Overview

Chintamani has firmly established itself as one of the coterie of hip West End eateries. Owned by Metin Fadillioglu, Istanbul’s top restaurateur since 1969, with its Bedouin tented ceiling and soft lighting to compliment the wide array of Ottoman furniture and fabrics, it is a truly luxurious setting in which to dine.

Location

Chintamani is located in the heart of London’s West End on Jermyn Street.

Atmosphere and Design

The restaurant itself has been designed by Metin Fadillioglu’s wife, Zeynep. In order to create the contemporary “Ottoman design”, Zeynep combined Ottoman antiques with a mixture of modern pieces by Turkish artisans. A Deejay plays every Friday and Saturday evening to enhance the lively ambience.

Ottoman Food

Ottoman food encompasses the various cuisines to be found from the near reaches of Western Europe to the far shores of the Bosphorus (Armenia, Syria, Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, Lebanon and the Eastern Mediterranean). The best Turkish food is always found in the home so Chintamani has imbued their traditional dishes, such as grilled fish and meat kebabs, with quintessentially Ottoman flavours.

The Contemporary Ottoman menu offers a wide selection of delicious “mezze” to share, some of which are cooked in a traditional wood-fired oven. Guests can choose from Borecik: delicious crispy veal dumplings with yoghurt sauce, Kofte: tender lamb meatballs with a tomato sauce or Pazi Dolma: Swiss chard leaves stuffed with veal. There are also plenty of vegetarian Mezze including Enginar: braised baby artichokes in olive oil, and Su Boregi: baked cheese and parsley in light pastry.