley, raw onion and sumac. Finished off with a squeeze of lemon. Here in Durak Tantuni, they serve this traditional mixture inside bread (£8) or a wrap (£4). If you’re hungry but can’t quite stomach the thick bread, double up on the wrap for only an extra 50p.

Choose from the fridge a choice of soft drinks or a slightly bitter yoghurty drink as I did. Sit at your table and enjoy some of the complementary pickled chilis at your disposal. Beware, some are hotter than others.

Food is served in a matter of minutes. Steaming hot and without cutlery. Love it. Anyone who reaches for a fork and knife when it’s completely unnecessary needs to take a good old look at themselves. Relax. Get messy and enjoy food that only requires your fingertips to be eaten. Their Tantuni is rustic, simple and delicious. Everything loveable about street food. Unapologetically indulgent. The softness of the bread and delicateness of the wrap balance in harmony with the spice of the lamb and fragrant parsley. A squeeze of lemon ties it all together, elevating the dish to a level you won’t forget for days.

The chefs already knew they would win me over, but you could tell they took extra enjoyment from my desire to order one more Tantuni dish after cleaning my plates. A compliment that doesn’t require many words. Just a hand signal and a slightly more expensive bill. Finish off with a soothing cup of Turkish tea and take in the family feel that this fantastic establishment is built upon.

Unless you’re local, I doubt you will find yourself close to Turnpike Lane Station. But if you fancy a day walking down one of London’s most interesting streets and a treat at the end of it. Take a day trip to North London, slowly make your way to Durak Tantuni and join me in the fan club of Turkish street food.

390 W Green Rd, London N15 3PX