Goda, 144 Ballards Lane, Church End, London N3 2PA (020 8244 2244; godalondon.co.uk). Starters £5.90–£12.90; grills and main dishes £12.90–£60 per person; whole lamb £345.90; desserts £6.90–£8.90; wines from £31.50
There are things about the Turkish restaurant Goda in Finchley, north London, which are objectively funny. There’s the short tongue of red carpet, protruding from the front door, edged by velvet ropes, as if you’re arriving at a movie premier rather than a modest-looking grill house on a suburban shopping parade. There’s the sweetly random collection of black-and-white photos on the walls, which include the Turkish film star Türkan Şoray, Al Pacino in The Godfather and Elvis. I’m not sure any have eaten here, given it only opened five months ago. Then there’s the six-strong red wine list, which goes from an Argentinian Malbec at £37 to a barolo at £169, before suddenly offering a 2001 Château Mouton-Rothschild, Pauillac, at £2,400. I decided not to check whether they really have it, in case they didn’t. That would have ruined the fun.
