A Michelin star chef has labelled Nusret Gocke, AKA Salt Bae, as ‘Mickey Mouse’ in a new row over the viral internet sensation’s costly steaks.
Daniel Clifford, who operates two Michelin star restaurant Midsummer House, did not hold back when asked what he thought of Gocke’s brand, which has seen him open high-end steakhouses around the world. Speaking to The Staff Canteen, Clifford said: “Do you want a steak cooked by Mickey Mouse or do you want to come to a two star restaurant where you’ve got 15 chefs that care about everything that they do? There’s a big difference isn’t there.”
It is rare that the opening of a new London restaurant causes mayhem on social media, but that is exactly what Turkish butcher and restaurateur Nusret Gocke has done with the opening of his Nusr-Et Steakhouse in the capital and Clifford hasn’t been the only one to share his opinions.
Gokce originally shot to fame in 2017 when a video of him dramatically sprinkling salt over meat went viral on now defunct video sharing platform Vine. The resourceful butcher already operated a few high-end steakhouses in his native Turkey, but went on to leverage his new-found fame to turn both himself and his restaurants into a global brand. Today, there are more than 15 Nusr-Et Steakhouses around the world, including in glitzy locations such as Dubai, Miami and New York.
Nusr-Et Steakhouse London was initially planned to open in 2019, but suffered years of delays (likely not helped by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic). However, on 23 September 2021, Salt Bae’s London outpost finally opened its doors and on its opening night, saw queues snaking down the street as late as midnight. The reaction to the restaurant on social media has been intense, as Twitter and Instagram users expressed their disbelief at the restaurant’s high prices - including £9 for a glass of Coca Cola.
In case you are not on social media, or the hype around Nusr-Et London has somehow managed to pass you by, we have rounded up some of the funniest and best social media reactions to this new London restaurant. It might also be the closest you can get to dining there currently, as when we got a hold of the restaurant (via a call centre based in Turkey, two different email addresses and two different phone numbers), we were told that it is fully booked for at least the next few weeks.
Check out some of the best social media reactions to Nusr-Et Steakhouse London below and start saving your pennies…
Salt Bae London: Social media reacts
Maybe we're in the wrong business...
Michelin-star chef Tom Kerridge gets in on the action
A staggering bill from the restaurant, but this Twitter user doesn’t seem to mind
The £1k bill got plenty of attention on Twitter
People were stumped by the price of a steak
If you can't get a table at Nusr-Et, instead peruse our pick of London's best steak restaurants.