I Ate Kebabs For 48 Hours In Turkey!

I went to Antalya to find some of the best kebabs in Turkey

In this video, I’m in Antalya, Turkey, eating my way through the city’s most talked-about kebab spots, from old-school Turkish restaurants and local grill houses to proper ocakbaşı cooking over fire.

Turkish kebab is one of the world’s great foods, but there is a huge difference between a tourist kebab and the real thing. In Antalya, kebab culture is built around smoke, charcoal, lamb, beef, chicken, şiş, Adana, flatbreads, grilled vegetables, yoghurt, salads, meze and that unmistakable smell of meat cooking over flame.

I start at Topçu, one of Antalya’s classic local kebab restaurants, to try proper Turkish kebab in the heart of the city. Simple, traditional and exactly the kind of place you want to start a kebab tour.

Then I head to Şişçi Mustafa E Nini, a spot known for grilled meat, şiş kebab and proper local energy. This is the kind of Turkish restaurant where the food does not need dressing up. Meat, fire, bread, salad, sauce and a lot of flavour.

After that, I visit Sultanyar for another side of Antalya’s kebab scene. Big plates, grilled meats, Turkish hospitality and the sort of meal that reminds you why kebab is not fast food here, it is a full dining experience.

Finally, I finish at Kadirşinas Ocakbaşı, a proper Turkish ocakbaşı restaurant where the grill is the centre of everything. Charcoal, skewers, smoke, heat, lamb, chicken, vegetables, flatbread and the kind of food that makes you understand why Turkey takes kebab so seriously.