Kebab Queen

Sometimes, you find things where you least expect them.

Like Kebab Queen, an intimate counter dining restaurant that’s located… inside another restaurant.

To get there, you’ll first have to visit Maison Bab in Covent Garden, fight the urge to sit down immediately and order one of their gourmet-level kebabs, then head downstairs to locate what looks, at first glance, like a typical late-night kebab shop. Only it’s indoors. Underground. And hidden by a pastel pink curtain. Slip behind it, and you’ll find yourself in a polished chrome kitchen-slash-dining room that’s filled with joyful contradictions. Because setting off the industrial backdrop of the kitchen are elegant chandeliers, and plush blue velvet stools. You’ll sit down to eat, but there aren’t any plates. And while ostensibly you’re in a subterranean kebab shop, what is about to unfold is undeniably a fine dining experience.

And that’s not even the really unusual bit. That would be the bit about the fact that, here, the food is all served without plates and frequently without cutlery either. You see, that small bar you’re sitting at? Is actually a custom-made, heated, pristine white countertop that the food is served directly on top of. Eating with your hands is strongly encouraged, because regardless of the fancy touches the chefs apply, this is still supposed to be a kebab place.

That chef behind that counter, busily prepping dishes & chatting to customers, is one Pamir Zeydan. His culinary style has been imbued with Kurdish and Mediterranean influences from his upbringing in Turkey, as well as the fine dining techniques he’s picked up working in some of the world’s most elegant restaurants. And his tenure marks a brand new direction for Kebab Queen, infusing the menu with echoes of classic Turkish and Mediterranean dishes in a one-of-a-kind, super-intimate dining experience served to just eight people at a time.

Dishes that feature on his menu include the likes of dover sole kebab served on an ironed hispi cabbage taco, with roasted red pepper puree, sauce Grenobloise, and samphire; and a spit roast Cağ kebab of aged Dalesbred mutton with puffed pitta, charred heritage tomato ragu, smoked Turkish yoghurt, charred Çarliston pepper, shallot & sumac salad.

Essentially, you should expect great things…

NOTE: Pamir Zeydan takes over at Kebab Queen from 16th August, and Nudge Members are getting an exclusive soft launch until 10th November, with menus discounted to £50 (usually £85). For instructions on how to book, take a look at the Members’ box at the top of this article. Not a Nudge Member yet? Sign up for a free trial here.

ALSO NOTE: You can make a regular booking for Zeydan’s tasting menu here.

Kebab Queen | Downstairs at Maison Bab, Mercer’s Walk, WC2H 9QE

And once you’ve been to Kebab Queen… you can enjoy a nightcap at one of Covent Garden’s best bars