Mangal II
Dalston
The Dirik family ocakbaşı since 1994, the canonical Turkish address the audience takes London-Turks to
The original Ali Dirik ocakbaşı on Arcola Street since 1990, BYOB, walk-in only, untouched
Mangal 1 is where it started: Ali Dirik, an İstanbullu who arrived in London as an aspiring cook, opened the city's first proper ocakbaşı on Arcola Street in 1990. The room has barely changed, bright lights, charcoal grill at the front, Formica tables, a permanent queue spilling onto the pavement. No reservations, no corkage, BYOB the rule. Less polished than Mangal II round the corner, more raw, the audience uses it when they want the sound and smell of the original mangal rather than the careful Mangal II curation. Both branches matter for different reasons.
Walk-in only, the queue moves fast because turnover is fast. BYOB means you bring the wine; the off-licence two doors down stocks decent Turkish reds for the purpose. Order the mixed grill for two and the lahmacun on the side; the meze sequence is shorter than Mangal II by design.
At a Glance
View Type
Canal View, Street Scene
View Quality
Good
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