Dishes you should try in Ankara: Ankara Tavası (Ankara oven-baked meat and rice), Ankara Simidi (Ankara sesame bread ring), Beypazarı Kurusu (Beypazarı dry biscuit) and Beypazarı Cevizli Tatlı Sucuk (walnut sweet sausage). This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Ankara is famous for.
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An old Ankara dish in which sautéed meat and vegetables are baked in the oven in meat stock with rice or vermicelli; at weddings, hıdrellez and mesire picnics it is eaten with cacık, pickles and hoşaf.
An indispensable part of the Ankara breakfast.
A biscuit baked in stone ovens from flour, milk, butter and yeast, which stays fresh for a year; it received a geographical indication on 14 May 2013.
A sweet with a geographical indication, made by dipping strings of walnut kernels in molasses dough and drying them.
The best-known pickle of Ankara breakfast tables and dinner tables.
Akyurt Fıtı Çorbası was registered as a protected geographical indication on 24 November 2021 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 957). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Akyurt Municipality.
Akyurt Soğuk Çorbası was registered as a protected geographical indication on 2 March 2022 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1039). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Akyurt Municipality.
Akyurt Toyga Aşı was registered as a protected geographical indication on 26 April 2022 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1094). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Akyurt Municipality.
Akyurt Tutmaç Aşı was registered as a protected geographical indication on 2 March 2022 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1038). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Akyurt Municipality.
Ankara tava, lamb cooked with onions and peppers in a clay casserole, is the symbolic dish of the capital. The historic restaurants of Altındağ serve this flavour using traditional methods.
Served late into the night in the historic tripe restaurants around Ulus and the castle, this soup is flavoured with garlic vinegar and red pepper.
Ankara-style döner, prepared by cooking thinly sliced lamb on a vertical spit. The Samanpazarı area of Altındağ has been the centre of traditional döner-making culture.
Ayaş's own mantı, small pieces of dough filled with minced meat, sealed and baked in an oven. Garlic yoghurt and a butter sauce are drizzled on top.
Keşkek is prepared by boiling and pounding cracked wheat and meat for hours. In Ayaş it is the traditional dish for weddings and special occasions.
Bazlama, a flatbread cooked on a griddle, is one of the basic elements of Ayaş's rural cuisine. It is served with fresh butter and cheese.
Tarhana, made by mixing yoghurt, tomato and wheat flour and then drying the mixture, is an essential soup of the winter months. In Balâ, every household makes tarhana by traditional methods.
Bread baked in a clay tandır oven, known for its crisp crust and soft interior. It is served alongside village breakfasts and meat dishes.
Prepared by slowly turning a whole lamb over a fire. It is a traditional dish made for special occasions such as bayram and weddings.
A lamb dish said to have been created by Balâ's butchers to boost meat sales and to offer visitors something different.
Beypazarı Dolması was registered as a protected geographical indication on 20 May 2022 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1115). Product group: meals and soups. Registered by: Beypazarı Municipality.
Beypazarı Havuç Lokumu was registered as a protected geographical indication on 20 January 2022 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 999). Product group: chocolate, confectionery and derived products. Registered by: Beypazarı Chamber of Commerce.
Beypazarı Höşmerim Tatlısı was registered as a protected geographical indication on 19 July 2022 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1170). Product group: bakery and pastry products, dough products, desserts. Registered by: Beypazarı Municipality.
Made from 80 layers of very thin phyllo, and only 5-6 cm thick.
Çamlıdere Höşmerim Dessert was registered as a protected geographical indication on 10 March 2021 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 691). Product group: bakery and pastry products, dough products, desserts. Registered by: Ankara Chamber of Commerce.
A mantı specific to the region, made by boiling large pieces of dough filled with minced meat, and drizzled with garlic yoghurt and buttery sauce.
Keşkek, prepared by slow-cooking and pounding wheat and meat, is the traditional dish of weddings and festival tables in Çamlıdere.
Pine honey produced in Çamlıdere's extensive pine forests, known for its dark colour and distinctive aroma. It is one of the most valuable natural products of the region.
A dessert specific to the Çamlıdere district of Ankara.
A meat dish made with the thyme-scented meat of animals raised on the plateaus and in the forests.
Ankara tava, lamb cooked with onions and peppers in a clay casserole, is the symbolic dish of the capital. Traditional restaurants in Çankaya serve this dish using their own authentic recipes.
Çubuk Agat Taşı was registered as a protected designation of origin on 6 December 2017 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 260). Product group: other products. Registered by: Çubuk Municipality.
Ankara tava, lamb cooked with onions and peppers in a casserole, is also an important dish on traditional tables in Çubuk.
Tarhana, made by mixing yoghurt, tomato and wheat flour and drying the mixture, is an essential winter soup in Çubuk.
Lamb cooked in a clay pot with onion and peppers, the Ankara tava is an indispensable dish at traditional tables in Elmadağ too.
Lamb slow-cooked for hours in an earth tandır oven, tandır kebab is one of the important flavours of Elmadağ's rural cuisine.
Ankara tava, lamb cooked with onions and peppers in a casserole, is also on the menus of traditional restaurants and eateries in Etimesgut.
Pide with minced meat, kaşar cheese and diced lamb is served at pide shops in various quarters of Etimesgut.
Keşkek, prepared by cooking cracked wheat and meat for a long time and then pounding them, is the traditional dish of weddings and festive tables in Evren.
Tarhana, made by mixing yoghurt, tomato and wheat flour and drying the mixture, is the basic soup of the winter months.
Gölbaşı Sevgi Çiçeği was registered as a designation of origin on 4 February 2019 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 412). Product group: other products. Registered by: Gölbaşı Municipality.
Fresh carp and sea bass are served grilled or steamed in restaurants around Mogan Lake.
Ankara tava, lamb cooked in a casserole with onions and peppers, is also served in the traditional restaurants of Gölbaşı.
Facilities on the shore of Mogan Lake offer the chance to have a barbecue (mangal). Lamb chops and chicken wings are the most popular grilled choices.
Trout raised in the Kirmir Stream is served grilled or pan-fried. It is Güdül's best-known delicacy.
Made by simmering and then pounding cracked wheat and meat, keşkek is the traditional dish of wedding and holiday tables.
Flatbread cooked on a griddle, served at breakfast with fresh butter and village cheese.
There are leblebi workshops in the town centre; the product is said to be sent to every part of Türkiye.
A pide specific to Haymana, known for its thin dough and generous fillings. Minced meat, kaşar cheese and egg varieties are the most preferred.
Prepared by simmering and pounding cracked wheat and meat for a long time, keşkek is the traditional dish of wedding and festival tables in Haymana.
Bread baked in a clay tandır oven, with a crisp crust and soft inside. It is one of the basic elements of Haymana's rural cuisine.
A local soup that won first prize in the soup category of a competition.
A local type of pilaf that won first prize in the main course category of a competition.
A local type of mantı that won first prize in the pastry category of a competition.
Ankara tava, lamb cooked in a clay pot with onions and peppers, is also an important dish on traditional tables in Kahramankazan.
Keşkek, prepared by slow-cooking and pounding cracked wheat with meat, is a traditional favourite at weddings and festivals.
Prepared by frying lamb with vegetables on a sac (griddle). It is one of the important flavours of rural cuisine.
A red wine made from Kalecik Karası grapes, which give Kalecik its name. It is one of Türkiye's most valued local wines. With its light body and fruity character, it has won international awards.
Grape molasses is one of Kalecik's most traditional products. It is made by boiling fresh grape juice until it thickens, and is eaten at breakfast in the winter months.
Ankara tava, lamb cooked with onions and peppers in a casserole, is also an important dish on traditional tables in Kalecik.
Ankara tava, lamb cooked with onions and peppers in a casserole, is on the menus of traditional restaurants in Keçiören.
Served late into the night at traditional tripe restaurants in Keçiören's old neighbourhoods, this soup is flavoured with garlic vinegar.
Thin dough topped with minced meat, onions and spices and baked in a stone oven, etli ekmek is a widespread dish in Keçiören.
A pide specific to Kızılcahamam, known for its thin dough and generous fillings. The minced-meat and kaşar-cheese varieties of pide baked in a stone oven are the most preferred.
Trout raised in the district's cold-water springs, served grilled or fried in a pan. It is the flavour most preferred by spa visitors.
Cracked wheat and meat cooked for a long time and pounded is the traditional dish at weddings and festivals. Keşkek, an essential at wedding tables, is prepared in a communal spirit.
Ankara tava, lamb cooked with onions and peppers in a casserole, is on the menus of traditional restaurants in Mamak.
Thin dough topped with minced meat and spices and baked in a stone oven, etli ekmek is a widespread dish in Mamak.
Tarhana, made by mixing yoghurt, tomato and wheat flour and drying the mixture, is an essential soup for winter tables.
A pide specific to Nallıhan, known for its thin dough and generous fillings. Minced meat and cheese varieties baked in a stone oven are the most preferred.
Prepared by slowly cooking and pounding cracked wheat and meat, keşkek is the traditional dish of wedding and holiday tables. Pounding the wheat and boiling it for hours with meat is a process that requires patience.
Fresh trout around Sarıyar Dam Lake is served grilled or steamed at local facilities.
One of Nallıhan's local dishes.
Polatlı İşkembe Çorbası was registered as a protected geographical indication on 5 May 2026 (TÜRKPATENT registration no: 1849). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Polatlı Chamber of Commerce.
Prepared by slow-cooking lamb in a clay tandır oven, Polatlı tandır kebabı is the district's best-known flavour. The meat is cooked until it is tender enough to come away from the bone.
Lamb cooked in a clay pot with onions and peppers, Ankara tava is also an important dish on traditional tables in Polatlı.
Tarhana, made by mixing yoghurt, tomato and wheat flour and then drying the mixture, is an indispensable soup on winter tables. Prepared in autumn, tarhana is dried for consumption throughout the winter.
Onion soup, displayed among the special products of Polatlı, was prepared by the women of Polatlı.
Lamb cooked in a clay pot with onions and peppers, Ankara tava is on the menus of traditional restaurants in Pursaklar.
Thin dough topped with minced meat and spices and baked in a stone oven, etli ekmek is a widespread flavour in the district.
Lamb cooked in a clay pot with onions and peppers, Ankara tava is on the menus of traditional restaurants in Sincan.
Pide with minced meat, kaşar cheese and diced meat is served at pide shops in various quarters of Sincan.
Tarhana, made by mixing yoghurt, tomato and wheat flour and then drying the mixture, is an indispensable soup on winter tables. Every household's tarhana recipe is different; some are more sour, others more spicy.
Şereflikoçhisar Tahinli Pidesi was registered as a protected geographical indication on 10 December 2021 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 971). Product group: bakery and pastry products, dough dishes, desserts. Registered by: Şereflikoçhisar Municipality.
Fish caught in the freshwater sources around Tuz Lake, served grilled or fried in a pan.
Keşkek, prepared by cooking cracked wheat and meat slowly for a long time and then pounding them together, is the traditional dish of wedding and holiday feasts. It is traditionally served with melted butter drizzled over it.
Bread baked in a clay tandoor oven, with a crisp crust and soft inside, one of the basic elements of rural cooking.
Lamb cooked in a clay pot with onions and peppers, Ankara tava is on the menus of traditional restaurants in Yenimahalle.
Ice cream made from the dairy products of the Atatürk Forest Farm is one of the favourite flavours of Ankara's residents. It is prepared with natural milk and fruit.
Beer produced at the brewery within the Atatürk Forest Farm is made at one of Türkiye's oldest brewing facilities.
Ankara has been the capital of Türkiye since 13 October 1923.
Every year on 10 November, Atatürk is commemorated at Anıtkabir.
Ankara is known for 5 local dishes, above all Ankara Tavası (Ankara oven-baked meat and rice), Ankara Simidi (Ankara sesame bread ring), Beypazarı Kurusu (Beypazarı dry biscuit) and Beypazarı Cevizli Tatlı Sucuk (walnut sweet sausage). An old Ankara dish in which sautéed meat and vegetables are baked in the oven in meat stock with rice or vermicelli; at weddings, hıdrellez and mesire picnics it is eaten with cacık, pickles and hoşaf.
Ankara is known for Ankara Tavası (Ankara oven-baked meat and rice), Beypazarı Kurusu (Beypazarı dry biscuit) and Capital Ankara. Its best-known sights include Anıtkabir and Museum of Anatolian Civilisations.
Local products and souvenirs to buy in Ankara include Beypazarı Kurusu (Beypazarı dry biscuit) and Beypazarı Cevizli Tatlı Sucuk (Beypazarı walnut sweet sausage).