26/08/2026
About last night...
What can I say apart from WOW!
Last night felt like a very natural fit for Kismet.
Kevin Hopgood and Aaron Ballantyne took over the kitchen and presented a Middle Eastern-inspired menu built around the way Kymberly and I love to eat: plates in the middle of the table, plenty to share, lots of different flavours, and absolutely no need for anyone to commit to just one dish.
It’s our favourite style of cuisine - generous and vibrant, a little messy, full of spice, herbs, smoke, sweetness, acidity. the dishes that keep you reaching back across the table for “just one more bit.”
And there was something particularly fitting about serving it here...The word Kismet comes into English through Turkish descent, with roots in Arabic qisma - referring to one’s portion, fate or destiny. Over time, it has come to mean something that was simply meant to be.
Seven years ago we chose the name Kismet because we loved that idea. Last night, seeing a table covered in flatbreads, dips, spiced lamb, fried olives, harissa, tahini, pomegranate and people reaching across one another to share it all, the name somehow felt even more appropriate.
A huge thank you to Kevin and Aaron for developing and executing the menu, and to everyone who came in, shared a table and gave it a try.
This was an experiment, but there were definitely a few dishes last night that we’re not quite ready to say goodbye to yet…
Maybe it was Kismet.
