Influenced by Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Central Asian cooking, Turkish food offers a unique mix of flavours that you just can't beat. Whether it's kebabs packed with flavour, charcoal-grilled meats or meze plates that you're after, it really does offer something for everyone.
Since the first Turkish eatery in the UK opened way back in the 1940s, this cuisine has taken the country's restaurants and takeaways by storm. But if you're wondering where to find them? We've rounded up the very best Glasgow Turkish restaurants for you, from homely haunts to sleek cocktail bars.
Best Turkish Restaurants Glasgow Has To Offer
Turkiye Efes Restaurant
Owned by chef Serkan Aydin, who moved from Istanbul to Glasgow in 1999, Efes Turkish Restaurant Glasgow can be found in Merchant City. Having worked at a fine dining restaurant for eight years in Turkey, Aydin has brought his experience and traditional recipes to Scotland, working with other talented Turkish chefs to provide authentic barbecue-style cuisine, alongside breakfast on Sundays.
There's a family atmosphere among the staff, promising top-quality service in their pretty, plant-filled restaurant. There's plenty to choose from on the menu as well - think charcoal-grilled lamb chops, king prawns served with sauteed potatoes or mixed vegetable flatbreads, as well as hot and cold meze.
There's so much to choose from on the Efes Turkish Restaurant menu.
Eda Restaurant
One of the best Turkish restaurants in Glasgow city centre, Eda Restaurant is a barbecue and meze bar that opened in 2019. Since then, they've been providing friendly service and great tasting food, having earned them a nomination for Best Turkish Restaurant in Scotland in 2023.
Expect laid-back interiors, with a colourful tiled ceiling and and an outdoor seating area to boot. As for the menu, devour small plates such as baba ghanoush and hummus with toasted pine nuts, alongside larger options like spicy Turkish sausage or vegetable moussaka.
Eda Turkish Restaurant Glasgow is ideal for big groups.
Rumi
Promising to take you on a culinary journey through authentic Turkish flavours, Rumi is a Hope Street venue that always delivers. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, consisting of meze sharers and larger dishes ranging from tender lamb casserole to stuffed bell peppers or a traditional cheese pide.
The bar is also whipping up some fantastic cocktails, which you can enjoy from one of their plush blue velvet booths. What's more, they host a belly dancing performance every single Saturday from 8pm.
Expect sharing plates in stylish surrounds at Rumi.
Royâ
If you're after a halal Turkish restaurant in Glasgow, look no further than Royâ in Merchant City. The Middle Eastern haunt is all about preparing food with love, inspired by the home cooking of Turkish, Iranian and Arabic families. They've got their very own cocktail bar on site, so you can pair delicious drinks with your meze.
Take a seat in the sleek, dark blue dining space - flaunting exposed brick walls, gorgeous greenery decorated with fairy lights and a roaring fireplace. Here, you can tuck into everything from slow-cooked chicken shawarma to baked oyster mushrooms or spicy mussels and rice, with most dishes costing less than £10 each.
Cocktails and small plates are the name of the game here.
Meze Meze
Preparing 90% of its food on an Ocakbasi charcoal grill, Meze Meze is about as authentic as it gets. The Finnieston eatery uses recipes that have been passed down through the generations, using a blend of simple spices to create traditional flavours and reimagine classic dishes that have existed for centuries.
The intimate venue fronts wooden interiors, with Turkish-inspired artwork on the walls. Munch your way through a menu of marinated chicken skewers, slow-cooked lamb shank stew, grilled halloumi wraps and more - with a variety of kebabs available too. And as a bonus, the majority of their meals are gluten-free.
Meze Meze is a top choice of Turkish restaurants in Glasgow's West End.
Anadolia Turkish Restaurant
Located in the Shettleston district of Glasgow, just outside the city centre, Anadolia is a hidden gem for affordable eats in a casual setting. Whether you're eating in or taking away, you can enjoy a wide variety of mains for under a tenner, as well as a top selection of hot and cold meze.
Load up on flatbreads topped with mixed donner, marinated lamb kebabs, homemade baklava and much more, as well as less traditional dishes like a chicken shawarma pizza. Plus, there are cool rope swing seats at some of their tables, making for a fun meal out.
For a hearty meal that won't break the bank, head to Anadolia.
'Babs
Brought to you by the team behind the award-winning Bread Meets Bread, 'Babs is a unique spot that offers their own signature twist on the classic takeaway kebab - using a charcoal grill to prepare Scottish ingredients. They use a combination of Greek, Turkish and Levantine recipes to reflect the owners' heritage.
The warm venue features a white and blue colour scheme, with pretty lights hanging from the ceiling. Choose between small plates such as chilli butter prawns and hummus beef shawarma, alongside larger dishes like marinated lamb shish skewers or falafel wraps.
Head to 'Babs for an upmarket twist on your kebab.
Palmtree Kitchen
A top choice of Turkish restaurants in Glasgow Southside, Palmtree Kitchen is an affordable pick for both dining in or taking away. Its simple white interiors feature pretty plants and patterned furniture, with an expansive menu of meze and larger meals to choose from.
The food ranges from cucumber and yoghurt salad to grilled chicken or marinated lamb cutlets. They even serve breakfast too - think traditional omelettes and bean dishes.
Expect all-day dining at Palmtree Kitchen.
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