A new restaurant in London is set to showcase traditional Anatolian cuisine with a contemporary approach, reflecting a deep engagement with heritage and family roots. The venture stems from the collaboration between chefs Saeid Dirik and his partner Richard Carter, who spent several weeks in Turkey researching dishes and techniques to inform their menu.

The restaurant, located in Soho, has undergone extensive renovation. The interior retains only the original load-bearing walls and incorporates a double-sided mangal grill, a 1.5-meter-deep wood-fired oven, and walls lined with tens of thousands of dark brown bricks. Chairs for seating are on order, with temporary replacements used for the opening service.

The concept evolved following a research trip to Istanbul and an extended visit to the chef’s mentor, Hüseyin Dağdeviren, a renowned advocate for preserving traditional Anatolian cooking methods. Dağdeviren’s farm and kitchen provided inspiration, especially in his use of freekeh and fermented vegetables, which Dirik has begun adapting for a children’s menu.

Dirik, who trained in the UK and abroad, reflects on the project as a personal journey connected to his heritage. His father’s expertise with mangal grilling in Istanbul, learned at his family restaurant Mangal 2, was a formative influence, and his mother’s preparation of snacks like icli kofte — buckwheat shells filled with spiced meat — informed his appreciation for the skill involved in these dishes.

The kitchen team includes Chase Lovecky, whose background spans high-profile establishments in the UK and New York. Together, they have experimented with fresh sucuk sausage, a variant usually cured and dried, creating a cooked, skinless version to maintain textural balance. Their menu development process involved repeated tastings and refinements, aiming to recreate the approachable, hearty qualities of the meals experienced in Istanbul rather than adapting them into overly refined versions.

Carter describes the mackerel dish as an homage to Istanbul’s Galata neighborhood, reflecting their intention to root the menu in authentic regional flavors. The partnership represents a blend of research, innovation, and respect for tradition, with Dirik expressing a desire for longevity in the Soho venue despite the current lease lasting only 15 years — a relatively short span in a landscape where chefs often relocate.

Ultimately, this new restaurant project serves as an effort to keep Anatolian cuisine vibrant, evolving while honoring its origins, and to share that culinary heritage with London diners over the coming decades.