Perched on Highbury Corner, this compact restaurant serves up inventive Turkish-inspired kebabs and flatbreads with a rock soundtrack, creating a lively, sensory dining experience.
"Black Axe Mangal (or the restaurant Formerly Known As) is a place that pushes all your senses. From Metallica blaring, to the fat and smoky scents coming from the tiny kitchen, to the wallop of the foie gras and prune doughnut, it’s a cramped and flavourful sensory overload. Conversations are shouted and lamb offal flatbread is stuffed into mouths. These days the Highbury and Islington spot offers a changing set menu and, if you fancy, a ‘borscht back’. That’s a vodka shot, a borscht shot, and a bit of frankfurter on a stick." - jake missing, daisy meager, sinead cranna, rianne shlebak, heidi lauth beasley
"You’re still rock and roll. Of course you are, it’s just now you’re rock and roll, rarely smoke, and have a skin care regime. Good for you. Islington spot Black Axe Mangal has a Kiss themed open oven and a lot of offal on the menu, which, somewhat surprisingly, is actually an excellent recipe for a great night. If you’re planning a birthday dinner with everyone you’ve ever known / loved / or drunkenly shared a toilet with in your 20s, this might not be the place for you because it’s a relatively small spot. Honestly though, it’s worth cutting a few stragglers off the invite list for a loud and proud night of noisy toasts, and a glittery squid ink flatbread that we’d take over a lousy cupcake any day." - heidi lauth beasley
"You’ve been merrily chatting to each other at the pub for the past few weekends, and now it’s time to take this potential friendship to the next level. Without saying that, obviously. Play it safe and head to B.A.M. It’s got a partyish atmosphere that will keep things familiarly loud and drink-fuelled. The food is anything but safe, which is a useful go-to in case you’re worried about the conversation faltering without ten other people to bounce off of, and ten drinks inside of you." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing
"F.K.A.B.A.M is a tiny and riotous restaurant on Highbury Corner. Inside the dark, moody space there’s heavy metal blaring from the speakers, cans of beer cracking all around you, and the scent of smoky stuff coming from the oven. Check their Instagram for the latest fixed price, sharing menu. It changes monthly and includes Turkish-inspired dishes like lamb offal flatbreads, blistered mackerel, and oxtail gratin. If you’ve got the stomach for it, finish your meal with a borscht back—a vodka shot, a borscht shot, and a bit of frankfurter on a stick. " - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna
"The restaurant Formerly Known As Black Axe Mangal (a.k.a F.K.A.B.A.M.) has always been something of a riot. It’s a festival in a cupboard where a shot of borscht comes alongside a shot of vodka. Expect loud music: heavy metal, thrash, and anything that complements cold beers and the big flavours of lamb offal flatbread or a cointreau chocolate orange mousse to finish. Best of all, Highbury & Islington is very well connected, so you can stumble home to your bed rather than a tent." - heidi lauth beasley, rianne shlebak, jake missing, sinead cranna
