40 mid-range places in Gaziantep, editor-picked. the comfortable everyday-good restaurants in Gaziantep, with real cooking and no surprise on the bill. All Gaziantep food.
Metanet Lokantası ★ 4.7
sahinbey · Kozluca Mah, Kozluca Cd. No:11, 27400 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Metanet Lokantası in Gaziantep opens at 05:00 and sells beyran until the pot runs dry, which is why locals queue before the bazaar wakes up.
Tip: Get there before 09:00. The beyran is gone by early afternoon and the kitchen will not make a second batch.
Katmerci Zekeriya Usta ★ 4.7
sahinbey · Çukur, Bay Hilmi Gç. No:16/C-D, 27010 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Katmerci Zekeriya Usta stretches katmer dough to transparency and bakes it in a stone oven, the Gaziantep breakfast pastry in its canonical form.
Tip: Watch the dough being thrown before you sit. The counter opens at eight and the queue builds fast.
Tarihi Tahmis Kahvesi ★ 4.7
sahinbey · Eski, Suyabatmaz, Buğday Pazarı Sk. No:8, 27400 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Tahmis Kahvesi has poured coffee beside the Gaziantep spice market since 1635, and menengiç, the wild pistachio brew, is what to order here.
Tip: Backgammon boards and live saz appear most evenings. Sit in the vaulted room, not the street tables.
Tarihi Tahmis Kahvesi ★ 4.7
sahinbey · Eski, Suyabatmaz, Buğday Pazarı Sk. No:8, 27400 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Tahmis Kahvesi has roasted and ground coffee beside the Gaziantep grain market since 1635, selling menengiç and dibek by the bag as well as the cup.
Tip: Buy the menengiç ground. It is a terebinth paste, not a bean, and it needs no grinder at home.
Katmerci Zekeriya Usta ★ 4.7
sahinbey · Çukur, Bay Hilmi Gç. No:16/C-D, 27010 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Katmerci Zekeriya Usta throws katmer dough over a marble counter in Gaziantep, then bakes it with kaymak and pistachio in a stone oven at the back.
Tip: Katmer is a breakfast pastry here, not a dessert. Come before ten for the freshest batch.
Metanet Lokantası ★ 4.7
sahinbey · Kozluca Mah, Kozluca Cd. No:11, 27400 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
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.
Tip: Order half a portion if you plan on katmer afterwards. The broth is richer than it looks.
Katmerci Zekeriya Usta ★ 4.7
sahinbey · Çukur, Bay Hilmi Gç. No:16/C-D, 27010 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Katmerci Zekeriya Usta is where Gaziantep eats breakfast, a stone oven turning out katmer layered with clotted cream and green Antep pistachio.
Tip: Come before ten. The dough is thrown to order and the queue builds through the morning.
Çulcuoğlu Et Lokantası ★ 4.5
sahinbey · Suyabatmaz, Kalender Sk. No:6, 27410 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Çulcuoğlu Et Lokantası sits at the exit of the coppersmiths' bazaar in Gaziantep, opposite the Suriye Pasajı, and the family has run it since the 1920s.
Tip: There is often no printed menu. Ask what the grill has and let the waiter build the order for you.
Çulcuoğlu Et Lokantası ★ 4.5
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
sahinbey · Şekeroğlu, Hamdi Kutlar Cd. No:51/1-B, 27400 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Yesemek Gaziantep Mutfağı cooks the home dishes the kebab houses skip, from yuvalama to alaca çorba, a short walk downhill from Gaziantep Castle.
Tip: Half portions are available, which is the way to taste four regional dishes in one sitting.
Yesemek Gaziantep Mutfağı ★ 4.4
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.
Papirüs Cafe ★ 4.4
sahinbey · Bey, Noter Sk. No:10, 27010 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Papirüs Cafe occupies a restored Armenian mansion in Bey Mahallesi, and its vine-shaded Gaziantep courtyard is the calmest table in the old city.
Tip: The courtyard fills by mid-afternoon. Come before noon if you want a table under the vines.
Papirüs Cafe ★ 4.4
sahinbey · Bey, Noter Sk. No:10, 27010 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Papirüs Cafe grinds its own Turkish coffee inside a Bey Mahallesi mansion in Gaziantep and pours zahter tea from the same courtyard counter.
Tip: Zahter tea is thyme, not coffee. Order both and drink the coffee first.
Papirüs Cafe ★ 4.4
sahinbey · Bey, Noter Sk. No:10, 27010 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Papirüs Cafe sits inside a restored Armenian mansion in Bey Mahallesi, and its vine-shaded courtyard is the quietest table in old Gaziantep.
Tip: Come before noon. By mid-afternoon the courtyard is full and the calm has gone.
Sakıp Usta Paça Beyran Kebap ★ 4.3
alleben · Alleben, Kemal Köker Cd. No:55 D:53, 27010 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Sakıp Usta serves beyran and paça on Kemal Köker Caddesi in Gaziantep from 05:30 until the small hours, which covers both the dawn bowl and the late one.
Tip: The kitchen runs from 05:30 to 02:00, so this is the one beyran counter that suits either end of the day.
Sakıp Usta Paça Beyran Kebap ★ 4.3
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.
Yusuf Ziya Fıstıklı Burma Kadayıfları ★ 4.3
sahinbey · Düğmeci, Suburcu Cd. Şehir İş Hanı 2/B, 27400 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Yusuf Ziya makes burma kadayıf and almost nothing else in a Gaziantep han on Suburcu Caddesi, rolling the pastry around crushed Antep pistachio.
Tip: Midday is when the trays are warmest. Later in the day the syrup has set firm.
Beyoğlu Katmercim ★ 4.3
sahinbey · Suyabatmaz Mahallesi, Kozluca Caddesi No:6, Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Beyoğlu Katmercim works its dough in front of the counter on Kozluca Caddesi, and the Gaziantep katmer here arrives loaded with kaymak and pistachio.
Tip: Ask for a corner table so the katmer reaches you while it is still hot.
Yusuf Ziya Fıstıklı Burma Kadayıfları ★ 4.3
sahinbey · Düğmeci, Suburcu Cd. Şehir İş Hanı 2/B, 27400 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Yusuf Ziya rolls burma kadayıf around crushed Antep pistachio in a Gaziantep han on Suburcu Caddesi and sells almost nothing else from the window.
Tip: Buy a small box rather than a tray. The syrup sets hard within a day.
Sakıp Usta Paça Beyran Kebap ★ 4.3
alleben · Alleben, Kemal Köker Cd. No:55 D:53, 27010 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Sakıp Usta keeps beyran and paça going past midnight on Kemal Köker Caddesi, which makes it the Gaziantep answer to a very late-night appetite.
Tip: It is still serving at 02:00, and at 03:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Yusuf Ziya Fıstıklı Burma Kadayıfları ★ 4.3
sahinbey · Düğmeci, Suburcu Cd. Şehir İş Hanı 2/B, 27400 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
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.
Tip: Midday is when the trays come out warm. By evening the syrup has set firm.
Beyoğlu Katmercim ★ 4.3
sahinbey · Suyabatmaz Mahallesi, Kozluca Caddesi No:6, Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Beyoğlu Katmercim stretches its katmer dough in front of the counter on Kozluca Caddesi, two streets from the famous Gaziantep names and their queues.
Tip: Ask for a corner table so the katmer reaches you while the kaymak is still molten.
Beyoğlu Katmercim ★ 4.3
sahinbey · Suyabatmaz Mahallesi, Kozluca Caddesi No:6, Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Beyoğlu Katmercim makes katmer in front of the counter on Kozluca Caddesi, a Gaziantep breakfast worth the two-street walk from the busier names.
Tip: Ask for the corner table. The katmer travels badly even across the room.
Ali Usta Kebap ve Baklava ★ 4.2
sahinbey · Karatarla, Yeniçeri Sk. 27/A, 27010 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Ali Usta Kebap ve Baklava opens at 06:00 near Karatarla in Gaziantep and works a kebab grill and a baklava counter out of the same narrow doorway.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Early lunch is quieter than the 13:00 rush from the surrounding workshops.
Ali Usta Kebap ve Baklava ★ 4.2
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
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.
Gaziantep Ayıntap Baklava ★ 4.2
sehitkamil · İncilipınar Mah. Gazi Muhtar Paşa Bulvarı No:28, Şehitkamil/Gaziantep
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.
Tip: Sitting in costs no more than taking away. Order a small plate and a glass of tea.
Metanet Katmer ★ 4.2
sahinbey · Suyabatmaz, Kozluca Cd. 10/A, 27400 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Metanet Katmer opens at five in the morning on Kozluca Caddesi in Gaziantep, pairing clotted cream and Antep pistachio inside paper-thin dough.
Tip: The five o'clock start suits anyone eating beyran across the street first.
Metanet Katmer ★ 4.2
sahinbey · Suyabatmaz, Kozluca Cd. 10/A, 27400 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Metanet Katmer opens at five in the morning beside the Gaziantep grain market, feeding the same crowd that has just eaten beyran across the road.
Tip: Order the simit katmer if the classic sells out. It is the same dough with sesame on top.
Ali Usta Kebap ve Baklava ★ 4.2
sahinbey · Karatarla, Yeniçeri Sk. 27/A, 27010 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Ali Usta Kebap ve Baklava opens its grill at six in the morning near Karatarla, so kebab counts as street breakfast in this part of Gaziantep.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Order at the grill window rather than sitting down if you are in a hurry.
Cumba Künefe ★ 4.2
sehitkamil · Pancarlı, Ali Nadi Ünler Blv. 71/A, 27060 Şehitkamil/Gaziantep
Cumba Künefe runs until two in the morning on Ali Nadi Ünler Bulvarı, serving the oversized Gaziantep künefe trays that families share after dinner.
Tip: Add the ice cream rather than ordering a second tray. The portions are already large.
Metanet Katmer ★ 4.2
sahinbey · Suyabatmaz, Kozluca Cd. 10/A, 27400 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Metanet Katmer opens at five in the morning on Kozluca Caddesi, so the classic Gaziantep breakfast of beyran and katmer can be done before sunrise.
Tip: Pair it with beyran across the road. That is the traditional Gaziantep morning order.
Üçler Kebap Lahmacun ★ 4.1
sehitkamil · Sarıgüllük, Zübeyde Hanım Blv. NO: 16/C, 27060 Şehitkamil/Gaziantep
Üçler Kebap Lahmacun works a wood oven on Zübeyde Hanım Bulvarı in Gaziantep, turning out the thin isot-spiked lahmacun the city argues about.
Tip: Order lahmacun by the piece and eat it rolled around parsley and a squeeze of lemon.
Üçler Kebap Lahmacun ★ 4.1
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.
Erçelebi Kömürde Kadayıf ★ 4.1
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.
Boztoprak Baklava ★ 4.1
sahinbey · Akyol, Atatürk Blv. No:63, 27010 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Boztoprak Baklava bakes fresh every day on Atatürk Bulvarı in Gaziantep and ships nationwide, which keeps the trays turning over very quickly.
Tip: The mixed plate is the way to compare şöbiyet, dolama and classic in one order.
İmamoğlu Baklava ★ 4.1
sahinbey · Karatarla, Eski Saray Cd. No:6, 27010 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
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.
Tip: The shop is one small room with no seating. Buy a quarter kilo and eat it walking back.
Kahve Tiryakisi ★ 4.1
yeditepe · Yeditepe, 85203 Nolu Sk 41/A, 27470 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Kahve Tiryakisi pairs single-origin filter coffee with a full Turkish breakfast in Yeditepe, which is unusual for Gaziantep outside the old city.
Tip: Breakfast runs long here. Budget ninety minutes rather than a quick coffee stop.
Kahve Tiryakisi ★ 4.1
yeditepe · Yeditepe, 85203 Nolu Sk 41/A, 27470 Şahinbey/Gaziantep
Kahve Tiryakisi is the Gaziantep branch of a Turkish coffee chain, in Yeditepe near the university, pairing its own roast with a long serpme breakfast.
Tip: Ask what the chain has on the grinder that week rather than defaulting to Turkish coffee.
Üçler Kebap Lahmacun ★ 4.1
sehitkamil · Sarıgüllük, Zübeyde Hanım Blv. NO: 16/C, 27060 Şehitkamil/Gaziantep
Üçler Kebap Lahmacun bakes Antep-style lahmacun on Zübeyde Hanım Bulvarı, thinner and hotter with isot than the versions sold in Urfa further east.
Tip: Two pieces per person is normal. Roll them around parsley and eat them straight from the paper.