After all the hiking, touring, and ballooning, you’re bound to work up an appetite.
Luckily, Cappadocia’s towns have a delightful dining scene with everything from traditional Turkish home cooking to upscale modern cuisine.
Here are some top restaurants in Göreme, Ürgüp, and Uçhisar – plus suggestions on what to try at each.
Restaurants in Göreme
Topdeck Cave Restaurant
It is a beloved, family-run gem tucked in a cozy cave. Topdeck offers a short menu of authentic Turkish dishes that feels like a home-cooked meal experience.
They often serve hearty stews, mezze platters, and whatever is fresh that day. The restaurant is intimate (only a few tables), so you’ll need a reservation.
What to try: The Testi Kebab (pottery kebab) is a regional specialty in which a meat and veggie stew is slow-cooked in a sealed clay pot and dramatically cracked open at your table. Their vegetarian mezze selections and lentil soup are also superb. Don’t skip dessert; homemade baklava or pumpkin dessert can be a sweet finish.
Check out this Cappadocia Cave Restaurant for dinner and Turkish entertainment in Göreme
Seten Restaurant
Seten is known for its beautiful terrace and romantic ambiance, located adjacent to a cave hotel.
The menu combines local and slightly upscale Turkish cuisine. The extensive wine list features Cappadocian wines.
What to try: Start with some meze like muhammara (spicy walnut paste) or stuffed grape leaves. For main, their slow-cooked lamb tandır is melt-in-your-mouth good, or try the pottery beef stew. They also serve a nice mantı (Turkish mini ravioli) with garlicky yogurt. While dining, enjoy the view of fairy chimneys illuminated at night—truly magical.
Pumpkin Göreme
This quaint, art-adorned restaurant offers a set course menu that changes with the season.
It’s a favorite for its warm hospitality (the owner often comes to chat) and fresh ingredients. They also cater well to vegetarians.
What to try: Since it’s usually a fixed menu, you might get a bit of everything—often a soup, mixed appetizers, a main (like chicken casserole or vegetarian stuffed pumpkin dish, reflecting their name), and a homemade dessert.
It’s all delicious and feels like dinner at a friend’s place.
Honorable mentions in Göreme
- Dibek for traditional style dining on floor cushions – try their claypot kebab and ayran.
Get Directions - Nazar Börek for a quick bite of gözleme or börek pastries at lunch. Get Directions
- Cafe Safak for great Turkish coffee and gözleme.
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Restaurants in Ürgüp
Revithia
Ürgüp’s rising star, Revithia, is Cappadocia’s first and only tasting menu restaurant in the upscale Kayakapi Cave Hotel.
It offers an outstanding multi-course dining experience, blending local flavors with fine dining creativity. This is a spot for foodies looking for something special.
What to try: They typically offer an 8-course tasting that showcases Turkish and Cappadocian ingredients in inventive ways – think pumpkin soup with a twist, succulent beef or fish courses paired with local wines, and artful desserts.
Since it’s a tasting menu, you get to try a little of everything. It’s expensive for the area (expect fine-dining prices, around ₺1330+ ($35+) per person for the whole menu, with extra wine pairings), but worth it if you want a memorable culinary journey.
Ziggy Cafe & Shoppe
A long-time favorite in Ürgüp, Ziggy’s is set in a restored old house with a charming terrace.
It has a relaxed, bohemian vibe (named after a pet dog, not Ziggy Stardust!). The menu focuses on traditional Turkish and local dishes, often tapas-style, so that you can sample many things.
What to try: You can order an array of meze here—the apricot köfte (meatballs with apricots) is unique, the Circassian chicken dip is flavorful, and their stuffed vine leaves are great. Ziggy’s lamb dishes are also excellent if you want a main course – the slow-cooked lamb in tomato sauce is tender and tasty.
Pair your meal with a glass of local Kapadokya wine. If you have room, the homemade chocolate cake gets rave reviews.
Sofra Restaurant
Sofra means dining table in Turkish, and this place offers classic Turkish comfort food in a cozy setting. It’s not fancy, but the food is delicious and authentic.
What to try: The Testi Kebab here is a highlight – they do the whole pottery-breaking presentation, and the stew inside (usually beef or lamb with veggies) is very flavorful. Also try mantı (tiny meat dumplings in yogurt sauce) or güveç (casseroles).
They often have daily specials – if you see Türk mantısı or kuru fasulye (beans stew) on the board, those make a hearty meal with rice.
Honorable mentions in Ürgüp
- Aravan Evi (in Ayvali village near Ürgüp) for farm-to-table village cuisine, a bit of a drive but an amazing set menu.
Get Directions - Zeytin Cafe for breakfast and veggie dishes.
Get Directions - Ürgüp Pidecisi for inexpensive and tasty Turkish pide pizzas.
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Check out the Indian Restaurants in Cappadocia.
Restaurants in Uçhisar
Seki Restaurant (at Argos in Cappadocia Hotel)
Seki is a top pick for upscale dining with a view. This restaurant is part of the Argos Hotel and boasts a stylish terrace overlooking Pigeon Valley and Erciyes Mountain in the distance.
The food is contemporary Turkish cuisine with an emphasis on local ingredients and the hotel’s wine.
What to try: Treat yourself to the tasting menu, or go à la carte with starters like smoked eggplant puree or grilled halloumi salad. For mains, the duck tandir or Fillet mignon with Cappadocian wine sauce are fantastic for meat lovers.
They also serve fresh, seasonal vegetarian dishes if that’s your preference. Since Argos has its own wine cellar, sample a glass or two of their wines (Kalecik Karası is a nice local red varietal to try).
Dining here isn’t cheap—a dinner for two with wine could cost ₺1000-1400 ($30–35 each)—but it’s a wonderful treat with a world-class ambiance.
Saklı Konak Restaurant
In contrast to Seki, Saklı Konak offers a down-to-earth, authentic Turkish dining experience. It’s famous for one particular dish: pottery kebab.
This restaurant is part of a small inn in Uçhisar and has a homey cave setting.
What to try: Pottery Kebab (Testi Kebabı) is their signature, and they do it exceptionally well.
You usually need to order it ahead of time (when you reserve) because it’s slow-cooked for hours. The result is succulent meat (usually beef or lamb) with tomatoes, peppers, and spices, in a rich sauce, all cooked in a clay pot.
The waiter will bring out the sealed pot and crack it open with a flourish—fun to watch and even better to eat! They serve it with rice or bulgur pilaf. Also try their çoban salata (shepherd’s salad) for a refreshing side
Portions are generous, and prices are reasonable (especially compared to the fancy hotel restaurants). Don’t be surprised if the owner chats with you—they are hospitable.
Lil’a Restaurant (Museum Hotel)
For a splurge, Lil’a at the Museum Hotel is another high-end option (much like Seki). This is fine dining in a gorgeous setting with views and often peacocks roaming the terrace (the hotel has pet peacocks!).
It serves creative interpretations of classic Anatolian recipes.
What to try: The menu changes, but you might find delicacies like terrine of Cappadocia lamb, testi kebab reinvented in gourmet style, or local trout. It’s the kind of place where you can have a multi-course dinner with wine pairing. It’s pricey but memorable.
Honorable mentions in Uçhisar
- House of Memories for a quaint atmosphere and home-style dishes.
Get Directions - Uçhisar Kebab House for local kebabs in a casual spot.
Get Directions - Paprika is your best option if you crave something non-Turkish like a good burger or pasta in Uçhisar.
Get Directions
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Final foodie tips
When in Cappadocia, be sure to try local specialties like Testi Kebab (you’ve seen it mentioned a lot – it’s THE dish of the region), Mantı (tiny dumplings), Gözleme (thin, stuffed flatbreads, great for lunch or snack), and sweets like baklava or aside (pumpkin dessert).
Also, Cappadocia is a wine country – the volcanic soil yields some nice wines. Kayaa Vineyard or Kocabağ are local wineries; try a glass of Emir (a local white grape) or Kalecik Karası (red) with your meals.
Turkish hospitality means you often get little extras – freshly baked bread, maybe a free tea, or a small dessert, no matter which restaurant you choose.
Afiyet Olsun! (Bon appétit!)
