LOCAL: We meet Kirsty while walking her dachshund at WeinoBib. After complaining "Why is there no beach in London?", we are now on the streets of Dalston accompanied by Falling Leaves.&nbsp;NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD:&nbsp;"When I first moved to Dalston, there were very few Caribbean pubs and businesses. The development, or maybe I should say popularization, of this area was the opening of the Dalston Superstore. In the 90s London was not a cosmopolitan city where you could see a lot of subculture on the streets. Everything felt a bit underground and a bit lawless. You would phone a number and they would tell you the time, day and address of the rave." Kirsty tells us about Dalston's past and present.&nbsp;POCKET GUIDE: We're in Dalston with Berkok. Our mission: Learn something new about wine at each of the wine bars in the neighborhood before the end of the day.

Soli

A bosom friend is with us at the table this week. Berkok Yüksel, founder and food writer of Apéro, is turning our destination to Smelt&amp;Co., a corner restaurant in Balat.Berkok begins by telling us his profession. “I think the main aim of a food writer is to describe a dish through the facts of culture and history, recent food trends, agricultural policies, technological change, and the restaurant industry that created it.”We are at a modest and friendly table surrounded by numerous wooden chairs. We look out to a magnificent view.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/7/5/1661523713978.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" width="550" ratio="0.67" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">An inside view of Smelt &amp; Co.Photograph: Deniz Sabuncu<hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">“When you think of Smelt &amp; Co. as a fine-dining restaurant, the location is in an unexpected district. Why do you think they chose this neighborhood?” we ask Berkok.“I think Smelt &amp; Co. is not a fine-dining restaurant. I think Samet and Sinan Chefs are two individuals who are not very fond of the word fine-dining. Smelt &amp; Co. has a menu that adopts a technically as well as intellectually modern approach. Its ingredients are locally sourced, and it finds inspiration from various places. However, the restaurant’s chef-customer relationship dynamic, which comes with fine dining, is far from the understanding that transitions between servitude and snobbery, or the attitude that values glamour and luxury. I think the aesthetic atmosphere of the place consists of the individual tastes of the chef-operator duo. The reason why they chose it is also related to the authenticity and charm of the place.”The conversation is getting deeper over time. He mentions that Smelt &amp; Co. certainly contributed to the gentrification process of Balat, but it was not the one that initiated it. “Perhaps Balat is in a special place in this gentrification cycle. It is a neighborhood whose surroundings have changed many times not only over centuries but over millennia” he adds.Let's keep it to ourselves what we ordered from the menu. We leave Balat and Smelt &amp; Co. with a fresh mind and a satisfied stomach. Stay tuned and follow us for future taste maps.

Aposto Istanbul

Smelt and Co., a fine dining restaurant in an unexpected part of Istanbul.

Smelt & Co.

<hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">• <a fr-original-style="" href="https://apos.to/s/60480fcdabe11b000601f9b0" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">İstanbul’un en iyi mekânı&nbsp;</a>- Berkok Yüksel, 10 MartYemek yazarı olmanın en büyük keyifi restoranlarda yemek sanılır. Aslında yemek yazarı olmanın en keyifli kısmı restoranlar hakkında yazmak. Düşününce yazarın favori aktivitesi yazmak olmalı zaten. Bu sene yazmaktan kıvanç duyduğum restoran <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.instagram.com/smeltandco/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Smelt &amp; Co.</a>'ydu.&nbsp;

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