A la Turka in
New York (NY)

Had a late lunch/early dinner with lahmacun and Adana kebab. Both were quite authentic, basically what you would find in a good restaurant in Turkey. Lahmacun was really good with just the right amount of crispiness. Adana kebab could definitely have been better, and the bread that came with it was too oily. They use the Merve brand for ayran, which is fine. Turkish tea was slightly overbrewed.

I had extremely disappointing experience last time I made an order I placed an order on a website. It was accepted and confirmed. 22 minutes later! I received a call saying they don’t have the item I ordered and I was given two options: cancel the order or order something else. I chose to cancel, but what I was NOT told is that canceling means no refund. As a result: – $55 – no food received – my mood is down Should I consider that this $55 is an investment in the restaurant? Or was it a charity donation? If a restaurant accepts an order and only later realizes they don’t have the product, that’s NOT the customer’s problem. Charging someone for nothing is UNACCEPTABLE! The food is usually good (sometimes burnt, but whatever). But this time it wasn’t about food - it was about basic responsibility and respect Paying $55 to receive absolutely nothing should never happen! I’m very very very angry. Very disappointed. Definitely DO NOT RECOMMEND and I wouldn’t order from here again

Excellent food and service! We absolutely loved it, will happily come back soon. All of the food is very fresh and cooked to perfection. The staff is really attentive and takes great care of everybody.

Gorgeous atmosphere and delicious food. The organic salmon, kofte kebab and cabbage rolls were divine. Packed with flavor and also very attentive staff

Food service and vibes are all great. Dessert was a pleasant surprise. Price matches the neighborhood but really good quality.

I dined at A La Turka and was truly impressed. The Adana kebab was hands down the best I’ve ever had in the U.S. Perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection. The ambiance inside is warm and inviting, creating a wonderful atmosphere for dining. On top of that, the customer service was outstanding, the staff were attentive, friendly, and made the whole experience even better. Highly recommended!

We loved this place! Ali Bey’s warmth and service were exceptional. The food was delicious, and the vibe was amazing, easily one of the best Turkish restaurants I’ve been to

I had a wonderful dining experience at A La Turka. When I arrived, Ahsan kindly seated me by the window, which I truly appreciated since I always prefer window seating. Yagmur was very friendly and patient. She walked me through the vegan section of the menu in detail and helped me choose my dishes. Based on her recommendations, I ordered the Fasulye (Bean Salad), Falafel, and Eggplant Shakshuka. All three dishes were delicious, and they came with complimentary warm bread—soft, fresh, and served perfectly warm. When the food arrived, Cem, the manager, personally brought everything to my table and explained each dish so I could match the names correctly. His attentiveness and hospitality made the experience even more welcoming. Overall, I had an excellent Thanksgiving lunch at A La Turka—especially meaningful since most restaurants were closed. I truly appreciate that they were open and provided such warm service and great food. I highly recommend this restaurant!

Upper East Side neighborhood Turkish restaurant serving good food at a reasonable price. We were a party of two and went to A La Turka on a Saturday night. It was lively and crowded. Our waitress was friendly and efficient. We ordered the A La Turka salad and Falafel for appetizers. And for the main we had the Lamb Shank and the grilled whole Branzino. The portions were generous and the food was good. Overall we enjoyed our dinner at this restaurant.

We loved our late lunch, early dinner. After spending the afternoon admiring Halloween decorations, we worked up an appetite. (I love wandering around my NYC like a tourist even though i lived here 30 years) Too hungry and tired, we asked our waiter, Ali to recommend his favorites. He created a spectacular meal for us. All delicious and the end to a perfect day.@widowshelpingwidows #stoopandthecity

This is one of our new favorite restaurants!! The ambience is unique - great design and colors. The energy is high. The food and service are wonderful! The manager/host is highly attentive to EVERY customer's needs, as are that of the wait staff. We have sat at the bar for drinks and snacks and also sat at a table for a full dinner. I highly recommend the Hummus. Their breads are amazing!!

Ali was amazing and the restaurant was fantastic! Food was delicious, with the falafel and chicken mixed platter being highlights. Definitely order the pistachio queen drink!!

I had such a wonderful experience here! The lamb village kebab was perfectly cooked – tender, flavorful, and full of spices. I also tried the kunefe, which came out warm with the right balance of crispy pastry and gooey cheese, and the cold baklava, which was a refreshing twist on the classic dessert – not overly sweet, just perfect. Everything paired beautifully with a hot glass of Turkish tea, which made the meal feel complete. Our server Ali was amazing – attentive, kind, and made sure we had the best experience. The staff overall were friendly and welcoming, the decorations were absolutely beautiful, and the atmosphere was cozy and authentic. Definitely a place I’ll be coming back to!

Great Turkish restaurant! I tried it for restaurant week.. Amazing service by Ali.. Attentive, pleasant and friendly.. He gave great recommendations on the menu.. Food was good.. Would visit again!

Decent spot on the UES for Turkish food. Decent but nothing crazy. Ambiance was nice, they had resin countertops and walls, with deep blue furnishings. Service was good as well. We got two salads, calamari and branzino. Salads were nice and fresh, seafood was pretty good. Drinks were flavorful and delicious.

Came here for brunch and was blown away by the excellent service, beautiful ambiance (even from choice of cups and tablecloth combos) and a delicious unique breakfast! That pastrami bureka was the most delicious lightly fried rolls of deliciousness with a generous helping of eggs on the side. Can’t recommend this place enough for actual good food that both looks and tastes good!

The best Turkish restaurant in NYC! Everything was absolutely delicious — so fresh and full of flavor. The presentation is beautiful, and you can really taste the quality in every bite. The owner is amazing and makes you feel right at home. You can tell he truly cares about the food and the guests. Highly recommend to anyone looking for an authentic and unforgettable Turkish dining experience in New York!

Update 2025: finally went back for dinner service and they did not disappoint. We had the lamb chops (note to self: get 'medium', not medium rare as that was too rare for me!) which were delicious. Very different vibes for dinner service vs. lunch. If you order their meat set/special, they make it a show with sparkles and carve it up for you at the table. Could be a great place to have a birthday dinner with 6~8 people. From 2023: Went for their lunch special, where you get a 3 course meal for under $30. Lamb was so delicious 😋. We will definitely be back for more!

My family members residing in NYC decided to treat us to some Turkish food. I wasn't very happy to hear this as Turkish food is mainly a (hit or) miss. As we entered, we were attended to immediately and provided a table. I noticed there ambiance and decor was top notch, not common for any Turkish kind of restaurant. Once we were advised on the specials for the evening, we ordered and the food was served in due time. The beef ribs and chicken kebabs were amazing. One of the best of tasted world wide, far better than even eating at a top notch Turkish (as in if you were in Turkey) restaurant. The cost for these meals were very high though, so be be prepared to pay if you're going in a large group. Only thing annoyed me here was the staff cleaning up while even though there isn't much space around the table.

The mixed grills were great. The lamb cigar rolls were really flavorful and great. Everything we ordered was great cant go wrong with any dish

The ambiance was really nice and the service was exceptional. The adana kebab was the best of them all, followed by Hunkar Begendi. The swordfish kebab was below par given the price. The desserts (Kunefe and tres leches) were perfect to finish the lunch.

Stopped by here when we were in the city. The seating is very cozy, good is excellent…some of the best kababs ever, the service however left alot to be desired, actually their customer service sucks! Reasonable prices for the city, over all a good experience.

I enjoyed their puree of lentil soup. I also enjoyed their grilled whole branzino served with mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables and a long loaf of bread. I am a lamb shank enthusiast. I tried it here at A la Turka three times. The first time I tried it I was pleased. On the second and third times the lamb shank ($32) was overcooked, having little to no flavor. The presentation was great with an abundance of different colored cooked vegetables, accompanying the lamb shank in a tomato sauce, rice was on the side. The lamb shank dish makes for a colorful picture, but the flavor was not there. If you pay by credit card, be sure to get a credit card receipt, not just an ordered item receipt.

Located on the Upper East Side this local favorite doesn’t disappoint. Oversized portions come out from the kitchen piping hot cooked to perfection. I have been back and can’t wait to bring more friends. They go all out if it’s your birthday sparklers and singing. Super fun to watch. Beautiful interiors.

Our friends took us out to dinner on a Saturday night, and the food was absolutely delicious—we loved everything we ordered. The service was also fantastic. Our only complaint was the noise from multiple birthday celebrations. There were three or four that night, with waitstaff making loud music and singing at each one. Thankfully, we were seated outside.

Absolutely delicious food!!! Went here for restaurant week (weekday lunch) and it was really amazing. The restaurant itself is beautiful, lots of people even for lunch time. The service was great, though a bit on the slower side for the area we were sitting at. I felt that the server maybe forgot about us on multiple occasions but the food really made a great impact. Would certainly dine here again. For first course we got hummus with very tasty bread and eggplant shakshuka-- probably the best I've ever had. For second course we chose lamb shank which also had mashed potatoes and eggplant which is different than most restaurants and it really made a difference. The grilled eggplant really made the dish more complete. I really would go back to this place just for the lamb shank.The other entree we got was chicken shish kebab and it was comparable to other restaurants. And lastly for desert we got fig with walnut and it was very tasty. It was the very first time I've ever had it and was hooked. We also got baklava. I really would love to go back to this place again, maybe sometime at night because the restaurant looks very nicely decorated with lights.

I came to NYC with my husband and randomly picked the place before the trip, however I familiarized myself with the menu and the guests’ reviews prior to coming there. A la Turka was one of my favorite experiences during my trip. The quality of the food is amazing. Each dish was seasoned perfectly, with fresh ingredients and I could say the lamb meat was very fresh and of an outstanding quality. In addition the waiter was very helpful in making my food selections. I highly recommend this restaurant if you want to taste of an authentic Turkish cuisine! I’m definitely going back to enjoy again 😋