Turkish₺₺₺sahinbeyDaily 08:00-22:00
İmam Çağdaş is the benchmark kebab house of Gaziantep, running since 1887 and still judged on its Ali Nazik and on its havuç dilimi baklava tray.
Order: Ali Nazik and a plate of havuç dilimi to finish.
Tip: Prices sit above the bazaar average. That is the trade for the address and the age of the kitchen.
Turkish₺₺₺sehitkamilMon-Sat 10:30-18:30; closed Sun
Kebapçı Halil Usta charges fine-dining money for one thing in Gaziantep, küşleme, and shuts the grill once the day's lamb tenderloin has gone.
Order: Küşleme, ordered by weight rather than by portion.
Tip: Arrive by 12:30. The tenderloin allocation is the whole business and it does not last.
Turkish₺₺₺allebenMon-Sat 10:00-20:30; closed Sun
Küşlemeci Mehmet Usta is a single-dish kitchen in Gaziantep, grilling lamb tenderloin over charcoal and serving it with churned yayık ayran.
Order: Küşleme, plus the yayık ayran that comes with it.
Tip: Small portions, high price per gram. That is what the cut costs, not a tourist mark-up.
New American₺₺₺yeditepeMon-Sat 10:00-22:30; Sun 09:30-22:00
Boğazköy is the closest Gaziantep gets to a modern international restaurant, a large room near the university with brisket, pasta and pizza.
Order: The beef brisket, the single dish the kitchen stakes its name on it.
Tip: Weekday dinner is the calmest service. Sunday reviews are noticeably weaker.
Turkish₺₺₺₺sahinbeyDaily 08:00-24:00
Hışvahan is the most formal room in Gaziantep, an Ottoman han restored into a hotel and restaurant that plates Antep dishes under stone vaults.
Order: Peynirli güveçte irmik helvası, the cheese and semolina halva.
Tip: Book for dinner rather than lunch. The courtyard lighting is the reason to be here after dark.
Turkish₺₺₺sahinbeyDaily 09:00-24:00
Bayazhan turns a Silk Road caravanserai in Gaziantep into a meyhane, a winter dining room and a bar, with live fasıl music on most nights of the week.
Order: Küşleme, reserved in advance because the nightly allocation is small.
Tip: The non-alcoholic family section is separate from the meyhane. Say which you want when booking.