Should you open a Turkish restaurant in Hackney?
Quick answer
Hackney scores 71 out of 100 on our demand index — likely worth exploring. The council currently has 47 Turkish restaurants against an estimated 4,890 monthly searches for Turkish food, which works out to roughly 5,183 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: Hackney looks likely worth exploring 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 Hackney compares in London
Hackney ranks 11 of 33 councils in London by demand score, and 5 of 33 by number of Turkish restaurants. The table below shows its four nearest neighbours by score.
| Council | Demand score | Verdict | Turkish restaurants | Monthly searches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hackney | 71 | Underserved | 47 | 4,890 |
| Richmond upon Thames | 74 | Underserved | 10 | 1,920 |
| Wandsworth | 73 | Underserved | 18 | 2,220 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 71 | Underserved | 19 | 2,520 |
| Lewisham | 70 | Balanced | 20 | 2,190 |
Where the gap is
- Hackney doesn't show an obvious quality or saturation gap: its restaurants average 4.4 stars (close to the 4.3-star England & Wales average), and its 47 restaurants look broadly in line with local demand — a balanced market rather than an obvious opening.
The hygiene picture
Of the 48 Turkish food businesses we hold hygiene data for in Hackney, 85% are rated 5 (the top FSA score) and 8% are rated 2 or below, with 3 still awaiting inspection — the local bar for hygiene is already high, so a new entrant would need to match it from day one.
Where they cluster: Most Turkish restaurants in Hackney sit in N16, E8 and EC2A — 19 in N16, 13 in E8, 6 in EC2A.
Restaurants already here
| Name | Postcode | Hygiene rating |
|---|---|---|
| ABLA DALSTON | E8 2PB | 5 |
| Abraco Dalston | N16 8BJ | 5 |
| Anatolia Restaurant | E8 3NS | 5 |
| Aziziye Restaurant | N16 8BU | 5 |
| Britannia Restaurant | E8 1EJ | 5 |
| Che Men | N16 8AA | 5 |
| Chef restaurant | E2 8AS | 5 |
| Devran Restaurant | N16 7UY | 5 |
and 40 more See every Turkish restaurant in Hackney
What it would cost here
Fitting out a 100 m² Turkish restaurant in Hackney with a mid-range fit-out, using our London cost assumptions, comes to roughly £215,652 – £419,166 up front. The two largest lines are fit-out & build (£121,500 – £202,500) and kitchen equipment (£20,847 – £76,060).
Open the full cost calculator for Hackney →
Planning estimate only — see the cost calculator for the full breakdown and assumptions.
Local context
Hackney is the heart of London's Turkish and Kurdish restaurant trade: nineteen restaurants in N16 along Stoke Newington High Street and Church Street, thirteen more in E8 around Dalston Kingsland, and the Shoreditch group in EC2A. Hygiene is the best of any borough we track, with 22 of 29 rated restaurants holding a 5, and the average rating is a strong 4.43. This is a market to learn from and to buy into, not to enter cold; the only thin patches are Hackney Wick and Homerton in E9, where new residential development has outpaced the restaurants.
By Turkish Restaurants UK Editorial Team · Updated 2026-09-04
Frequently asked questions
- How many Turkish restaurants are in Hackney?
- Hackney currently has 47 Turkish restaurants.
- Is there demand for a Turkish restaurant in Hackney?
- Yes — an estimated 4,890 monthly searches relate to Turkish food in Hackney, giving it a demand score of 71/100.
- What would it cost to open a Turkish restaurant in Hackney?
- A 100 m² restaurant with a mid-range fit-out costs roughly £215,652 – £419,166 to open in Hackney, based on our cost model.
- How does Hackney compare to the rest of London?
- Hackney scores 71/100 and ranks 11 of 33 in London. The region's top-scoring council is Kensington and Chelsea, at 90/100.
Thinking about opening here?
Tell us where, and we'll send you the local numbers — population, competition, and rent benchmarks.