The Turkish Dish view

Mehmet Efendi 1953 Whitechapel is a Turkish dessert café and bakery at 71 Whitechapel High Street, on the corner by Altab Ali Park and a minute from Aldgate East station. It opened in 2023 as the brand's first London branch, and there's now a sister shop, Mehmet Efendi 1953 on Edgware Road. Baklava is the headline. The counter carries a…

Mehmet Efendi 1953 Whitechapel is a Turkish dessert café and bakery at 71 Whitechapel High Street, on the corner by Altab Ali Park and a minute from Aldgate East station. It opened in 2023 as the brand’s first London branch, and there’s now a sister shop, Mehmet Efendi 1953 on Edgware Road.

Baklava is the headline. The counter carries a long list of varieties, from traditional walnut and pistachio to şöbiyet, bird’s nest and rolled kadayıf, sold by the piece or boxed to take home. There’s also künefe and katmer, a big range of cakes, tres leches and cheesecakes, and a full Turkish breakfast menu with menemen, börek, gözleme, simit and sucuk, all with Turkish tea in tulip glasses or Turkish coffee.

It works for a long breakfast, a tea-and-baklava stop in the afternoon or dessert late in the evening, as it stays open until midnight.

What to order at Mehmet Efendi 1953 Whitechapel

Come for something sweet, but the breakfast menu is worth a look too.

Fıstıklı baklava – classic pistachio baklava, in several shapes including rolled and Ankara-style
Şöbiyet – triangular baklava with a creamy filling and pistachio
Künefe – shredded kadayıf pastry baked with melting cheese and soaked in syrup
Katmer – paper-thin pastry folded with pistachio and cream
Kahvaltı – a Turkish breakfast spread of cheeses, olives, eggs and bread
Menemen – eggs scrambled with tomatoes and peppers
Su böreği – layered, soft “water börek” with cheese
Türk kahvesi – Turkish coffee, or çay served in tulip glasses

Cook it at home

Liked what you ate at Mehmet Efendi 1953 Whitechapel? Try our baklava recipe, künefe recipe and menemen recipe at home. You can also read more about baklava.

Atmosphere and good to know

It’s a bright, polished café with tables for eating in and a takeaway counter for boxed baklava, which makes an easy gift. It opens at 8:00, and you can also order online for delivery.

Halal status isn’t stated. Vegetarians are well covered, with feta and spinach börek, gözleme, poğaça and the whole dessert counter. No booking is needed for a casual visit to this corner of Whitechapel.