Zahter

The story

Zahter, London – Michelin Recommended Turkish Restaurant in Soho

A Fresh Take on Turkish Food in London’s Soho

Zahter brings the rich, layered flavours of Istanbul to a light-filled corner of Foubert’s Place. The restaurant takes its name from a wild herb often used in Turkish cooking, and that spirit of discovery runs through every dish. Here, tradition is a starting point, not a rulebook. Chef Esra Muslu and her team craft an ingredient-led menu that circles a wood and charcoal oven, drawing on the city’s vast ethnic heritage to create something both rooted and fresh.

Esra Muslu’s path to this kitchen is anything but conventional. After studying culinary arts in Melbourne, she opened her first fine-dining restaurant, Moreish, in Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district in 2007. She later worked as a head chef at Soho House Istanbul under Nick Jones, then led the kitchen at Ottolenghi Spitalfields in London. A 2018 Carousel residency followed, and now, with her sister Yasemin Efe and partner Simay Kamer, she has built Zahter. It is a thoroughly personal project, and it shows in the precision and warmth of the cooking.

What to Eat

The menu changes with the seasons, but some signatures hold steady. The wood-oven bread, Pide & Zahter, arrives with smoked yoghurt – a simple, compelling start. Cold mezzes like muhammara (roasted peppers, pomegranate molasses) and levrek marin (citrus-marinated seabass with kumquat) showcase careful sourcing and balance. Hot dishes come straight from the fire: bosnak mantisi – wood-oven beef dumplings with garlic yoghurt and Aleppo burned butter – or cop sis, lamb skewers with ezme and pomegranate. For larger plates, the izgara kofte (lamb and beef meatballs with pistachio and tahini yoghurt) and kulbasti (dry-aged beef fillet) stand out. Desserts like wood-oven burnt rice pudding and pistachio baklava close the meal on a high note.

Breakfast is served too – a full serpme kahvalti spread with cheeses, homemade jams, honeycomb and breads, or a simple menemen with wood-oven pide. And the Loft, the restaurant’s private event space on the second floor, has its own open kitchen and bar, accommodating up to twenty-five guests for parties or private dining.

A Recognition That Fits

Zahter’s Michelin Recommended status for 2026 is no surprise. The cooking is precise, the ingredients are treated with respect, and the service is genuinely warm without ever feeling forced. It is a place where Turkish hospitality meets London’s appetite for real, thoughtful food. Whether you come for a full spread of mezzes, a quick plate of wood-fired bread, or a leisurely dinner with friends, the experience feels both generous and considered.

Located on a quiet street in the heart of Soho, Zahter is open Tuesday through Sunday, offering lunch and dinner, plus brunch on weekends. It is a restaurant that rewards curiosity – exactly as its name suggests.