Beloved Turkish Restaurant Stanbuli Is Closing This Month After More Than Six Years on Enmore Road
The Enmore mainstay is serving up $75 set menus for its final month before it closes on Saturday, April 30.
After serving up top-notch Turkish food on Enmore Road for over six years, Ibrahim Kasif has announced he'll be closing his renowned and beloved restaurant Stanbuli. Announcing the closure on Instagram over the weekend, Kasif said "the timing feels right" to bring Stanbuli to a close.
Opening in late 2015, Stanbuli took over the former residence of longstanding Enmore hairdresser Marie-Louise Salon, hiding behind its iconic pink and purple facade that had remained unchanged from the 1950s. Over the next half-decade, the restaurant grew a cult following with inner west locals, thanks to the team's tasty traditional Turkish cuisine and generous set menus.
"I put my heart and soul into this place, and to represent my cultural heritage was truly an honour," Kasif's statement continues. "I wanted to represent Turkish food outside the realm of puréed dips and Döner. I wanted an eatery that played homage to real Turkish food."
Kasif thanked his business partners, staff past and present, his wife and guests in the farewell statement, adding "we hope to see you one last time!".
The bottom floor of the restaurant will remain open for the remainder of April, before its final service on Saturday, April 30. If you do want to head in one last time — or experience Stanbuli for the first time if you haven't had the chance — the venue is saying goodbye with a $75 per person set menu featuring everyone's favourite dishes from over the years.
You can make a booking for up to four people in the downstairs area via the Stanbuli website or by calling 02 86243132. And, if you already have a booking for this month, never fear, all current bookings for the month of April will be honoured.
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Stanbuli is located at 135 Enmore Road, Enmore. It will close on Saturday, April 30.