Trabzon
This special restaurant serves French-inspired lunches (beef Bourguignon, cassoulet, ratatouille), adding Italian and Ottoman recipes after 6pm. The…
Must-see restaurants in Turkey
Van
Run by women, this little lokanta (eatery serving ready-made food) dishes up the best value home cooking in town. There are always guveç (meat and…
Bodrum Town
With a lovely courtyard setting, this refined Spanish restaurant down a cobbled side street is perfect for tapas, excellent paella (₺120 to ₺180 for two)…
Bursa
Swerve off Uzun Çarşı Caddesi into the Fidanhan, built by Sultan Mehmet I's Grand Vizier Mahmut Paşa. This tree-shaded han (caravanserai) is a tranquil…
Çeşme
Relocated to a shaded garden location off Çeşme's pedestrian shopping street, this friendly balık pişiricisi (fish eatery) is Çeşme's foodie hot spot. It…
İzmir
Serving tasty dishes harking from Diyarbakır in the country's southeast, this is a popular venue for celebratory and family dinners, and is also known for…
Urla
With English-speaking staff, excellent wood-fired pizza and a reputation for very good cabernetsauvignon, merlot and shiraz wines, Urlice Vineyard's…
Fethiye
Established in 1935, this inviting, always busy little eatery allows you to experience the buzz of the Fish Market without purchasing from the fishmongers…
İzmir
Şambali are made by baking almond-studded semolina, yoghurt and sugar, then dousing the cake with sweet syrup. This famous şambalicisi, which opened in…
Eastern Mediterranean
Reputed to serve some of the eastern Mediterranean's freshest fish, this upmarket destination restaurant with a lovely seafront terrace is around 5km…
Nişantaşi, Bomonti & Harbiye
If you decide to spend a day or half-day shopping in Nişantaşı, consider taking a break and eating at Hünkar, one of the city's best lokantas (eateries…
Thrace & Marmara
Gözleme (stuffed flatbreads) are made to order by the co-owner's mum at this relaxed garden cafe in Tepeköy. Recycled furniture adds a hipster tinge to…
Eastern Mediterranean
Just what you want from a classic lokanta (eatery serving ready-made food) and kebap salonu: friendly owners, bang-on renditions of lahmacun (Arabic-style…
Beyoğlu
This cosy Caucasus kitchen serves up delicious, hearty Georgian favourites: fist-sized khinkali dumplings, divinely gooey khachapuri (cheese-filled bread)…
Eastern Mediterranean
Our favourite place for a nibble and a sip is this rabbit warren of a creaky old house just down from St Paul's well. The 20-odd dishes on offer include…
Kalkan
This restaurant is among the finest seafood experiences in Kalkan, with a fine harbour-facing streetside terrace and also rooftop dining for dishes like…
Kaş
Also known as 'Mama's Kitchen', this place has green tables in a terraced garden high above the harbour. The 'mama' in question is Sabo, whose daughters…
Ayvalık
Framed by an overflowing grape arbour, Taman Meyhane's slim laneway space is a perfect spot to while away a few hours enjoying the fixed menu of 15…
İzmir & the North Aegean
Very popular at the time of writing, it's definitely worth booking ahead for this spot specialising in seafood meze-style shared plates. Highlights are…
Antalya
Çay, coffee, milkshakes and juices are served with ribbon-wrapped shortbread at this eclectic Dutch-Turkish cafe, where vintage furniture spills into the…
Kalkan
Quirky family-run restaurant in a tiny little dining room (it sits about 12) where Turkish dishes (superb mezes, stews and seafood) are prepared with love…
South Aegean
Housed in a the stunningly restored Bıcılar Han caravanserai, this lively place serves hamburgers, kebaps and chicken dishes, along with fine cocktails …
Istanbul
In a bright and informal space dominated by a long kitchen table, Forno serves delicious pide, pizza and lahmacun (Arabic-style pizza). The weekend…
Dalyan
A sweet garden cafe that's popular thanks to its healthy, home-cooked flavours including fine breakfasts, salads (try a 'Mix Iz' with lettuce, rocket,…
Antalya
International dishes including homemade pasta and fillet steak with gorgonzola sauce (₺95) in Ottoman surrounds, featuring pasha-style chairs, a glass…
Kuşadası
Very close to the fish market, this seafood restaurant offers moderate prices and a wide menu that takes fried mussels, cod and delicious karides güveç …
Turquoise Coast
You walk past a trout farm on the way into this authentic restaurant, which makes its own tahini from sesame picked from the fields and ground in the…
Turquoise Coast
'Hero' pension's delicious gözleme (stuffed flatbreads) are rolled and cooked by headscarf-clad ladies. Alcohol, and, in summer, sandwiches and grills are…
Alanya
Perched just above the harbour, the 'Inner Town Alanya Tavern' is more restaurant than boozer, with at least 30 types of meze to choose from by the…
Alaçatı
This stylish courtyard restaurant on the main eating and shopping strip offers unusual Aegean dishes including braised goat with chard and thistles, tire…
Eastern Mediterranean
The waterfront terrace at Baba, which is regarded as the area's best restaurant, is a beautiful place to sip a cold beer or slurp imported Italian gelato…
Eastern Mediterranean
The very popular Hacıbaba serves excellent zeytinyağli biber dolması (stuffed peppers) and other homestyle Turkish dishes round the clock. There are also…
Çanakkale
Peynir helvası (a dessert of flour or semolina, butter and sugar) is the showcase dish at this family-owned business. Try it with a scoop of vanilla ice…
Kabak
Among hanging lanterns on a terrace with sea views, Turan Hill's kitchen serves a fine lunch menu of seafood, wraps, omelettes and pasta. Vegans and…
Beyoğlu
A Beyoğlu institution, the old Rejans restaurant has been reborn as 1924 İstanbul, with much of its nostalgic atmosphere intact. The well-executed menu…
Kadıköy
Grabbing a dürüm (grilled meat in a flatbread wrap) on the go in İstanbul is a quick way to refuel, but Basta offers a very different eating experience…
Beyoğlu
Named ‘Sow, Harvest, Eat, Drink’, this mostly vegetarian cafe serves up healthy soups, salads, wraps, smoothies and herbal teas made with locally grown,…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
The spicy, Arab-influenced cuisine of Hatay province in southeastern Turkey is the speciality at this small, bistro-like restaurant in the Akaretler area…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
A long-time local favourite in the Beşiktaş çarşı (market area), this small traditional bakery produces tantalising treats both savoury and sweet, most…
Beyoğlu
Yeni Lokanta means ‘new restaurant’ in Turkish and chef Civan Er certainly puts his own twist on Turkish cuisine, employing unorthodox ingredients and…
