Review: Meze Mangal, Lewisham (From News Shopper)

Review: Meze Mangal, Lewisham

2:44pm Monday 23rd January 2012 in Leisure

A FRIEND of mine is obsessed with kebabs to an unhealthy degree. I mean absolutely obsessed.

When moving house a few years ago, part of the reason he chose his flat was because there was a decent kebab house five doors down.

I only mention this because I noticed a flat for let just down the road from Meze Managal on Lewisham Way and I'm going to suggest he moves there.

When I visited the shop at 1pm, narrowly avoiding being bisected by a skinny-jeaned skateboarder, there was a queue for food which nearly reached the door.

These were mostly hungry but cash-starved Lewisham College students, ordering lahmacun - a Turkish pizza - with salad for just one quid a pop.

They looked pretty fine, but I panicked under the pressure of the imposing menu and went for a sis kebab - slightly less of a bargain at £7.

Two skewers of lamb were placed over the shop's charcoal grill and, as I waited for them to cook my eyes were drawn to all the delicacies being taken out of the large fiery oven nearby, as if to say 'here's what you could have had'.

But I needn't have worried. Despite my kebab being served disconcertingly in three separate containers, the food was delicious.

The meat was cooked to perfection, there was a generous portion of tasty salad and the Turkish bread was mighty fine.

No wonder Meze Mangal has a reputation as one of south London’s finest. Forget tipping off my friend, I might just move in myself.

How Meze Mangal rated:

FOOD ***** (delicious, generous and varied).

SERVICE **** (busy but charming).

INTERIOR/DÉCOR ***** (not your bog standard kebab house).

Address: 245 Lewisham Way, London, SE4 1XF