Should you open a Turkish restaurant in Portsmouth?
Portsmouth scores 74 out of 100 on our demand index — likely worth exploring. The council currently has 15 Turkish restaurants against an estimated 3,230 monthly searches for Turkish food, which works out to roughly 11,555 residents for every Turkish restaurant already trading here. The single biggest factor behind that number is overall market size, 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: Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth compares in South East
Portsmouth ranks 7 of 64 councils in South East by demand score, and 6 of 64 by number of Turkish restaurants. The table below shows its four nearest neighbours by score.
| Council | Demand score | Verdict | Turkish restaurants | Monthly searches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth | 74 | Underserved | 15 | 3,230 |
| East Hampshire | 75 | Underserved | 3 | 1,685 |
| Reading | 73 | Underserved | 11 | 2,200 |
| Wealden | 73 | Underserved | 6 | 2,699 |
| Test Valley | 73 | Underserved | 4 | 1,748 |
Where the gap is
- Portsmouth doesn't show an obvious quality or saturation gap: its restaurants average 4.3 Google stars (close to the 4.3-star England & Wales average), and its 15 restaurants look broadly in line with local demand — a balanced market rather than an obvious opening.
The hygiene picture
Of the 16 Turkish food businesses we hold hygiene data for in Portsmouth, 36% are rated 5 (the top FSA score) and 0% are rated 2 or below, with 1 still awaiting inspection — hygiene standards locally are mixed, leaving room to differentiate on cleanliness.
Where they cluster: Most Turkish restaurants in Portsmouth sit in PO2, PO5 and PO1 — 4 in PO2, 4 in PO5, 3 in PO1.
Restaurants already here
| # | Name | Postcode | Hygiene rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Agora Restaurant | PO5 2ED | 5 |
| 02 | Gill's Fryer And Grill | PO5 1JF | 5 |
| 03 | Istanbul Grill | PO1 5HD | 5 |
| 04 | Yaprak Port Solent | PO6 4TP | 5 |
| 05 | Anatolia Turkish Kitchen | PO6 4NY | 4 |
| 06 | Charcoal Grill | PO5 2SQ | 4 |
| 07 | French Doner Kebab Grill And Shake | PO2 9AE | 4 |
| 08 | Mehmet Kitchen | PO3 5BT | 3 |
and 8 more See every Turkish restaurant in Portsmouth →
What it would cost here
Fitting out a 100 m² Turkish restaurant in Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth →
Planning estimate only — see the cost calculator for the full breakdown and assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
- How many Turkish restaurants are in Portsmouth?
- Portsmouth currently has 15 Turkish restaurants.
- Is there demand for a Turkish restaurant in Portsmouth?
- Yes — an estimated 3,230 monthly searches relate to Turkish food in Portsmouth, giving it a demand score of 74/100.
- What would it cost to open a Turkish restaurant in Portsmouth?
- A 100 m² restaurant with a mid-range fit-out costs roughly £174,402 – £348,546 to open in Portsmouth, based on our cost model.
- How does Portsmouth compare to the rest of South East?
- Portsmouth scores 74/100 and ranks 7 of 64 in South East. The region's top-scoring council is Oxford, at 89/100.
Thinking about opening here?
Tell us where, and we'll send you the local numbers — population, competition, and rent benchmarks.