A residential grid north of the centre that eats late and long, with breakfast rooms, film-poster cafes and simit bakeries rather than kebab houses.
Yeşilçam Kahve Evi lines its walls with Turkish film stills in İbrahimli, and it is the Gaziantep cafe in this district that stays open latest.
DrinkTürk kahvesi
TipThe upstairs room is quieter. Downstairs runs nargile and gets smoky after dark.
Valens Life Cafe in Batıkent builds its reputation on a long Gaziantep breakfast spread, and the Turkish coffee afterwards arrives on the house.
DrinkTürk kahvesi
TipTables turn slowly at weekends. Arrive before 10:00 or expect to wait for the big tables.
Akşam Simit bakes simit and morning pastries in İbrahimli and sets out a full teapot with them, which is rarer in Gaziantep than it ought to be.
Worth the queueKatmer
TipOrder the katmer alongside the simit. The pastries come out warm through the morning.
Akşam Simit bakes sesame simit and morning pastries in İbrahimli, and unlike most Gaziantep simit counters it sits you down with a full teapot.
TrySimit
TipOrder the katmer alongside the simit if you want the local breakfast in one sitting.
Akşam Simit runs the cheapest sit-down breakfast in İbrahimli, a Gaziantep bakery counter where the teapot arrives full and then gets refilled.
TrySimit and pastry
TipThe pastry counter restocks through the morning. Later batches are as good as the first.
Valens Life Cafe lays out a full serpme breakfast in Batıkent, the long-table Gaziantep morning of cheeses, eggs, olives and bottomless tea.
OrderThe full serpme breakfast spread with fried green olives.
TipArrive before 10:00 at weekends. The big tables go first and turn slowly.
Yeşilçam Kahve Evi opens at eight in İbrahimli and serves breakfast under Turkish film stills, the latest-closing cafe in this part of Gaziantep.
OrderTurkish breakfast with coffee in the film-poster room.
TipTake the upstairs room for breakfast. Downstairs fills with nargile smoke by mid-afternoon.
Akşam Simit is the bakery breakfast of İbrahimli, a Gaziantep counter that sets out warm pastries and refills the teapot without being asked.
OrderSimit and katmer with a full teapot on the table.
TipThe pastry trays restock through the morning, so a late arrival is not a penalty.
Yeşilçam Kahve Evi runs latest of the İbrahimli cafes, a Gaziantep room of film stills, backgammon and nargile that fills up once dinner ends.
TryTurkish coffee and nargile
TipUpstairs is quieter and less smoky. Ask for it when you arrive rather than later.
Private tour · 5 hours
Discover Gaziantep’s history, art, and cuisine on a guided tour. Visit the Zeugma Mosaic Museum, taste local street food, and explore the city’s vibrant streets.
3 hours
Join a local family in Gaziantep for a traditional Antep cooking class. Learn how to prepare classic dishes, enjoy a warm welcome, and savor the flavors of Gaziantep.
Guided tour · 2 hours
Explore Gaziantep’s culinary delights and cultural heritage on a guided walking tour. Sample iconic dishes, visit traditional markets, and learn about the city’s rich history.
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