Halal Turkish Restaurant in Central London

Finding a halal restaurant in central London that takes itself seriously as a kitchen — and not just as a halal label — is harder than it should be. Grand Bazaar has been doing both since 2005. We're on James Street in St Christopher's Place, two minutes from Oxford Street, and every cut of meat that leaves the chargrill is halal: lamb shish, chicken shish, lamb chops, the Grand Bazaar mixed grill, kofte, beef sucuk, lahmacun and kebab pide. There's no asterisk and no "selected dishes" wording — the kitchen is a halal Turkish kitchen.

The menu reads as a proper neighbourhood Turkish place rather than a chain. Iskender comes layered over toasted pide bread with yogurt, warm tomato butter and grilled lamb. Manti — the small lamb dumplings — arrive in the bowl with garlic yogurt and chili butter. The mixed grill is built for two, with chops, shish, kofte, lahmacun and rice. Hot mezze covers börek, halloumi, sucuk and falafel; cold mezze covers humus, haydari, kisir, ezme and dolma. Vegetarians and vegans have a clear path through the menu — large salads, mezze platters, börek and pide options — though we'd never describe ourselves as a vegetarian restaurant.

Central London halal diners often plan around tube access. We're directly opposite Bond Street tube on the Marylebone side: a sixty-second walk from exit 3, a flatter eight minutes from Oxford Circus, and ten from Marble Arch. Black taxis use James Street as a shortcut so a drop-off is straightforward even when Oxford Street is at standstill.

We're a family-friendly room. Children are welcome at any time of day, smaller portions are happily prepared, and we don't have a dress code beyond "smart casual" in the dining room. The bar serves alcohol, but you're welcome to dine without — many of our regulars do, and tea, ayran, fresh juices, Turkish coffee and a non-alcoholic side of the drinks list are always available. Our breakfast menu — a halal-meat serpme kahvalti — runs until 4pm.

We're open every day until 22:30, including bank holidays. To guarantee a table, especially for groups, please reserve online — confirmation arrives by email within minutes. View the full menus to see exactly what's on offer this season.