Ottoman Kitchen in Southampton

Great place to eat Turkish cuisine. Best service and taste of food.

The ribeye steak was so yummy and the flavour of all other dishes was amazing.

Ottoman Kitchen's vegetable dishes are a revelation! Their imam bayildi is perfectly cooked, the mucver (courgette fritters) are crispy and delicious, and their hummus is the best in Southampton. Even as a meat-eater, I sometimes skip the kebabs for these! Southampton's finest Turkish cuisine!

The breakfast spread at Ottoman Kitchen is incredible! The menemen (Turkish scrambled eggs) is perfectly spiced, the sucuk is high quality, and their bread basket is always fresh and warm. Love starting weekend mornings here. Best Turkish breakfast in Southampton!

Friday night dinner at Ottoman Kitchen is becoming our family tradition. The kids love the chicken şiş, and my husband's addicted to their adana kebab. I always go for the vegetarian güveç - it's packed with flavor. They're so good with children too, always making them feel special. The perfect family restaurant!

The attention to detail at Ottoman Kitchen is impressive. From the traditional Turkish bread at the start to the complimentary Turkish tea at the end, everything is done right. Their hunkar begendi (sultan's delight) is incredible - the smoky aubergine purée with tender lamb is a match made in heaven. Best Turkish food in Southampton!

The attention to presentation at Ottoman Kitchen is impressive. Every dish comes out looking beautiful, from the carefully arranged meze platters to the garnished main courses. But it's not just looks - everything tastes as good as it looks! Southampton's finest Turkish restaurant!

The quality of ingredients at Ottoman Kitchen sets them apart. The tomatoes in their shepherd's salad are always ripe and flavourful, the meat is clearly high-quality, and their vegetables are always fresh. Even their rice is perfectly cooked! This attention to quality makes them the best Turkish restaurant in Southampton.

Love the authentic touches at Ottoman Kitchen! The Turkish coffee is served traditionally with lokum (Turkish delight), and they even do the fortune telling with the coffee grounds if you ask! Their iskender kebab is the best I've had outside Turkey. Such a great addition to Southampton's restaurant scene!

Ottoman Kitchen's dessert menu is worth saving room for! The baklava is fresh and not too sweet, the künefe is perfectly crispy, and their rice pudding is sublime. Love ending the meal with proper Turkish tea too. Best Turkish restaurant experience in Southampton!

Ottoman Kitchen's lunch deals are unbeatable! The pide and salad combo is perfect for a quick lunch, and their lentil soup is amazing on cold days. The service is quick but you never feel rushed. Great to have such high-quality Turkish food available for lunch in Southampton!

Do not get the lamb casserole. DRENCHED IN OIL. Would have been acceptable it if was written in the menu. But wow. Very bad Also quite unfair other peoples drinks were being served and poured into glasses. Where ours was just dropped off to the table and gone… NEVER AGAIN.

Went here on a date yesterday and walk into compliments from the staff and them letting us sit down half an hour before our reservation. The service was very speedy and the food was incredible. Only ever so minor issue I had is that I asked for a table on the side or in a corner (I'm autistic and find the middle to be noisier and more crowded) and they gave us a table directly in the middle but it wasn't a huge issue. Overall 10/10 for the food and 9/10 for the service. Definitely will be going here again!

Had the nicest Valentine’s Day meal here last night! Great atmosphere with live music and friendly, helpful staff. Our first time coming here but we will definitely be back!

Went for lunch, had to ask for lunch menu. Not busy about 3 tables, cold with just TV picture of a fire to keep you warm. Starters came out wrong and the sever became quite rude and aggressive when told. 2 eating their starter's while myself and 1 other had to wait. Good prices but overall experience not good will not go back or recommend

Did not meet the expectations. The order was not taken properly, making our starter come along with main course, that too a different starter from what ordered. The falafels were over fried, making them too dry inside. The mixed islander yogurtlu was disappointing in portion size but was tasty. The kunafa was good.

This is my second time visiting Ottoman Kitchen, and once again, I’ve left completely satisfied! The Turkish cuisine here is truly authentic, and every dish is an absolute delight. If my stomach had the capacity, I’d have cleared every plate! I tried the Lamb Shish, Mix Beyti, Chicken Beyti, and Lamb Beyti, and each one was fantastic! My favourite has to be the Lamb Shish—though I’m not entirely sure which cut of meat it was, perhaps slow-cooked lamb shank? Either way, it was absolutely stunning! The lamb was incredibly tender, falling off the bone at the slightest touch of a fork, and the rich tomato-based sauce added so much depth to the flavour. Every Beyti dish was equally delicious—the grilled meat was perfectly charred on the outside yet juicy inside, beautifully seasoned, and served with fluffy rice and a fresh salad. Every bite transported me straight to the streets of Istanbul! The King Prawns were another highlight—plump, juicy, and bursting with flavour! They had the perfect bouncy texture, and the rich tomato sauce complemented them beautifully, adding an extra layer of depth and warmth. Beyond the outstanding food, the service was exceptionally warm and welcoming. The staff were genuinely friendly, always smiling, and made the whole dining experience even more enjoyable and homely. The complimentary appetisers and warm, freshly baked pita were the perfect finishing touches. All in all, Ottoman Kitchen is an absolute must-visit in Southampton! Whether you’re after grilled meats or slow-cooked delights, every dish is bound to impress. Highly recommended!

Possibly the best Turkish restaurant I've ever visited. Great food, friendly and prompt service! Can't fault it!

The service was fast. Food was SO fresh and delicious. I would definitely visit again.

I very much enjoyed my first experience at the Ottoman, the food was lovely. It came very quickly and was very succulent (family platter). The service from the staff was very friendly, it was slightly difficult to ask for more drinks or ask for the bill from someone. The atmosphere was very nice, I didn't mind a couple of songs from their entertainer but it was quite loud which did disturb the atmosphere as we couldn't talk to each other, or hear the staff when they were talking to us.

My daughter and I had a lovely lunch here yesterday. We were looked after extremely well by Noray and Apol, and the food was delicious. Will definitely be going back to dine again, and would highly recommend to others.

Ma sha allah I had a beautiful meal in Ottoman kitchen alhamdullilah. We were short on time, and yet the staff accommodated this for us, allahummabarik. Honestly, I wish we had a bit longer tbh. The food was cooked fresh alhamdullilah the grill is in the restaurant so you can watch them cooking if that's your thing. The staff were very attentive, ensuring drinks were full and bought to the table when needed, and side orders which were ordered after the main were brought quickly alhamdullilah. The restaurant itself is nicely decorated, and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming, ma sha Allah. There is a separate room for prayer subhanallah. We ordered the Ottoman master chef, which was amazing alhamdullilah, a selection of grilled meats and veg served on a tray of rice with breads. Everything was cooked to perfection. The meat was seared beautifully, tasty and tender to eat. We were also greeted with my absolute fav thing to eat fresh breads and dips alhamdullilah - it was perfect 👌. All in all, although too short, this was a very nice place to visit and eat, ma sha Allah, and I hope in sha Allah to visit again. JazakAllahu khayran Ottoman Kitchen Southampton. Allahumma barik.

Disappointing Experience – Won’t Be Returning This was our second bad experience at this restaurant, and we won’t be coming back. The service was terrible—our server dropped the side dishes and later dropped our change, making it feel intentional. Despite having 40 minutes to eat, staff started mopping the floor, filling the entire room with a strong, unpleasant smell. The food was just as disappointing. A steak was served raw without even asking for our preferred doneness. A friend ordered chicken soup, but it was basically just water—no meat, no flavor. On top of that, they charged us for tea, something other restaurants usually offer for free. Overall, poor service, bad food, and an unpleasant dining experience. Definitely not worth the money.

“Very expensive tea and poorly cooked meat. This was our first visit, but due to very poor service, I had to give it 1 star. Charging £2.50 for a single Turkish tea is ridiculous. In other Turkish restaurants, tea is free, even if you drink 5 cups. The worst part was the service we received. The restaurant was supposed to close at 23:00, but they started mopping the floors at 22:30. Its appearance was very unpleasant. I do not recommend it.”

I don’t usually leave many negative reviews, but when I’m bombarded with emails to review I thought I’d make the effort for you. My partner loves Turkish food, so I chose this restaurant for a birthday meal for 4 adults. Tables are so so extremely close together that I couldn’t move comfortably and getting out for the toilets was a challenge. With so many tables crammed in together the noise level was ridiculous, literally shouting to hear each other, to top it off there was a lovely gentleman singing. He was good at what he does, only singing over an already loud restaurant was excruciating. Waiting 1.5 hours for food to arrive was absolutely barbaric!! Constantly told 5 minutes then 5 more then oh another 5 …40 mins later I was about to walk out. This could be an incredible restaurant if you provide quality over quantity! I do not expect to pay over £200 for 1.5 hour wait for food…. I could have gone and killed the chicken, plucked it and marinated it quicker myself. Then the size portion of the rice was actually laughable. It wouldn’t have filled a hamsters tummy. ( it was the cheapest microwave rice, and he had about one table spoon served with his meal 🤣) The most hilarious part is when we asked for the bill …. No wait. Card reader shoved in my face before I’ve even got my card out. If only you could have put so much effort into providing a quality service as quick as you take money. I would definitely not come again.

We frequently this restaurant quite often for the amazing food and hospitality and we have never left feeling hungry or disappointed. We absolutely love and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good meal out. They even have live events and entertainment sometimes.

I really like the good.. we went out as a team and ordered the big platter and chicken shish it was fresh and nicely made. The sides were good as well.. must try is the Baklava which I personally felt was better than other places.

This place is 10/10! Food amazing customer service amazing! Restaurant amazing!!

Went for the first time yesterday evening for my wife’s birthday meal and the food and the staff was absolutely fantastic. My wife said that it was the best Turkish restaurant she’d been too. Can’t wait to go back.

Great for a luxury dinner! We came here for a birthday dinner and the food was amazing quality with lovely service. The ambience and decor is great and we highly recommend

Our best memory for Christmas 2024. absolutely fantastic mouth watering Turkish dinner. This was our pre Christmas meal due to family not being together on Christmas day and it was perfect. Turkish restaurants are always our favorite but Ottoman Kitchen really stood out with everything, the interior,table setting, service and a very surprised handshake from the manager when we were leaving. Thank you so much for making this a very memorable Christmas. Family of six, we ordered the shared platter, lamb shank, soup and shared stater, a vegetarian dish, 1 cocktail and 5 fruit drinks. Came to just over £200 but well within our budget and more than enough for everyone.

Huge restaurant. Great menu choices. Weird baba ganoush, but the rest was five stars!

Went on a Monday night so not many in there that’s why atmosphere was rated low but the food was absolutely amazing best restaurant in Southampton that I have been to .

We were enticed into the Ottoman Kitchen by the lovely savoury aromas drifting from the kitchen. The experience was as good as the aromas promised. We chose three starters and a main as a meal for two and were unable to finish it despite sharing. Crisp, fresh cucumbers, tomato, onion and lettuce garnished just about every plate, providing a good counterpart to the heavier grilled selections and sausages. Our server, Apostolos, was attentive without being intrusive, perhaps a little startled when we said we wanted it to arrive all at once, but gamely accommodated our request. We recommend this spot to anyone wanting a good meal with different flavors which are not excessively spiced.

An real turkish place! A lot of products! Good meat with turkish aromatic taste!

The food was delicious and the service was excellent, very kind and nice atmosphere. I recommend, thank you!

The food was decent and service was friendly. We went on Christmas Day and had informed that dogs are allowed, however we were made to sit in the back of the restaurant far away from the festive feeling. Total dampener and I hated it. Though I saw other guest being allowed in the main restaurant with dog. Since we were in a separate place that was a smoking area it seems - there was a lack of attention too - will not return!

Portion size and flavour ok. Cold food (on collection??), warm can of drink, forgot fork immediately after i asked and attempted overcharge not so ok

Disrespectful staff for delivery drivers specially one guy who is bloody clean shave no hair on head I don't know his name but always he say stay outside restaurant he treat us that we are begging we are doing our job not begging from your staff don't stop delivery driver out side next time I will sue you

Lovely Turkish lokantu in the heart of old Southampton, next to Holy Rood church memorial. Decor top quality, chairs very comfortable. Service friendly and efficient. Menu well laid out for easy selection. Food and service 5*. Can easily cater for large parties. 3 course for 2 with lunchtime beer under £80. Very good value for money. We will be visiting again! Update! Another 2 visits. Both excellent. One a party of 11. Exceeding expectations with food quality and, with the Ottoman MasterChef plaster, quantity. Will be visiting again, and again.......

Had a lovely meal here and the staff made it a wonderful experience, it was my wifes birthday so in between the songs that a young lady was singing the brought a little cake and all clapped and cheered! Quite a surprise, food was excellent and the service absolutely perfect, so friendly and helpful. It was quite busy too and they coped fine, would definitely go again.

Real quality on all levels great staff, attentive, smiling, polite. We had a red and white Turkish wine which made a nice change. The meal was top draw.

First time visiting the restaurant to celebrate a birthday and we'll definitely go back again. The food is cooked with fresh ingredients and is beautifully presented with all the authentic extras like salad, warm bread and dips. Lots of Turkish families and couples eating lunch, which is always a good recommendation that the food is well prepared. Very attentive staff and lovely decor.

The Ottoman Kitchen did not disappoint, the restaurant was full and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. The staff were amazing and attentive but more importantly the food was absolutely delicious. Highly recommend as you won’t be disappointed.

If you’re looking for a quiet and delicious restaurant, you should visit the Ottoman Restaurant. The service is excellent, the staff are friendly, and the food is delightful, making everyone happy

Very nice atmosphere so many delicious dishes and a kind waitress I recommended it to everyone

They don't have gluten-free bread. They have many options for celiacs, including falafel.

We ordered the mixed meat platter for a group of us for £150. We were reassured by the waiter that there would be sufficient meat to go around for us. It was a glorified 5-6 sachets of Uncle Bens rice with very small portions of meat on the top. Not worth the money would of been better value for the money at the kebab van. However the atmosphere was ok and waiter was attentive.

The mixed meat £150 platter is NOT worth the money. Dont even think about it. Really its a 4 person platter, even then i wouldn't get it for £150. Your better off choosing something else off the menu, trust me. SO MUCH RICE, you really need to do something about this. The staff were excellent, on there service 👏. The restaurant itself is very nice place and has a good atmosphere

Quite a pleasant restaurant. More casual than for a special occasion.

Had an amazing meal and the service was perfect. Thank you all

Food was very nice and tasty, but it was not worth the price. £150 for a mixed grill and we left hungry. Definitely to small portions, more rice and salads than meat.

Fab food that will transport you back to Turkey, only topped by great service from a welcoming and friendly team. Our favourite place to eat in Southampton and thoroughly recommend whether dinner for 2 or a night out with friends or family.

Great food but horrific service! Rude waitress with dark brown hair in pigtails.. wouldn't visit again

Unfortunately, today was a very bad experience for us. At noon, we called the business and asked if they had tripe soup. They said yes and we went to buy takeaway. My wife waited for about 1 hour to get the soup (it was the first time I saw that it took so long to put a soup in a bowl). When we came home and opened the box, we found a butt resembling a head and a leg in oily water. We came across a ridiculous soup that had nothing to do with it. There wasn't even a single piece of tripe in it. They couldn't bear to throw away the excess fat and meat pieces they had, so they made fun of us. If you don't have that soup on your menu, that soup is on your menu. Say no, don't make fools of people. Should we be upset that we waited for 1 hour or the money we spent? We drank a few spoons because we waited that long and paid money, and we have been suffering from stomach ache for hours. I never give up my rights. If there were 0 points, I would give 0 points 🤦🏼‍♀️

Good food but a bit pricey for the amount of food they serve. Aside from that, all good

Everything about this restaurant was absolutely superb! My wife and I walked in without a reservation despite it being quite busy but the Manager was able to accommodate us! I think what separates this from most restaurants is the level of customer service! The staff ensure you are very well looked after! Highly recommend to all!

Superb breakfast, average or slightly above lunch.

Me and my friends went there for dinner. Restaurant looks in an outside excellent, staff take care of us straight from the door step, what was nice. Place was very crowded what’s probably impacted the kitchen unfortunately. We’re ordered “Ottoman master chef” and in our opinion for +\- £150 we received massive amount of rice (impossible to eat all) nicely covered with cheap chicken wings, ribs and just few pieces of lamb. Lamb was good but I manage only try from my partner plate. Ribs been very very chewy definitely need more preparing time. Shame cos we all waiting to go there and try something (delicious) Personally I will give them one more chance.

My food was quite cold when it got here

Desde el momento en que entramos por la puerta el servicio era de primera categoría. Todo el personal atendió a nuestras necesidades de una manera amable y educada sin ser demasiado. Gran ambiente con gente de todas las edades y fiestas de 2 a 20 años. Obviamente es un lugar muy popular. Nuestra comida era muy caliente y muy sabroso. Estaba muy fresco y sabroso cocinado en casa y lleno de sabor. Nuestra primera visita y sin duda no será la última. Puedes ver por qué han ganado tantos premios. Todo estaba en el lugar - en .

Took my Mum for lunch to Ottoman Kitchen which, as always, didn't disappoint. We both had a fab meal and husband insisted I bring him a take out back with me - he loves the food so much. Excellent as always.

Estaba tan decepcionado con este lugar encantador. La carne no estaba lo suficientemente cocida, costillas masticables y cordero. También el precio por lo que realmente obtuvimos era demasiado.

Nice place to eat, food is good, staff is polite and will look after their customers, but I am giving three starts only beacuse when we've been asked about the drinks, we asked if they had fresh lemonade, they said no, we had 2 appletiesers, but at the end, when they've made the bill, the lemonade was there even if we never had it. Everything was ok, but please check your bill before leaving, if you don't want to pay money for nothing.

Segunda vez aquí con amigos. Esta es una experiencia completa, fuerte (música en vivo), mojado, gran ambiente con buena comida turca en serio! Yo no sugeriría este restaurante para una cena íntima tranquila, pero si quieres una visita divertida con un montón de comida de buena calidad, servida por un personal amable y súper eficiente, esto debería ocupar un lugar alto en los lugares donde comer en Southampton. Sin duda volveré.

The OTTOMAN cuisine it self gives someone that shiver amazing place historical name with the best traditional beverage you can never go wrong with the Turks🫡

Plentiful food that was super tasty. Food was served quickly.

Had a glass of wine out side looks lovely

I order two sides of olives, only one got it! 😔

Came back to the Ottoman after having great experiences in the past. However this time the visit was far from enjoyable! The food was not to standard of previous years; but the thing which let the experience down was the entertainment in the restaurant! Very disappointing previously a fantastic vocalist Lucy offered a truly exceptional vocal experience which accompanied the food as a truly immersive dining experience! Very disappointing especially to hear from a long standing staff member how Lucy was treated by the ownership during a performance! Overall a very poor experience and will not be returning in the future!

The lahmacuhn is highly recommended.

This is genuinely one of the best restaurants I've been too. Authentic feels all around, the staff are brilliant, the food is perfect. There are plenty of dining options, along side lunchtime deals. Photo of my baklava dessert for attention lol Such a gorgeous endulgence treat

Atmosphere and restaurant fit was fantastic, service was very good in addition, it wasn't that the food wasn't any good just wasn't what we expected

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ La cocina otomana es uno de nuestros lugares favoritos para comer cada vez que salimos de la Isla de Wight. La comida es increíble, y los sabores siempre están presentes. Apostolis proporcionó un servicio amable que hizo nuestra visita aún mejor. Recomiendo encarecidamente este restaurante para una gran comida!

Segunda visita aquí y me impresionó tanto como la primera vez. Maravillosa comida, personal cálido y atractivo y un ambiente fantástico

Very busy place with a great atmosphere and friendly staff.

Very good food, worth the price

Best Turkish restaurant in Southampton. Was quite when we visited at lunch but food from the charcoal grill still the best !

Authentic, delicious, and great service. The atmosphere on a busy night is fun, especially if it is someone's birthday!

Service was very friendly but slightly chaotic. Large and, above all, loud restaurant. Unfortunately, the food was only partially excellent.

All the staff were so lovely and accommodating. Apostolos was the best host and the food was amazing. We are here on a Friday night for my dad’s birthday and they made even more effort to make it special. We have the best nights when we come here!

Super nice meal, huge portions, great staff, atmosphere was fab and their smoking area is top notch, which is very important for smokers (like me) 😎

It's a great Turkish restaurant. They have a nice ambience and great staff. Sufficient seating space. They have veg options too.

Good food but the service was really slow and we had to ask for things multiple times before they were actually brought, even bread for starters. Good atmosphere especially when they brought a birthday cake for us, but it was sooooo hot! Weird that they had a DJ from 1830 so whilst everyone was eating.

visited here on the weekend for our friends birthday after a recommendation, The starters was amazing so had really high hopes for the rest of the meal but we were truly disappointed with what we received for our mains, I have had better turkish food from a keebab van, Also the singer that was on was far to loud for the restaurant so you couldn't have a conversation with anybody as you couldn't hear each other.

Clean big restorant , friendly staff especially apostolos , complementary starter and salad provided, beef eskanker is delicious & creamy garlic chicken is marvelous. We meet the owner mr. Ali . Good gentleman. At the end Turkish tea on the house. Definitely will come again .

We had the most fantastic time in Ottomans Kitchen today, our waiter Apostolos was really polite and alert. We got complimentary hors d’oeuvres a few minutes after ordering. Our mains were excellent beyond measure and we have no complaints on the food. Lovely background music, clean cutlery, nice decor and a good atmosphere ,Fast-paced cooks, Good portions and really appropriate prices aswell. We met the owner and he was really friendly and polite, offered us complimentary turkish tea after the meal. Definitely a must-visit if you’re in town. 10/10

Very lively, great food, not to be missed

The best food in town. The staff is very kind and friendly and the food is very good. The atmosphere is amazing 🤩 strongly recommend

Very disappointed with choice of dishes, have had better food whilst on holiday in Turkey, also very noisy atmosphere couldn't hear what friends were saying.

Food was ok but it was quite costly. Situated in a nice place and looks good from outside.

Went for son's birthday. Lovely food, lovely venue, lovely staff

Food was delicious we had family mix grilled big plates enough for easy 5 people staff was polite and friendly they kept checking we need anything all was good 👍

Food was very disappointing. Very dry and tasteless

Great location. Great decor. Brilliant staff. Award winning kitchen. Food quality is outstanding. In one word. .wow!

Asked us to leave if we don't order more as they "need the table", we had already ordered an expensive dinner and was just there for a little over half an hour. We ordered dessert, just to stay a bit more. Bad experience really

Both soup and breakfast were great. The mixed breakfast is not as extravagant as we wanted, but it is satisfying. We loved the pita bread. If you are tired of eating dry food and sandwiches while traveling, like me, you should definitely try chicken soup. We liked the place very much. The kitchen was in the middle and spotlessly clean. The staff are very friendly and sincere. I would like to thank each and every one of them for their interest.

Our First time, the atmosphere is very nice, music not loud perfect for a diner with family. The service is impeccable, replace plate just after the starter and give drinks straight once order. The food was a disappoint as I was expecting such a good portion with an amazing taste for such a place rating at 4.2 but you can find so much better somewhere else at that price!!!!!!

Gorgeous food, excellent, friendly service

Amazing and beautiful food i appreciate it