Major Revamp for Fulham Broadway's Best Mangal


Turkish favourite expands next door and is renamed Kahya

 

For years, the restaurant at 619 Fulham Road, close to the foot of North End Road has been one of the borough’s favourite Turkish restaurants.

But now, owner Gursel Gurgur has taken over the unit next door and renamed is Kahya, which means steward in Turkish.

 

Gone is the old red-and-white frontage and the emphasis on takeaways. It’s been replaced by a dramatic gold-flecked exterior, marble-edged mangal (a charcoal cooking pit), side rooms, roaring fire and dramatic bar, designed to attract a new crowd as well as regular fans,.

Renamed Kahya (pronounced Kai-yah), the restaurant can seat more than 100, including five seats at the ‘theatre of kebabs’ in the front window – the chairs from where diners can watch the charcoal grill cooks in action, working away beneath the enormous bronze canopy.

“The aim is to enhance the dining experience; it’s all about the dish-sharing in the region of Turkey where we come from, Anatolia,” said Gursel, 37, who lives in Fulham and whose daughters attend local schools. “We have four restaurants in all, but the others are all Mangals. Now we have a Kahya, our contemporary dining concept, and not primarily a takeaway.”

Although it is open now at limited times, it will start opening at 8am in March to serve Mediterranean breakfasts in addition to the daytime and evening menu.

The Best Mangal empire was launched by Gursel’s father in 1996 and has continued under the family’s stewardship. Gursel works with local homesless charity Barons Court Project, and he also helped feed families affected by the Grenfell Tower blaze. Best Mangal can often be spotted at the council’s seasonal traffic-free markets in North End Road.

Kahya is located at 619 Fulham Road. For more details, call 020 7610 0009 or visit Kahya.

Çınar Ergin, Consul General of the Republic of Turkey in London at Kahya

Çınar Ergin, Consul General of the Republic of Turkey in London (centre) with Kahya owners Gursel Gurgur (left) and Elchin Beridze (right)

February 22, 2019

 

 

 

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Kahya London

Restaurants in Fulham