Official opening of A La Turka marked with party and ribbon cutting

The A La Turka team

An array of cocktails, live music, light explosions and authentic Turkish food have marked the official opening of A La Turka restaurant on Ramsgate seafront.

The venue, formerly the site of The Bench, opened its doors last month but held an official ribbon-cutting with invited guests on Monday (October 1).

The restaurant has undergone a total refurbishment and includes an open kitchen and a special private dining area with arched ceiling and stunning decoration at the rear of the property.

Traditional Turkish mosaic lamps and wall rug hangings are set in a clean and bright floor area.

The official opening was attended by guests including Ramsgate mayor Trevor Shonk who assisted owner  Mehmet Dari with the ribbon cutting.

Memhet also owns A La Turka restaurants in Canterbury and Herne Bay. The venues serve dishes from Gaziantep in Turkey. Mehmet is the third eldest of nine siblings from a family of farmers from the settlement of Gaziantep.

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He came to the UK in 1998 and, having always had a love of food and cooking, knew he wanted to open his own business in the industry.

Mehmet and chefs

He spent a few years working in different establishments to understand the food business in the UK  and opened his first food outlet in 2000 and first restaurant in 2006.

In 2013 he opened A La Turka in St Dunstans and Northgate in Canterbury with Herne Bay following in 2015.

Meat for the A La Turka menu is sourced in Kent, vegetables are bought from London markets and herbs and spices come from Mehmet’s home city.

Find out more on their facebook page here and on their website here