Harden's survey result
Summary
“A Dalston institution” since 1991 – this “tightly packed and vibrant, old-school Turkish grill” is famous in foodie circles and “delivers on delicious kebabs and smoky meats, all very reasonably priced and you can also BYOB”. “So many grill places have followed in its footsteps but have failed to recreate the quality of the sumptuous grilled meats, never mind the extraordinary value offered by the BBQ, salads and breads”. (“Hadn’t been for a while and it’s even better than I remembered!”). Top Menu Tip – “surprising dishes such as grilled quail and lamb sweetbreads and liver are great”.
Summary
“An all-time favourite...the original Dalston Turkish grill has still got it!” – “Hungry locals, TV chefs, cash-strapped diners and famous artists all cram in and loyally dine” at this celebrated grill-house: “one of the forest of old-school Turkish joints on the Dalston/Stoke Newington strip”. “It’s a bright, clattering room with meats grilled to smoky perfection”: “succulent, delicious and very reasonably priced, especially as you can BYO”. “There’s no booking: just queue up to get into this fairly cramped, jolly, caff-like place”. “Despite legions of copycat establishments that have sprung up in recent years it still leads the field!”
Summary
“One of the OGs and still one of the very best!” – this renowned Turkish dive in Dalston gets some diners’ votes as “the best-value restaurant in London”. “The smell of grilled meats entices you into the deservedly bustling interior”, where it “delivers amazing food every time”: “wonderful BBQ, lovely warm bread and generous salad”. One of owner Ali Dirik’s sons runs nearby Mangal 2, putting a more modern slant on grill cooking.
Summary
“Succulent BBQ meat and great-value meze” have earned this Turkish grill in Dalston a major and well-earned reputation. For some, a meal here represents “the best value in London” – helped by a “liberal BYO policy that means you drink as well as your cellar allows”. Top Tips: “the sweetbreads are sensational”. And for an ambitious modern take on cooking over fire, head round the corner to Mangal 2, now run by owner Ali Dirik’s sons Sertaç and Ferhat (see also).
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Mangal 1?
Restaurant details
Mangal 1 Restaurant Diner Reviews
"We went on a hot Friday night and were pleasantly surprised to get a table immediately in this noisy, cramped and utterly fantastic restaurant. Started with perfect tabule with lots of parsley and dill and great humus. From the grill, the lamb sweetbreads and lamb chops were both excellent - smoky, spicy and incredibly tender - and came with a big plate of mixed salad. All washed down with bottles of cold Efes. For this type of cooking, it’s hard to see how it could be improved. And it’s cheap."
"The tightly packed and vibrant old-school Turkish grill delivers on delicious kebabs and smoky meats, all very reasonably priced and also BYOB. Also had a few surprising dishes such as the grilled quails and lamb sweetbreads and liver, which were all great."
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £30.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £6.50 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 10.00% |
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑12 am |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑12 am |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑12 am |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑12 am |
| Friday | 12 pm‑1 am |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑1 am |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑12 am |
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