For 25 years, in an unassuming side street, the Mangal restaurant has wowed all comers, including Jamie Oliver, Yotam Ottolenghi and Elijah Wood. Now it’s expanding, with two new restaurants. How does a neighbourhood kebab house become an institution?
The straggly Dalston stretch of the A10 in London, halfway between Tottenham and Shoreditch, would smell of nothing but traffic fumes, were it not for its procession of Turkish charcoal grills. Every few paces reveals yet another tempting sign for ocakbasi (fireside dining), pide or lahmacun (Turkish “pizzas”). True kebab devotees, however, eschew the main drag and duck down Arcola Street to the area’s original ocakbasi joint: Mangal 1.
It’s an unlikely spot for a legendary restaurant, flanked by a dark alley, factory buildings and a cash and carry, but since opening 25 years ago, Mangal (translation: barbecue) 1’s consistent formula of fresh meat, bread and salads, has made the place a local institution. Loyal customers (including Ken Livingstone, Rowan Atkinson and Elijah Wood) will merrily queue for 45 minutes for a seat. Its food has been celebrated by Jamie Oliver, Rick Stein, Yotam Ottolenghi and Moro’s Sam Clarke. And this week, Mangal 1 is set to open an outpost – Mangal 1.1 – in an entirely different environment: the Bedroom Bar complex (which includes the Comedy Theatre Cafe) in swanky Shoreditch.
We have a no booking policy, so just turn up and hope for the best. Oh wait, we're not a pretentious, shitty new restaurant. You can book.
The unique recipe to our famous lamb chops has been a family secret for decades, but we'll finally reveal all: 1) Fire 2) Lamb 3) Salt
How many Hipsters does it take to change a lightbulb? 3. 1 to do it, another captures it & uploads on Instagram, & the other blogs about it.
We judge dates here by how little each person goes on their phone. Minimal use = guaranteed post-kebab lovemaking.
An Irish Hipster, a Scottish Hipster & an English Hipster walk into Mangal 2. They Instagram the shit out of their food, making it cold. End
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