Alaturka Mediterranean & Turkish Restaurant

Alaturka Mediterranean & Turkish Restaurant is an independent Turkish and East Mediterranean kitchen at 15 Bussorah Street in Kampong Glam. It has been cooking here since 2005, a short stroll from the Sultan Mosque. This is its only address, with no other branches.

Much of the food is made in-house. The kitchen minces and blends its own meat, smokes the aubergines itself, and makes its dough and yoghurt fresh. The beef is grain-fed Australian, and the lamb chops come from South Australia. In 2016 the Michelin Guide gave Alaturka a Bib Gourmand, its award for good cooking at a fair price.

What to order

The menu is made for sharing. Most tables start with warm bread and a few dips, then move on to the grill.

• Meze Tabagi: a sharing platter of several house dips, such as hummus and babaganoush. Order the puffed lavas bread to scoop them up.
• Flatbreads from the stone oven: lahmacun and several pide, with fillings such as spinach, lamb, chicken, sucuk and cheese.
• From the fire: Adana kebab, tavuk şiş (chicken skewers), köfte and kuzu pirzola, which are lamb chops.
• Supreme Sampler: a mixed grill of beef, lamb chops, Adana lamb and chicken, cooked over charcoal.
• Künefe: the house dessert of crisp shredded pastry baked around soft cheese and soaked in syrup.

Warm plates include imam bayildi, falafel, griddled halloumi and cheese börek. There are also salads such as watermelon and feta, plus kitchen dishes such as the house musakka. Vegetarians have plenty to choose from among the dips, salads and vegetable plates. Baklava and a few other sweets are also on the dessert list.

The setting

Inside, rugs, colourful cushions and hanging flowers make the room feel warm and homely rather than formal. There are also tables outside for alfresco dining. Bussorah Street is lined with restored shophouses and runs up to the gold-domed mosque, so the outdoor seats have a pleasant street view.

Good to know before you go

• You can book a table through the restaurant's website or by phone.
• It is a popular spot and can fill up quickly, so booking ahead is wise for dinner and weekends.
• Delivery is available through Oddle, and the restaurant also caters events with buffets, finger food and tray bakes.
• More details and the full menu are on the official Alaturka website.

Nearby

After your meal, walk through the shops and street art of Kampong Glam and Haji Lane, or head to Bugis Street for market stalls. For another Turkish meal in the area, try Anatolia Restaurant. You can browse more restaurants in Bugis and Kampong Glam or other international restaurants in Singapore. If you are deciding where to stay, our guide to Orchard or Bugis as a base compares the two areas.