Cafe₺₺sahinbey
Havara Kitap Kafe is a women-run book cafe in Karagöz, Gaziantep, assembled from reclaimed material and stacked across several quiet levels.
Why locals love it: A women-run book cafe built from reclaimed material in Karagöz, several levels deep and almost never on a Gaziantep visitor list.
Tip: Service is partly self-serve. Order at the counter rather than waiting to be found.
Bakery₺₺sahinbeyMon-Sat 08:00-21:00; Sun 08:00-19:00
Yusuf Ziya makes burma kadayıf and nothing else from a han window on Suburcu Caddesi, a Gaziantep speciality the baklava salons treat as a sideline.
Why locals love it: A single-product window in a Suburcu Caddesi han making only burma kadayıf, which most Gaziantep baklava lists never mention.
Tip: Midday is when the trays come out warm. By evening the syrup has set firm.
Bakery₺₺sehitkamilMon-Sat 10:00-22:00; closed Sun
Dayının Yeri in Değirmiçem still lists billuriye, a crystalline Gaziantep pastry that has quietly dropped off almost every other dessert menu.
Why locals love it: One of the last Gaziantep counters still listing billuriye, and nothing sits pre-made on a tray waiting for customers.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Everything is made to order, so allow a wait if you arrive with a group.
Bakery₺₺sahinbeyDaily 06:00-19:00
Beyoğlu Katmercim stretches its katmer dough in front of the counter on Kozluca Caddesi, two streets from the famous Gaziantep names and their queues.
Why locals love it: A Kozluca Caddesi katmer counter working the dough in front of you, two streets from the famous names and a fraction of the queue.
Tip: Ask for a corner table so the katmer reaches you while the kaymak is still molten.
Turkish₺sahinbeyMon-Sat 06:00-19:00
Muhsinzade grills for the traders of the Külekçi lanes in Gaziantep from six in the morning, and shuts long before the evening kebab crowd arrives.
Why locals love it: A charcoal counter down the Külekçi bazaar lanes that opens at six for the traders and closes at seven, so the evening kebab crowd never finds it.
Tip: The owner will build the plate for you if you do not read Turkish.
Bakery₺₺sahinbey
İmamoğlu Baklava works out of one small room on Eski Saray Caddesi in Gaziantep, cutting thin trays for a neighbourhood trade rather than the tour buses.
Why locals love it: A tiny Eski Saray Caddesi shop cutting its trays thin and priced below the famous Gaziantep names, with no sign visitors would notice.
Tip: There is nowhere to sit. Buy a quarter kilo and eat it on the walk home.