Cappadocia restaurants by Cappadocia hotels

Turkish cuisine offers great variety and every region has its local speciality. Cappadocia is known for its fruits, and particularly for its grapes. So it is not unusual that the region is also known for its local brand of wine. Cappadocia is also famous for its potatoes.

What adds to the delight of a Turkish meal is the quality of the ingredients that go into making it. The aromatic spices, the fresh vegetables and fruits and the succulent meat, all contribute to the variety of items that are simple yet exotic.

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Cappadoca is a great place for eating out. Below, we have attempted to give you a brief guide on the Cappadocia cuisine and food available - and some suggestions on where to try them for yourself, especially after enjoying a long day of shopping. We also have some further interesting information about Turkish cuisine.

Food & Cuisine in Cappadocia

Cappadocia, like the rest of Turkey, is famous for its ‘kebabs', which are marinated meat served either stewed or grilled over wood ovens. Meat in Turkey usually means lamb. You will get various varieties of ‘kebabs' in the different parts of Anatolia. Lamb or chicken pieces, marinated with spices, are grilled on an open charcoal fire on skewers. These are the ‘sis kebab', now a very popular dish throughout the world.

Apart from meat, fish can also be grilled in a similar fashion. You must also try out the ‘doner kebab', so named as the roll of meat (usually lamb) is turned on a vertical skewer placed parallel (or in front) of a hot grill. You can have the ‘doner' meat in a sandwich or also with rice. ‘Alanazik', a ground meat and eggplant dish, is worth a try. Other meat dishes that are popular and typical of this region are ‘Sac kavurma', made of fried lamb and stewed with onions, green peppers and tomatoes, ‘Tandir' and ‘Kofte'.

There are a number of speciality dishes based on eggplant or aubergine. Prominent among them is ‘Karnıyarık', a dish of eggplant stuffed with tomatoes, onion, garlic and minced meat. The same dish when prepared without the meat and served cold is called ‘imam bayildi'. If you are an eggplant connoisseur, then try out the ‘hünkarbegendi', the ‘patlican salatasi' or eggplant salad and the ‘patlican dolmasi'.

Turkish cuisine boasts of a variety of ‘pilav', which are all rice-based dishes, garnished and seasoned in different ways. You will get ‘pilav' that can include eggplant, different types of meat, herbs, nuts, chick peas, etc. It is cooked in butter or olive oil, which gives the dish a heavenly aroma and flavour. A very special rice and fish ‘pilav' called ‘Hamsili pilav' is typical of the Black Sea region of Turkey. You can also go for the ‘Miroloto', which is a vegetable bread from the same region.

Salty pastries are very popular in Turkey and ‘Börek' is the name commonly used for pastries filled with cheese, potatoes and meat. Try out the natural yoghurt and also the appetizer called ‘Cacik' that is made with yoghurt. Do not leave Cappadocia without trying out the ‘manti', a special main dish that is actually Turkish pasta. The balls are filled with minced meat and it is served with yoghurt, mint, pepper, oregano and butter or olive oil.

If you think that Turkish food is all about meat then you should try a vegetable main dish. Vegetables such as artichoke, eggplant, celery, cabbage, cauliflower etc are used in plenty. Stuffed vegetables or ‘Dolma' is a unique Turkish dish. Grape leaves, cabbage leaves and green pepper are some of the vegetables that go to make a ‘Dolma'. Green peppers with a rice filling or ‘Biber Dolma' is a good one to begin with. Try to savour the ‘zeytinyaglilar', the ‘Baklali Enginar' (made with artichoke) and the ‘Tekmil Lahana' (with cabbage).

Desserts

If you have a sweet tooth, then Cappadocia will enthral you with its variety. Milk is widely used in making desserts. Try the gelatinous milk pudding called ‘tavuk gögsü', the different types of ‘helva' (flour, semolina, etc.), the rice pudding or ‘sütlac' and the sweet soup ‘asure' with beans and dried fruits. Last but not least do not leave Cappadocia without tasting the authentic varieties of ‘baklava', the world famous Turkish dessert made with walnuts and pistachios. Also worth a try is the ‘kadayif', a dessert that has shredded dough in it.

Drinks

Turkish coffee is thick and dark and tastes excellent with or without sugar. In Turkey, you can start having black tea thoughout the day, like the locals. Other popular non-alcoholic beverages that are typical of this region are ‘salgam' (turnip juice), ‘ayran' (a salty yoghurt based cold drink), ‘sahlep' (extraction of wild orchids that goes to make a hot winter drink with cinnamon), ‘shira' and ‘boza'.

Turkey has a wide variety of wine. You will get home-made wine in Cappadocia. The alcoholic drink ‘Raki', made from anise, is also called a ‘lion's drink', implying that one needs a strong constitution to be able to drink it!

Turkish meals start with a soup, which usually have lentils, yoghurt or wheat as their main ingredient. You can have a lentil and noodle soup with chicken or lamb that will suffice as a whole meal. Some of the popular soups are ‘asiran', ‘guli', ‘yayla' and ‘tarhana'.

To accompany your beverage try out the ‘mezes' or appetizers. Some of the ‘mezes' can also double up as dishes for the main course. In many eateries your drink will be followed by a display of ‘mezes' to help you choose what you want. And what a variety you can choose from! ‘Gozleme', fried aubergines with yogurt, ‘lakerda' (bonito pre-served in brine), pastirma (pressed beef), kisir, hummus (sesame, chick pea, garlic, olive, and lemon juice), fish croquettes, and lambs' brains, to name just a few.

Nightlife

Cappadocia has an entertaining night life as well. Visit the Turasan Winery at Urgup and sample the produce during your Cappadocia day trip. At nightfall, be comfortably placed at the Red Wine House in Goreme. The classy Prokopi Bar in Urgup can be saved for a formal night out.

Restaurants List

BAN BAN Asian Turkish Cuisine

The only asian-japanese restaurant in Cappadocia opened in December 2008 in an old cave that was formerly used as a food storage place, serves a variety of asian dishes including Sushi as well as local Turkish and Cappadocian dishes. The cave restaurant is open throughout the year.

Type : Turkish - Japanese - Chinese Food

Address : Kaya Camping yanı, Göreme Müze Yolu Ortahisar / Cappadocia

Phone : +90-384-3432129

Opening hours : 18:00 to to 22:00

Sofra Restaurant

Homemade food in this familiar family restaurant is good way to eat with local people and cheap. It is a very small restaurant where mostly local poeple go for lunch who are working in the town center.

Type : Home Made Turkish Food

Address : Kayseri caddesi No: 25, Next to Yapi Kredi Bank, Urgup - Cappadocia

Phone : +90-384-3414333

Email : v_zengin@hotmail.com

Opening hours : 09:00 to to 22:00

TaşHan Restaurant

This Restaurant is located at Pigeon Valley in Uçhisar. It is typical--large, very convivial, with a parking lot full of tour buses. The food is served buffet style, and does not cost very much.
Lunch only is served in Tashan Restaurant.

Type : Buffe Style

Address : Adnan Menderes Caddesi, Güvercinlik Vadisi Uçhisar / Cappadocia / Turkey

Phone : +90-384-2192958

Opening hours : 10:00 to to 18:00

A'laturca Restaurant: Home of Anatolian Cuisine

The restaurant is located in the heart of mystical Cappadocia, the most interesting nature of the world and where miracles become real, cultures and civilizations are mingled. The restaurant offers 60 different tastes of Anatolian and local food with 50 different choices of hot and cold beverages in a friendly, authentic atmosphere.

Type : Turkish Food / Western Food

Address : 50180 Göreme / Nevsehir / Turkey

Phone : +90-384-2712882

Fax : +90-384-2712176

Email : info@alaturcagoreme.com

Opening hours : 10:00 to to 23:00

Culture Museum & Cafe – Restaurant

This restaurant is a restored building and connected to a nice traditional museum.
The museum section was the former Town Hall and the restaurant section was the first hotel of the village. Traditional Cappadocian cuisine is served in The Culture Museum's Cafe-Restaurant. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor sections.

Type : Turkish Food/Cappadocian Food

Address : Cumhuriyet Meydani No:15 Ortahisar Ürgüp / Cappadocia / Turkey

Phone : +90-384-3433344

Fax : +90-384-3432102

Email : msarikaya@culturemuseum.com

Opening hours : 10:30 to to 21:30

Bizim-Ev Restaurant

A traditional boutique restaurant serves Turkish local food and little choice of seafood.
The restaurant is located in the old town of Avanos, where all the historic and old houses still stand proudly. It is a combination of two of those historic houses that have been carefully restored and redecorated. And yet, it is still keeping its own original structure, its history and its distinctiveness.

Specialities of Bizim Ev Restaurant are;
- Avanos Meat pasty (Avanos Mantı)
- Bizim Ev Bostan Kebap (with beef or turkey or chicken meat)
- Bizim Ev Kebap (with yoghurt and tomato)

Type : Turkish and Cappadocian Food

Address : Orta Mah. Baklacı Sok. No:1 Avanos 50500 / Cappadocia / Turkey

Phone : +90-384-5115525

Fax : +90-384-5113336

Email : restaurant@bizim-ev.com

Opening hours : 09:30 to to 23:30

Dimrit Cafe & Restaurant

This beautifully restored restaurant has been divided into two sections to generate different atmosphere and different taste for all your needs. It is located in the historical part of the town and has a very beautiful view over Ürgüp.

Type : Turkish Food/Western Food/Local Food

Address : Yunak Mahallesi Teyfik Fikret Caddesi No: 40 Ürgüp / Cappadocia / Turkey

Phone : +90-384-3418585

Fax : +90-384-3413016

Email : info@dimrit.com

Opening hours : 10:00 to to 23:00

Old Greek House Restaurant

This restaurant is a family restaurant, cooking homemade food. You can order any kind of food and the family will cook it for you.

Here are some examples of foods from the menu.
Yaprak Sarma (Stuffed Vine Leaves With Rice)
Zeytinyagli Fasulye (Green Beans in Olive Oil)
Domates Dolma (Stuffed Tomatoes)
Coban Salata (Peasant-Style Salad)
Sebzeli Pilav (Steamed Sauted Rice with Vegetable)
Baklava (Turkish Dessert)
Guvec (With Eggplant)
Patatesli Kofte (Meatball with Patato)
Borek (with Patato, White Cheese or Mince Meat)

*** Reservation is required at least 3-4 hours in advance.

Type : Home Made Cappadocian Food

Address : Sinasos Village, Mustafapasa 50420 Cappadocia / Turkey

Phone : +90-384-3535141

Email : info@oldgreekhouse.com

Opening hours : 10:30 to to 22:00

Aravan Evi - Village Style Family Restaurant

Aravan Evi is a traditional Turkish Village style hotel and restaurant. It has been built and handcrafted with the natural stones of Cappadocia. While you are having lunch you have the chance to see the real Turkish village life. This restaurant offers authentic Turkish cuisine cooked by a local family.

Type : Home made food

Address : Ayvalı Köyü - Ürgüp / Cappadocia / Turkey

Phone : +90-384-3545838

Fax : +90-384-3545848

Email : info@aravan.com

Opening hours : 10:00 to to 23:00

Uranos Restaurant & Entertaintment Center

The Sarikaya Restaurant in Avanos is carved into the soft tufa formations. This rock has provided "cave" shelters for thousands of years to Cappadocians. Lunch and dinner is served in this restaurant. While you have dinner you may watch "The Turkish Night" show and enjoy Cappadocia wines, local drinks and special folk dance.

Type : Turkish and Local Food

Address : Hacibektaş Yolu Avanos / Cappadocia / Turkey

Phone : +90-384-5113560

Fax : +90-384-5113562

Opening hours : 10:30 to to 23:40

Orient Restaurant

One of the famous local restaurants in Göreme village opened in 1986. It has been serving wonderful Turkish Meals to visitors for more than 20 years. Cappadocia Orient Restaurant offers many meals from International cuisine to local Cappadocia cuisine.

Type : Turkish Food / European Food

Address : Orient Restaurant - Uçhisar Yolu, 50180 Göreme / Turkey

Phone : +90-384-2712346

Email : info@orientrestaurant.net

Opening hours : 10:00 to to 23:00

Hanodası Restaurant

This restaurant is carved right in two pyramid shaped rocks in Göreme village. It used to be the refectory of an early Christian monastery. The restaurant is most famous for its "manti" (Turkish ravioli) and "bulgur corbasi" (wheat soup). There is also a "tandir" (Tandoori Oven) in the restaurant where you can watch the ladies as they make tandoori bread here.

Type : Turkish Local Food

Address : Göreme Kasabası Uçhisar Yolu – Kapadokya / Turkey

Phone : +90-384-2712392

Fax : +90-384-2712939

Email : info@hanodasi.com

Opening hours : 10:00 to to 22:00

Restaurants in Cappadocia

Restaurants List

BAN BAN Asian Turkish Cuisine

Sofra Restaurant

TaşHan Restaurant

A'laturca Restaurant: Home of Anatolian Cuisine

Culture Museum & Cafe – Restaurant

Bizim-Ev Restaurant

Dimrit Cafe & Restaurant

Old Greek House Restaurant

Aravan Evi - Village Style Family Restaurant

Uranos Restaurant & Entertaintment Center

Orient Restaurant

Hanodası Restaurant

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