Despite concerns and a flurry of editorials claiming that the London brunch scene had already peaked, along comes a brand new venue and concept proving it to be in the rudest of health. I, for one, am not complaining. When it comes to my favourite ways to spend a lazy and indulgent Saturday morning-to-mid afternoon session, a solid brunch offering is pretty damn high on the list.

Nora is a Canary Wharf restaurant offering gastronomic flights of fancy from what it calls the ‘Turkish avant-garde’. Committed to bringing ultra-modern Istanbul dining to the glittering spires and shimmering new neighbourhoods of this part of the capital, they’ve got some seriously stiff competition in the neighbourhood as this particular postcode continues to ramp up its gastronomic credentials.

*Laid-back, contemporary Istanbul-inspired chic. Credit Ben Leigh-Anders*

The good news? They’ve absolutely knocked it out of the park – it’s no exaggeration to say that not only is Nora now my number one brunch spot in London, I’m already recommending it to friends and acquaintances living outside of the city. There is only a small handful of UK restaurants I’d wholeheartedly say were worth travelling more than two hours for. For Nora, and for another few hours spent in its chic and relaxed dining room, I’d weather a sleeper train from Inverness or a storm-battered ferry from Guernsey. Praise indeed.

The reasons for my admittedly gushing enthusiasm are many. Let’s revel in each one in turn.

*Nora’s record collection. Credit Ben Leigh-Anders*

Firstly, as mentioned, Canary Wharf – and in particular the spanking-new residential-ish quarter of Wood Wharf in which Nora is located – has in recent years attracted a plethora of big-hitting names on the London food scene. There’s a new Hawksmoor around the corner, and there’s a Dishoom, an Oysteria and many, many more within spitting distance. That’s all well and good for the city boys on an evening out or for when mother comes to stay, but the team at Nora correctly identified a relative lack of laid-back, take-your-time-and-soak-up-the-vibes venues; proper neighbourhood restaurants you can head to over and over again. The kind of place that becomes ‘your place’, and where the displays of Turkish vinyl records on the walls and the comfortable banquettes become more familiar and beloved with each visit.

This relaxed and welcoming attitude permeates the whole ambience of Nora, which is staffed by a fabulous team committed to ensuring a good time is had by all. What’s more, it’s deeply refreshing to see a Turkish restaurant in the city that leans into Istanbul as a contemporary gastronomic capital and not some outdated orientalist relic. There’s no wickerwork, no arabesque light fittings. There are no velvet cushions or skeins of silk. At no point do you worry about having your meal interrupted by a belly dancer – this is modern, grown-up cosmopolitan Turkish cuisine, treated with a level of respect and professionalism that’s long overdue in the UK.

And so to the dining itself. The brand-new brunch concept – priced at an astoundingly affordable £30 per head for the ‘basics’ and £40 per head if you wish to add two of the restaurant’s signature skewers (more on those later) – is all about showcasing the breadth of quality ingredients and generosity at the heart of Turkish dining, and generosity really is the operative word. The idea, according to head waiter Daniel, is ‘to give the impression of a real feast’. I’d like to make something abundantly clear: what Nora provides is not the ‘impression’ of a feast – it’s a bonafide cornucopia, a display of opulence and maximalism I’ve simply never come across in London before, at least not for such a reasonable price and in such a laid-back setting.

Proceedings kick off with a cup of Turkish tea, served properly in those voluptuous glasses that are always a joy to drink from. The cocktail menu celebrates Turkish raki – the regionally-specific firewater made from fermented fruits – and a Raki 75 provides crisp acidity, a touch of anise and the kind of buzzy alcoholic hit that lets you know the mixologist isn’t messing around. Then, the food begins to arrive, and within minutes I become genuinely concerned that I will run out of both table space and notches to loosen on my belt.

*About 30% of the brunch offering at Nora. Seriously.*

We’re served – deep breath – marinated olives, a selection of pillowy pita, cacik (essentially Turkish tzatziki, if that’s not problematic to say), bal kaymak (clotted cream with honey), the best tahini I’ve ever tasted, diced beetroot with pomegranate molasses, aubergine kizartma, marinated feta, harissa and ezme salad.

Frankly, if that’s all that had been brought to the table, I’d have been a happy customer – it’s the kind of food I love, and there’s real joy to be found in seeking out different flavour combinations. However, we were far from done.

*Sea bream and prawn skewers… and much, much more*

Next came fried cauliflower in a tahini and parsley sauce, halloumi soaked pul biber honey, silky hummus topped with achingly soft pulled lamb, an array of vegetable fritters and boregi savoury pastries, slices of aromatic sujuk, shakshuka with poached eggs and spicy Turkish fried eggs. Because I have a hard job and yet I know somebody has to do it, I also opted to add on a duo of the restaurant’s skewers – available for an additional tenner, and well worth the price. Customers can choose coffee-rubbed chicken, beef fillet, prawns or sea bream. I plumped, now literally, for the latter pairing. The crackled and blistered skin on the bream was a clear sign this was a serious piece of fish cookery involving bare flames and woodsmoke, and the prawns were satisfyingly fiery and plump. Both were delicious. Hell, everything I’d been served was delicious – somehow, out of 21 individual bowls or plates of food, there wasn’t a single duff note.

Brunch doesn’t really need a dessert. However, in for a penny, in for a pound. Pudding at Nora is (thank all the gods) a relatively light affair – a sharing dish of kunefe, that slightly odd combination of mozzarella-like stretchy cheese, shredded pastry and honey. Despite feeling as though I was fit to burst, I managed to get more than half of it down me rather quickly. Yes, it was also absolutely gorgeous. Coffee for digestion, then a lengthy walk through the Greenwich foot tunnel and up the hill to the observatory was definitely in order. I grinned like an idiot the whole way.

Turkish hospitality is renowned across the globe; the good people of Istanbul are famed as dedicated feeders, committed to ensuring you leave their company stuffed to the gills. To discover this kind of overflowing generosity in Canary Wharf feels like nothing short of a revelation, and – as mentioned – at such incredibly reasonable prices (which includes bottomless cups of tea, a far preferable option, in my opinion, to instant headache-inducing bargain bucket Prosecco), it’s not hard to understand why I’m now recommending Nora to everybody. Including you.

If Nora really is the taste of the Turkish avant-garde, sign me up. I’ll be back as soon as I can.

Book your table here.

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