From Roe and Blacklock to Hawksmoor and Marceline, it’s no secret that the glassy sprawl of Wood Wharf has filled up with reliable, reputable restaurants over the last couple of years. Yet, so far, it hasn’t managed to shed its reputation as a soulless spot in Canary Wharf for after-work convenience and solidify its status as a standalone food destination. The brothers behind Cafe Beam, Ozgur and Sidar Akyuz, hope that their new Turkish restaurant, Nora, will tip it over the edge.
“We want to bring an independent spirit to the area,” Ozgur says. “Everything else around here feels very corporate. We wanted something with a bit more soul – something you’d find in Soho or Shoreditch.”
Ex-Barbary chef Daniel Alt leads the kitchen at the softly curved, terracotta-tinted Turkish restaurant. Ozgur and Sidar are hoping to bring a slice of Istanbul to Canary Wharf’s waterside, and much of that responsibility sits with Alt. “People think of Turkish food as kebabs and grills, but we want to show people the other side of it,” says Ozgur. “We want people to see Turkish food as cool. It’s not about being trendy, but channelling the same inviting, buzzy, lively dynamism of Istanbul.”
Alt is taking the building blocks of Turkish cooking and giving them a wider regional twist. “It’s Turkish food from an outsider’s perspective, so not necessarily traditional at all,” says Ozgur. “That’s why having Dan onboard is great – he’s cooked a lot of African and Mediterranean food, which shares some of the same DNA, but lets him approach it differently.”
Breads, including sesame-and-caraway pide and grilled bazlama (yoghurt flatbread), are baked in-house daily, served with cooling dips of suzme (strained) yoghurt with cucumber and dill, or hummus laced with house-made sucuk and pine nuts. Small plates, meanwhile, include spiced lamb burek with sivri-pepper yoghurt, hellim with smoked olive oil and Epping honey, and a modern spin on crab-rice dolmades with preserved tomato and white-carrot foam.
Flames have their place, with Adana kofta and larger sharing dishes of Cornish lamb loin and turbot cooked over a robata grill, nodding to Istanbul’s open-fire mangallar. And the desserts are already an Akyuz family favourite. “I have to stay away from sweets,” says Sidar, shaking his head, “but I love Dan’s Turkish delight pavlova, and I don’t even like pavlova."
Designed by the brothers’ long-time collaborator Ola Jachymiak Studio, the space dodges the usual trappings of a glass-box unit, layering tactile fabrics, bespoke carpentry and handmade ceramics with warm, ambient light for a listening bar feel. “It’s captured the spirit of Istanbul without being over the top,” says Ozgur. “It’s not a themed restaurant, but has subtle nods through the rugs, chairs and colours.”
Subtle Turkish influences also shine through in the cocktail list, which showcases spirits such as raki, spices like sumac and saffron, and even Turkish milk drinks. “We’re trying to do something creative and fun,” says Ozgur. “Our Old Fashioned has walnut and honey running through it, and our Negroni has a little spice … they all go back to the region but feel original.”
The 100-strong wine list, meanwhile, is half-Turkish, and features producers rarely seen in the UK. “No one really knows much about Turkish wine,” Ozgur says. “It hasn’t had the breakout moment Greek wine has, but there’s such depth and diversity. We’re working with vineyards whose bottles we’ll be the only ones importing.”
As for the name? The duo wanted to keep things simple. “It means ‘light’ in Arabic. We wanted something warm and welcoming. There’s no grand story, although maybe I should make one up,” Ozgur says, laughing.
Despite this ease, the brothers are firm in their belief that Wood Wharf is no longer just a weekday pit stop. “There’s a big misconception that around here is just offices, but there’s a really big, friendly residential population,” Ozgur says. “When you’re here, Wood Wharf feels like a neighbourhood in itself.” With new apartments, cultural projects and even an open-air swimming pool on the way, he’s betting that “more and more reasons to come to the area” will follow.
Nora
7 West Lane, E14 9PT
Hours:
Daily midday–2.45pm, 5.30pm–9.45pm
