Black Axe Mangal
GO HERE: for irreverent, fun food that flies in the face of your standard meat-and-two-veg British cooking—despite a location just north of yuppie Islington. Chef Lee Tiernan cut his teeth at ultra-traditional St. John (where Victorian dishes like devilled kidneys rule the menu), but at his tiny, 20-seat solo venture he turns up the ’80s power rock and cooks outré Turkish meals in a wood-fired oven painted with portraits of the members of KISS. It feels young, and is priced accordingly.
ORDER THE: squid ink flatbread topped with smoked cod roe, spicy slaw-dressed pork chop, and the “Brexit special”: a can of lager and shot of Jameson.
THE VIBE IS: too loud to go with anyone over 50, but ideal for a boozy dinner with the lads. It's not a place for lingering: Tiernan counters the small space with fast table turnover, so dishes arrive nearly as soon as you do.
PRACTICAL STUFF: No reservations; open for dinner only Monday through Friday, lunch and dinner on Saturday, and lunch only on Sunday. Lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; dinner from 6 p.m to 10:30 p.m.
