Turquoise Coast
Just after the bridge into Çıralı, this is the best place for Turkish food: behind a counter heaving with mezes and seafood, the open kitchen turns out…
Must-see restaurants in Türkiye
Cappadocia
Tolga and his family have swung open the doors to their home – surrounded by their organic garden and overlooking Ayvalı's deep gorge – to offer a taste…
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Thrace & Marmara
Suvla's 60 hectares of certified organic vineyards are located near Kabatepe on the opposite side of the peninsula, but its winery, complete with an ultra…
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Göreme
Diners sprawl on cushions and take a taste-bud tour of village food at this family restaurant. Take our advice and order the tadım (tasting) menu plus a…
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Bursa
If you eat one meal in Bursa, have it here. This refuge for serious carnivores is famous nationwide – it is one of two Bursa restaurants claiming to be…
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Beyoğlu
This much-loved baklavacı (baklava shop) opened in 1949 and was the first İstanbul branch of a business established in Gaziantep in the 1820s. There are…
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Eastern Mediterranean
This much-welcome new addition to Kızkalesi's beachfront is in an attractive old building in the shade of an enormous 50-year-old rubber tree. The rainbow…
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Bodrum Peninsula
A rustic escape in the hills above Gümüşlük, Limon sprawls across garden terraces and a whitewashed farmhouse, with stunning views over a ruined Roman…
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Turquoise Coast
This lovely restaurant is located in the lush grounds of Günay's Garden, with its poolside bar for aperitifs. It specialises in Mediterranean cuisine,…
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Cappadocia
Upmarket, contemporary dining, with modern tweaks to Turkish classics and a fun approach to dish presentation, is the name of the game here. Order the…
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Sultanahmet
Balıkçı Sabahattin is an enduring favourite with discerning Turks from near and far, who enjoy the limited but delicious menu of mezes and seafood. This…
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Black Sea Coast
This lovingly restored Ottoman house is like a joyously jumbled museum, displaying such an endless selection of ancient copperware, swords, old rugs etc…
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Istanbul
It's worth making the trek to this pideci overlooking the Fatih İtfaiye Park near the Aqueduct of Valens. Its reputation for making the best Karadeniz …
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Black Sea Coast
Above the co-owned family fishmonger, the 'Ocean Fish House' is quite possibly the best fish restaurant on the Black Sea coast (for flavour not for decor)…
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Black Sea Coast
With half a car chassis over the door, this spacious, contemporary bistro overlooks the Hopa waterfront and has a wide-ranging iPad menu of cafe food…
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Ürgüp
Ziggy's has nailed the essence of casual-yet-classy dining. The pastırmalı börek (pastry filled with preserved beef) and lush yaprak ciğer (lamb liver…
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Beyoğlu
A notable recent addition to the local restaurant scene, this rooftop restaurant at the Novotel is sustaining its initial hype. The menu is dominated by…
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Beyoğlu
Chef Maksut Aşkar has been wowing diners with his exciting rifts on traditional Turkish food since 2014, gaining an entry on the San Pellegrino World's…
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Istanbul
In 'Little Syria', this barn-like eatery offers a marvellously varied range of mezes, salads and kebaps. Specialities include tuzda kuzu kol and tuzda…
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South Aegean
'Tiger Mountain' offers superbly prepared local dishes with lashings of olive oil and wild herbs. Seasonal mezes like fish in soya oil and stuffed…
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Pamukkale
Bucking the trend of Pamukkale's ho-hum food, White House packs its dishes with flavour. The sigara boreğı (deep-fried cigar-shaped pastries, often…
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Kadıköy
Known throughout the culinary world, Musa Dağdeviren's lokanta (eatery serving ready-made food) showcases dishes from regional Turkey and is an essential…
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Kadıköy
Ticking all of the hipster boxes (third-wave coffee, vegan food, tattooed baristas, indoor plants), this hugely popular cafe spreads over spaces on both…
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Gaziantep
Your lips will tingle and your eyes will tear up as you spoon this oily broth into your mouth. Beyran is a mutton and rice soup made viciously red by the…
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Trabzon
Enthusiastic locals don't believe you've really been to Trabzon till you've eaten Akçaabat köfte (local meat patties) on Cemilusta's jam-packed meydan…
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Konya
Rekindling old recipes from the Seljuk and Ottoman age, this restaurant uses the finest ingredients and cooks everything with panache. Dig into more…
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Beyoğlu
Notable lokantas (traditional eateries serving ready-made dishes) are rare in modern-day Beyoğlu, so the existence of this bustling place next to the…
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Beyoğlu
Located in an enclave off Galipdede Caddesi in Galata, this friendly, slightly ramshackle cafe is much loved for its exceptionally delicious and huge köy…
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Çeşme
Operated by a local women's cooperative, this humble spot a short stroll from Çeşme's busy main street specialises in homestyle cooking. The ever-changing…
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Alaçatı
Bumba's table-covering breakfasts are packed with local and seasonal herbs, cheeses and fruit. Highlights of 15 small plates could include yoghurt with…
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Kalkan
A modern venue with a very stylish minimalist pub on the terrace and a restaurant upstairs, serving superb Turkish dishes with a European twist. Try the…
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Istanbul
Transplanted from Aleppo to İstanbul in 2014, this 150-year-old institution is known for speciality sweet cheese desserts such as kadayıf and peynirli…
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Beyoğlu
Every morning the chefs at this popular ocakbaşı (grill house) prepare fresh, top-quality meat – spicy chicken wings and Adana kebaps, flavoursome ribs,…
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Sultanahmet
Those keen on robust flavours and the liberal application of chilli in their food will be instantly enamoured of the dishes served at this bustling eatery…
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İzmir
Serving Bosnian food that is remarkably similar to Turkish home cooking, this stylish lokanta (eatery with ready-made food) in the pretty Abacıoğlu Han…
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Eastern Mediterranean
Our favourite new place to eat in Adana is this stylish bistro just north of Atatürk Parkı in the well-heeled Kurtuluș district. In addition to the…
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Eastern Mediterranean
The kind of fish restaurant you hope for when visiting the Med, the 'Mermaid' does superfresh fish, simply and with real generosity of spirit. Housed in a…
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Beyoğlu
Banu Tiryakioğlu's laid-back foodie oasis in the heart of Çukurcuma has one of the most devoted customer bases in the city. Tables are on the leafy…
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İzmir & the North Aegean
We love everything about this extremely chic eatery behind Taş Kahve at the liman (harbour). Owned by the Kürsat olive-oil mill, it offers a delicious…
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Antalya
For authentic local food at cheap prices, Can Can (jan jan) certainly has lots of can (soul) with street tables and locals buying güveç (stews) well into…
