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Food & Drink

12th Jan 2020

Dubs devastated as iconic kebab spot, Iskander’s, to close after decades

Darragh Murphy

Iskander's on Dame Street

Iskander’s, as we know and love it, will soon be no more.

It’s been announced that Iskander’s, Dublin’s original kebab shop, will close its doors next week after almost 30 years of serving the capital.

Open since 1992, Iskander’s is set to close ahead of a major refurbishment and relaunch under a different name.

Ali Aydin, whose family recently purchased the Dame Street eatery, is planning to modernise the premises and re-open next month with a more upmarket design.

Iskander’s was once one of the most popular late-night food takeaways in Dublin city, with many relying on the restaurant for post-pint grub, but the changing trend of families now frequenting such establishments has inspired the revamp.

“Being open till half five in the morning it started a trend of eating a kebab after a night out on the town with many other shops following in its footsteps,” Aydin told the Irish Times. “It paved the way for the terms ‘shawarma’ and ‘doner kebab’ being widely known in the Dublin region.”

The Aydin family has been involved in Iskander’s for years but only recently finalised long-running plans to purchase the takeaway.

The newly-named establishment is due to open in February.

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