'Wow factor' at new Turkish restaurant Ottoman Kitchen as it prepares to open in North End

Ottoman Kitchen will be opening its second site in North End this month after securing a loyal following at its Southampton location.

Owner, Nevzat Yilmaz, said the idea for the expansion comes after customers were consistently travelling from Portsmouth to his existing venue, which is known for its open charcoal grill.

He said: “I’m excited to be opening in Portsmouth.

“We’ve taken our time to get the charcoal grill and the interiors just right—this is going to be the nicest restaurant in Portsmouth, the kind of place where everyone will want to celebrate their birthdays, work parties, anniversaries, christenings, New Year’s Eve, and every special occasion.

“The interior has that wow factor. I couldn’t open until everything was perfect. The people of Portsmouth are going to be really impressed by what we’ve done.”

Located in London Road, the new restaurant, which has undergone extensive refurbishment over the past six months, is set to open its doors on December 12.

In 2023, the restaurant was crowned “Best Middle Eastern Restaurant in the UK” at the Asian Restaurant Awards in London, with Nevzat explaining lamb shish and kebabs are firm favourites amongst his customers.

Nevzat added: "There might be a big rivalry between the Southampton and Portsmouth football supporters but hopefully everyone will be united in like our cooking."