Anatolia Restaurant

Anatolia Restaurant is a Turkish and Mediterranean restaurant at 58 Arab Street in Kampong Glam. The menu also takes in Lebanese and wider Middle Eastern dishes, with charcoal-grilled kebabs at its heart.

The kitchen follows the recipes of Chef Sinan, who started cooking at the age of seven. He learned the trade as a commis chef in Istanbul kitchens. He moved to Southeast Asia in 2009 and began selling Turkish food at Singapore night markets in 2014. Arab Street came next.

What to order

Grilled meat is the main draw here, cooked over charcoal in the Turkish way. Good choices include:

• Testi kebab: meat slow-cooked in a clay pot, served as a portion for two.
• Adana lamb: a spiced minced lamb kebab straight off the grill.
• Mixed grill: a sharing platter of kebabs and lamb chops, a good way to try several grills at once.
• Mix mandi: slow-cooked lamb and chicken on spiced rice, sized for two.

To start, the Mezza Platter brings a spread of dips with flatbread. The mix can change from day to day. Pide, the boat-shaped Turkish flatbread, comes fresh from the oven with a choice of toppings. There is also a Turkish breakfast menu. For dessert, try kunafa, a pastry layered with cheese and syrup, or a plate of baklava.

Vegetarian and vegan options

Anatolia sets out which of its dishes are vegan and which are vegetarian, so meat-free diners get more than a side salad. Plant-based choices include hummus, baba ganoush, muhammara, wara'a enab (stuffed vine leaves), falafel, tabbouleh and fattoush. Some other meat-free dishes contain dairy. These include cacik, garlic labneh, grilled halloumi and the cheese or spinach pide. If you are vegan, message the team on WhatsApp to check which dips are on the platter that day.

The setting

The restaurant sits on Arab Street, a short walk from Sultan Mosque and Haji Lane. The dining room has a Turkish look, with blue tones, murals on the walls and colourful hanging lamps. There are tables outside as well. It suits families, couples and groups, and the team takes bookings for birthdays and company meals.

Good to know before you go

• You can walk in, and weekday lunch is usually easy. Friday and Saturday nights get busy, so book ahead for those.
• Book online through the website or by WhatsApp. Groups of six or more should book early.
• If you are running late, your table is kept for 15 minutes.
• The Adana kebab and the mixed grill need more time to cook, so let staff know when you sit down if you are in a hurry.
• The restaurant also offers delivery and outside catering.

Getting there

The nearest MRT station is Bugis, on the East West and Downtown lines. Take Exit B and walk for about seven minutes towards Arab Street.

Nearby

After your meal, step over to Sultan Mosque, or browse the small shops of Kampong Glam and Haji Lane. The market stalls of Bugis Street are a little further on. For more places to eat, see our list of restaurants in Bugis and Kampong Glam. Still choosing where to stay? Read whether Orchard or Bugis is the better base.