10 Different Flavour and 25 Recommendations in Şanlıurfa

With its unique structure from Balıklıgöl to Halfeti, from Göbeklitepe to Yücelen Caves, Şanlıurfa, the city of prophets, also has an impressive kitchen! This city is known as "the children of hot", and even its hot pepper is yet another. You will find incredible foods there!

You should try the local delicacies such as yoghurt soup with wheat (lebeni) which is offered always along with every dish, juicy salad including pomegrenate syrup and Urfa red pepper (bostana), the salad mixed with bulgur and chopped parsley (tabule), lahmacun with ground meat (ağzı açık), the meatball rolled in the palm (aya), and the syrup dessert with pistachio and walnut (şıllık)!

Also, people show great interest in Urfa kitchen cooked under the hot sun of this nice and warm city, especially in its red pepper and red pepper marmalade. I believe this is why it will be a long list, but we will have listed all the tips on what and where to eat.

Then it will be up to you choose according to your taste...

Eggplant Kebab

As the eggplants harvested from the garden during the summer months are more delicious, the eggplant kebab is preferred mostly during the summer, and it is cooked on coal fire. This food is mostly preferred on the crowded tables and becomes a gourmet taste with its unique sauce.

Dedecan Ocakbaşı

Address: Refahiye Mah., 300 Evler Çarşı İçi, D: 11 Haliliye/Şanlıurfa 

Phone: 0414 315 25 25

Gülbaba Lokantası

Address: Merkez Mah., Kale Altı Cad., No: 23 Birecik/Şanlıurfa 

Phone: 0414 652 48 22

Poppy Seed Kebab

This is an entirely local taste, and it has even been registered... It is a great and tender kebab of lamb enriched with garlic, parsley and red pepper. It is a delicacy which will make you eat more if you try once and "come back" to Urfa just for the sake of it.

Kebapçı Cevdet Usta

Address: Merkez Mah., Belediye Cad., İskele Çarşısı, 29/A Birecik/Şanlıurfa

Phone: 0414 652 90 12

Duba Restaurant Başkanın Yeri

Address: Eski Halfeti Köse Sok., 63950 Merkez/Şanlıurfa

Phone: 0414 751 57 04

Urfa Kebab

Urfa kebab is the rival of Adana's spicy kebab, but it is known for its taste without chili and spice. The meat is grounded with the mincing knife. It is famous as one of the symbol tastes of Urfa and sparks off with chilli pepper, parsley and green pepper. Of course, there are endless alternatives for trying Urfa Kebab of Şanlıurfa, and we will list the ones with a shining star.

Altın Lokantası

Address: Şutim Yeni Hal Pazarı, C Blok, No: 1 Merkez/Şanlıurfa 

Phone: 0414 315 34 43

Cevahir Han Restoran

Address: Kadıoğlu Mah., Vali Fuat Cad., No: 5 Eyyübiye/Şanlıurfa 

Phone: 0414 215 93 77

Çardaklı Köşk

Address: Balıklı Göl Cad., No: 40 Eyyübiye/Şanlıurfa 

Phone: 0532 579 83 08

Paşa Sarayı Konuk Evi

Address: Kurtuluş, 1001. Sok., No: 14-16, 63210 Merkez/Şanlıurfa  

Phone: 0539 792 10 49

Shish Liver

After kebab's top place, liver follows kebab and is the second most preferred food in Şanlıurfa. In other words, if you do not feel like kebab, then the liver is definitely the second choice. This taste is generally prepared as shish and is among the daily courses of the local people.

Ciğerci Aziz Usta

Address: Pınarbaşı Mah., 1211. Sok., No: 13 Eyyübiye/Şanlıurfa  

Phone: 0538 782 25 78

İkiler Ciğer Salonu

Address: Pınarbaşı Mah., Meşariye Cad. Eyyübiye/Şanlıurfa 

Phone: 0414 216 86 85

Kahkey Ciğer Salonu

Address: İpekyol Mah., 63050 Merkez/Şanlıurfa

Phone: 0544 288 89 92

Sevgi Ciğer Salon

Address: Şehitlik Mah., İpekyol Bulv., Gayberi Apartmanı Altı, No: 1 Haliliye/Şanlıurfa 

Phone: 0414 314 03 29

Lahmacun

Even though lahmacun is some kind of fast food from the eastern part to the western part of Turkey like the one in American, it is a ritual in Şanlıurfa where it was born. It is really hard to try this experience skilfully outside Şanlıurfa. Every ingredient from Şanlıurfa pepper to parsley mixed with pepper paste is spread in a balanced and viscous manner on the dough. Therefore, Şanlıurfa lahmacun is one of the most popular foods in the region.

Çulcuoğlu Restaurant

Address: Selahaddin Eyyubi Mah., Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Bulv., No: 13 Haliliye/Şanlıurfa 

Phone: 0414 312 95 95

Sümer Pide ve Lahmacun

Address: Atatürk Mah., 10. Sok., No: 2 Merkez/Şanlıurfa  

Phone: 0532 378 04 63

Çiğ Köfte (Steak Tartar a la Turca)

When we speak of Şanlıurfa, the first flavour that comes to our mind is çiğ köfte... It has been discussed whether the best çiğ köfte should be with or without meat for long years. It is a tiresome process to make it; the bulgur is softened by rubbing it in the palm for hours. Both çiğ köfte with and without hot spice is soo delicious. Both the men and women know how to make çiğ köfte in the region, and it is checked whether it is ready or not by throwing it to the kitchen ceiling. So, where can you try this taste in its temple?

Çiğköfteci Ömer Usta

Address: Karşıyaka Mah., 4024. Sokak Karaköprü, Şanlıurfa 

Phone: 0542 410 63 02

Gülizar Konukevi

Address: Camikebir Mah., Divanyolu Cad., No: 23 Eyyübiye/Şanlıurfa 

Phone: 0414 215 05 05

Shabout Fish

Shabout fish only live in Dicle and Fırat rivers in Turkey. Therefore, it is a little impossible to try this fish except for this geography! Therefore, we recommend you taste it while you are here. As shabout fish is a fatty fish, the local people generally prefer it on barbecue and steamed. Shabout fish is generally offered in the restaurants in Halfeti, and here we list these restaurants for the ones preferring white meat.

Duba Restaurant

Address: Şimaliye Mah., Atatürk Cad., No: 17 Halfeti/Şanlıurfa 

Phone: 0414 661 01 17

Kıyı Restaurant

Address: Karşıyaka Mah., Saray Yolu Üzeri Birecik/Şanlıurfa

Phone: 0414 661 01 17

Zeugma Restaurant

Address: Gül&Aydın Mirkelam Koleji Karşısı Birecik/Şanlıurfa

Phone: 0414 652 18 88

Şıllık Dessert

Yes, the taste of this popular dessert is yet another, but we want to explain its name in "BilenBilir terms" not to create confusion. The name of this dessert is derived from Kurdish. Apart from its slang usage, it means "juicy, wet", and it has reached to its current version after derivations. If you like syrup desserts, then you should try it.

Baklavacı Badıllı Dedeoğlu

Address: Yusufpaşa Mah., Sarayönü Cad., Oruç İş Hanı No: 57/A Eyyübiye/Şanlıurfa 

Phone: 0414 215 37 37

Gülhan Restoran

Address: Bahçelievler Mah., Atatürk Bulv., No:32 Haliliye/Şanlıurfa 

Phone: 0414 313 33 18

Billuriye

Think about kadayıf, alright. Add some green to it, okay, but this flavour is more crunchy and with more pistachio and much more delicious.

Dedecan Ocakbaşı

Address: Refahiye Mah., 300 Evler Çarşı İçi, D: 11 Haliliye/Şanlıurfa 

Phone: 0414 315 25 25

Şanlı Miroğlu Kadayıf & Billuriye

Address: Ulubatlı Mah., Emniyet Cad., Bulvar Ap., 1/B Haliliye/Şanlıurfa

Phone: 0414 314 14 14

Breakfast

I am sure you will not forget the taste of red pepper marmalade, which is the must of the breakfast... Of course, the location is Şanlıurfa, and we are in the land of hot! I hope you have not expected not to find any hot at breakfast? By the way, please do not fall for as they call it marmalade/

Köprübaşı Kahvaltı Salonu

Address: Kamberiye Mah., Melik Cabbar Cad., No: 4 Haliliye/Şanlıurfa 

Phone: 0414 314 06 32

Zahter Kahvaltı Salonu

Address: Kamberiye Mah., Melik Cabbar Cad. Merkez/Şanlıurfa  

Phone: 0414 312 86 28