Stanbuli restaurant is an Enmore Road institution. After six-and-a-half years of stellar cuisine, it’ll serve its last meal this month.
With a heavy heart, chef and owner of Stanbuli, Ibrahim Kasif, shared the news that this inner-west Sydney institution will be shutting down. His social media post announced:
“After 6.5 years, I have decided it’s time for Stanbuli to say goodbye. The timing feels right. I have had the most amazing journey in opening and running my little Turkish restaurant here in the iconic Marie-Louise Hair Salon.”
Kasif cites Covid playing a major role in his decision to close.“It wasn’t an easy decision … we just had to weigh out whether to continue, or whether to explore some new options,” Kasif told Broadsheet. “[We decided] it was time to call it. And it was also sort of Covid-related. We never really recovered from lockdowns.”
Stanbuli made the heritage-listed Marie-Louise Hair Salon on Enmore Road home in 2015. Kasif, along with business partners, Porteno’s Joe Valore, Elvis Abrahanowicz, and Sarah Doyle (curator of the stunningly elegant interiors) created one of the city’s most beautiful restaurants to open in recent years.
Kasif wanted to represent Turkish food outside the realm of puréed dips and döner, building an eatery that played homage to authentic Turkish food, championing stuffed mussels, melon and cheese, poached brains, chopped smoky eggplant salads, braised beans served chilled, fried livers, and meats cooked over coals that were treated with love and respect.
Stanbuli’s final service will be Saturday, April 30. In its last month, Stanbuli will be doing a $75 pp set menu of favourites. It’s not surprising the bookings have skyrocketed since the announcement, so get in quick to book lest you miss out on something unique and special in the heart of Enmore one last time.
