Central Anatolia Restaurants

Central Anatolia Restaurant Reviews

Central Anatolia is the one region in Turkey that does not touch water, so fish has to be trucked or flown in. Be prepared for a lot of meat; that means kebabs and lamb, often with yogurt and tomato sauce. In Konya you'll encounter etli ekmek, flatbread topped with ground lamb and spices, and you'll find lahmacun, a kind of flatbread Turkish pizza, throughout the region. Main courses are usually preceded by a delicious array of mezes, which here often include hot humus and pastirma (Turkish pastrami).

Restaurants that cater to tourists serve beer, wine (which is produced locally in Cappadocia, with varying results—try the Kalecik Karasi or the Öküzgüzü, both reds), and liquor (including raki). In Konya and other more conservative towns, though, you might be hard pressed to find a drink. Whatever you eat and drink, you'll find it easy to dine in atmospheric surroundings—restored kervansaries, caves, Ottoman mansions, whitewashed courtyards. In many restaurants you'll sit on cushions on the floor, and your meal may well be accompanied by live music.

View all restaurants