Konya
Rekindling old recipes from the Seljuk and Ottoman age, this restaurant uses the finest ingredients and cooks everything with panache. Dig into more…
Must-see restaurants in Central Anatolia
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Central Anatolia
In a prime position for lunch on the route between Yazılıkaya and Hattuşa, this garden cafe dishes up gözleme (stuffed flatbreads), tost (toasted…
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Ankara
The see-and-be-seen crowd packs out the front terrace on sunny days, tucking into European-style mains of grilled steak with sage risotto and gorgonzola…
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Ankara
At this blue-and-white fish restaurant, pluck your creature of the deep off its ice bed, then have it grilled or fried up and doused in olive oil and…
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Ankara
Quirky vintage styling and comfy sofas make Café des Cafés one of our favourite Kavaklıdere pit stops. The menu is bistro-style cooking offering mains…
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Ankara
If we're in the mood for urfa kebap (a mild version of the Adana kebap served with onion and black pepper) or İskender kebap (or Bursa kebap; döner kebap…
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Konya
Run by the belediye (town council), this restaurant offers up the regional tastes of Konya. It's a great place to sample patlıcan közleme kebabı (roasted…
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Ankara
Named after a cult Turkish comic strip – and decorated accordingly – this is the pre-party pick for a substantial feed before hitting the bars. The menu…
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Central Anatolia
Head to this timber-framed house, just off Cumhuriyet Caddesi, to dine on low tables in one of the traditionally decorated salons. The menu is all about…
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Ankara
This Ottoman house, smack in the middle of the citadel neighbourhood, serves up a range of typical Turkish dishes from gözleme (stuffed flatbreads) to…
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Safranbolu
This little place's cheerful, friendly service sets it apart. Tuck into freshly made etli yaprak sarma (stuffed vine leaves with meat) or try the Black…
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Central Anatolia
It's all about the kebap at this large restaurant, which makes its home within the arched interior of Kastamonu's old bedesten (covered market), one block…
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Central Anatolia
Tucked inside the Münire Medresesi complex, we like this place for its local specialities such as banduma (chicken and filo pastry drenched in butter and…
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Konya
Old-timer on the Konya scene, Şifa has had a rather smart makeover. As well as tasty pide (Turkish-style pizza) and typical kebaps, check out the menu for…
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Imren Nostalji Cafe & Lokumları
Safranbolu
We've eaten a lot of börek (filled pastries) in our time but the su böreği (lasagne-like layered pastry laced with white cheese and parsley) we had here…
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Ankara
Tuck into some of the fattest, juiciest gözleme (stuffed flatbreads) in town or a filling bowl of mantı (Turkish ravioli) at this super-friendly little…
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Central Anatolia
We've eaten a lot of pide (Turkish-style pizza) in our time and we'll stick our neck out to say Plevne dishes up some of the best in Turkey. Order the…
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Ankara
Ankara finally gets a decent Indian restaurant and yes, they can turn up the spice level for you. Arabic and Chinese dishes are also offered but stick to…
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Ankara
This carnivore heaven pumps out mountains of meze and kebaps – along with plenty of rakı (aniseed brandy) to wash it all down – to the masses. Try the…
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Central Anatolia
This cafe hums with students and young professionals who come here to slouch on the comfy sofas and gossip over umpteen glasses of çay or grab a cheap…
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Ankara
In business since 1963, this is the original outlet of Ankara's most famous name in pide (Turkish-style pizza) and kebap. It's renowned for its sarımsaklı…
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Central Anatolia
The best place for lunch in Divriği is this homely wooden restaurant that does a bustling trade in pide (Turkish-style pizza), grills and sizzling saç…
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Ankara
The capital's classiest Italian restaurant covers the pasta (all homemade), seafood and steak bases but trust us, you're here for the pizza. Mezzaluna's…
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Safranbolu
With outdoor seating on the square above and in the alleyway, plus cubby-hole dining inside, Çızgi has snagged prime territory. Order the rum mantı …
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Central Anatolia
Our favourite place to kick back after rock-scrambling and church viewing in Sille is this place on the main road with its shady terrace festooned with…
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Central Anatolia
Ask a local where the best tokat kebaps (garlicky lamb, potato and eggplant kebap), and pretty much any other kind of kebap, can be found and there's a…
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Ankara
Gourmet burgers have hit Ankara and this place is one of the best in town to sink your teeth into one. There are Mexican-style, goat's cheese, and BBQ…
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Ankara
For chocolate heaven, mooch over to the Hamamönü cafe district and once you've done a sweep of the handicraft stalls beeline here for dessert. Cakes,…
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Safranbolu
This is Safranbolu's bona fide contemporary dining option and it delivers with thick steaks and creamy pasta dishes. The Turkish cheese platter is a must…
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Ankara
Swamped with local families on the weekends, Mangal is a neighbourhood star that has been churning out mountains of pide (Turkish-style pizza) and kebaps…
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Safranbolu
Squirrelled away down a little alleyway, this place rustles up rustic, wholesome cooking from simple plates of gözleme (stuffed flatbreads) to local…
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Central Anatolia
A cut above the rest of Sivas' pastanes (patisseries), Yarışoğlu dishes up delicious potato-and-cheese böreks (filled pastries) as well as some seriously…
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Ankara
A top break-your-diet stop. Locals pour in here every afternoon to treat themselves to Elizinn's irresistible range of pastries and cakes. There's a menu…
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Konya
Our favourite place in town for fırın kebap (a Konya speciality; slices of tender, fairly greasy, oven-roasted mutton served on puffy bread). The meat…
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Central Anatolia
The welcoming Madame Sema serves home-cooked food such as içli köfte (meatballs stuffed with spices and nuts) in this small restaurant tucked down a…
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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…
