Akarsu Turkish Restaurant & Grill in County Durham

The best Turkish food in Durham for sure! Amazing portion sizes, really good for veggies and vegans and everything is really fresh and very well priced!

Fabulous again on our second visit, from Penrith! Very good value lunch, well presented and extremely tasty! Excellent staff too! Thank you.

An excellent meal. We had the lunch menu, great value. The food was exceptional. So tasty. The mains were actually too big a portion - but we managed! Service was top level. Can’t recommend highly enough.

We arrived at 8.50. Told to wait while a rude waited sorted the bill on a nearby table . After sorting their bill he turned to us and said “kitchens closed” . He could have said that when we entered the restaurant. It’s been a long time since I have encountered such rudeness. Please don’t worry we won’t be back. I have given you 5 stars because I’m a fair person.

Excellent from entering the door to leaving. Great choice on the menu, we had a mantar sote to share which was really tasty followed by karasik shish and a chicken givec casserole. Both really well cooked, tasty and large portions - all of it excellent. Wine reasonably priced followed by a Sutlac dessert which my wife said was fantastic. Good atmosphere and decent value. Would definitely recommend to anyone

Lovely resturant, food was really good, the service good and the atmosphere good. I would highly recommend booking a table at the weekend. Everything was cooked well and fresh. My husband had the lamb shank and it just melted, I took the chicken wings and they just fell off the bone. Their backlava is scrumptious

Food was amazing, couldn’t fault the place. Staff were great older lady served us who was really nice. Would highly recommend. Delicious, will definitely return.

Been here a few times (both when located further up silver street and since relocating in to bigger premises on the bridge). Every time been food has been delicious. Excellent menu choices with cheaper set menu if prefer. Food cooked to perfection and just the right amount. Love Turkish food and love the food here. Setting is lovely, modern and spacious. Staff really welcoming and friendly. Service excellent. Last visit had set menu, I had Adana kebab, friend had falafel wrap, 2 pints of koppaberg. Cost just over £30. Will keep going here as love the place.

We were given a river view table on request, which was perfect. Superb chicken kebab and lamb shank. Generous portions. Wine was reasonably priced and service good although restaurant was very busy.

Excellent family run restaurant. Superb food - gorgeous flavours. Wonderful staff and lively atmosphere. Highly recommend. Good luck to George!

Cosy and very friendly, and the food was delicious, so we had a very enjoyable meal. Price was average, so didn’t break the bank! Will certainly go back when next visiting Durham.

Delicious food and friendly people. Glad to have chosen this venue by the bridge, on a sultry September evening. Ali Nazik with lamb was flavoursome, tender, and yummy.

Great location next to the river, food great, service a little slow. Served two out of three of us then 5 minutes later the third meal arrived.

Awesome Saturday afternoon meal with friends. Great choice of food & very tasty. We had two sharing plates, with other bits and pieces. Plenty of meat & breads to around. Service was a bit slow, but nothing drastic. Atmosphere welcoming and friendly. We’d definitely go again.

Absolutely amazing food. We had the lunch special. Shame it took half an hour from ordering to arrive to table…. and we had to rush it a little as our car park was running out. We thought the specials would all be ready and quickly served but obviously grilled kebabs take time! However…the quality of the food made up for it.

Authentic beautiful traditional Turkish food in a fantastically decorated restaurant. The service was excellent and the food was unreal. I had the Turkish mixed grill and wife had the garlic king prawns. Was some of the best food we have had and the staff are...

Disappointing visit yet we were so looking forward to it after our wonderful experience last year -I even had the same dish Lamb Guvek casserole but it wasn’t a patch on last years meal

Called in last night , got two lamb wraps and pan fried chicken , The chicken was cold and was sent back but they reckon it’s served cold !!!! Doesn’t say that on the menu , the lamb in the wraps were pink , apparently...

Was nice food but certainly wasn’t authentic. Didn’t get served any pide to start (Turkish flat bread) which is a staple in every Turkish restaurant I’ve ever eaten in, instead had to order bread that was just like garlic bread and seemed to be done...

we popped in on spec and were not disappointed. My partner chose the aubergine dish which she enjoyed whilst I ate a chicken and lamb kebab which did not dissapoint, washed down with some very nice Turkish white wine

Absolutely beautiful meal at Akarsu last night and love the new restaurant. I have never tasted chicken like the tavuk Shish, unreal!!! I need to know the secret. Can’t wait to go back

It was the first time we had authentic Turkish food apart from the local takeaways. We really liked the decor and views outside. Food was really nice and nicely presented. We all liked our starters and mains too. Service was spot on and very friendly....

We were so looking forward to the Lamb Moussaka; we were so disappointed. Lamb Moussaka with peppers and courgettes, sitting in a bowl of tomato soup-like sauce and served with rice.... not our idea of an authentic Turkish Lamb Moussaka. Yes, there was a hint...

I have mobility issues but they took us to a table downstairs with a tricky staircase without even asking if I could manage. I have been to Turkey many times so know a good Turkish meal, the food was poor and our main was cold...

Gorgeous lunch whilst visiting Durham with my partner. Service was great, lovely atmosphere and food was delicious! We ordered the chicken Shish on the lunch menu (only £11.95 and the portion was huge!)

Wow! Just done lunch in this beautiful place and the service and food was truly exceptional! 100% will visit again when visiting Durham...... WELL DONE!

The quality of the food has not changed since the move from Silver Street to Millburngate Bridge. It is still excellent, freshly prepared and very tasty. Staff are as always, helpful and cheerful. However the atmosphere is very different. Previously it was cosy, quaint and...

Been here lots of times in the old location and always like the atmosphere and surroundings. Been to the new location and lacked any atmosphere. Only appeared to be one lady serving who was lovely. However, the over all service was shocking. Starters delivered which...

We tried this restaurant for the first time since it moved down the street. We tried the lunchtime special and I chose the two starter, main and soft drink option while my wife chose the main course option. The two starters were excellent. The humus...

Fabulous value - 15.95 for a soft drink , 2 starters and a main -the food is lovely (go hungry - the portions are large !) I had the lamb meatballs which were delicious and the husband enjoyed his chicken - the staff were really...

Lovely surprise birthday meal and first visit, certainly memorable for the right reasons. Really lovely interior, excellent value lunch menu and simply the best service from Ahmed. Good selection of drinks to accompany amazing authentic Turkish cuisine. Cannot recommend enough, and special thanks to Ahmed...

One of our favourite places in Durham and it didn’t disappoint for our anniversary lunch yesterday. Great food and atmosphere. The new location is perfect and there’s now an outdoor section too.

Booking system needs reviewing. Booked a table for 9 pm via the restaurants online booking system on Saturday the 17th of June . 8-42 the restaurant rang us to cancel our table, saying the kitchen closes at 9-00, saying if we arrived before 9 our...

My wife and I chose from the lunch menu which was amazing value for money. Great quality food. Service was excellent and the prime spot by the river if you get a window seat the views are lovely too. Would definitely return next time we...

Had a lovely lunch here on a gorgeous sunny day and the outside area was lovely. Food was fresh and delicious and the rice was incredible. We had the lunchtime menu and it was excellent value for money. Will definitely return.

Lovely restaurant &good food. We were visiting Durham & found this restaurant. Nice generous portions. It was busy for a Tuesday but managed to get a table. I would recommend this restaurant if you visiting Durham city

Great food and well presented., Was somewhat confused with the lunch deals - opted for the two starters, one main and two soft drinks option, assuming the second mains would be at the regular price; why not just state a price for one course, two...

Great food and service. Nice view of the river. Good value for money and lovely ambience. I'm not a vegetarian but the vegetable stew and rice was divine. Nice spot for lunch.

We had a fabulous meal at this lovely restaurant, couldn't fault the food (meatballs and shish) my fella was almost speechless he enjoyed it that much. We were visiting Durham, just wish you had a restaurant near us.

Took a chance for a table of 3 on a Saturday evening. Luckily they swopped a few things about and were sat down within 10 mins. It was a busy Saturday evening and we were expecting a delay for food. How wrong were we? Perfect...

First time at the new restaurant , in fact I believe it was opening night . Would the food be as good as before ? Simple answer was YES!! Staff were fabulous , food was brilliant, all 4 of us had different starters and mains...

Well, what can you say! What a truly fantastic restaurant. The food is absolutely sublime. Even better than anything I've tasted in Turkey. Great experience all round. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough. A true credit to all who contribute to the fantastic experience...

Excellent food. We all had different dishes and everyone was very pleased with theirs. I had sea bream and Saksuka a pepper, aubergine and tomato starter, both were really good and so fresh. Friends had meat dishes and they were just as happy Staff were...

There is no need to go to Istanbul for good Turkish cuisine. Akarsu has it all. Wide variety of traditional dishes, baklava the best I have every tasted and even a very respectable red wine from Eastern Anatolia.

I have a sesame allergy and despite a fair amount of the food having it in, Eugene very kindly did his best to make adjustments and give me a great meal. Great service throughout!

We had a lovely meal here. The staff were really welcoming, the food delicious and there was a nice buzz in the restaurant. Highly recommended.

We had an excellent meal at Akarsu one evening when in Durham. We have bee to Turkey several times and love Turkish food so decided to try it. The food was excellent and more authentic than just about any Turkish food we have so far...

Tucked away above a shop, this restaurant provided something a little different from the normal Italian/Chinese.... Delicious food and good value. Good to support an independent business too.

We booked this restaurant following a recommendation, despite Turkish food not being something we are used to. The food was excellent and there was something on the menu for everybody. We will definitely return when we are next in Durham.

We had a rare night away and decided to randomly go to Durham we book Akarsu a few weeks in advance before seeing the restaurant. I’m so glad we did. The restaurant is discrete and doesn’t stand out massively but walking passed I could smell...

Great value at £13.95 for two starters and main each .superb food . Draft eves available . Certainly recommend

A very good independent restaurant. Something to cherish. Food and service was excellent within an agreeable environment. Highly recommend.

Having been to Turkey a number of times, I truly love Turkish food, so spotted this when searching for places to eat in a visit to Durham. Fantastic little find, the restaurant is up some rather steep stairs, but over a couple of floors. Food...

Called with a group of five without a booking, early on Saturday evening and it was packed, but we were still accommodated and given 1 and 1/2 hours before the next booking. The Efes Beer on draught was great, and the food fabulous. Quick service...

What wonderful food from a lovely family run restaurant. The owner took or order and the young waitress was lovely and couldn't have been more helpful. Turkish food is quite new to me but I'm very impressed. If you aren't sure about which Turkish restaurant...

Absolutely fantastic!!! Could not recommend this place enough. Lovely service, quirky decorated place with food that was out of this world!! Super delicious. We can't wait to go back it was fabulous! We got the Akarsu Mega meat feast!! Wow it really was mega. The...

Beautiful food! Fab service! Will be back again! Everything was so tasty. The atmosphere was great and the staff were really friendly. Very authentic. We chatted with the owner who was really lovely.

Outstanding food and service.Beautiful restaurant don’t let outside put you off as it is authentic and special.you must eat here. All of the food was cooked really well with good flavours. The service was exceptional and Moustafa looked after every table in the restaurant really...

Absolutely superb Delicious selection from an excellent menu with some excellent wine and Efes beer Staff were friendly and attentive If you want a great night out in Durham this is the place Thanks everyone

Food is nice and tastes so good. Staff are nice, serving you with a smile on their face loved it , will come back for sure.

2 couples went to cellebrate a 60th birthday. Although the dining area is compact there was plenty of room on the table. The service was excellent.....efficient, friendly The food was excellent...we all had different meals and all agreed it was the best meal any of...

Great service, lovely tasty food and nice ambience. We'd thoroughly recommend eating here. We'll definitely be back

Has a lovely meal here on a short stay in Durham and we weren’t disappointed. A gorgeous little restaurant with amazing food and friendly, happy staff !

Cracking authentic place to eat, service and staff were amazing! Food was absolutely awesome, cant recommend this place enough!

We had a very tasty meal, using the "lunch" deal which runs throughout the afternoon. Very good choice of both starters and main courses - generous tasty portions - and good value.

Excellent friendly service and a good choice of set meals at a reasonable price. The meals were delicious and very attractive. Happy to recommend

This was our second visit to this restaurant and we weren't disappointed. The welcome and service were both great and the food came in generous and very tasty portions. We had tried to get a table the night before (Saturday) but the place was packed....

A great find on our recent stay... The ambience was lovely... And the food and service was excellent... All the staff were so friendly and efficient. The food was so tasty and not too expensive... Would highly recommend a visit.

We enjoyed our dinner very much. Mustafa who served us and took our orders was fantastic. He took us through the menu, made recommendations and looked after us so well throughout the evening in so much as I would say he actually made the evening....

Great service, beautiful food and a lovely setting. Good price and amount of food for three of us with the lunch special.

Went for a meal before the cinema and it was amazing. Had the meat feast for two. Couldn't eat it all. Next time, might have to leave the starter out. The true Turkish chargrilled taste.

Gevonden via Tripadvisor Locatie is bijzonder Oud pand eerst trap op Goede vriendelijke bediening en het eten was verrukkelijk alles...

After returning from Turkey on holiday we were looking to relive it a bit. First time eating here and it was amazing! Food, venue and staff made for such a perfect meal. Will certainly be back.

Popped in for a working lunch on my own and was warmly welcomed. Food was tasty and good recommendations from the server. Very quick service. Highly recommend!

Great Turkish food with amazing friendly service. Genuinely couldn’t find fault with this place, it’s head and shoulders above other Turkish restaurants I have been to.

Our party of four included vegetarians and omnivores. The food was beautifully presented and heartily enjoyed by everyone. We'd visit again and recommend to friends

Lovely traditional restaurant. Went for lunch and had a window seat with a view of Durham City centre. We opted for the lunchtime special which was 2 starters a main and a soft drink fir 14.95. Pretty good value we thought. Service was prompt and...

Very small area (that we were in) though there is another level. It is up a short flight of stairs which may be an issue for some with limited mobility, as is my partner, but she managed fine. Service was attentive without being too much....

First time and very impressed. Top quality food, highly recommended and will definitely return. Good menu options and reasonable prices for what you get.

The best turkish restaurant i have ever been to so much food you get . fantastic staff always willing to help with your needs and explain what is what. one in paticular member of staff his is alaeddine

Booked to visit prior to an event in the cathedral. Was not able to book online so telephoned and booked. On arrival warm greeting, we were shown upstairs to our table. We were booked for 6 o'clock on a Friday evening and on arriving the...

Delicious food! Had a lovely meal with my Mam. We normally go Italian but we fancied a change, well worth a try! Would definitely visit again.

Stumbled across this restaurant and the hot meze starters were great. There was a timing issue with the main course being delivered just before we had fully completed the starters and for this they gave us a complimentary rice desert which was stunning. A first...

We came across this by chance while walking through the town and so glad we picked to eat here! The food was delicious, freshly cooked to order and very authentic. The staff were lovely and friendly - try the Turkish rose wine it’s worth it!

I love to Google places to eat whenever we go away for a weekend. After looking around I found this one! Great reviews so we thought we’d give it a try! Wow! It’s was amazing! Felt like we had stepped in to a home in...

Having looked around for somewhere to eat we stumbled this great little gem. The food was fantastic and authentic well prepared and presented. The ambience is quite quirky but again relaxed and welcoming. The staff were extremely attentive and made us feel very welcome. I...

Absolutely fab every time, food and staff never disappoint! Had many different dishes off the menu and every one has been great Highly recommend!! :)

Just had a meal tonight both food and service first class. First visited here at Christmas 21 enjoyed and returned for more. Thanks very much for a lovely evening.

Great place. Menu has plenty of choice and is reasonably priced. We enjoyed every plate of food, everything was well cooked, presented and tasty. The staff were very attentive and friendly. Would recommend. It’s not massive so booking ahead is probably advisable. We almost always...

This restaurant is a hidden gem. If you were not looking for it you could miss it altogether and lose out on a treat. Myself and 5 friends were looking for somewhere to eat last week and found this restaurant. The food is superb and...

Superb food coupled with great service make this a restaurant well worth visiting. It is so nice to visit an original restaurant where the food is prepared on site. This is my son's favourite restaurant and this is the family's fifth visit to Akarsu; it...

Excellent food and service. The lunch menu is good value and plenty of choices for a vegetarian. Nice setting and has a nice atmosphere.

Finished our day out in Durham with visit to restaurant , was a fantastic finish to a lovely day , first class food x service , would highly recommend.

We decided to eat at Akarsu restaurant and were not disappointed, both the service and the food were amazing, the restaurant was full which speaks volumes when it comes to a good restaurant, I would recommend pre booking for this restaurant as the food is...

The worst service ever, we ordered starters and main course, after an hour by chasing waiters we got our main courses and we been given 2 options to cancel the starters or have it after main course. We cancelled it, after these all GUESS WHAT,...

My first visit last night was absolutely amazing food and the staff were so friendly and helpful. I will definitely be coming back soon

My wife and I had lunch on a Saturday in this quaint Turkish hideout in Durham. Warm and friendly welcome with quietly efficient service. I had mixed kebab the lamb and chicken was of the highest quality and superbly cooked. My wife's chicken dish (Dolma)...

Visited on a break to Durham. The food was outstanding with great friendly service. Thoroughly recommend a visit to this restaurant

Regular visitors to Turkey so very happy to visit this restaurant when we visited Durham. The food was amazing, we shared mixed meze starters and a mixed meat platter for main course - we ordered this for 3 even though there were 4 of us...

A wonderful dining experience! I had a salmon dish whilst my companion had one of the authentic turkish dishes. Both were well presented, good sized portions, and tasted delicious! The staff were very friendly and helpful, and yet not in the slightest bit intrusive. The...