The Midyeci Dalston

The roll is a mini somun ekmek that Akdeniz Bakery makes specifically for this shop, which Vittles reads as "a very good sign that the details are being thought about" (Vittles, 2024).

Why go

This is London's first shop built around midye dolma, Turkish stuffed mussels, which come with rice, spicy rice, or rice and prawns, and curry or tarator sauce (London on the Inside, 2022). The thing that earned it a wider reputation is a sandwich the shop invented. Kokorec in Istanbul is lamb intestine wrapped and grilled; here it is mackerel, and Ed Fenwick described the method for Vittles: the fillet goes on the grill skin side down next to its roll, tomatoes and peppers follow, everything fries until brown, then the fish is chopped and mixed through the vegetables with spices "until it turns into a rich, dark sea of browns, reds and greens." The lid of the roll is dipped in oregano before it closes. That is a dish built rather than assembled, at street-food money.

Order this / avoid

• Order: the fish kokorich, with lemon squeezed on each bite and the small chilies added as you like. Fenwick's tip is to make it a meal deal with ten stuffed mussels and a Sarikiz. ref
• Avoid: ordering it expecting offal. If you know kokorec from Turkey, this is a different dish that borrows the format and the seasoning.

What locals & experts say

• Ed Fenwick, Vittles, "The 50 Best Sandwiches in London" (26 July 2024): the fish kokorich is "made entirely from scratch on the grill in front of you," and the bread is "a sub-like roll that local Dalston legends (and friends of The Midyeci) Akdeniz Bakery make especially for them." ref
• London on the Inside (20 January 2022): filed it as "The UK's first Turkish stuffed mussel shop," opening on Kingsland Road with mussel burgers and grilled mackerel sandwiches alongside the midye dolma. ref
• Local rec: on Jeff's list because of the Vittles write-up, in his words below.

Good to know

• Timing: no opening hours are published in any approved source and the online shop was in a holding state on 29 July 2026. Check @themidyeci before a long trip.
• Booking: none. It is a counter.
• Price: counter prices are not published. The delivery product, a kilo of midye dolma, was listed at £34.99.
• Spelling: Vittles writes "fish kokorich", the shop writes "Balik Kokorec". Either will get you the same sandwich.
• Other site: there is also a Midyeci food truck at Edmonton Green Shopping Centre. This entry is the Kingsland Road shop.
• Dietary: no allergen, halal, gluten-free or vegan statement is published. Ask at the counter if it matters.
• Hygiene: FSA inspection 7 October 2025, Hackney; hygienic food handling Good, cleanliness and condition Very good, management of food safety Good (ref).

Jeff's take (his words)

• Note: "Vittles recommends the fish kokorich sandwich" REAL. Verified: Ed Fenwick wrote it up in Vittles' 50 Best Sandwiches in London, July 2024.

Verdict (Chef Jeff ladder)

should-visit — Worth the detour, and it costs almost nothing. This is the only midye dolma specialist in London, and the sandwich it invented is a fish kokorec: mackerel gridled skin down next to its own roll, then chopped and folded through grilled tomato and pepper with spices until the whole thing goes dark. The roll is a somun ekmek that Akdeniz Bakery makes for them specifically, which is the detail that tells you the kitchen is paying attention. Vittles put it in the 50 best sandwiches in London in July 2024. Street-food prices, no bookings, no ceremony.