Tasting Notes
Natolia is at Süleyman Demirel Bulvarı 9 in the Ziya Gökalp quarter of Başakşehir, next to the Hilton hotel rather than inside the mall next door. It is closed on Mondays and booking is required.
Mains, starters and the stone oven
The main dishes include köfte with potatoes in olive oil, a slow-cooked rib on Ankara tava, küşleme with butter pide, Urfa meat with tomato paste, and lamb tandır with pistachio pilaf. Starters are kokoreç, liver, mushroom pilaf, baked potato and Antakya potato köfte. From the stone oven come Develi cıvıklısı, spicy semsek, Ödemiş pide and beef rib with kaşar.
Breakfast, pilafs and desserts
Breakfast is offered on weekdays and at weekends, with a soup from Anatolia. Pilafs are pistachio, buttered and firik, and desserts include Hamsiköy rice pudding, katmer, Edirne almond halva, Kemalpaşa and fig pudding. The menu changes with the season, and allergen symbols are shown on it.
“Book ahead, start with the Develi cıvıklısı from the stone oven, and order the lamb tandır with pistachio pilaf.”
LR Kitchen — field note