Chef Serdar Demir’s other restaurant, Skewed Kitchen, received the 2019 Fine Dining Restaurant award at the 2019 British Kebab Awards. So, what is his new vicinity like?
Mcith_The-Mantel.JpgIt’s absolutely not like taking your partner out for date night in the nearby Kebab shop. Here, leather, bronze, ceramics, darkish wood, and occasional ambient lights integrate into a stylish, slick interior. We are proven to one of the booth seating areas lining the partitions by using the artful manager Emre, and we slide in. Each seating area functions walls textured with backlit summary plaster friezes or stonework, and the distance leads down to the brightly lit exposed kitchen at its heart. Here is ‘The Mantle’ of the name, their fireplace, with a great deal of their present-day take on Turkish delicacies approximately to be cooked over its ready fiery coals. We’re in the heart of Knightsbridge, flanked by Harrods up the road and Emporio Armani down the road; however, this isn’t a few stuffy ‘vintage cash’ area.
Mcith_Table.Jpg
We are progressively surrounded through huge gatherings and smaller businesses of youngish center Japanese folk, filling the air with a hubbub of unexpected language. So, as a person who judges international cuisine using the quotient of natives consuming (we’ve all completed it), I changed into loosening up and looking ahead to the food. We launch in with a couple of cocktails as we salivate over the menu. Jayne has a fresh Mantel Master: Tequila, pomegranate juice, passion sour, and lemon juice, even as I move for their model of an Old Fashioned, the Bosphorus Breeze: Rum, Mastika liqueur, and bitters. It’s darkish, sturdy, and warming. There’s a range of both hot and bloodless starters, so we order one of every; sharing a beautiful smoked eggplant dip with Kapia peppers, walnuts, garlic, honey, and tarhana crisp, bejeweled with pomegranate seeds and served with triangles of herbed ‘Pide’ flatbread with za’atar.
mcith_Octopus.Jpg
From the new starters, the Chargrilled Octopus with mung beans, more Kapia peppers, dill, and golden apple. This is usually recommended with the aid of Emre, and we’re delighted to discover it’s far succulent and yielding with satisfyingly charred overtones. Now we sense even greater comfortable, properly reassured of the meals nice. Wine is also encouraged; a 2017 Kayra with an unfamiliar Turkish grape Kalecik Karasi from the Denizli location of Turkey.
It’s big and effective, however smooth and smooth, similar to a brand new global wine, delicious – only a shame the variety name might be tough to bear in mind for future reference. Main guides arrive hastily; for Jayne a perfectly cooked and presented fillet of Seabass with a facet salad tossed in a pomegranate molasses dressing and, within the spirit of attempting a piece of the whole lot, for me the ‘Mixed Pit’ of house specialty lamb fillet, chicken shish, Adana pro minced lamb, lamb ribs and lamb chop.
Mcith_Meat.Jpg
It’s basically a lamb – with a little hen as a garnish (veg skewers are to be had). It’s lovable and succulent with all the ones formidable flavors from the grill. We proportion a Pilav rice and an unusual fish fry onions in tasty turnip juice with olive oil, sumac, and more pomegranate molasses. Of direction, after our plates are smooth, we are both very full, so we forge on and order dessert. Jayne, having had the really lighter fish, now fancies the walnut pudding with crème anglaise, which, although sponge-based totally, turns out now not to be in any respect dense.
Mcith_Baklava.Jpg
I can’t resist a few Baklava, although it is ‘Mental fashion’ with a lighter, more ethereal pastry, however, all of the pistachio and honey flavors are internal. We wash it all down with fresh mint tea and ‘Dibek’ another reimagining, this time of a Turkish espresso, however smoother.
Mcith_Coffee.Jpg
The Mantel’s excellent food is obvious, the carrier is attentive but discreet, and the warm temperature in their reception is genuine. They opened all through Ramadan, which has supposed a gradual start so far, however judging using the number of humans feasting away as we left, the region should often get as filled as we now locate ourselves.
