Topkapi Palace

Totally fantastic. Do try their mixed grille. It’s incredible. Well presented and just enough.

Came here and tried their lunch menu since it was a great deal– appetiser and a main for just £8.95… Can’t beat that deal! I got their borek (fried filo pastry with spinach and cheese)… It was ok not raving about it since the flavour was basic but did have a nice crunch. Their hummus was amazing and well worth getting if you like the smooth, silky, mild flavour. For the main I tried Firin kebab which was basically a baked lamb in tomato sauce. This was pretty good… the meat was tender and nearly fell off the bone, the lamb didn’t have a gamey taste, and the tomato sauce wasn’t tangy but savoury. The whole dish worked well with the rice that came with it– I’d recommend this dish. Lastly, tried their baklava… I’d rate it at an «eh»… Wasn’t all of that since it didn’t have a crunch and was just deeply drenched in simple syrup. Overall, this place is good value for the money and I’d come back!

Yesterday we had a mid-​/​late-​afternoon dinner at this restaurant and we loved every aspect. They had a special deal whereby you could get a starter and an entrée for only 8.95 pounds before 5:00 p.m., so we happily took advantage of that. We shared the starters (hummus and falafel). The portions weren’t substantial, but no matter — and the pita bread was warm & tasty, plus there was a generous amount. For our entrées, I had the aubergine (eggplant) moussaka and my husband had the sea bass. The portions were quite sufficient and the food was *delicious*. In particular, the sauce for both items was really flavorful.
The interior of the restaurant is very attractive, the overall ambiance was very pleasant, and our server was a *very* sweet woman.

Oh wow this place was disappointing, firstly we arrived during the lunch time special was with around half hour left however we got charged for dinner. The waitress got my drinks order wrong I asked for raki she kept handing me beer I don’t drink beer. She didn’t seem to understand English as well. Everything I ordered from the Turkish sausage to the donner just seemed store bought. The donner especially it seemed like takeaway kebab. My friend was happy with hers I can’t remember what she ordered.

Went here last night after a film. The place has always looked enticing on the outside and I’ve thought about dropping in several times before when I’ve passed by but what a difference a crowd makes as it appeared a lot less special when basically empty.
The staff were pleasant though a bit short, it was very quiet on a Tuesday night and got the impression that they would have rather gone home (it was about 9pm) than serving some late diners.
Very standard Turkish fair. Well presented though a little underwhelming to be honest and no better than any turkish dining experience I’ve had in Manchester.
We ordered some starters, chillies and olives and Yaprak Sarma which is rice wrapped in vine leaves. These were all tasty but not remarkable and I don’t think vine leaves were made on the premises.
I had the Iskender Kebab for my main which was very fine but it was served swimming in the yoghurt /​tomato sauce which made it very sloppy to eat and kind of detracted from the well cooked meat.
For the first few minutes I was wondering at the absence of the pita bread which it was meant to come with, then I realised it was chopped into small pieces and placed under the meat and had soaked up so much sauce as to be undistinguishable from anything else on the plate. That was dissappointing as I would’ve preferred the bread separate to the meal.
We were also served a tomato/​chilli paste on the table with the main meals with no sign of which meal it was intended for and seemed an odd addition. What do I add this to the already immense amount of sauce on my plate?

I always go to the Topkapi across the street (the take-​out one that is still part of the same company offering quite similar food). They have delicious Kobideh kebab which I recommend. They are a little bit pricier but it is grilled on the spot (so you have to wait 10 mins) and it is healthier than many of the other options.

Whilst on nights at work I had an urge for a kebab. So decided to venture out on my dinner in search for a late night meal. However, being 2:30am on a Monday most places were shut. I was driving down Deansgate and notice it was still open so thought i’d give it a try as they also have a sit in restaurant opposite. I opted for a chicken doner kebab — it was pretty decent considering they were getting ready to close up. The chicken wasn’t dried out like I’ve had elsewhere. I asked for extra salad and was gien it with no fuss. They were generous with the sauces. It would be 4 stars but the bread seemed like a frozen one. I’d expect a decent hand made bread considering they have a restaurant… I will definately be back — probably during the day when things will be a little fresher & maybe I will award a higher score. Until then 3 stars is all it gets.

Chicken kabob with garlic sauce is on point. So fresh and good. Will be back before I leave manchester. I got take away and it’s so great for a lunch on the go.

Always looking for somewhere new to go — but with the option to indulge in hummus — my friend and I headed to Topkapi Palace. After a busy week at work and as pre-​payment for dog sitting when she goes on holiday, we were both ready to indulge.
It’s not the most polished of restaurants, but I was quite blown away by the level of service; it was spot on. Before even asking, I was shown where the toilets were (pre-​drinks at the Rising Sun had got to me!), our drinks were topped up throughout the meal, and everything we said or did was greeted with a smile.
We had the hot mixed mezze to start between us — cue lots of filo pastry, feta, spinach, spicy sausage, hummus, and meatballs. Yum. The sausage probably stood out the most, followed by the meatballs. We had some pitta on the side, ordered for our mains but perfect for mopping up sauce and dip.
For main I went for the shish kebab, and I was even asked how I would like my lamb to be cooked. It came medium as promised, with a little bit of pink helping it to stay moist, and combined with a few onions on the skewer. Delicious. The rice and side salad were good, if a bit dry, so maybe having some additional dips would have helped with the pitta?
A visit to Café Istanbul is in the pipeline so we compare directly — but this will be hard to beat!

Amazing food. We went for the mixed meat plates as recommended by a Unilocal user and it’s very good. Everyone in our group enjoyed and bookmarked Topkapi as a place to return more often. The portions are very generous and full of flavour.

After being dissapointed for my birthday meal out with my dad that we couldn’t get into revolution de cuba (our own fault for not pre booking, and I did not want to eat in front of the band which were the only available seats in the place), we headed to Topkapi Palace.
On the outside and inside it looks bland really, and like I said in my tip the wine is quite terrible, (well the one I had was, I’m not a wine buff but I know when it’s nice and when it isn’t), but my Dad pretty much ordered for us both as with somewhere looking a little bit bland it’s hard to get me excited.
We both decided on the starter, houmous with warm pitta bread, and oh my god it was beautiful. A HUGE plate of houmous and the pitta bread kept on coming, freshly toasted and it was just amazing. I could have sat there and eaten that all night to be honest but we order the mixed platter of meat.
I was astounded at how nice it was!
I’m always put off by strange looking sausages (no jokes please) but the sausage on the platter was gorgeous, full of flavour, and I am partial to a donner kebab on a drunken night out but the donner here was just amazing.
And that’s DONNER meat.
The naan it came on underneath soaked up the grease (gross I know but it just tasted so good).
Definitely going to be coming back here, another cheap and cheerful place that does good grub!

Topkapi Palace has seen some big changes recently, but, happily, the strengths remain the same.
The main change is that the takeaway formerly cluttering up the entrance has moved to separate premises across the road — which has to be a good thing for a restaurant with wine glasses on the table! Also, the kitchen is now at the back of the premises where it should be, and the whole place has been redecorated to a good standard in a more corporate style. A little bit of character in the décor may have been lost, but overall the effect is very positive.
Front of house, a sisterly pair of Turkish ladies run a tight ship.
This update review is again for the two courses for £6.95 lunchtime deal which runs until 1630h. One thing to note is that the lunchtime deal is much more extensive than the ‘highlights’ on the pavement sandwich board.
See my earlier review for my descriptions of falafel and moussaka here. This time, I went for the mini mezze followed by Turlu which here is a vegetable stew in a sticky tomato sauce. OK, so the mini mezze featured the cheaper options from the starter menu, so no falafel, halloumi or feta pastries, but it was still a good plate of food. (The mini mezze is not all vegetarian as standard, so I had them customise it for me.) It came with a warm pitta bread, and the waitress brought over a second warm pitta when I ran out of bread without my asking. Nice touch, especially when Café Istanbul across the road charges 50p or so per bread! The Turlu was just what I was needing — big chunks of juicy aubergines, red peppers and other veg cooked to a T in a tomato sauce. The contrast was extremely favourable with the moussaka I had recently at Chorlton’s Saray. With Saray’s moussaka, I’m now realising it would have been all too easy for me to mash it to a mush, whereas Topkapi’s Turlu (which is a lot like moussaka sans bechamel sauce and cheese) positively oozed colour, texture and flavour.
I’ve posted photos of both courses, the lunchtime starter menu, and lunchtime vegetarian choices, and a couple of the new décor — have a look.
During the lunch hour, Topkapi is fairly bustling with Deansgate suits. Even at 2.30pm, there were still a good dozen mainly shoppers enjoying a glass of wine with a good meal.
In the restaurant category, the lunchtime deal has to be up there as the best value for money Turkish in all of Greater Manchester and even gives the most bargainous of Rusholme outlets a run for their money.
As a vegetarian, I obviously don’t pay too close attention to non-​vegetarian menu options, but I seem to recollect a whole baked fish as one of the lunchtime mains options… after a substantial starter… for £6.95…on Deansgate… just across the road from Spinningfields. (The only way I can see this making sense is that they are making money from the wet trade sales alongside the meals. And obviously evening à la carte prices are significantly higher.)
For the vegetarian, five hot, stewy, mains options (maybe even more à la carte) provide much-​needed respite from the moussaka!
As you can see, Topkapi is ticking a lot of boxes for me, and comes highly recommended. I look forward to reading more Unilocal reviews of Topkapi, especially reviews of their à la carte menu.

What you would expect from a kebab /​burger place. Has the usual selection. Most of the time when I have been here, it’s at the end of a night out so properly anything tastes nice!!!
Last night has burger and chips. Burger was ok but one of those large thin burgers with properly 10% actual meat in it. Chips were a big portion. Total cost was £4.10. Woke up this morning though really thirsty so maybe it was very salty and didn’t realise.
You may also want to consider the Tantune place opposite. Only had burger and chips from there but it’s alright. I think Tantune may be a bit cheaper for some things and less busy.
(Not been to the restaurant part next door).

Topkapi palace is a huge palace in Istanbul built by Sultan Mehmed II the conqueror of Byzantine Constantinople in 1459. Sadly this isn’t true for the neon lit takeaway nestled on deansgate. But it does offer great food, friendly staff and good value.
Topkapi use to be around the corner till the development of the great northern (AMC). Offering early bird specials and 2 course lunches for £7.50 Topkapi is a winner, less kebab spot more restaurant it has great quality food. The lamb I had was lovely and tender all washed down with a can of mango rubicon. It shares many similarities with spots on the curry mile, except exported to deansgate, coupled with Emma’s comment it is a proper restaurant. Very useful.

Topkapi Palace! I sold my soul to this divine slice of meat heaven way back in 2000 on a night out with some friends, and have never had a better kebab since (of the ones I did let pass my lips) If I worked in town, I would make a rule of having a weekly Friday treat lunch here! sadly I don’t, and have to wait until the weekends I go into town and then convince the people I am with to make a (sometimes rather long) detour here. The restaurant is always busy and has a great atmosphere at the weekends! I have been many times and it always maintains a very high standard. The food is excellent and always fresh and authentic. The staff are professional, very polite and efficient. I love so many items on their menu, but my personal favorite is mixed bursa kebab which is mixed lamb and chicken doner with herbs! TO DIE FOR… seriously!

Ah, Topkapi. This Turkish restaurant is to Manchester what Simon Cowell is to the celebrity world: they’ve been around for a while, you can’t ignore them, they’re style leaves something to be desired but secretly you can’t get enough. Did I say too much?
Topkapi’s longevity owes to the quality of their food and the efficiency of their service. All their lamb and chicken Kebabs, Tavuks, and Kuftas as well as their marinated and chargrilled items linger around the £10 but I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. The portions are large and cooked to perfection and they have a great vegetarian menu too including a wonderful Mussaka.
The takeaway menu is perfect for thhose worse for wear party goers who need to line their stomach before lurching towards the metrolink. All the classic Doners, Shish and burgers are £5 and below.

ive heard of the topkapi good reputation for many years, and went there today for a early bird special before 3 30 pm. it was a two course meal with a soft drink or coffee for £7.50. and i can guarantee the food was delicious, and the staff very friendly and helpful. i came away nice and full without being bloated like some restaurants can leave you, the lamb was delicious and very lean and
coming back next week. give this lovely friendly eaterie a try im sure you wont be disappointed