34 Best Restaurants in The Black Sea Coast and Lake Van, Turkey

These wooden gazebos set on the edge of a small river are a fine spot to have lunch or dinner after visiting Sumela, a 15-minute drive away. There is a wide selection of mezes, along with regional specialties such as tereyağlı alabalık, trout baked in butter, and kaygana, an omelet made with Black Sea anchovies. On the weekends, the place is filled with families from Trabzon on country outings.

This beautifully restored han served as an inn for traveling traders for centuries. Today you can eat outside by a fountain in the large courtyard or in one of the small private dining rooms, where you sit on rugs and eat from low tables, reclining on pillows when you're done. The kebabs and other grilled meats are tasty and served with a tangy chopped tomato salad and a refreshing cold yogurt soup that has wheat berries in it. If you call a day in advance, they can prepare the Syrıac speciality, dobo (lamb stuffed with rice and pistachios).

Perched on the corner of a bridge overlooking the thundering Fırtına River, this smart restaurant is a great lunch stop before heading farther into the mountains. It serves local specialties with delicious desserts including laz böreği (thin pastry layers filled with custard) and a type of helva, which is a semolina-based dessert.  

Head here for a break from kebabs and to get a taste of classic Gaziantep home cooking. A local woman who returned to Gaziantep after living in Europe for several years rotates her menu on a regular basis, but the food is consistently good. Dishes to try include kapamala firik pilavı (roasted cracked wheat topped with tender lamb) and çacıklı arap köfte (balls of fried bulgur wheat served on a yogurt and purslane base). For dessert try the local specialty zerde sutlaç (rice pudding with a saffron topping). The restaurant is bit difficult to find— but it's one block east of Fevzi Çakmak Caddesi, which runs north from the Gaziantep Museum.