Black Sea Coast
Derin finds the sweet spot between casual bustle and brasserie-style comfort, with wooden-panelled columns and leaded windows giving semi-classical twists…
Must-see restaurants in Turkey
Eastern Mediterranean
This local favourite may look like just another Adana kebap-döner salonu, but the mains and meze are a cut above. This is an excellent place to try Adana…
Fethiye
Intimate backstreet restaurant that can be relied on for really authentic and beautifully crafted dishes from the southeastern city of Antakya (Hatay), so…
Ölüdeniz
For elevated views over Mediterranean Turkey's best beach, head to the upper deck of this stylish place. Offers a wide menu, including falafel (₺35),…
Kuşadası
Kuşadası's top (and priciest) fish restaurant commands a prime harbourfront location and serves dishes ranging from octopus casserole to a wide choice of…
Fethiye
A traditional Turkish lokanta filled with business folk and tradesmen feasting on rich, home-style cooking: expects lots of meaty casseroles, spinach…
Turquoise Coast
On the north side of the river, modish San Simon is the coolest place in town serving pizza and Turkish dishes on a wonderful terrace. There's a loungey…
Far Northeast
The most colourful restaurant on Doğubayazıt's pedestrianised main street, Dağkapı Ciğerisi is laden with intensely coloured textiles, interspersed by…
Kayseri
The interior is European-style elegance, but the food is top-notch Anatolian. Tuck into the mantı (Turkish ravioli), devour the meaty speciality çentik…
Şavşat
Backed by beautiful Alpine scenes reminiscent of Austria, this appealing roadside property specialises in succulent home-reared trout washed down with…
Göreme
If it feels as though you're dining in a family home, it's because you are. Talented chef Mustafa (aka Topdeck) and his gracious clan have transformed an…
Lake District
Our favourite Yeşilada seafood place has perfectly grilled fish, excellent calamari and lush meze. Order your levrek (sea bass) or çupra (gilt-head sea…
Mardin
The Cercis occupies a traditional Syriac Christian home with two finely decorated rooms and a terrace with stunning views. Mekbuss (aubergine pickles with…
Alanya
Three generations of the friendly Öz family run this restaurant, uphill from the harbour. There are never less than 10 mezes on at once – perhaps girit…
Erzurum
Erzurum's choice meat-eating experience is a two-storey building with carved stone pillars and recessed ceilings festooned with astonishingly rich…
Amasya
Head up the creaky stairs to the dining room of this old Ottoman house to dig into regional flavours of etli bamya (lady fingers and meat stew), toyga…
Northeastern Anatolia
Well appointed and idyllically located, little Olgunlar Cafe serves up dishes such as trout (₺16), köfte (meatballs, ₺30) and mıhlama (a local melted…
Safranbolu
Safranbolu has cute cafes dishing up regional cuisine aplenty, but Atış is our favourite for its solid home-style cooking. Dig into traditional dishes of…
Mardin
Translating to 'Mardin's Eye', this multi-level cafe, teahouse and restaurant has knock-'em-dead views over the Mesopotamian plains and is always busy…
Far Northeast
No need for a menu in this utterly unpretentious family restaurant which sits right at the side of a pretty bay: just order a portion of the superb fried…
Central Anatolia
This poshed-up pide (Turkish-style pizza) and kebap restaurant, complete with exposed-brick walls and modern chandelier lighting, does food as good as its…
Far Northeast
This popular family restaurant specialises in home-farmed trout served on raised balconies and at open-air tables right by the waterside of a small, tree…
Southeastern Anatolia
This wide, leafy terrace restaurant is right beside the blue waters of the Atatürk Barajı – with views of quacking ducks and fat fish in the water and…
Konya
Konya's king of etli ekmek (the local version of pide), Bolu is tiny, basic and always crammed. There's no menu; just order etli ekmek, with a jug of…
Central Anatolia
With its blue-and-white decor, Chef Un's has a vibe more Turkish Med than Anatolian heartland. And you know the mantı (Turkish ravioli) has got to be good…
Eastern Mediterranean
Popular with Antakya's glitterati and the expense-account brigade, the 'Courtyard' is more about being seen and seeing than about food, though the meze …
Datça & Bozburun Peninsulas
With its nose poking into the surf from Kumluk Plajı, this chilled hang-out with mismatched furniture serves a decent cappuccino and dishes from a full…
Turquoise Coast
A delightful little cafe that consists of a tiny air-conditioned room and a slim terrace. A lot of care and attention goes into preparing the meals (try…
Bodrum Peninsula
Just off the shoreline, this moderately-priced place does everything on the menu (kebaps, burgers, salads, pides and pasta) well. Village breakfast costs…
Diyarbakır
Kick off another fascinating Diyabakır day with a leisurely breakfast in the leafy courtyard of this heritage mansion. A posse of cats occasionally…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
This sophisticated bar-restaurant in a Beşiktaş office block opened in 1997, and feels like it has been going strong since Atatürk was lodging in the…
Beyoğlu
A chilled-out spot befitting of its name, Mellow serves up some surprisingly innovative and very tasty food with Mediterranean influences, including a…
İzmir & the North Aegean
Owner/chef Erhan Şeker is rightly proud of his hybrid restaurant, hotel and cookery school overlooking the Bay of Edremit, and he loves to introduce…
Kars
Widely reckoned Kars' top restaurant, Kaz Evi specialises, as the name suggests, in goose (kaz): fried in chunks on rice (₺40), as sautéed foie gras (₺50)…
Istanbul
This elegant restaurant next to the Kariye Museum (Chora Church) serves Ottoman dishes devised for the palace kitchens at Topkapı, Edirne and Dolmabahçe…
Alanya
This Turkish-Dutch operation occupies possibly the most handsome of Damlataş Caddesi's remaining Ottoman houses. It's beautifully restored inside, while…
Istanbul
Located next to the Historia shopping mall, this huge Syrian restaurant has a devoted following and is known for its mezes, metre-long kebaps and tuzda…
Trabzon
Take the stairway down beside the Aya Sofya garden gate to find this casually fashion-conscious cafe, popular with a young-professional crowd. It has…
Black Sea Coast
Olive is Ordu's top waterside spot, whether you're sipping a macchiato, snacking on fast food or drooling over a New York-style dry-aged steak. The…
Beyoğlu
Photographs of a luminously beautiful Sofia Loren adorn the walls of Beyoğlu's best Italian-style pizzeria. Bases are Naples-style thick and toppings…
