Ottoman Cuisine Ph: 6273 6111 ; Broughton St cnr Blackhall St, BARTON 2600 www.ottomancuisine.com.au Turkish, $$, *** for Ambience Open Lunch Tue-Fri noon-2pm Dinner Tue-Sat 6pm-10pm, Closed Some public holidays; Licensed, BYO, Corkage $10 bottle; AE DC MC V EFT Chef Erkin E $En (30-8-10) Owner Serif & Gulbahar Kaya (4-1-10)

Photo Tony Knox

Mietta's Review
A beautiful 1920s building with a massive red tiled roof supported by intricate wooden columns and detailing reminiscent of the Griffins. One enters between two long conservatory-like rooms, one of which is Ottoman the other an unrelated cafe. There a couple of attractive private rooms and a cigar lounge. The main room stretches before you lined with windows that give onto established greenery. It's a large and elegant space topped by an already famous star spangled ceiling from which hang rows of glass, reproduction, lamps. It is a very elegant room. The setting just skates by - good linen, serviceable glassware and inadequate stainless cutlery clothe the comfortably spaced tables. Sound carries in this space so it can be noisy when full. The service mostly tries hard but can't quite match the the splendor of the room. Nor can the food, which, as the name suggest, draws its inspiration from the Ottoman empire, and tends to be serviceable rather than inspired. These very minor blemishes are more than compensated for by the beauty of the situation and the exceptionally reasonable prices (mains $25-$27), even for Canberra. A must visit restaurant that dares to be different - it is arguably Canberra's best restaurant.

Other published opinions

Gourmet Traveller 2011 Australian Restaurant Guide "Owner/chef Serif Kaya might not always be in the house, but that's no reason to shoot the deputy. Chef Erkin Esen's attention to detail and commitment to traditions keep Ottoman ahead of the local pack"

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2010 Score: 15/20

The Australian A List, 50 Great Australian Restaurants, John Lethlean, Necia Wilden, 5-09-09 "For nearly two decades (if you add GST). Serif Kaya has given Canberra's powerbrokers a smart setting to horse-trade, redefining Turkish cuisine with a modern approach that incorporates the local vernacular"

Canberra Times Bryan Martin, 7-10-09 Score: 16/20

Gourmet Traveller 2010 Australian Restaurant Guide "To some - pricey kebabs. To others - a sophisticated cuisine embodying Turkey's place at the juncture of European and Asian cultures. It's a moot point considering Ottoman's smart, bright and large dining space is consistently full"

Sydney Eats 2009 minor "Enjoy steamed southern rock crayfish with lemon butter and verjuice to start, followed by yellowfin tuna with Oriental marinade on tomato baked eggplant $21"

Courier Mail Food and Wine Guide 2009 Queensland "Inspirational Turkish food in this opulent palm-strewn light-filled room in another 1920s building, more Ottoman empire than Rudd Canberra"

Age Good Food Guide 2009

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2009 Score: 15/20

Gourmet Traveller 2009 Australian Restaurant Guide "Canberra's most famous restaurant still packs them in, years on. The private rooms are the delight of departmental banqueting, while the vast vine-shaded main room rings with the sound of people happily laying into favourites such as the lobster- and salmon-rich take on stuffed vine leaves, or the peerless sis tavuk, a kebab-shop classic raised to new brilliance"

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2008

Gourmet Traveller 2008 Australian Restaurant Guide "Canberra's Ottoman Cuisine may have spread its wings to Sydney, but the highly acclaimed flagship has lost little of its appeal."

Sydney Eats 2008 "We love the ordek, crispy confit duck legs with mash and juniper berry jus from heaven $33"

Canberra Times Bryan Martin, 25-10-06

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2007 Score: 15/20

Gourmet Traveller 2007 Restaurant Guide "When navigating the extensive menu at this Canberra stalwart, veer towards the authentically Turkish and you can't go wrong. A selection of shared plates proves to be wholly more satisfying than the main dishes, while also leaving room to enjoy a selection of housemade Turkish ice-creams, including a superb pomegranate version."

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2006 Score 15/20 One Hat "Over 12

Gourmet Traveller Australian Restaurant Guide 2006 * "The large, low building used to be a Commonwealth cafeteria - half of it still is, actually. But don't let the sight of public servants trooping out with sandwiches at lunchtime put you off- Ottoman is still one of the best in town."

Sydney Morning Herald GFG 2005 Score 15/20

Age AGFG 2005

Sydney Cheap Eats 2005 "Located in the Parliamentary triangle, in what was the Barton Cafeteria, Ottoman now has its perfect owners the Kaya extended family. Chef Serif's kitchen garden provides much of the herbal and some of the vegetable needs."

Gourmet Restaurant Guide 2005 One Star "The Ottoman is a magnet for the nation's political movers and shakers. Chef/owner Serif Kaya is a spin-doctor of the culinary kind ... Keep to the smaller rooms for intimacy and personal service, lest you go unnoticed on the back benches"

Sydney Morning Herald GFG 2004,Score 15/20

Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide Australia 2004, 1 Black Star, Excellent wine list, Good Vegetarian options,'a warm. evocative venue for subtle and diverse modern Turkish food...a refined, spacious dining room decked in aubergine tones...The wine list is impressive and well chosen. Service, while usually professional and attentive, is occasionally marred by aruptness'

The Weekend Australian, 17/18/1/04, Matt Price,'impressive columns, large windows, high ceilings and border reflection pool, the new Ottoman strikes an intimaidating pose...The plates and prices on the wall hang as testimony to the Ottoman's excellence...Unambiguously excellent value'

AGFG 2004

Sydney Morning Herald, good living, Eat out, Matthew Evans, 2/4/02