43 Best Restaurants in Turkey

Müpptela means "addicted," and, after one visit to this excellent ocakbaşı (grillhouse), you'll understand why the name fits. The mezes are excellent, and there is a wide variety of hot appetizers, grilled meat, and kebab dishes. Friendly, warm service in a sultry outdoor setting on the edge of old Kaş is a final (and big) plus.

This always-hopping waterfront bistro draws a local and tourist crowd with its broad Turkish-international menu of pastas, salads, bar snacks, and grilled meats. Some good local wines are available, too. It's open for breakfast onwards. 

One of the many fish restaurants along the water, Nissi stands out with its nautical decor and straw ceiling that makes the place feel like a fancy beach hut. The meze is the usual fare with a few surprising options mixed in.

There are few regions in the world as passionate about anchovies as Turkey's Black Sea coast. Many claim Sinop's best version is served just behind the port at Okyanus Balikevi. Breaded and fried, the fish most commonly whets the appetite for larger entrées of sea bass, red mullet, and scorpion fish, but the menu changes daily according to the catch. Dining takes place on floors above the ground-floor fish market, and up on the roof, which has views of the sea. Visits to the kitchen are possible if it's not too busy, and you may glean a few cooking tips from the chefs.

The menu at this well-established Göreme restaurant is extensive and diverse, with typical mezes and grilled kebabs in addition to a range of well-prepared steak and lamb options, chicken with spinach or a saffron sauce, and even pastas. But the best deal is the four-course set menu, with several choices of appetizers, mains, and desserts that provide excellent food at an unbeatable value. The lanterns hanging from the traditional wooden ceilings and the carved stone walls decorated with copper trays create an ambience that's attractive and cozy.

Sitting just beneath Ankara Castle and with an incredible panorama of Ankara, this Turkish-style brasserie couples excellent food with first-rate service. The menu offers a blend of Turkish and contemporary cuisine, with local specialty Ankara tava, slowly cooked lamb over a bed of bed of seasoned rice. Starters include shrimp casserole with porcini mushrooms. An open kitchen gives way to an elegantly furnished dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows, and the views continue on the restaurant’s large outdoor patio, where guests sit before white tablecloths and underneath oversized umbrellas.

By day a popular spot for a fast, fresh lunch, this homey restaurant on the waterfront by the Pasaport pier turns into a lively meyhane-style eating and drinking establishment at night. A heaping mixed plate of vegetarian dishes like stuffed mushrooms, falafel, and fried cauliflower with yogurt is an affordable way to fill up midday; the evening set menu is equally delicious, and good value.

The meze, meatballs, salads, grilled fish, and other mainly Turkish fare are fresh and well prepared, but the hospitable service and lovely, secluded setting are what really make this restaurant attached to the Ada Palas hotel stand out. Seating is in a quaint, greenhouse-style structure or the lush garden, where one outdoor table is romantically draped in a filmy canopy. A lavish breakfast spread and assorted coffee and alcoholic drinks are also available.

There are no obsequious waiters at Sultanahmet Fish House and no fancy dress code—just a friendly, cozy atmosphere with well-prepared seafood, including sardines, octopus, fish dishes such as mackerel in olive oil, and a few kebabs. The preparations go beyond the standard grilling and frying: sea bass with saffron, cooked in a terra-cotta casserole, is a particular standout.

The large, relaxing back garden is the star attraction at this restaurant-café-bar in the midst of bustling central Kadıköy. A broad, mixed menu of Turkish and international fare has something for everyone: from salads and meze to fajitas and steak. The house wine is perfectly drinkable and not expensive.

For most Turks, dining in Adana means trying the Adana kebab—minced lamb slow grilled over charcoal on a long, wide metal skewer. Everyone in town has an opinion on where to find the best one, but one traditional favorite is Yüzevler. Obviously, Adana kebabs are the star of the show, but the pide is good, too.

A broad, mostly reasonably priced menu of well-executed dishes—both Turkish and international—is offered in a setting that encourages leisurely lingering over a summer meal with sea views. It's famous for its generous breakfast available throughout the year. Tables are scattered throughout a peaceful, beautifully landscaped garden featuring, of course, the olive trees of its name, and along the beach itself. Though there are no sunbeds on the beach, you can swim if you want to cool off.

This ocakbaşı, or grill house, is popular for its delicious food, authentic feel, and especially lively atmosphere. The kebabs are cooked on a special grill over hardwood coals—part of the fun here is watching the chefs at work—and include some cuts of meat not found on the average kebab menu, such as kaburga (lamb ribs).