Esra Muslu first came to London when she was 18 to study, but later left to do a degree in Culinary Arts at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia. After that she returned to Istanbul where she opened her first restaurant in 2007, a fine-dining concept called Moreish located in the city’s Beyoğlu district. The restaurant proved popular, and eventually led to Esra to form a partnership with others, to launch a collection of six more restaurants.

Working with Nick Jones as a head chef in Soho House Istanbul brought her to London to a new role at Shoreditch House. From there she joined Yotam Ottolenghi’s kitchen team as the head chef at Ottolenghi Spitalfields. In 2018 she established a successful Carousel residency, and in 2022 opened her own restaurant concept in London’s Carnaby Street, Zahter.

@esramuslu
www.zahter.co.uk