Kumkapi’s history starts with Mike M. Sarac in his hometown of Kumkapi, a town well known for its restaurants and seafood, in Istanbul. It was there that Mike, at age 12, began working at the famous Kor (Blind) Agop’s Kosem Restaurant and his taste for a life of serving great food was first cultivated.

After seven years working for Kor Agop, he decided to start his own restaurant and he opened several great restaurants in Turkey before immigrating to the United States. He first settled in Redwood City, California and opened the first of what would be many restaurants there in 1986. That first restaurant was named Café Mona Lisa and it featured French cuisine. Within a year, his reputation reached Mountain View City, California and, with much demand from the community, he opened his second restaurant named Vaso Azzurro featuring Northern Italian cuisine. With encouragement from his loyal customers from New York, he sold his restaurants in California in 2001and moved here to open his first restaurant in Lynbrook named Istanbul Kebab House which featured seafood and authentic Turkish kebabs. In the ensuing years, he opened 3 more restaurants on Long Island: Mediterranean Kitchen in Bellmore, Black Sea in Oceanside, and Surf & Turf in Merrick. Now, in honor and memory of his own beginnings, he has named his newest restaurant in Hewlett Kumkapi Restaurant and Lounge.

Kumkapi Restaurant and Lounge features great seafood such as whole Dorado, Branzini, Salmon, Shrimp Kebab and many Authentic Turkish Kebabs such as Chicken Kebab, Lamb Kebab and our daily Chef’s Specials.