Where We Eat: Mangal 1 in Dalston

A couple of weeks ago we were looking for somewhere to catch up with friends from the other side of London…always a logistical challenge and inevitably we left it too late to book a table at any of the places on our respective lists!

So, having established that we couldn't get a table at Kismet, one of the most popular tables in town right now, we decided to head to Mangal 1 in Dalston.

During the year that Alina & I spent living around the corner, eating here was a weekly ritual and given that it’s only a half hour overground from Brockley it remains a spot which we return to often.

There are plenty of places in London aiming to replicate what Mangal does so well, in many cases by trying to elevate and refine the food, and we’ll talk more about one of these in the weeks to come. But suffice to say that ‘often imitated, never bettered’ is a label that Mangal 1 can wear with pride.

It's also one of the best BYO spots in town, which is how a well aged super-Tuscan and a very well aged red from the Rhône ended up on our table. Time had softened both of them beautifully, and they were the perfect match for a pile of grilled meat. Lamb hearts, lamb chops and quail alongside the chicken minced with lamb fat…a personal favourite!

All this accompanied by a mountain of fresh, zingy salad and followed by a small plate of baklava to finish. Just as good as it always has been.

Mangal 1 is a hard meal to beat. And at £25 a head, the value is hard to beat too.

Yes, we're ignoring the cost of the wine. But whether you bring a cheap bottle of new world Syrah, a top end super-Tuscan or just a few tinnies, this is one of the best BYO tables in London!