Crystal

sorry but it’s only full at night because apart from the chippy next door it’s the only place that’s open (apart from McDonald’s) at night! The food is ok but nothing special– to be honest I don’t eat there anymore –why? Coz of the attitude of the male staff & I don’t like sharing my food with mice!!!

I don’t go in here any more. Given how empty it often is now it looks like I’m not the only one.
The last straw was when the salad they served me tasted like it had been washed in disinfectant.
Never again.

Not the best kebab shop in the area. Lamb shish was fine & not tough, but bread smelt/​tasted a bit stale. You don’t go to a kebab place for salad, but it wasn’t the best I’ve had. Points for giving me the choice of rice or couscous in the kebab box option. Overall, I prefer Waterfall a few doors down.

The place was recomended by a friend to try their lahmacun –Turkish pizza-​. So we decided to try after the cinema. The place is well situated across the odeon cinema holloway. Place was clean. Lahmacun was just average it can be much better. Prices are ok.

Kebabs are meant to be eaten after going out. And always when you are drunk. That being said… Just because we are drunk doesn’t mean you can be a dick to us. I’m a happy drunk, not an angry one, but if you’re a dick to me then I’ll be a dick back.
We ordered our kebabs but then another group of guys came in right after us and they ordered the same thing we did but they got their food first. What’s up with that? I complained and they gave us a «free» soda… But I’m sure they charged us for it cause we were too drunk to notice.
I just want to be served my chicken kebab promptly. Is that too hard to ask?

Always good food and friendly staff. Lamb Shish is really nice cooked to order over hot coals.
This place always has a good flow of people coming im when I’ve been there which is always a good sign.

Unique flavour and dishes at a good price. Lamb falls apart in your mouth. Complimentary salad and piece of baklava. Winner!

It’s a bit hard to review this place as I’ve only ever been here at 4am when I’m totally wasted. So this is a drunk 3 star… at the time of eating the food I think it’s a 5 star but NO. The staff are actually really friendly and have a great tolerance to drunk annoying people. The food is your standard kebab shop food but with a slight twist as they serve a huge variety of kebabs with different sauces and yogurts. Chips kebab and a drink is about £8−10 Ohhh and the portions are masssiveeee.

The staple food for drunk people late at night on Holloway Road, this place has been serving me my drunken kebab on the way home for years.
That said the food is consistently pretty good, I’ve sat in the back several times sober and enjoyed it just as much.
It’s pretty much your standard Turkish kebab faire, elephant leg doner meat or shish grilled on coal, several stews to pick from and some rice etc
Staff are efficient and place is the sort of prices you would expect.

London is packed with Kebob shops but Crystal’s excellent food quality, cleanliness, good value, multicultural clientele and vibe compels me to be a repeat customer. It’s one of things I love most about London!
We discovered this little gem of a restaurant two years ago tucked away amid the chaos of Holloway Road and now that we are living in North London make it a point to visit regularly whenever we need a middle eastern food fix. It’s a small, casual eat in or takeaway place which displays their fresh and tasty offerings in the display case up front. The rear dining area is simple and adorned with pictures of Turkish mosques. Service is swift, portions are huge, and the presentation wonderful. We usually order the large lamb or chicken donor plate which is ample enough for the two of us. The meat is seasoned perfectly and the plate includes seasoned rice and a delicious medley of red cabbage, lettuce and fresh tomato. A delicious cucumber sauce and hot sauce is served along with olives and a pita style bread basket, and a complimentary slice of baklava for dessert. All this for only 5 quid! The best deal in town!
They have another shop a couple of doors down specializing in delicious Turkish pizza (Pide). Turkish pide is football shaped, with a baked pita style crust and topped with mouth watering minced beef or lamb, tangy tomato sauce. The spices are a mix of cumin, parsley, garlic, mint, and coriander. It’s delcious, cheap and filling…
Crystal is at the top of my list for middle eastern cusine at budget prices!

We have been going to this restaurant for a long time and the quality remains the same. Recently prices went up, so the Lamb Shish is now £7.50: two skewers of tender lamb with salad and chips or rice and bread. Kebab is perfectly cooked but is very salty and so is the chilli sauce. The bread is nuked but very tasty. I hope the Woody Grill in Camden uses the same bread.

I first noticed the store when they were putting in the huge oven… and I made a mental note to come back and try one of their pidas.
My experience was kind of two-​fold: one the one hand I liked that I was feeling like being transported to another world — the TV was blasting out some news show in Turkish and the staff along with some of the patrons were vivaciously debating its content.
On the other hand, the debate kind of distracted them so much that I felt kind of neglected… I had to get the menu myself and my Coke only arrived after I asked for it the second time.
As for the food, I was quite happy with the luscious and very tasty salad that was served as an appetizer. When the pida arrived, it was steaming hot and I was very impatient to finally try it… yet it didn’t totally convince me. It was kind of bland and lacked a little in excitingness.
Next time I might just order the gözleme for take-​away, which are made right and there in the store… very soothing to watch, by the way!

This is the one of the worst kebab shop in london,
i have been there they serve me something look like kebab, no taste, dirty salad, rubbish staff,
i will never go there again
james

So as mentioned in a previous review (
), me and the humble kebab have reconciled and are working out our problems. I had heard that the kebabs here were great and that this venue had even been mentioned on the bbc website.
I had a large lamb kebaband it was alright. nothing more nothing less. Tastewise the kebab was probably worth a 3 and so this certainly won’t threaten our fragile relationship. What I didn’t like was how the large kebab seemed to come into a small pittawhich they then wrap up in paper kind of like subway do with their sandwiches. It doesn’t work here though because firstly its hard to get at your kebab, you can’t just unwrap it completely because the pitta is far too small to contain all the food. This also means that close to the end you just have lots of loose salad and meat, covered with sauce. I valiantly tried to eat some of this mushas the front of my jacket will testify, but soon realized that I was bested.
So they lose a point on presentation basically. Kebabs can be messy at the best of times, so trying to cram way too much into a tiny pitta is not helpful.

I live within walking distance to the one of the best kebab houses in london. I can be sure that this is true I am greek and I know a good kebab I tell ya! My friday/​saturday night isnt complete without a visit (normally drunk) I do try call them on the way so I can have mine ready when I arrive but they never pick up the phone! They are sooooo busy so I never mind and as soon as I walk in the door they greet me with smiles and get my usual chicken shish ready, whether you want to eat in or take away amazing food absolute great value. It must if you are passing through this part of North London sadly I will be moving south of river very soon.

The kebab, I think holds a place in late night London life, something to feed your starving body after a large night out. Generally I avoid kebabs like the plague. Quality is often suspect, and those elephant legs of meat by-​product are a fearsome sight indeed.
Not at Crystals, no. Crystals is what every late night kebab restaurant in the UK should aspire to!
Superb quality food, and if you sit down, a very affordable, healthy meal (around £5) can be yours. With a choice of (very well made) rice or (very well made) pita, complimentary sides and salads. This is what dining in the unholy hours of the early morning should be about! In fact the shish kebab I had the last time I went there was probably the best shish I’ve ever had. Well in London at least.
It’s open 22 hours a day, situated on Holloway Road so if you live in North or North East London it’s usually on the way or a small detour on the way home.
Pros
— superb quality food
— very affordable
— open 22 hours a day
— staff are very friendly and welcoming
Cons
— busy, busy, busy

Cant believe Im reviewing a kebab place but this place is special. There is always a queue out the door for their food, the kitchen appears spotlessly clean and the food… oh the food!
Couldn’t help noticing this establishment listed on the bbc as one of the worlds best kebab shops!
Its true by the way