The restaurants worth a reservation in Gaziantep, from neighbourhood bistros to the new classics.
The restaurants worth the trip in Gaziantep. bistros, neo-classics, neighbourhood favourites, and the rooms locals book first.
İmam Çağdaş has cooked kebab and rolled its own baklava on Uzun Çarşı in Gaziantep since 1887, and the founding family still works both counters.
OrderAli Nazik, then a plate of havuç dilimi baklava from the same counter.
TipSit upstairs, order the Ali Nazik, and buy baklava on the way out rather than eating it at the table.
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.
OrderBeyran, the lamb and rice broth the kitchen has simmered overnight.
TipGet there before 09:00. The beyran is gone by early afternoon and the kitchen will not make a second batch.
Kebapçı Halil Usta grills küşleme over charcoal in Şehitkamil, and the Gaziantep lunch crowd empties the tenderloin allocation most days by 15:00.
OrderKüşleme, the unmarinated lamb tenderloin grilled over charcoal.
TipClosed Sundays and shuts mid-evening. Book the terrace if you want the cooler upstairs tables in summer.
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.
OrderPatlıcan kebabı with firik pilav, the smoked green-wheat rice.
TipThere is often no printed menu. Ask what the grill has and let the waiter build the order for you.
Yesemek Gaziantep Mutfağı cooks the home dishes the kebab houses skip, from yuvalama to alaca çorba, a short walk downhill from Gaziantep Castle.
OrderYuvalama, the yoghurt and chickpea soup Gaziantep eats at feast time.
TipHalf portions are available, which is the way to taste four regional dishes in one sitting.
Hışvahan serves Antep cooking inside a restored 16th-century han beneath Gaziantep Castle, which now works as a hotel, restaurant and shop in one.
OrderAnalı kızlı, the twin-dumpling soup, followed by the semolina halva.
TipDevelik is the dining room and Susamhane the event space. Ask for a courtyard table in spring.
Bayazhan pours rakı and grills küşleme inside a Silk Road caravanserai on Atatürk Bulvarı, one of the few licensed rooms in central Gaziantep.
OrderKüşleme, which the kitchen portions in limited numbers each night.
TipThe upstairs meyhane runs live fasıl music. Reserve the küşleme when you book, it sells out.
The municipal Mutfak Sanatları Merkezi in Gaziantep cooks a weekly changing set menu of regional pot dishes and runs workshops in the same building.
OrderThe weekly set menu, built around geographical-indication ingredients.
TipWalk in for lunch without a reservation, but book by phone if you want a place on a workshop.
Küşlemeci Mehmet Usta grills nothing but lamb tenderloin on Kemal Köker Caddesi in Gaziantep, and the founder's son now works the charcoal himself.
OrderKüşleme with a glass of churned yayık ayran to cut the fat.
TipPortions are small because the cut is small. Order two if you have walked the bazaar all morning.
Üçler Kebap Lahmacun works a wood oven on Zübeyde Hanım Bulvarı in Gaziantep, turning out the thin isot-spiked lahmacun the city argues about.
OrderAntep-style lahmacun, thinner and hotter than the Urfa version.
TipOrder lahmacun by the piece and eat it rolled around parsley and a squeeze of lemon.
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.
OrderAli Nazik, smoked aubergine under garlic yoghurt and lamb.
TipClosed Sundays. Early lunch is quieter than the 13:00 rush from the surrounding workshops.
Evirgeç Mantı Evi cooks the home food of Gaziantep on Atatürk Bulvarı, from hand-pinched mantı to yuvalama and pirpirim, with vegetarian plates too.
OrderAntep mantı under garlic yoghurt and paprika butter.
TipAsk what the daily pot holds before ordering. The menu is longer than the kitchen actually cooks.
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.
OrderBeyran at midnight, when the second pot comes up.
TipThe kitchen runs from 05:30 to 02:00, so this is the one beyran counter that suits either end of the day.
Boğazköy cooks an international menu near Gaziantep University, which is where the city goes when it wants a night off from kebab and baklava.
OrderThe slow-cooked beef brisket, which is the kitchen's own signature dish.
TipReviewers rate weekdays over Sundays. Book a garden table in summer, the room fills with students.
Muhsinzade grills chicken şiş and lamb liver over charcoal in the Külekçi bazaar lanes of Gaziantep, opening at 06:00 for the traders around it.
OrderChicken şiş off the charcoal, wrapped with firik pilav.
TipShut by early evening. This is a breakfast and lunch counter, not a dinner room.
Ciğerci Mustafa grills lamb liver on Bayramoğlu Sokak in Gaziantep, where the local breakfast is skewers, flatbread and a glass of tea at dawn.
OrderLiver skewers with tail fat, eaten with raw onion and zahter.
TipLiver is a morning dish here. Order the tail fat alternating on the skewer, that is the local way.
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.