Özlem Pide Restoran

Özlem Pide Restoran specialises in the great Turkish flatbread known as pide, that long oval loaf baked in a wood-fired oven and topped with an ever-expanding variety of savoury ingredients. The kitchen at Özlem works to the old Black Sea and eastern Anatolian tradition in which the dough is shaped by hand on a wooden paddle, pressed out into a boat-shape, scattered with toppings, and slid swiftly into the mouth of the oven where it emerges a few minutes later with crisp edges, a tender centre, and a fragrance that fills the dining room. The menu covers every classic variety: kıymalı pide with spiced minced lamb, kuşbaşılı with small cubes of marinated meat, kaşarlı with stretchy Turkish yellow cheese, ıspanaklı with sautéed spinach, sucuklu with spiced Turkish sausage, and karışık which combines several of the above. All meat served is halal and supplied by trusted Ankara butchers, and the restaurant does not serve alcohol. Meals are accompanied by fresh ayran, the salted yoghurt drink, or by strong black tea brewed in a double pot. The dining room is simply furnished, with wooden tables and the open kitchen visible through a wide arched window so that diners can watch the baker at work — a small pleasure for anyone who has spent time in Turkey. Özlem Pide Restoran is popular with families, with groups of office workers taking an extended lunch, and with visitors to Ankara who want to experience a meal that is both distinctively Turkish and entirely appropriate for Muslim dietary norms. Service is cheerful and prompt, and the staff are patient with diners unfamiliar with the range of pide on offer. On a cold winter day there are few more welcoming experiences in central Ankara than pushing open the steamed glass door of Özlem, the warmth of the oven washing over one immediately, and finding oneself seated within a few minutes before a hot pide still crackling from the fire — a small, simple, and very Turkish kind of happiness. For a filling, reasonably priced, and culturally authentic meal in central Ankara, Özlem is a well-judged choice, and leftover pide, if any, is wrapped for the journey home.