Authentic Turkish delights served from breakfast to midnight at Boğaziçi

The inner courtyard of Váci Greens E offices on Váci út host the spacious, Turkish-style Boğaziçi. Named after the part of Istanbul lining the Bosphorus, the restaurant also makes Turkish guests feel like popping in for an authentic breakfast or even a barbecue grill that might turn into a spontaneous dance party.

Forget the stereotype that Turkish cuisine is just about kebabs and little else. It requires serious training to prepare.

The specific goal of Boğaziçi was to use a kitchen team recruited in Ankara to help overcome these stereotypes and serve the many office workers in this area, friends and families, and anyone passing in this busy part of Budapest.

So, where to start? We arrive as a cheerful crowd of Turkish business people are enjoying a traditional and hearty breakfast that has gone on way past ten in the morning. Quality time is everything here.

This also allows us to observe how a classic restaurant works in Turkey, centrepieced by a platter of meat, with meze to accompany. Everything is nicely presented with a smile, three of us able to polish off the meze selection in 30 minutes before the grill platter arrives, meat, vegetables and garnishes, easily enough for four.

For those in a hurry, döner kebabs are a good option. Here, along with chicken, you will find a dürüm wrap filled with traditionally thinly sliced veal. Various vegetables pack out the wrap, which is then slathered in yoghurt and hot sauce.

Among the meze, to name but a few, are a classic muhammara red-pepper dip, hummus and antep ezme spicy-pepper dip, as well as ATOM (garlic yoghurt with buttery, hot-pepper stew) and Boğaziçi (yoghurt with aubergine-and-tomato sauce).

Among the meats are an adana kebab (charcoal-grilled minced lamb in flatbread with vegetables), kuzu şiş (lamb skewers with rice or bulgur with roast tomatoes and peppers) and laku kanat (chicken skewers with rice or bulgur with roast tomatoes and peppers). For groups, we would recommend the karışık ızgara, a huge grill selection.

To close, don’t miss the fantastic künefe, oven-baked thinly layered pastry with cheese, pistachio and goats’ milk ice cream.

Authentic atmosphere and flavours, great food made with Turkish ingredients and cordial hospitality all await at weekday-only Boğaziçi, from breakfast through to bedtime.