23 casual dining worth the trip across Turkey, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Turkey guides.
Karaköy Güllüoğlu ★ 4.7 · Istanbul
karaköy · Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa Mah., Rıhtım Caddesi No:3-4, 34425 Beyoğlu, İstanbul
Karaköy Güllüoğlu has rolled phyllo baklava since 1949 at one Rıhtım Caddesi counter near Galataport, Nadir Güllü's pistachio version the canonical Istanbul.
Çulcuoğlu Et Lokantası ★ 4.5 · Gaziantep
sahinbey · Suyabatmaz, Kalender Sk. No:6, 27410 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Çulcuoğlu Et Lokantası is the esnaf lokanta of the Gaziantep bazaar, serving kebab, pide and bottomless soup to coppersmiths and shoppers alike.
Tip: Complimentary fruit and soup arrive unasked. Do not over-order the starters.
Yesemek Gaziantep Mutfağı ★ 4.4 · Gaziantep
sahinbey · Şekeroğlu, Hamdi Kutlar Cd. No:51/1-B, 27400 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Yesemek Gaziantep Mutfağı plates regional home cooking near the castle, and half portions make it the easiest place in Gaziantep to taste widely.
Tip: Vegetarian dishes are listed separately. The kuru patlıcan dolması is meat-free on request.
Sakıp Usta Paça Beyran Kebap ★ 4.3 · Gaziantep
alleben · Alleben, Kemal Köker Cd. No:55 D:53, 27010 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Sakıp Usta is the all-hours beyran and paça room of Gaziantep, a functional counter on Kemal Köker Caddesi that keeps serving past midnight.
Tip: Soup portions are large. Order one beyran between two if you plan on kebab afterwards.
Tarihi Hocapaşa Pidecisi ★ 4.3 · Istanbul
eminönü · Hocapaşa Sokak No:19, Sirkeci, 34112 Fatih, İstanbul
Tarihi Hocapaşa Pidecisi off the Sirkeci side-streets, pulling kıymalı and kuşbaşılı pide from a wood oven since the 1960s for the lunchtime suit crowd.
Ali Usta Kebap ve Baklava ★ 4.2 · Gaziantep
sahinbey · Karatarla, Yeniçeri Sk. 27/A, 27010 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Ali Usta Kebap ve Baklava runs a kebab grill and a baklava tray side by side in central Gaziantep, open from six in the morning six days a week.
Tip: The baklava counter sells by weight. Half a kilo is enough for four people.
Cumba Künefe ★ 4.2 · Gaziantep
sehitkamil · Pancarlı, Ali Nadi Ünler Blv. 71/A, 27060 Şehitkamil/Gaziantep
Cumba Künefe on Ali Nadi Ünler Bulvarı serves the Gaziantep cheese pastry in oversized sharing trays, open from breakfast until two in the morning.
Tip: Portions are bigger than usual. Share one and add the ice cream rather than ordering two.
Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi Selim Usta ★ 4.2 · Istanbul
sultanahmet · Alemdar Mah., Divanyolu Caddesi No:12, 34110 Fatih, İstanbul
Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi Selim Usta on Divanyolu, the 1920 original now run by the fourth generation, still grilling its flat charcoal köfte beside piyaz.
Borsam Taşfırın ★ 4.2 · Istanbul
kadıköy · Caferağa Mah., Serasker Caddesi No:78, 34710 Kadıköy, İstanbul
Borsam Taşfırın in Kadıköy, a stone-oven lahmacun and pide salon running since 1968 with a counter line that turns over every five minutes at lunch.
Köfteci Hüseyin ★ 4.2 · Istanbul
beyoğlu · Şehit Muhtar Mah., Kurabiye Sokak No:9/A, 34250 Beyoğlu, İstanbul
Köfteci Hüseyin on Kurabiye Sokak off Taksim, the Hüseyin Taşsöken counter that started on a 1958 push-cart, salt-bread-onion patties grilled.
Hafız Mustafa 1864 ★ 4.2 · Istanbul
eminönü · Hobyar Mah., Hamidiye Caddesi No:84, 34112 Fatih, İstanbul
Hafız Mustafa 1864 on Hamidiye Caddesi, the original Sultan Abdülaziz-era candy shop at the Eminönü viaduct, now a multi-floor stop for baklava.
Üçler Kebap Lahmacun ★ 4.1 · Gaziantep
sehitkamil · Sarıgüllük, Zübeyde Hanım Blv. NO: 16/C, 27060 Şehitkamil/Gaziantep
Üçler Kebap Lahmacun is a straightforward Gaziantep grill room on Zübeyde Hanım Bulvarı, priced for a family lunch rather than a special occasion.
Tip: Lahmacun comes fastest. The şiş takes longer because it is fired to order.
Muhsinzade Türk Şiş Kebap ★ 4.1 · Gaziantep
sahinbey · Boyacı, Külekçi Çarşısı Sk., 27400 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Muhsinzade is a charcoal counter in the Gaziantep bazaar where traders eat şiş and dürüm standing up, from six in the morning until early evening.
Tip: No English menu. Point at the skewers you want and the owner will build the plate.
Erçelebi Kömürde Kadayıf ★ 4.1 · Gaziantep
sehitkamil · Sarıgüllük, Milli Egemenlik Cd. no.33, 27400 Şehitkamil/Gaziantep
Erçelebi Kömürde Kadayıf finishes every kadayıf over charcoal in Sarıgüllük, a Gaziantep dessert room that keeps serving until one in the morning.
Tip: Nothing sits ready on a tray here. Expect a ten-minute wait while the kadayıf goes over the coals.
Bahar Restaurant ★ 4.1 · Istanbul
fatih · Beyazıt Mah., Çarşıkapı Nuruosmaniye Caddesi, Yağcı Han No:13, 34126 Fatih, İstanbul
Bahar Restaurant tucked inside a Grand Bazaar han off the Nuruosmaniye gate, an esnaf lokanta serving stews and pilav to the bazaar's working merchants.
Künefe Han ★ 4.0 · Gaziantep
sehitkamil · Pancarlı, 19019. Sk. No:3, 27060 Şehitkamil/Gaziantep
Künefe Han bakes shredded pastry over stretchy cheese until late in Şehitkamil, and Gaziantep families treat it as the after-dinner second stop.
Tip: One tray feeds two. Order it at the table so it arrives while the cheese is still stretching.
Dayının Yeri Kadayıf ve Billuriye ★ 4.0 · Gaziantep
sehitkamil · Değirmiçem, İmam Hüseyin İncioğlu Cd. No:5, 27560 Şehitkamil/Gaziantep
Dayının Yeri makes billuriye and kadayıf to order in Değirmiçem, one of the few Gaziantep counters that still lists the crystalline pastry at all.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Nothing is pre-made, so allow time if you arrive with a group.
Boğazköy ★ 4.0 · Gaziantep
yeditepe · Yeditepe, 85203 Nolu Sk No:22, 27470 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Boğazköy is the campus-side crowd-pleaser in Gaziantep, a big room of pasta, pizza and slow-grilled beef brisket beside Gaziantep University.
Tip: Sushi appears on limited days only. Ring ahead if the sushi is the reason for your visit.
Özcanlar Pide & Lahmacun Fırını ★ 3.9 · Gaziantep
sehitkamil · Kayaönü, Hamidiye Cd., 27500 Şehitkamil/Gaziantep
Özcanlar Pide & Lahmacun Fırını works a stone oven in Kayaönü, turning out boat-shaped pide and sfiha for the Gaziantep neighbourhood around it.
Tip: Order pide by the metre for a group. It travels badly, so eat it in the shop.
Treff Bistro ★ 3.9 · Gaziantep
kavaklik · Öğretmenevleri Mah. Meteoroloji Sok, Engelliler Parkı, 27010 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Treff Bistro sits inside Kavaklık Park in Gaziantep with a shaded patio, serving Turkish breakfast alongside pizza, pasta and burgers all day.
Tip: The patio is the point. Indoors in winter it is an ordinary bistro room.
Pandeli Lokantası ★ 3.9 · Istanbul
eminönü · Rüstem Paşa Mah., Mısır Çarşısı No:1, 34116 Fatih, İstanbul
Pandeli above the Spice Bazaar gates, the 1901 blue-tiled Bib Gourmand lunch room still cooking Ottoman dolma and courgette-flower fritters into the Eminönü.
Evirgeç Mantı Evi ★ 3.8 · Gaziantep
alleben · Alleben, Atatürk Blv. 58/B, 27010 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Evirgeç Mantı Evi is where Gaziantep eats the dishes people cook at home, a plain room on Atatürk Bulvarı built around mantı and stuffed köfte.
Tip: Prices run higher than the room suggests. Check the daily board before ordering the full spread.
Mösyö Cafe & Restaurant ★ 3.8 · Gaziantep
kavaklik · Kavaklık, Ahmet Apaydın Cd. No:42/1, 27070 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Mösyö Cafe & Restaurant sits beside Kavaklık Park in Gaziantep and runs breakfast, gözleme and live music from early morning through to midnight.
Tip: The terrace faces the park. Come for late breakfast rather than dinner, the mornings are calmer.