Inside Elif Turkish Restaurant as new venue opens in Yarm
Elif Turkish Restaurant, which has been operating in Norton since late 2023, cut the ribbon on its new venue in the town on Monday after months of work.
The restaurant, which is run by Lyndsey and Hasan Gergin, from Durham, and Ersin and Fiona Surucu, from Bishop Auckland, takes over from the former Lebaneat, which shut in February.
Lyndsey said teams had been working hard behind the scenes to get it open in time for Easter – and have all been “very excited” to start welcoming customers.
The 43-year-old said: “Our kitchen is ran by all expert Turkish chefs who are family – father and sons. 
“They’ve all become part of our family too in this process. Our opening evening was very successful with lots of walk ins and the weekend is looking to be fully booked.
From hot meze platters featuring falafel, halloumi, and Turkish sausage and seafood to lamb dishes on a charcoal grill, Elif is serving up a huge range of Turkish cuisine.
It also boasts a lunch menu, with any starter and main up for grabs for £17.50, and a dessert menu, featuring homemade baklava, cake, and cheesecake.
Elif may have only been open for several days, but reviews are already flooding in for its “amazing” atmosphere and “even better food”.
One person said: “I don’t have enough words to say, everything is perfect. The food is outstanding and the service staff are the best of the best”.
The restaurant, which is located inside the town’s former Lloyds Bank, has been transformed with Elif branding, with balloons welcoming guests to celebrate the launch this week.
Lyndsey previously told The Northern Echo of the quick turnaround in getting the Yarm venue, saying she was excited to be opening in “such a busy high street”.
She said: “We have always been thinking where we would go and by luck, the Lebaneat lease was put up for sale. Within a week it was signed and the deed was done!
“Yarm is such a busy high street, it has a good nightlife and is really well thought of. And this is something different to the high street too.
Read More:
Get more from The Northern Echo with a digital subscription. Click here.
“Elif Norton was the only Turkish restaurant around and we do have customers coming from Yarm. The new restaurant will have the exact same menu and the same quality as Norton.”
As previously reported, Lebaneat, which operates two sites in Durham, suddenly closed in February, citing both pricing and market conditions.
A spokesperson said at the time that they had decided to place more focus on its main branches further North.