Kismet

I’ve been an avid fan of Kieran’s YouTube channel, so when he announced he was opening a restaurant I knew I had to try it. From the moment we arrived to when we sat down, we were greeted by friendly staff who immediately offered us some drinks. After enjoying our first taste of a delicious olive oil negroni, our waitress Gina explained the Meyhane concept of the restaurant. We chose the tarama and Atom (must try!!!) as our cold mezze, followed by the kibbeh and liver as our hot mezze. Everything was excellent, perfectly seasoned and well balanced. My particular favourite was the liver, which came with sliced onions, chilli and lemon juice that you piled onto the liver. It brought a lovely freshness to each mouthful before the rich flavour of the liver came through. For mains we had the lamb neck, minced kebab and the Cypriot potatoes. The lamb neck was unbelievable. Rich, tender and it just hit all the right spots. YUM. The kebab was also excellent, with a lovely mix of herbs and onions. The potatoes were great as well, although by this point I was pretty stuffed. Another small but excellent detail was laying some of their delicious bread underneath the kebabs and lamb to soak up all the juices. Even with a full stomach, it was difficult not to tear off a soaked piece and dip it into the remaining tarama and Atom! All in all, I would highly recommend coming to Kismet! Chef Kieran has done an excellent job in creating a fun and authentic place that you will make you want to come and try the rest of the menu!

We came here for dinner and enjoyed the food, service and atmosphere. Between the three of us, we shared the humus (great), atom (strained yoghurt with chilli butter which was great), seasonal veg plate (good to have with the dips), sigara boregi (feta pastry which were nice bites), bulghur koftesi (good amount of filling and flavour) and the kofte with potatoes and house salad (good). What stood out most was the excellent, attentive service - the staff made you feel welcome and were helpful and friendly.

What can I say about Kismet? The food is genuinely exceptional. From the moment you walk up the stairs and are greeted by the retro television, the restaurant immediately draws you into its distinctive atmosphere. The warm décor, thoughtful details and welcoming staff evoke the charm of traditional Turkish cafés and meyhanes. The team has created something that feels both nostalgic and original. We chose the set menu (£48), and the staff were very accommodating in allowing us to substitute one of the meze dishes. Our selection included Mevsim Tabağı, Hibeş, Hummus, Zeytinyağlı Sebzeler, cacık, atom, bulgur köftesi, pazı kavurma and freshly homemade bread. For the main course, we had the Şeftali Kebabı, which was juicy, beautifully prepared and perfectly cooked, alongside the equally delicious Tavuk Şiş. The Patates Kızartması served on the side had a wonderfully comforting, homemade quality and reminded me of the way my mother used to make them. Kismet offers more than just a great atmosphere. It delivers a complete dining experience, but above all, it is the quality and flavour of the food that stays with you. We finished the meal with properly brewed Turkish tea and fresh baklava, which was the perfect ending to a memorable evening. One final recommendation: do not leave without trying Kismet’s own Basket Case Lager.

We had an absolutely fabulous meal at Kismet, I already want to go back. All the food we got was excellent but the atom dip, monkfish skewer, chicken skewer, and the pistachio ice cream were our favourites.

Had my 50th birthday over there with a special friend of mine and it was lovely! The service was impeccable, the food was great and the entire atmosphere took me back to my youth years in Istanbul! Thank you for the warm, intimate and lovely dining experience! I look forward to visiting again for another lovely occasion!