Oklava

Oklava on Luke Street in Shoreditch serves Selin Kiazim's Turkish Cypriot cooking, drawing on her family background and reworked through a modern British lens using seasonal UK produce. The menu is built for sharing, with dishes such as hellim (halloumi) with watermelon and cucumber, lamb shish with charred aubergine and pomegranate molasses, and sütlü börek — a Turkish milk pastry dessert — showing the kitchen's range across meze, grills, and baking. The dining room is warm and contemporary, with an open kitchen that lets diners watch grilling and flatbread preparation, and a relaxed but lively atmosphere suited to sharing plates across a table rather than individual courses. Oklava has been credited with bringing modern Turkish Cypriot cooking into London's fine-casual dining scene, distinct from the more traditional Turkish restaurants concentrated further north around Green Lanes. Wine and cocktails lean toward the eastern Mediterranean, with a list that complements the spice and char of the grilled dishes. À la carte pricing of £30–£45 per person makes Oklava accessible for a regular dinner rather than an occasion-only splurge. Reservations are recommended, particularly for weekend evenings, and can be made through oklava.co.uk. The Luke Street location sits in the heart of Shoreditch, within walking distance of Old Street and Shoreditch High Street, making it easy to combine with the neighbourhood's bar and gallery scene before or after dinner. The sharing-plate format works especially well for groups, and the menu is designed to be ordered across several dishes per table rather than one main course per person.