A Star of the Istanbul Dining Scene Will Open a New Restaurant in Soho

Civan Er, one of Istanbul’s most critically acclaimed chefs, is opening his first London restaurant — on Beak Street, Soho.

• Er’s celebrated restaurant, Yeni Lokanta in Istanbul, will form the template — and will focus on the cuisine of Istanbul, Eater understands.
• Potential opening date is late November.
• 80-cover restaurant across two-storeys.
• It will be called Yeni.

Writing for Eater’s 38 essential restaurants in Istanbul, Tuba Satana says:

“Chef/owner Civan Er skilfully incorporates local ingredients into modern Turkish cooking, meaning Yeni Lokanta’s menu offers a new direction for traditional cuisine.”

Eater understands that Er will do something similar in London, incorporating British produce.

Yeni Lokanta [Official Photo]

The restaurant, according to a source, is “an Istanbul restaurant (rather than one that serves Istanbul cuisine, which would entail dependence to traditional dishes).” The team will apply their cooking techniques and style to the local, seasonal produce in the U.K. and merge them with some local ingredients imported from Turkey.

More soon.