Eat well in Gaziantep without overpaying: the locals'-budget edition.
Eat well in Gaziantep for under €15 a plate: the places locals on a budget actually use.
Dürümcü Recep Usta fills you up on chickpeas and flatbread in Gaziantep for the price of a coffee elsewhere, which is why the queue never thins.
Try: Nohut dürüm
Tip: One wrap is a light lunch, two is a full meal. Add ayran rather than a second wrap.
Ciğerci Mustafa charges bazaar prices for lamb liver skewers in Gaziantep, and a skewer with bread and salad lands well under most kebab bills.
Try: Ciğer kebabı
Tip: Liver runs out by early afternoon. Go at breakfast when it is freshest and cheapest.
Muhsinzade sells charcoal-grilled dürüm in the Gaziantep bazaar at trader prices, which is what keeps the benches full from six in the morning.
Try: Ciğer ve kıyma dürüm
Tip: Order the mixed liver and mince wrap for the best value on the board.
Özcanlar Pide & Lahmacun Fırını is a neighbourhood oven in Kayaönü where a metre of Gaziantep pide costs less than a single kebab plate downtown.
Try: Kıymalı pide
Tip: Order by the metre for a group. It is cheaper than buying individual portions.
Üçler Kebap Lahmacun keeps lahmacun cheap on Zübeyde Hanım Bulvarı, so a Gaziantep lunch of two pieces and an ayran barely dents a day's budget.
Try: Lahmacun
Tip: Lahmacun is priced per piece. Skip the şiş if you are keeping the bill down.
Katmerci Murat prices its katmer below the famous Gaziantep names on Atatürk Bulvarı while still loading the pastry with kaymak and pistachio.
Try: Katmer
Tip: Split one katmer between two, the portion is bigger than it looks.
İmamoğlu Baklava undercuts the big Gaziantep names from a small shop on Eski Saray Caddesi, and the trays turn over fast enough to stay fresh.
Try: Baklava
Tip: Buy a quarter kilo. At these prices the temptation to over-buy is the real risk.
Akşam Simit runs the cheapest sit-down breakfast in İbrahimli, a Gaziantep bakery counter where the teapot arrives full and then gets refilled.
Try: Simit and pastry
Tip: The pastry counter restocks through the morning. Later batches are as good as the first.
Tostçu Kadir Usta opens at half past five in Sanayi and grills toasted sandwiches for the Gaziantep workshop shift before most cafes have opened.
Try: Tost
Tip: Closed Sundays and shut by half past one. This is a morning counter, not a lunch stop.
Çiğ Köfteci Yuşa Usta sells meat-free çiğ köfte wraps in Değirmiçem at student prices, and the portions run to twice the usual Gaziantep size.
Try: Çiğ köfte dürüm
Tip: The bulgur is kneaded without meat, so the wrap is plant-based before anything is added to it.
Metanet Lokantası charges soup money for the dish Gaziantep is proudest of, and a beyran with bread is a full breakfast for one very modest price.
Try: Beyran çorbası
Tip: Order half a portion if you plan on katmer afterwards. The broth is richer than it looks.
Evirgeç Mantı Evi plates home cooking on Atatürk Bulvarı, and Gaziantep mantı with yoghurt is one of the cheaper sit-down meals in the centre.
Try: Antep mantısı
Tip: Check the daily board before ordering. The listed menu runs wider than the day's cooking.