The counters in Gaziantep worth queuing for: bread, pastry, and the morning ritual.
Bakery counters in Gaziantep worth queuing for: levain breads, laminated pastry, regional bakes and the morning ritual.
Koçak Baklava is the baklava counter most of Gaziantep names first, a bright Şehitkamil salon selling şöbiyet, dolama and midye by the kilo.
Worth the queueÖzel şöbiyet
TipBuy by weight and eat it the same day. Antep baklava is built for hours, not for keeping.
İmam Çağdaş rolls its own baklava beside the kebab grill on Uzun Çarşı, and the havuç dilimi wedge is the one Gaziantep queues at the counter for it.
Worth the queueHavuç dilimi
TipThe takeaway counter is separate from the restaurant. Use the street door if you only want a box.
Tarihi Elmacıpazarı Güllüoğlu bakes baklava and börek at the edge of the apple market, and it carries the oldest baklava name in all of Gaziantep.
Worth the queueFıstıklı baklava
TipAsk for the börek in the morning. It comes out of the oven early and sells before lunch.
Baklavacı Zeki İnal is a family baklava workshop on Atatürk Bulvarı in Gaziantep that makes şöbiyet by hand and sells out most days by noon.
Worth the queueKaymaklı şöbiyet
TipClosed at weekends and often sold out by midday. Go on a weekday morning or do not bother.
Çelebioğulları Baklava runs a large Gaziantep salon on Gazi Muhtar Paşa and is one of the few local names making vegan and gluten-free trays.
Worth the queueFıstık sarması
TipThe special-diet trays are made in a separate line and usually need ordering ahead.
Gaziantep Ayıntap Baklava keeps an air-conditioned salon on Gazi Muhtar Paşa Bulvarı where you can sit with tea and a plate rather than a box.
Worth the queueFıstıklı baklava
TipSitting in costs no more than taking away. Order a small plate and a glass of tea.
Boztoprak Baklava bakes fresh every day on Atatürk Bulvarı in Gaziantep and ships nationwide, which keeps the trays turning over very quickly.
Worth the queueKarışık tabak
TipThe mixed plate is the way to compare şöbiyet, dolama and classic in one order.
Antepsan Baklava sits opposite Sanko University in Gaziantep and also holds the airport counter, so it is the last box before a flight home.
Worth the queueMidye baklava
TipOpen until late evening. Handy if you land after the old-city counters have shut.
İmamoğlu Baklava is a small shop on Eski Saray Caddesi in Gaziantep where the trays are cut thin and the prices sit below the more famous names.
Worth the queueBurma kadayıf
TipThe shop is one small room with no seating. Buy a quarter kilo and eat it walking back.
Yusuf Ziya makes burma kadayıf and almost nothing else in a Gaziantep han on Suburcu Caddesi, rolling the pastry around crushed Antep pistachio.
Worth the queueFıstıklı burma kadayıf
TipMidday is when the trays are warmest. Later in the day the syrup has set firm.
Katmerci Zekeriya Usta stretches katmer dough to transparency and bakes it in a stone oven, the Gaziantep breakfast pastry in its canonical form.
Worth the queueFıstıklı katmer
TipWatch the dough being thrown before you sit. The counter opens at eight and the queue builds fast.
Metanet Katmer opens at five in the morning on Kozluca Caddesi in Gaziantep, pairing clotted cream and Antep pistachio inside paper-thin dough.
Worth the queueSimit katmer
TipThe five o'clock start suits anyone eating beyran across the street first.
Beyoğlu Katmercim works its dough in front of the counter on Kozluca Caddesi, and the Gaziantep katmer here arrives loaded with kaymak and pistachio.
Worth the queueKaymaklı katmer
TipAsk for a corner table so the katmer reaches you while it is still hot.
Katmerci Murat is a family katmer shop on Atatürk Bulvarı in Gaziantep, cheaper than the famous names and generous with the pistachio filling.
Worth the queueFıstıklı katmer
TipThe şam tatlısı is worth adding if you are ordering for more than two.
Orkide Pastanesi is the modern counterpoint to the Gaziantep baklava houses, a patisserie doing chocolates, cakes and a katmer with ice cream.
Worth the queueİnovatif katmer
TipThe ice-cream katmer is a modern reworking. Try the classic version elsewhere first.
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.
Özcanlar Pide & Lahmacun Fırını is a working stone-oven bakery in Kayaönü, Gaziantep, turning out pide, lahmacun and sfiha throughout the day.
Worth the queueKıymalı pide
TipBuy pide whole and have it cut. Cut pide goes soft on the walk home.
Ünsal Lokum ve Şekerleme sells Turkish delight and boiled sweets made on its own Gaziantep line, a confectioner's trade counter on Altınoğlu Caddesi.
Worth the queueFıstıklı lokum
TipPistachio lokum travels better than baklava does. Ask for it boxed rather than bagged.
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.