This July, Bistro Freddie restaurateur Dom Hamdy and former Bibi head chef Keiran Mustafa will unveil Kismet, an ode to Turkish Cypriot cuisine above The Globe Tavern in London Bridge. Inspired by the traditional meyhanes of Istanbul and Northern Cyprus, the year-long residency will serve meze, mangal-grilled kebabs and Turkish wine, with weekly live music and bottles of raki kept behind the bar for regulars. The restaurant will take the place of Cambodian residency Barang.
Meyhanes are neighbourhood taverns built around long, sociable meals, where meze, grilled food and drinks arrive continuously rather than in conventional courses. At Kismet, diners will be able to order à la carte or choose a £48 set menu.
Meze includes zeytinyağlı taze fasulye, or green beans braised in olive oil; atom, a dip made with buffalo milk yoghurt and chilli butter; fried bulgur köftesi stuffed with seasoned fillings; and yaprak ciğer, thin pieces of fried lamb’s liver.
Kebabs cooked over a charcoal grill will include kuzu şiş, made with lamb leg and tail fat, and şeftali kebabı, a Turkish Cypriot combination of minced lamb and beef wrapped in caul fat.
Meanwhile, sides are set to include meyhane pilavı, a bulgur wheat and tomato pilaf, and patates kızartması – fries made with Cyprus potatoes. For dessert, there’ll be pistachio ice-cream and sticky, syrup-soaked baklava.
After cooking various cuisines at The Harwood Arms and Bibi, Mustafa is excited to be serving the food he grew up with. “Growing up in a Turkish Cypriot family, food was always at the centre of gatherings,” he said in a statement. “The meyhane has long been one of my favourite expressions of hospitality; generous, lively and built around sharing.”
Raki, Turkey’s anise-flavoured national spirit, will sit at the centre of the drinks list, with several varieties served by the glass and bottle. Regulars will be encouraged to buy a bottle and leave it on a shelf behind the bar for their next visit, reflecting the meyhane tradition of treating the restaurant as a second home.
The short wine list will focus predominantly on Turkish producers and grapes, including bottles from longstanding winery Sevilen and female-led Aegean producer Kuzubag.
There will also be Basketcase, a lager made in collaboration with Croydon’s Coalition Brewery. Its name references the workers once reportedly employed by Istanbul’s bars to carry especially enthusiastic drinkers home in person-sized baskets. Alcohol-free options include Turkish citrus soda Uludag Gazoz and the fermented yoghurt drink ayran.
Designed by Studio Adra (The Ned, Noble Rot Mayfair) with Hamdy and Mustafa, the dining room will feature dark timber, nicotine-toned walls, white tablecloths, low lighting, black-and-white photography and lace window dressings. A traditional Turkish musician will perform in the restaurant once a week.
Hamdy, who also owns Crispin, Crispin at Studio Voltaire, Bar Crispin and Canal, is looking forward to setting up shop in the area, where he began his very first business. “It’s particularly meaningful for me to be returning to Borough Market, where my journey in food began more than a decade ago,” he says. “To launch a new restaurant here feels like a full circle moment.”
Kismet opens above The Globe Tavern on Thursday 16 July.
