Should you open a Turkish restaurant in Cambridge?
Cambridge scores 38 out of 100 on our demand index — a tough market right now. The council currently has 7 Turkish restaurants against an estimated 310 monthly searches for Turkish food, which works out to roughly 14,568 residents for every Turkish restaurant already trading here. The single biggest factor behind that number is review volume per restaurant, which ranks higher here than in most other councils in England and Wales. That combination of supply, search interest and population is what the verdict above is based on: Cambridge looks a tough market right now for someone weighing up whether to open a Turkish restaurant in the area, relative to every other council we track.
Read next: How to Open a Turkish Restaurant in the UK in 2026: Step-by-Step Guide
How this score breaks down
How Cambridge compares in East Counties
Cambridge ranks 34 of 45 councils in East Counties by demand score, and 29 of 45 by number of Turkish restaurants. The table below shows its four nearest neighbours by score.
| Council | Demand score | Verdict | Turkish restaurants | Monthly searches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | 38 | Saturated | 7 | 310 |
| Uttlesford | 41 | Balanced | 7 | 820 |
| Mid Suffolk | 40 | Saturated | 6 | 703 |
| Babergh | 37 | Saturated | 7 | 632 |
| Braintree | 34 | Saturated | 10 | 410 |
Where the gap is
- Searches per restaurant here run at 31 a month, well below the 108-a-month median across councils with reliable data — a sign the market may already be saturated relative to demand.
The hygiene picture
Of the 9 Turkish food businesses we hold hygiene data for in Cambridge, 25% are rated 5 (the top FSA score) and 25% are rated 2 or below, with 2 still awaiting inspection — a new entrant that runs a clean, well-documented kitchen would stand out quickly.
Where they cluster: Most Turkish restaurants in Cambridge sit in CB1 and CB2 — 7 in CB1, 2 in CB2.
Restaurants already here
| # | Name | Postcode | Hygiene rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Mediterranean BBQ | CB1 1BG | 5 |
| 02 | Botany Foodie | CB1 3LP | 4 |
| 03 | Hot Grills cambridge | CB1 1LN | 3 |
| 04 | City kebab | CB2 1AB | AwaitingInspection |
| 05 | Efes Turkish Cuisine | CB1 1LN | 2 |
| 06 | Nazar Turkish Kitchen + Bar | CB1 7DY | AwaitingInspection |
| 07 | Breakfast | CB1 1DG | — |
| 08 | Nefistanbul | CB1 7AW | — |
and 1 more See every Turkish restaurant in Cambridge →
What it would cost here
Fitting out a 100 m² Turkish restaurant in Cambridge with a mid-range fit-out, using our small-town cost assumptions, comes to roughly £174,402 – £348,546 up front. The two largest lines are fit-out & build (£90,000 – £150,000) and kitchen equipment (£20,847 – £76,060).
Open the full cost calculator for Cambridge →
Planning estimate only — see the cost calculator for the full breakdown and assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
- How many Turkish restaurants are in Cambridge?
- Cambridge currently has 7 Turkish restaurants.
- Is there demand for a Turkish restaurant in Cambridge?
- Yes — an estimated 310 monthly searches relate to Turkish food in Cambridge, giving it a demand score of 38/100.
- What would it cost to open a Turkish restaurant in Cambridge?
- A 100 m² restaurant with a mid-range fit-out costs roughly £174,402 – £348,546 to open in Cambridge, based on our cost model.
- How does Cambridge compare to the rest of East Counties?
- Cambridge scores 38/100 and ranks 34 of 45 in East Counties. The region's top-scoring council is Dacorum, at 80/100.
Thinking about opening here?
Tell us where, and we'll send you the local numbers — population, competition, and rent benchmarks.