Restaurants

Still the only real restaurant on a street famed for its Turkish cafés, Antepliler stays enormously popular by having a more adventurous menu than any of its neighbours. The cooking is always hearty and vigorous, the clientele mostly Turkish. Chairs have unusually low backs, giving a slightly Ottoman feel to the interior. A line of tiles decorated with complex patterns marches along the wall. Some 70 people can be seated in the noisy and often hectic interior, which is made to appear larger thanks to some large mirrors. The high ceiling is patterned in wood. A starter of fıstık lahmacun set the pace for our meal, smaller than lahmacun offered elsewhere, but with a more powerful flavour, dominated by pistachio. Soğon kebab was served in a hot metal dish – meatballs with shallots grilled unskinned, and pomegranate sauce. It was accompanied by fine pide and a side plate of salad. Staff were helpful, though there simply wasn’t enough of them for such a busy venue. Next door is the related pâtisserie that gives the restaurant its name (which means pâtisserie).

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009