Fancy a taste of the Middle East? Manchester and its surrounding areas are home to some of the most delicious Turkish restaurants serving generously-filled mezze platters, kebabs, kofta and more. We’ve rounded up some of the best Turkish restaurants in and around Manchester for you and your friends or family to feast at.
1. Topkapi Palace
One of the most iconic and longest-running Turkish restaurants in Manchester, Topkapi Palace can be found on the city’s longest street, that is Deansgate. Named after one of Istanbul’s heritage museums, Topkapi restaurant has heritage at its heart too, having served Turkish soul food in Manchester since 1979. Menu highlights include the doner kebab that’s sure to convert the sceptical and adana kebab, which consists of juicy minced lamb, skewered with onions, spiced herbs and homemade tomato sauce. Their set menus are also not to be sniffed at either with two courses costing just £16.95 at lunchtime.
📍Topkapi Palace, 205 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3NW.
🍽️ Book a table here.
2. Istanbul Grill
Situated on Bury New Road in Prestwich, Istanbul Grill offers platters of chargrilled meats, moussaka and a wide selection of mezze dishes like halloumi, hummus, falafel, lamb kofte and muska borek (deep fried filo pastry parcels filled with feta cheese) for you to indulge in. You’ll find plenty of traditional Turkish dishes on the menu like imam bayildi (baked Aubergine stuffed with sautéed green peppers,
onions, tomatoes & garlic) and sucuk (spicy Turkish sausage) alongside your classics like lamb shish, chicken shawarma, doner wraps and mixed grills.
📍Istanbul Grill, 58 Bury New Rd, Prestwich, M25 1AX.
🍽️ Book a table here.
3. Etçi Mehmet
Etçi Mehmet is one of the Turkish restaurants in Manchester that is renowned for its steak experience. You can even level up the experience by enjoying the likes of a fillet mignon prepared tableside – expect fire, dancing, plenty of Turkish charm, and even the chance to have the first taste straight off the server’s knife. Cooked in clarified butter and served alongside delicious Turkish bread, the steak joins a number of showstopping dishes on the menu – including 24-carat gold steaks and burgers and giant meatballs filled with cheese prepared tableside with literal fire sticks.
📍Etçi Mehmet, Unit 4, The Quadrangle, Chester St, Manchester, M1 5QS.
🍽️ Book a table here.
4. Ottoman Grill and Bar
Having built up a solid reputation and fanbase in their home town of Chorley, family-owned Turkish restaurant Ottoman Bar & Grill opened its second venue and first in Manchester at Affinity Living Riverside last year. The restaurant is a specialist when it comes to authentic Turkish cuisine and serves up breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as bottomless brunch. Menu highlights include Ottoman’s famous chicken and lamb shish kebabs, served with Turkish rice and Arabic salad, freshly made bread and homemade hummus, and specials such as the Lamb Butterfly.
📍 Affinity Living Riverside, 32 Quay St, Salford M3 5FZ.
🍽️ Book a table here.
5. Cafe Istanbul
Located on the busy road of Bridge Street, you might miss this spot in the blink of an eye, however one of Manchester’s longest established Turkish restaurants, Cafe Istanbul, is not one to be missed. Alongside their Turkish meat dishes such as shish, doner, shawarma and iskender, one of the top dishes to try is the freshly baked kiynali pide consisting of Turkish flatbread stuffed with minced lamb, peppers, tomatoes, and parsley. But be sure to save some room for their desserts such as your classic baklava, as well as künefe, which features layers of shredded filo pastry filled with cheese, soaked in sweet sugar syrup, and topped with crunchy pistachios.
📍Cafe Istanbul, 79/81 Bridge Street, Manchester, M3 2RH.
🍽️ Book a table here.
6. Istanbul Restaurant
Istanbul Restaurant in Withington describes itself as the “Home of the Kebab” and you’ll definitely find plenty on the menu as there are over 10 kebab combinations to choose from. However, it’s not just a meat feast here as veggies can choose from the likes of halloumi or falafel and hummus wraps, cheese or vegetable pide and vegetarian moussaka. To finish, enjoy a Turkish tea or coffee or one of their desserts like the well-known syrup soaked baklava or lesser-known ones like sutlac (a creamy and rich baked rice pudding) or tralice (a vanilla sponge cake drenched in milk and cream). You’ll also find their Turkish restaurants on Bury Old Road in Manchester as well as north of the city in Blackburn.
📍Istanbul Restaurant, 455 – 459 Wilmslow Road, Withington, M20 4AN | 2 Bury Old Rd, Manchester, M8 9JN.
🍽️ Book a table here.