Salt Bae’s New York eatery Nurs-Et is closing as critics wonder if the London branch will be next

With his New York branch of Nurs-Et about to close and his London restaurant dealing with a deluge of bad reviews, it’s possible that Salt Bae’s empire is beginning to crumble.

While a sign on the door indicates that the venue is “moving to a new location,” a spokesperson for the restaurant, founded by Nusret Gökçe, revealed that the menu would actually just be served at an existing branded steakhouse.

Gökçe, better known as Salt Bae, went viral on social media in 2017 for his theatrical salt-strewing antics that have earned him over 38 million followers on Instagram.

But with the NYC restaurant closing, many will surely now be wondering if the London dining room has had its day and will also close, especially given that it has been heavily criticized since opening.

Since launching in 2019, the Instagram favorite experience has been flooded with negative reviews and made headlines for its pricey menu.

Two years after the Knightsbridge restaurant opened, the eatery had received a slew of bad reviews on TripAdvisor and was ranked number 20,491 out of 23,811 in all of London.

One diner wrote, “Terrible food. Meat was not tasty at all. Finally went for a £5 kebab after a £300 bill… this place is the biggest joke in London.’

Meanwhile, another added: “Insult to humanity. Worst food, worst service. Paid over £1,800 for three of us.

‘Poor quality, smelly meat, small portions. Rather spend £50 at local restaurant, will be better! Never again! Stay away, it’s a death trap!’

A third added: ‘Avoid like the plague. I travel all over the world to do my business and have eaten in many restaurants but this is the worst one yet.

“The ones in LA, Turkey and Dubai are great and I can’t recommend them highly enough, but I would never return to Nusr-et in London.”

Nicknamed Salt Bae by fans, Gökçe currently has 17 restaurants in its successful chain and has a legion of devoted celebrities, including DJ Khaled, Leonardo DiCaprio and David Beckham.

He has often been spotted carving meat for customers at his London restaurant, where specials include a Golden Giant Tomahawk steak for £1,450, Golden Giant Striplion for £1,350 and Golden Kafes for £500, and he regularly posed for snaps with customers.

Despite the backlash, London’s controversial Nusr-Et restaurant initially proved to be a hit with diners, with a reported turnover of £7 million in its first four months.

Salt Bae Burger New York opened its doors at 220 Park Avenue South, near Union Square Park, just a month before the pandemic closed restaurants to indoor dining.

The restaurant was quickly criticized for having “the charm of an airplane hangar,” with critics saying the food was overpriced. A Gothamist food critic added that it was the “worst restaurant” in New York City.

The brand was a follow-up to Mr Gökçe’s Nusr-Et steakhouse, a famous restaurant with more than 20 locations around the world.

But the parent company was hit with multiple lawsuits accusing it of sexual harassment and wage theft.

In 2020, Nusr-Et CEO Al Avci said there was “not a single problem” in the company’s restaurants.

Nusr-Et and Mr Gökçe were approached for comment.

Although Salt Bae had made a name for himself in the restaurant business, his life changed overnight in 2017 when he shared a video of himself cooking an Ottoman steak in his signature style on Instagram.

The video – which has been viewed more than 17 million times – shows the butcher spreading salt on the meat with his hand in the shape of a ‘cobra’.

Dressed in a white t-shirt and form-fitting black jeans, the “sensual” move earned Nusret the title of “sexiest butcher on Instagram.”

“All my feelings come from within the flesh,” he told NBC. “Until I put the salt on the meat.”

He also sparked outrage last year when he appeared on the pitch after the World Cup final, celebrating with Lionel Messi and his teammates and even holding the iconic trophy.

FEMAIL has contacted Nusr-et Steakhouse for comment.