The Real Turkish Catford: Family-run restaurant review

Located on Rushey Green, a short walk from Catford Bridge Station and Lewisham Town Hall, the Real Turkish is a cosy, family-run restaurant that recently joined the Catford food scene.

The restaurant first opened its doors in March 2023 and recently celebrated its first year in business, serving authentic Turkish cuisine and handcrafted cocktails as well as popular freakshake drinks.

The Real Turkish is a cosy, family-run restaurant that recently joined the Catford food scene. (Image: Emily Davison)

I was invited to try their menu, and as a south east London local, I always love finding potential food spots to enjoy a meal after work.

The restaurant itself has an urban, modern interior featuring exposed brick, deep red foliage and mirrors, as well as a bar area offering seating for up to six people, along with Turkish touches including a traditional ornamental Turkish bread oven.

You can also tell this restaurant has a real family focus, being well stocked with colouring books and supplies to keep the children happy at a cute little station at the back of the restaurant.

It has a menu featuring a selection of traditional Turkish dishes like shish meat, kebabs and meze along with a Mexican-inspired menu with dishes like nachos and tacos.

The restaurant has an urban, modern interior, including a bar area offering seating for up to eight people. (Image: Emily Davison)

There is also an impressive cocktail menu featuring 16 different options, with classics like a Margarita Passion Fruit Martini and Cosmopolitan, as well as their own unique creations such as the Bailey’s Banana Bang, which you can either drink at the bar or order to your table.

Prices at the restaurant start at £4.95 for meze dishes, £9.95 for mains and £10.95 for cocktails, with a Happy Hour Special between 2pm and 6pm offering two cocktails priced at £14.

They also offer an app where you can order food for delivery directly from them, as well as order in-store to receive offers and points.

For starters we ordered a selection of meze dishes to our table, including a selection of traditional Turkish dips, pitta bread, grilled halloumi and sigara borek, a crispy filo pastry filled with feta cheese and herbs.

The menu features a selection of traditional Turkish dishes like shish meat, kebabs and meze. (Image: Emily Davison)

One thing I will say is that this place is very generous with portion sizes and for the prices they definitely offer good value, making it a great place if you want to share dishes with your friends or family.

The food gave us a taste of what was to come and we enjoyed the variety of flavours from the dips and the crispiness of the pastry.

To accompany my food, I also ordered a classic Margarita that was made in front of me at the bar and was bursting with citrus flavour.

They have an impressive cocktail menu featuring 16 different options, including margaritas. (Image: Emily Davison)

For mains I opted for the chicken shish, which was presented on a hanging plate along with salad, two different dips and a choice of chips or rice.

My dad went for the lamb chops, which were marinated and served with salad, sauces and chips or rice.

Again, the portion sizes were huge and didn’t scrimp on flavour, the meat was soft and pulled apart easily, and as far as shish go I will say it’s one of the best I’ve tried.

The portion sizes were huge and didn’t scrimp on flavour. (Image: Emily Davison)

At this point I was ready to try another cocktail and after much deliberation over the menu I went for a classic Mojito.

It came beautifully presented in a mason jar with fresh limes and mint leaves, something that for me really shows the markings of a good mixologist.

The mojito came beautifully presented in a mason jar with fresh limes and mint leaves. (Image: Emily Davison)

At this point we were in the early stages of a food coma, but after not much persuasion, we resolved that we simply had to make room for dessert.

My dad opted for a traditional baklava made with walnuts and served with vanilla ice cream, and I went for the caramel brownie served with ice cream which also happened to be the gluten-free option.

My dad really loved the baklava with the warm flavours from the walnuts, while the brownie was soft and rich and honestly didn’t taste like a gluten-free dessert.

The caramel brownie was soft and rich, and was also gluten-free. (Image: Emily Davison)

All in all, I think this place is a real gem and a great addition to Catford, serving great food and vibes, making it the perfect spot for meals whether you want a family get-together or a casual after-work meal with friends.

I’ll definitely be stopping by again on my next visit to Catford.