Gallipoli Restaurant

Gallipoli Restaurant at 119 Upper Street in Islington, London, is a Mediterranean dining institution renowned for its ceiling and walls covered in hundreds of hand-picked mosaic glass lanterns from Istanbul. Founded in 1996 by brothers Enver and Erdal Ucar, the eatery became so popular for its charcoal-grilled meats and Turkish meze that it expanded into three separate locations on the exact same street to accommodate queuing crowds.

London Β· from the walk β€œFrom Islington Charm to Docklands Towers” Β· audio ~2 min Β· Generated

Gallipoli Restaurant

119–120 Upper St, London N1 1QP

Who founded Gallipoli Restaurant in Islington and when did it open?

Look through the glass at numbers hundred and nineteen Upper Street, and you will spot what locals lovingly call the Aladdin's cave of Islington. Hundreds of mosaic glass lanterns, brass trinkets, and vintage photographs cover almost every single inch of the ceiling and walls. It feels less like a London dining room and more like stepping straight into a bustling Ottoman bazaar! This neighborhood institution began back in nineteen ninety-six when two ambitious brothers, Enver and Erdal Ucar, opened a small Mediterranean bistro. Their charcoal-grilled meats, spiced aubergine meze, and warm Turkish hospitality became such a wild sensation that queues stretched down Upper Street every night. The demand was so overwhelming that one building could not hold the crowds. So they opened a second restaurant, and then a third, all within a few steps of each other on this exact same street! Local lore says the owners spent years hunting through night markets in Istanbul to hand-pick every glowing lantern hanging overhead. Over the years, these rooms have hosted endless family feasts, late-night celebrations, and live belly-dancing performances. As you stand here amidst the fragrant aromas of grilled spices and fresh mint tea, you are looking at a vibrant slice of London culinary history that has kept Islington fed for decades.

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