Traditional Turkish Restaurants and Meals

Discover the authentic flavors of Turkish cuisine at a traditional Turkish restaurant. Enjoy delicious, home-style meals in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Book your table today.

Aroma-rich traditional restaurants beckon people from far and wide with their enticing scents. The kitchens come to life early in the morning, with pots boiling and the best local flavors of Izmir taking center stage on the counter. With so many delicious options, guests are often faced with a tough decision. The menu features dishes made with Aegean herbs, olive oil-based creations, classic Izmir flavors, and meat dishes enjoyed for generations, each a feast for the eyes and appetite.

At Kemeraltı traditional restaurants, both locals and visitors to the bazaar flock for a taste. These well-known establishments are always bustling at lunchtime and have also played witness to history in a sense. From father to son, the latest generation of restaurant owners continue the traditions of the Izmir culinary culture, never compromising on the flavors that have been passed down for years.

Here are some Traditional Turkish Restaurants we offer:

Bizim Lokanta

The only way for a disciplined company to thrive is if it treats its distinctive qualities and skilled workers as priceless relics that must be preserved and celebrated at all costs. The artisan eatery Bizim Lokanta in Kemeralt, Izmir, has accomplished this. Because of this, there are often significant wait times while it is open.

The restaurant elevates even the most basic flavors to an unexpected level. It’s scrumptious, filling, and healthy. You can eat like a native and sample a few meals at a time, thanks to the huge serving sizes. Top-notch flavor comes from the fish soup made of mackerel, bonito, or white mackerel, cooked in a copper cauldron and served with oil, dill, and spicy sauce. This dish is probably the most well-known one on the menu. Tripe and duck soup are among the other specialty soups on the menu. If the quality of the ingredients used to make a particular soup is low on a given day, that soup is not served. It’s oven pasta, and it’s sure to be a hit with Turks. Fans of goat cheese and dill could be content with this dish. Those who taste compote can leave here with a satisfied and uncontaminated mouth.

This venue has long wait times, as we mentioned at the outset. Don’t bother going any earlier than 12:30; only stay any later than 13:30 if you hate waiting in line. Those who wait may only get delicious meals if they arrive on time. In a nutshell, this is what you can expect from an authentic, classic eatery.

Kısmet Usta

This is an honest, unpretentious artisan restaurant that does its job well. It stands out, especially with its offal. I recommend the offal soups here. There are other soups, too, for example, lentil soup. The ingredients are fresh. They know how to cook, but the ingredients are neither raw nor mushy. The refuse is all veal. Lamb is more expensive, of course. The portions are relatively inexpensive.

Mahmut Usta

Mahmut Usta’s Traditional Restaurant is a contender for the tastiest local eatery in Kemeraltı. It may be a little off the beaten path, located behind the Hisar mosque, but the search is well worth it.

Mahmut Usta hails from the rich tradition of local restaurants in Kemeraltı, as mentioned in previous writing. It is the only establishment that uses the local restaurant tradition but doesn’t carry its name. Mahmut Usta worked for 15 years under Mehmet Usta at the original local restaurant before opening this place. The famous fish soup, lentil stew with sausage, and trotter stew from the original restaurant can still be found here. But a pepper fry is also unique to this place, which I highly recommend trying.

Billur Et Lokantası

A restaurant with incredible quality dishes that offer every type of flavor you’re looking for at a traditional eatery.

Zaim Usta

Zaim Usta, one of the first traditional Turkish restaurants that come to mind when eating in Izmir, is located at 1st Industrial. As its name implies, it was opened in 1965 by the late Zaim Usta. 

His son, Kemal Usta, has maintained the restaurant’s attention to detail in its meat selection and preparation.The restaurant’s doner kebab is famous, but its standout dishes are said to be its onion stew, Elbasan skillet, lamb neck, and rice pilaf. Its unique dish is the “spicy” beef stew made with Zaim Usta’s spicy beef.

Balmumu Dükkan Lokanta

Balmumu Dükkan Lokanta in İzmir Alsancak can be described as a refined artisan restaurant serving local dishes cooked in traditional pot scales.

The restaurant embodies the passion and love that owner and chef, Ahmet Güzelyağdöken, has for cooking. The significance of this is that running a restaurant is undoubtedly a commercial activity. Still, for a limited number of proprietors and chefs, it goes beyond just being a commercial enterprise. You can witness the care and attention shown in every aspect of the restaurant, which is precisely what Balmumu represents.

Due to Mr. Ahmet’s emphasis on local dishes, you can find many unique dishes specific to the Aegean region at the restaurant. What sets this restaurant apart from others is its constant experimentation and exploration. In addition to classic dishes, they offer daily dishes with various ingredients and unique interpretations. Mr. Ahmet is also a fish expert; you can see different fish prepared with different techniques each time you visit. It’s worth mentioning that Mr. Ahmet also uses recipes from the Cretan kitchen for seafood. During the season, they also serve dishes like thistle; lamb stuffed approach and grass dishes that are hard to find in many restaurants in the Aegean region. The popular dish “Alaşehir Kapaması” comes from Kapamacı Ümit Usta in Alaşehir.

Another standout dish is the tripe soup, and it’s important to note the accompanying homemade apple cider vinegar. The brain salad served with a sauce containing ginger, and cumin will please offal enthusiasts with its texture and taste. In short, this is an artisan restaurant you should visit to try examples of a rich culinary region made with good ingredients.