Old Restaurant for Local Tradesmen and other Bursa, Turkey Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Name: Sehir Lokantasi (City Restaurant)

Sehir Lokantasi is a place where many local tradesmen around the city center have their lunch since 1975. They cook delicious local food. It . Entering to this restaurant gives the feeling of travelling back to 20-30 years before since its decoration, service style and nothing seems to be changed since many years. Credit card is not accepted. It is not a touristic place, but for those visitors who would like to try such places it is a good option. They give small presents to children and young people such as baloons and chewing gums.

Favorite Dish: milk halva

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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average

Address: Inebey Street No: 85
Directions: Go to the opposite of Ulucami . There is a post office and Ziraat Bank Building there. It is on the right when you walk up to the street nearby the bank (behind the lottery booth)
Website: www.sehirlokantasi.com

Restaurant Name: Sema's Place

I strongly advice yo to visit Cumalikizik Village, if you come to Bursa. This old Ottoman Village at only 10 km east of Bursa keeps its old houses and life style unchanged for almost 600 hundred years. So, you can feel how the rural life was many years ago.

The village became well-known after film makers discovered here to shoot films. Many visitors from all over the country comes to village on the weekends to see the places where their favorite films were shot. The villagers sell hand-crats and local food.

It is a good idea to come to the village and have breakfast one of the very many houses which serve food. My favorite place is Mrs. Sema's place. They offer a rich classical rural breakfast. The family who runs this place is very genial. They have a little nice garden at the back.

Favorite Dish: zeytinyagli yaprak sarma (stuffed grape leavs cooked with olive oil)

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Theme: Local
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: Sema'nin Yeri, Cumalıkızık Village

Restaurant Name: Cicek Izgara (Flower Grill)

Cicek Izgara is one of the best places to eat meat in the city. They serve different types of special meat balls. It is well-known not only in the city but also in the country.

The restaurant is a crowded place most of the time, you might have to wait a little bit.

It is right in the center of the city and very close to Kozahan (Silk Bazaar), the city Museum, Tayyare Cultur Center, you will not have difficulty in finding this place.

Favorite Dish: Inegol kofte- ayran-piyaz

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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: Orhan Mh. Belediye Cd. No:15
Directions: just Behind the Kozahan (silk bazaar)

Restaurant Name: Koy Restaurant

Koy restaurant is a very interesting place to eat and have fun. Especially families with small children would love it. The restaurant is designed as a traditional Turkish village. It consists of several little houses in a large garden. It is very enjoyable to have dinner in the garden during the summer. You can see and touch some farm animals around. Children would love that. You can ride a donkey else well...

Do you ask what do they serve? Grilled meat-chicken with delicious mezes. If you wish, you can get alcoholic drinks. In a seperate part of the restaurant they also serve Iskender.

ABOUT ISKENDER KEBAB
Bursa is known with a special kebab: Iskender( Alexander) Kebab. It is very thin lamb meat slices served with yoghurt . tomato sauce and melted butter above pide ( a kind of bread).

You can eat it anywhere in Turkey, but it is made most deliciously in Bursa.

Mehmetoglu Iskender Efendi from Bursa is said to be the inventor of Iskender Kebab. His grand-sons continue to make Iskender Kebap at 7 different restaurants in Bursa.

Among them, i recommend you to go Koy(Village) Restaurant on Mudanya way or The Museum Restaruant in Botanic Park if you don't mind being away from the city center a little bit.

As far as i know, they are serving a special plate for vegeterians as well. On top of pide, they put cooked-smashed eggplant, and add the yoghurt, sauce and melted butter.

Favorite Dish: Iskender Kebap, of course. They don't have anything else in Iskender Kebap restaruants. But in Koy Restaurant, they have 2 sections: Iskender restaurant nd meat-restaurant sections. You can eat different mezes and grilled meat at meat restaurant.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 90 224 2449901
Address: Mudanya Way 16th. Km
Website: http://www.kebapciiskender.com/

Restaurant Name: Kitapevi (Bookstore) Cafe & Restaurant

Kitapevi Cafe & Restaurant is at Tophane (very close to Orhan Sultan & Osman Sultan tombs).

It is in a renovated old Turkish mansion. In the building there are a bookstore, music store and art gallery as well.

On the upper store, there is a wonderful city-view. You might want to go up and take photos.

You can have a dinner or just some refreshing drinks in the cafe.

In the summer, the garden is open. You may prefer sitting in this lovely, little garden.

It is a nice place for couples having a romantic travel or honeymoon...

Favorite Dish: salads are fine.

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 0.224.2254160
Address: Kavaklı Mah. Burç üstü No : 21 Bursa Turkey
Directions: When you arrive at Tophane, ask people. Anybody would describe you. Here
http://www.kitapevi.org/img/kroki.gif
Website: http://www.kitapevi.org
Other Contact: kitapevi@kitapevi.org

Restaurant Name: Mahfel-Mado, Setbasi

Mahfel is a well-known cafe in the city center situated in a nice garden just by the river. They have lovely, old plane-trees in the garden. It is a relaxing place, you may want to go to this cafe before or after you visit Yesil (Green) Mosque or you may go to have brekfast in the garden one morning...

You can eat grilled meat, sandwiches, "borek" and drink non-alcoholic drinks. The food served in the cafe is not very special, but i recommend you to try the icecream.

Inside the cafe, there is a small art gallery.
On summer afternoons they play live music by the river.

ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE CAFE
Mahfel Cafe is known as the oldest cafe of Bursa because it is possible to see this cafe at Bursa phootographs taken as early as 1890s. It was dirinking-house at first, but later it turned to a "family tea-garden" .

It is known that the war veterans of 1912-13 Balkan Wars would meet there. It was the meeting place of local resistance fighters during the Independence war(1920s). It was the center of political meetings during the first years of multy-party period. But above all, it has been the meeting point of lovers over years. The cafe was burned in a fire in 1999. But it has been re-constructed after the fire.

Favorite Dish: IceCream

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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 90 224 3268888
Address: Namazgah Cad. No:2 Setbaşı / Bursa
Directions: If you go to Setbasi, everyone would tell you where it is. You can see the cafe just after you pass the Setbasi Bridge. It is at the opposite of the Municipality Library (a very nice renovatet old building.)
Website: http://www.mahfelmado.com

Restaurant Name: Hacibey Kebapcisi

Pideli kofte is another speciality of Bursa. It is served in very many restaurants in Bursa, but if you go to Kayhan Street (just go down from the Heykel, the very center of the city" and turn right when you see Kayhan Bazaar sign) you can find many restaurants which serve the best pideli kofte in the city in both sides of the street.

Pideli kofte is made of small delicious meatballs served on small pieces of pide. It is served by adding tomato soup and melted hot butter on it. Some yoghurt is served by the plage.

Favorite Dish: Those small restaurants on Kayhan Street serve nothing but only Pideli Kofte. So you won't have any difficulty on deciding what to order. You only need to decide your drink. Another difficulty is to decide which restaurants you should enter. All of them are more or less the same. But if yu insist on giving a name, I advice you Hacibey Kebapcisi. It is a small restaruant running since 1970.

Kayhan Bazzar is also a very intersting place. In addition to pideli kofte restaurants, there are blacksmiths, ironmongers, second-hand dealers. If you like such stuff, it is fun to wander around.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 2212069
Address: Kayhan Street. Guveri sub-street No:4 BURSA

Restaurant Name: Nilufer Et Mangal

You can eat fresh trouts or meat at a nice, cool garden on 2km away from Bursa on Orhaneli Road. A family from Black Sea region runs the restaurant. It is possible to cook your food yourself if you wish.


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Theme: Local

Phone: +90 224 4866464
Address: Orhaneli yolu 2.km Bursa

Restaurant Name: Yenice Restaurant

Just at the entrance of Mustafakemalpasa district of Bursa (It is on Izmir way), there is a nice restaurant famous with meatballs. Tripe soup served in the restaurants is also very very delicous. I strongly recommend you to taste it.

Mustafakemalpasa district of Bursa is famous with a very special desert which carries the same name with the district. You may want to tast it after the meal.

Favorite Dish: Tripe Soup

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Theme: Local

Phone: +90 224 6139577

Restaurant Name: Ulus Patisserie

Ulus Pastanesi (Patisserie) is one of the oldest patisserie of Bursa. Oztat family is running this family business. They are in confectionery business since their grand-grand father Ismail Bey. This shop was first opened in 1928 and it is serving on the same address since 1960. If you are interested in discovering such places do not hesitate to stop by this shop which is on the city center just near by the Ulucami.

Favorite Dish: They are producing a special jam made of "anjelik" herb which is only found in Bursa. You can taste this jam only in Ulus Patisserie.

They produce their own chestnut candy and rock candy which is good to carry with you during travels.

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Theme: Other

Address: Ataturk Street No:92