Hotels near Mangal 2

Mangal 2 has run an ocakbasi - the open charcoal grill you can watch from your table - on Stoke Newington Road since Ali Dirik opened it in 1994. His sons Ferhat and Sertac took over in 2020 and rebuilt the menu without gutting the point of the place. The mutton kofte, seasoned hard and left rosy in the middle, is the signature. The sourdough pide with kaymak butter, the mushroom manti with cordyceps and confit garlic yoghurt, and the lamb shoulder tandir with bulgur and ezme are the other orders that matter. Around £45 to £55 per head, roughly €52 to €63, plus a natural wine list that is considerably better than a Dalston grill house needs.

The post-lockdown redesign put ultramarine blue on the walls and spotlights on a whitewashed ceiling, but the furniture is still worn and the noise level is still high, which is most of the charm. It opens Monday to Saturday only, so a Sunday plan needs to go elsewhere. Book a week or two ahead for Friday or Saturday evening; midweek you can usually walk in before 7pm. Dalston is a 15 to 20 minute Overground ride from the City fringe, so check the last train back if you are staying central.

Pro Tip: Ask for a table facing the grill rather than in the back room. Start with the pide and kaymak butter while you decide, because it arrives in minutes and the grilled courses take a while when the ocakbasi is full.