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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 served in various permutations, including kebabs and stews. In Cappadocia, popular specialties include lamb roasted in a tand?r, or underground pit, and meat cooked in a testi, a type of earthenware vessel. In Konya you'll see etli ekmek (flatbread topped with ground lamb and sometimes cheese) as well as local dishes, such as okra soup. Main courses in the region are often preceded by a delicious array of mezes—most notably warm hummus served with past?rma (Turkish pastrami), the local specialty.
In Cappadocia and Ankara, restaurants that cater to tourists serve beer, wine, and liquor, including rak?. In Konya and other conservative towns, however, alcohol can be quite difficult to find. The inhabitants of Cappadocia have been making wine for thousands of years, though the modern revival of the industry is still somewhat in its fledging stages. Of the local varietals, whites like the Emir tend to be better than reds, which include the Kalecik Karas?. Vintners are also producing increasingly successful wines with grapes from other regions of Turkey, as well as foreign ones like Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Whatever you eat and drink, you'll likely dine in atmospheric surroundings—restored kervansarays (old-fashioned inns), caves, Ottoman mansions, and garden patios. In some traditional restaurants you'll sit on cushions on the floor, and your meal might be accompanied by live music.
This cozy venue is the place to come for simple home cooking, in the form of a reasonably priced, four-course, set menu cooked nightly by the owner and his team. Dinners come with soup, meze plate or salad, and a choice of two or three main courses (generally beef, lamb, or chicken though there's also a somewhat basic vegetarian option), and a fruit/dessert plate.
Housed in a magnificent old mansion at the top of Göreme's hotel hill, Seten provides a classy setting in which to enjoy top-notch mezes and delicious mains. Standouts among the mezes include the imam bayıldı (braised stuffed eggplant) and Circassian-style chicken.
Prokopi offers a local take on both regional and international cuisine. The setting is simple but elegant, with tables in a long rectangular stone room that has a fireplace or on an enclosed terrace with sweeping views of Ürgüp. The presentation may be somewhat elaborate, but it is not intended to make up for any shortcomings—the food is excellent.
The restaurant in Argos in Cappadocia hotel features contemporary adaptations of Turkish dishes that bring together local ingredients and international cooking techniques. Creative appetizers include traditional Turkish pastırma (beef pastrami) with goat cheese and melon sauce, while meat-heavy mains range from lamb loin with eggplant and plum sauce to beef cheek with rosemary. A vast wine list has an extensive Turkish selection as well as some foreign vintages. Prices are a bit high for what's being served, but the excellent service and ambience—white tablecloths, candlelight, soft music—and splendid views nonetheless make this place a treat.
Ankara may be landlocked, but Trilye serves such impressive fish and seafood dishes that you wouldn’t know it. Opened more than a dozen years ago by Turkish food writer Süreyya Üzmez, the stylish restaurant has an extensive menu of creative mezes—such as prawn in avocado sauce, or marinated artichoke hearts with sesame seeds—and well-prepared main courses. The hot appetizer of grilled octopus, brought to the table still smoking inside a glass, is a sight to behold—and taste. The rather expensive menu comes with prices of most seafood dishes listed by the kilo, so make sure you know what you’re ordering.
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