Nottingham Post

Take a carpet ride and sample a little Turkish delight

FORMER BEESTON CARPET SHOP IS TRANSORMED INTO RESTAURANT

- By LYNETTE PINCHESS lynette.pinchess@reachplc.com @Lynettepin­chess

A Sun-soaked holiday in Marmaris or Antalya might be off the cards this summer but a new restaurant in Beeston is promising plenty of Turkish delight.

Anatolia is just weeks away from opening and the Post was given a sneak peek to see how the transforma­tion of a former carpet shop in High Road is coming along.

Passers-by have been following the progress from the day a banner with the restaurant’s name first appeared outside the former Nottingham Floors premises.

A barbecue grill has been installed and a new bar for serving beer and wine has been built. After removing a partition wall the area is much larger than you might be expecting from outside the shutter – with space for around 100 diners, plus two or three tables outside on the pedestrian­ised street

Behind the scenes there’s a sizeable kitchen where co-owner Ahmet Akar will spend most of his time.

He brings a wealth of experience to Anatolia since he ran Tipoo, a Turkish restaurant in Nottingham’s Alfreton Road, for 18 years before selling it.

He has joined forces with former Tipoo staff members Filiz Dolen, who was a waitress, and her chef husband Ilhan Dag, who will be manning the barbecue.

Ahmet is still refining the menu but definites will be doner kebabs, chicken grilled on a skewer, lahmacun, spiced minced meat on a thin crispy pizza base, and pide, a Turkish flatbread.

All the bread will be homemade. Mezze and dips on the menu include tzatziki, hummus, aubergine and shakshuka, a colourful array of red peppers, tomatoes and eggs with a spicy hit.

Among the main courses will be barbecued lamb chops served with rice and crisp salad.

Plenty of gluten-free options will also be on the menu. “Many people were asking if we would come,” said Ahmet, about the decision to open in Beeston.

The transforma­tion is almost there.

“It took four months. We have worked really hard,” said Filiz.

An opening date has yet to be decided but it shouldn’t be too long. The only hold-up is a delayed shipment of furniture and crockery coming over from Turkey. Once that arrives the restaurant will be ready to welcome up to customers.

The blue/grey walls are brought to life by artwork of Turkish scenes including the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul which unites Europe in the west and Asia, also known as Anatolia, in the east.

A mural of Turkey’s ancient Gypsy Girl, a mosaic of a young girl dating back nearly 2,000 years, will gaze over diners as they tuck into their kebabs.

The restaurant wouldn’t be complete without another of the country’s famous symbols – the blue eye which appears in the “o” of the name.

“It’s called the evil eye and it protects you from bad energies.

“You see it in every Turkish home and business,” said Filiz.

So far, so good. She added: “We’ve had some really nice comments. I can’t wait. I dream about standing by the door and greeting customers.”

I dream about standing by the door and greeting customers

Filiz Dolen, Anatolia

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 ?? RAYNOR ?? From left, business partners Ahmet Akar, Filiz Dolen and Iihan Dag at Anatolia in BEESTONJOS­EPH
RAYNOR From left, business partners Ahmet Akar, Filiz Dolen and Iihan Dag at Anatolia in BEESTONJOS­EPH

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