Reading a Turkish menu becomes much easier once you recognize a few recurring words. Terms such as çorba, meze, ızgara, tava, and tatlı reveal the type of dish, while a small set of phrases can help you ask about ingredients, dietary needs, and preparation.
You do not need to translate every line. In most restaurants, identifying the menu section, main ingredient, and cooking method is enough to understand what you are ordering.
Common Sections on a Turkish Menu
Çorbalar — Soups
Çorba means soup, while çorbalar means soups.
Common examples include:
- mercimek çorbası — lentil soup
- ezogelin çorbası — lentil, bulgur, and rice soup
- yayla çorbası — yogurt and rice soup
- tarhana çorbası — tarhana soup
Mezeler — Meze
Meze refers to small dishes usually served for sharing.
Examples include hummus, haydari, şakşuka, acılı ezme, and eggplant-based preparations.
Not every meze is vegetarian, so check the ingredients if this matters to you.
Salatalar — Salads
Salata means salad.
You may see:
- çoban salatası — shepherd salad
- mevsim salatası — seasonal salad
- roka salatası — rocket salad
Ara Sıcaklar — Hot Starters
Ara sıcaklar are hot starters or small warm dishes served before the main course.
This section may include börek, fried seafood, hot hummus, or other shareable dishes.
Ana Yemekler — Main Dishes
Ana yemek means main course.
Depending on the restaurant, this section may contain meat dishes, chicken, stews, casseroles, fish, or vegetable-based mains.
Izgaralar — Grilled Dishes
Izgara means grilled.
Examples:
- ızgara köfte — grilled köfte
- ızgara tavuk — grilled chicken
- ızgara levrek — grilled sea bass
Kebaplar — Kebabs
Kebap covers a broad family of dishes rather than one single preparation.
Common names include Adana kebabı, Urfa kebabı, şiş kebap, and patlıcan kebabı.
Pideler — Pide
Pide is a baked Turkish flatbread prepared with different toppings or fillings.
Common menu terms include:
- kaşarlı pide — cheese pide
- kıymalı pide — minced meat pide
- kuşbaşılı pide — diced meat pide
- karışık pide — mixed pide
Tatlılar — Desserts
Tatlı means dessert or sweet.
You may see baklava, sütlaç, kazandibi, künefe, revani, or dondurma in this section.
Essential Turkish Food Words
| Turkish | English |
|---|---|
| Et | Meat |
| Dana eti | Beef |
| Kuzu eti | Lamb |
| Tavuk | Chicken |
| Balık | Fish |
| Deniz ürünleri | Seafood |
| Karides | Shrimp / prawn |
| Kalamar | Squid |
| Midye | Mussel |
| Sebze | Vegetable |
| Patlıcan | Eggplant |
| Domates | Tomato |
| Biber | Pepper |
| Soğan | Onion |
| Sarımsak | Garlic |
| Peynir | Cheese |
| Yoğurt | Yogurt |
| Yumurta | Egg |
| Pirinç | Rice |
| Bulgur | Bulgur |
| Ekmek | Bread |
Recognizing even a few of these words can make an unfamiliar dish much easier to understand.
Turkish Cooking Terms
Izgara — Grilled
Izgara indicates grilling.
Izgara tavuk means grilled chicken.
Tava — Fried or Pan-Cooked
Tava literally means pan, but on menus it often describes fried or pan-cooked food.
Examples include kalamar tava and hamsi tava.
Fırında — Baked
Fırında means baked in the oven.
Fırında levrek, for example, means baked sea bass.
Güveç — Casserole
Güveç refers both to an earthenware cooking vessel and dishes prepared in it.
Karides güveç is a common seafood example.
Haşlama — Boiled
Haşlama means boiled or gently cooked in liquid.
Kızartma — Fried
Kızartma refers to frying or a fried preparation.
Buğulama — Gently Cooked With Moisture
Buğulama is commonly used for fish cooked gently with ingredients such as tomato, onion, lemon, and herbs.
Useful Descriptive Words
These short words often tell you more about the dish:
- acılı — spicy
- acısız — not spicy
- sıcak — hot
- soğuk — cold
- taze — fresh
- karışık — mixed
- sade — plain
- ev yapımı — homemade
- günün — of the day
- mevsim — seasonal
For example:
Günün çorbası — soup of the day
Mevsim balığı — seasonal fish
Karışık ızgara — mixed grill
Meat and Portion Terms
A few additional words are useful when reading meat dishes:
- kıyma — minced meat
- kuşbaşı — diced meat
- şiş — skewer
- pirzola — chop
- köfte — seasoned meat patty or meatball-style dish
For serving sizes:
- porsiyon — portion
- yarım porsiyon — half portion
- tek kişilik — for one person
- iki kişilik — for two people
Larger fish may sometimes be priced by weight rather than by portion, so check before ordering if the price is unclear.
How to Ask About Ingredients and Dietary Needs
If you are unsure what a dish contains, start with:
İçinde ne var?
What is in it?
For vegetarian food:
Vejetaryen mi?
Is it vegetarian?
İçinde et var mı?
Does it contain meat?
Et suyuyla mı yapılıyor?
Is it made with meat stock?
For vegan food:
Vegan mı?
Is it vegan?
To ask about specific ingredients:
Soğan var mı?
Does it contain onion?
İçinde süt ürünü var mı?
Does it contain dairy?
Peynirsiz olabilir mi?
Can it be made without cheese?
For allergies, be direct:
Alerjim var.
I have an allergy.
Fındığa alerjim var.
I am allergic to hazelnuts.
Kabuklu deniz ürünlerine alerjim var.
I am allergic to shellfish.
How to Ask About Spice Levels
Acı means spicy or hot.
Useful phrases include:
Acılı mı?
Is it spicy?
Acısız olsun, lütfen.
Not spicy, please.
Az acılı olsun.
Make it mildly spicy.
A dish may contain red pepper or pepper paste without necessarily being very hot.
Useful Turkish Phrases for Ordering Food
Ordering a Dish
Bir porsiyon köfte alabilir miyim?
Can I have one portion of köfte?
Bundan alabilir miyim?
Can I have this?
Bir tane, lütfen.
One, please.
Asking for a Recommendation
Ne tavsiye edersiniz?
What do you recommend?
En çok ne tercih ediliyor?
What is ordered most often?
Bugünün yemeği ne?
What is today’s dish?
Requesting a Change
Soğansız olsun, lütfen.
Without onion, please.
Sosu ayrı alabilir miyim?
Can I have the sauce on the side?
Asking for Something Extra
Biraz daha ekmek alabilir miyim?
Can I have some more bread?
Su alabilir miyim?
Can I have water?
How to Ask for the Bill
The most useful phrase is:
Hesabı alabilir miyim?
Can I have the bill?
A shorter version is:
Hesap, lütfen.
The bill, please.
For payment:
Kart geçiyor mu?
Do you accept cards?
Nakit ödeyebilir miyim?
Can I pay in cash?
Other Restaurant Words to Know
- menü — menu
- rezervasyon — reservation
- masa — table
- servis — service
- hesap — bill
- paket — takeaway / packaged
- kahvaltı — breakfast
- öğle yemeği — lunch
- akşam yemeği — dinner
You may also see servis ücreti, meaning service charge, or paket servis, referring to takeaway or delivery service depending on context.
How to Decode a Turkish Menu Item
Instead of translating the whole phrase, break it into parts.
Look for:
- the main ingredient
- the cooking method
- a descriptive word, if there is one
For example:
Izgara tavuk
ızgara = grilled
tavuk = chicken
→ grilled chicken
Acılı ezme
acılı = spicy
ezme = crushed or finely chopped preparation
→ spicy ezme
Fırında levrek
fırında = baked
levrek = sea bass
→ baked sea bass
Kaşarlı pide
kaşarlı = with kaşar cheese
pide = pide
→ cheese pide
Once you recognize these building blocks, even a menu without an English translation becomes much easier to navigate.
Frequently Asked Questions About Turkish Menus
What Does “Dahil” Mean on a Turkish Menu?
Dahil means included. For example, if a drink or side dish is listed as fiyata dahil, it is included in the price.
What Does “Yanında” Mean on a Menu?
Yanında means “with” or “on the side of” in menu descriptions. It usually indicates what accompanies the main dish.