Central Anatolia
A very typical tourist-orientated restaurant that gets most of its business from tour bus groups. The food here is good value, service is fast, the…
Must-see restaurants in Turkey
Kars
Exuding a subdued elegance, this upstairs restaurant is the place to head if you want beer or wine with your meal. The menu offers plentiful mezes,…
Kabak
Mamma dishes up simple, hearty food, including gözleme (stuffed flatbread; ₺7) and her own homemade ayran (yoghurt drink; ₺3) from her front patio near…
İzmir & the North Aegean
Australian Lisa Lay opened this casual cafe in an old bakery near the iskele two decades ago, and has built a loyal clientele of expats and island…
İzmir & the North Aegean
Located on a busy corner, this ultrafriendly pidecı (pide place) is probably the most popular eatery in town. The pides (Turkish-style pizzas) are…
Kaş
In a lovely little square off a cobbled street just up from the water, Köşk occupies a rustic, 150-year-old house with two terraces and seating in the…
Çeşme
This rough-and-ready meyhane (tavern) near the Greek Orthodox church is a popular venue for late-night carousing. The menu includes soups, stock-standard…
Black Sea Coast
Haydar's Place cooks crispily thin-crusted pide in a variety of styles including Karadeniz (a kind of large meat turnover) and Amasra pidesi, loaded with…
Black Sea Coast
Bring a dictionary and a little courage to squeeze in with the locals around the single barbecue table in this utterly old-school, hole-in-the-wall grill…
İzmir & the North Aegean
Formerly a fine-dining restaurant, Kybele is now a more informal garden eatery with excellent views across Bergama. The bar serves up good cocktails,…
Şanlıurfa
The food is typical Turkish with a menu full of kebaps and pide (Turkish-style pizza). It packs the diners in because of the great views over Gölbaşı and…
Cappadocia
This municipal restaurant, in an Ottoman-style building in the park of the Kültür Merkezi (City Cultural Centre), 1.5km southwest of the centre, serves…
Southeastern Anatolia
Vegetarians, don't even bother reading this review: the huge mangals (barbecues) that take centre stage on the ground floor set the tone here. Grilled…
Kaş
The menu here concentrates on no-nonsense Turkish dishes of kebaps, grills, soups and salads. Head out back to eat in the pretty courtyard, which has open…
Central Anatolia
Next to the mosque, in the centre of Yörük Köyü, you'll find this simple place with lots of shaded outdoor seating. It serves traditional Anatolian dishes…
Black Sea Coast
Below the similarly named Hotel Kervansaray (but unrelated) this pleasant if fairly standard place has a range of hazır yemek (ready-to-eat food) in…
Antalya
True to its namesake (the Greek-influenced Aegean island off Ayvalık), the first thing you see in the Castle Boutique Hotel's courtyard is a fridge loaded…
Selçuk
Both sightseers and self-caterers will enjoy this lively weekend market east of the bus station. Like the smaller Wednesday market to the northeast, it…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
The menu of Turkish standards in the restaurant at art nouveau villa Hıdiv Kasrı is enlivened by a few Ottoman Palace–inspired dishes. You'll dine in the…
Black Sea Coast
On the central square beside the beladiye (town hall), this popular no-frills cafeteria still churns out the usual suspects (lentil soup, bean stew, döner…
Marmaris
At lunchtime, local suits queue for this long-established köfte chain's salad bar (₺9), not to mention the succulent köfte, kebaps and other grills. Meal…
Eastern Mediterranean
Directly opposite the beach, the 'Sea View Reflection' strays beyond the Turkish playbook, with pizzas, salads and sandwiches. It's a very relaxed place …
İzmir
At the end of Konak Pier, %100 has an upmarket shopping-mall feel inside, but its tables out on the pier are alluring. Its lengthy menu features pizzas,…
Bodrum Peninsula
Popular beachside restaurant with international menu that takes in so-so burgers and curries. Stick to Turkish food like testi kebapı, a delicious dish of…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
In the grounds of Dolmabahçe Palace but accessible without a museum entry ticket, the Clock Tower Cafe has plenty of tables arranged on the edge of the…
South Aegean
This ramshackle terrace restaurant serves simple dishes including great gözleme (stuffed flatbreads) made by village ladies, with choices changing…
Bodrum Peninsula
In new premises 300m inland from the shore, but run by the same family from Gaziantep, Özmasa specialises in Anatolian dishes such as halep işi kebap …
Bodrum Peninsula
On a roadside terrace in the village, this unassuming place does excellent versions of Turkey's extended carbohydrates family, from mantı (Turkish ravioli…
Dalyan
Attached to a honey shop, 'Friends' Cafe has a rustic feel with its chequered tablecloths. It does börek (filled pastry) and all-day kahvaltı (Turkish…
Eastern Mediterranean
Looking on to the main Antalya-Mersin highway, the `Mediterranean' is nothing to write home about. But it serves more-than-acceptable fish dishes and…
Konya
You can't argue with the location. The upstairs terrace with views of the Mevlâna Museum is a panoramic spot for lunch. The menu is typically Turkish with…
Antalya
On the Dönerciler Çarşısı, aka 'Şemsiye Sokak' (Umbrella St) restaurant strip, Anis' efficient waiters serve tasty pide (Turkish-style pizza), lahmacun …
Istanbul
This popular hole-in-the-wall bakery is known for its lahmacun (thin Arabic-style pizza). The standard version is topped with tomato, herbs and minced…
Bodrum Town
Bustling pizzeria with a great streetside terrace opposite the marina. It's particularly popular with families and with groups of young people, who enjoy…
İzmir & the North Aegean
Kervan is popular among locals for its cheap and tasty dishes. The menu features a good range of kebaps, pide, çorba (soup) and, for dessert, künefe …
Sultanahmet
In the residential neighbourhood of Küçük Ayasofya, this eatery – named in honour of the Ottoman fountain next to its streetside terrace – serves well…
İzmir & the North Aegean
Named after the papalina balıǧı, a popular local sprat (one portion ₺20), this old-fashioned place has a lovely position right next to the fishing boats…
Datça & Bozburun Peninsulas
This family-run eatery in the village just up from the marina does home-cooked lokanta-style Turkish dishes, and of course very decent döner kebaps. The…
Cappadocia
Adorned with photos of visiting Turkish celebrities posing with the star-struck waiters, Harman offers a great selection of ızgara (grills), döner kebaps …
Southeastern Anatolia
Check-hatted chefs prepare top-notch grills and pide (Turkish-style pizza) in an open kitchen and dishes are rapidly served up by an enthusiastic team of…
