How a shoe repairer’s name ended up over a charcoal grill in Finsbury Park.
In 2011 we were refitting our first shop, a former kebab house in north London. When the old fascia came down, there was an older sign behind it. It read E. Mono.
We hadn’t picked a name yet. After that, we didn’t need to.
Town hall records told us E. Mono had been a shoe repair business. It had long since closed and the name was no longer registered, so we registered it.
We like to think the old owners would recognise the place. A cobbler works with steady hands and a sharp blade, and lives on regulars who come back for years. So do we.
Our food takes its lead from the Karadeniz, Turkey’s Black Sea region in the north of the country. That means generous portions, simple food done properly, and nothing on the plate for show.
The doner is carved from the spit to order. Shish, kofte and wings go over real charcoal. The salad counter is filled fresh, and there is always enough for the vegetarians and vegans in the queue.
Today you’ll find us in Finsbury Park, a few minutes’ walk from the station, under a lit sign that still says E. Mono. Come in and sit down, or take it home.
