Chef Selin Kiazim returns to the London food scene next week with the opening of Turkish restaurant Leydi in the new Hyde hotel near the Old Bailey in Farringdon – 18 months after the closure of her Shoreditch spot Oklava.

Selin has vowed to “put Turkish food on the map” with the new venture, saying that it is not well represented in central London.

Leydi will be open all day and is inspired by Istanbul’s street food and lokantas, shifting in the evening to the party vibe of the city’s meyhanes (or taverns), when larger sharing plates will be served.

“We’ll be making all our breads in house and butchering all the meats ourselves. We’ll also be making our own döner,” she said.

Selin opened Oklava in 2015, earning a major foodie reputation for Turkish-Cypriot cooking hailed as “fabulous” in the 2023 Harden’s guide. Halil Simsek, who was head chef at the time Oklava closed in January 2023, occupies the same role at Leydi; Selin says, “He’s a brilliant chef and I knew he was the man for the job.”

She is also planning to open a smaller restaurant in Amsterdam, where she is currently based.