Gem

Wonderful place. Great food, good prices and the staff are just so nice! A great place to go for Turkish food in Angel that’s not as cramped as the places (mostly the Galipolis) further down the high street.
So, things I love — the mixed meat grill is AMAZING, and enough food for several people and/​or a fair bit to take home. You do have to order it for at least 2 people, but if you got this for two and a few mezze, you’d be all set for 4 people.
On a recent visit, I walked in looking to get a takeaway for 10 for the following evening as I was having a small gathering with no interest or need to cook. They helped me pick the food and had it all packed up and ready for me on time the next day in an easy carrying box. It was heavy, but that’s my own fault — it was a lot of food.
Finally, the Borek which is made in the window is so so tasty. I love the spinach, but if you can and are there with enough people, try a selection.
Basically, yes.

Good Turkish if you’re in Islington and too lazy to head into Hackney. We shared a bunch of dishes which were tasty. Nothing to write home about but it hit the spot.

I have been going to Gem for years and the staff have been great. Over the years the deals have been consistently good although prices have gone up slightly and portions gone down and become more manageable.
The food has been good but the various Gallipoli’s s have been better. This has now changed as the meats have become better and the mez fresher. The cold and hot starters are tasty and healthy. The hummus is fresh and creamy. Gem offers bread as opposed to pitta or the thinner roti type bread offered in Persian restaurants. Also offered is some hot stuffed bread filled with spinach or cheese which is a nice touch.
There is a wide selection of mains to choose but its always good to try the mixed grill. The deal we go for also included baklava and ice cream for dessert which would finely go down if you ordered a Turkish coffee. The wine list is also very good and I would recommend the Riesling.
If you are sitting in Gem its probably best to sit at the front where there are lots of fine decorations. Gem is quieter than the various Gallipoli’s on upper Street so good for families and friends who want to have a quiet chat.

We went to Gem for a holiday meal. It’s a small and quirky place with fabulous service and good food.
We chose from a set menu that gave us unlimited wine/​beer/​soft drinks as well as a bunch of different dips and snacks. As others have posted, the bread is fabulous. The hummus and other dips were wonderful. And my favourite of the snacks served was the squid, which was perfectly cooked. We took full advantage of the wine & beer deal, and I have to say that they never stopped bringing us what we asked for within our time limit.
Service was spot on as was the food. It’s a must try on Upper Street.

The food was good but nothing wrong and nothing special. You can get the same quality in some of other Kebob restaurants. and those restaurants would serve you a bigger portion with cheaper price. I guess the rent in Angel is high.
The service was good; slightly on a slow side.

New FAV spot to eat on Upper St and go to for Turkish food. Food is excellent in terms of quality, taste, portion, and price. And to top it off, staff was so friendly and nice; great service.
Adding on to the other reviews re: lady that makes and brings you bread at the beginning of your meal– SO delicious. It’s the Silqok (spinach/​onion/​herb stuffed bread, £2.50). It’s not oily at all. Very soft and hits the spot as the perfect appetizer before your meal. Plus she hand makes it, can’t beat that.
Ordered the Trebiano white wine bottle (£13.95). Just as the description describes it– Very light and crisp tasting.
Opted out of the 6 meze dip option. Saw the other tables ordering this and the dip portions were tiny. So instead, chose 4 dips separately and the portion sizes were much better. Humus, Tabule, Kisir– Excellent. Personally wasn’t a fan of the Bakla as it was 90%yogurt. Beans were sprinkled on top. Was expecting more of a bean base as opposed to yogurt. But it was tasty, nothing wrong with it.
The meats were all great. I usually don’t eat lamb because of the strong gamey taste… but I had a bite of the lamb and it was very subtle, moist, and tasty. I would order lamb here! The chicken from the Tavuk Shish was moist and nice chunks. Also, ordered the «oven specialty” — Tavuk Guvec (Diced chicken breast stew w/​veggies). It was so good!
Great place with great service. Will frequent this place.

The food is excellent, stemming from a smallish menu and even smaller venue.
The place is tiny, make a reso if you possible.
I had the spinach and something or other, I can’t remember and it doesn’t matter because its all good.
Eat and enjoy this reasonably placed food eatery.
There are two types of baklava, the more traditional looking one is the better, sweeter one.

Eminently reasonable turkish restaurant.
Technically a kurdish restaurant but the menus of the two groups are the same.
All the standard menu items and solid execution.

Really tasty Kurdish (reminded me of Turkish) food at great prices. Staff aren’t the friendliest though, which makes me wonder if they’re not being paid good enough wages! There is a wee lady who makes amazing breads but seems to be at the bread maker at the shop window from noon til night. Give her a day off, Gem!

It has had a recent refurb, the service was very good, but i found the food too salty!!, have been twice, & twice the meats were too salty.

The only thing that outnumbers Turkish restaurants among Upper Street’s storefronts are estate agencies… and trust me, the experience at Gem is much kinder, honest and affordable than the other 50% of shopfronts you might pop into. (#3 on that venerable list is Saturday night Essex girl flocks. The above list regarding to overall experience still applies.)
Anyhow, Gem is just that. Specialising in Turkish and Kurdish fare, I’d venture to say this is one of Upper Street’s only cheap ‘n’ cheerful spots with a wine list starting at 3.50 and some incredible traditional stuffed Kurdish bread that is prepared in the front window. While this spot struggles to find the flare that Gallapoli has thrice over, sometimes it’s just nice to settle into a restaurant that’s not trying too hard — just serving good, honest food at exceptionally reasonable prices.

Took a friend here for her birthday. We got the fixed price meal, and what a meal it was! Insane amounts of good food, with a wide variety of flavors and textures. Not strictly Turkish, there’s a wide variety of Mediterranean dishes. If you’re in the neighborhood, have some time and a big appetite, this is a great place.

Holy crap this is some great Turkish food. A very reasonable fixed price menu, helpful and attentive service, all around good spot.
Particularly loved the hummus, the grilled halloumi and the bread. The bread is to die for an worthy of a meal in itself.
I will be flying across the ocean to eat here again.

I HATE Upper Street. It’s filled with douchery. Most of the restaurants are poncy, over-​priced and frequented (mostly) by douches.
That said, Gem is awesome. I’ve been there a couple of times and every visit ends with my having eaten way too much to be comfortable. In a good way.
The food is cheap and fresh and the service is quick and the staff, if not friendly, are never douches.
So, if you’re hungry and angry at having to share this bit of Islington with people that wear designer sunglasses inside in December. Go here. It’s not trendy, but it is good and you will leave full and ready for a nap.
Oh. I just remembered — I was once attacked there by a Kurdish toddler wielding an aubergine, but it only added to the charm.

Gem was delicious and a total bargain! recommend it to anyone looking for cheap eats on upper street.

This Kurdish restaurant on Upper Street is just a short walk from Highbury & Islington station and, in my opinion, the best the area has to offer. There is a choice of incredibly cheap set lunch and dinner menus or the opportunity to order whatever you desire from the main menu. Beware though: order the hot and cold mezze menu, and you will a) see very little of your table for the sheer number of dishes and b) definitely not want a main course (especially if you plan to savour the delights of the complimentary baklava). But Gem isn’t just about quantity; the food is so fresh, varied and tasty that you want to come back again and again!

This restaurant is remarkable for its unpretentious and authentic flavor when compared to the many other restaurants on Upper Street. It servers authentic and hearty Kurdish food, which has great variety and subtle flavors. Its very similar to Turkish food — the meze included kisir and hummus, as well as more traditional food from the villages.
The décor is interesting — agricultural implements were imported and placed up on the wall, including a whole cart and a plow! Its an interesting reminder of the source of the food you eat, and the hard work that goes onto making it.
We had a great variety of starters from a set menu to share, between a minimum of 3 – 4 people. There are three set menus to choose from. Ours had 12 hot and cold small dishes, including leg of chicken, lamb cutlets, friend seafood, pitta bread and seven dips, for 9.50 per head. There is also balaclava and ice cream to finish off with. It was a fun night out, and we had a good time trying out the many small dishes between us. There is a great wine list to choose from as well.

This place is indeed a real Gem amongst the many disappointing eateries of Islington. The food is very tasty, incredibly varied and service worryingly quick. I have been here a few times and tried both the set menus and standard fare. The set menus are incredibly reasonable — £9 gets you an inordiante amount of meze, meat, bread and baklava. Drinks are cheaper than most pubs int he area and setting is authenticly unmodern. Recommended

I was looking forward to eating here as a friend recommended it to me, however sadly it didn’t live up to the recommendation. The restaurant is on 2 floors but I’m guessing the lower floor is used for over spill when it gets busy. It’s nice and cozy, the staff are very accommodating and we were seated quickly. I will admit now that we did arrive very late10.30 to be precise, but the restaurant was still full and some people hadn’t started their main courses yet, so I didn’t feel too bad. Straight away we were told to order promptly as the kitchen was closing — I always see this as a bad sign that the food is possibly not going to be on form. I was proved right. I won’t be going back unless someone proves me wrong.