Ankara: Your New Spot for A Brunch Feast in True Turkish Tradition

Ankara has been serving up Turkish cuisine with a contemporary twist since its opening in May. The Dupont space (formerly Levante’s) which seats around 115 outside and slightly more inside, also recently rolled out a new bottomless brunch deal.  So now DC can get its ultimate Turkish fix (for $37!!) on weekends and post up to the patio for Turkish time Happy Hours from 5-7 weekdays.

As with many of its European neighbors, the Turks take food seriously. Drawn out, multi-course meals commonly characterize the Turkish eating experience and the concept of sharing small plates isn’t just a recent trend for them — its a way of life.

So what should you expect when visiting Ankara?  Order right and mezzes of all varieties will be brought out in a seemingly endless parade.  You may have to find table space to squeeze hummus, labneh (yogurt spread) and bowls of roasted red pepper and feta next to haloumi cheese plates and medleys of marinated olives.  But make sure to make room for the unlikely star of the show… warm bubbly crusty Turkish bread! Ankara’s attentive servers make sure that you never see the bottom of the bread basket.

For the entree portion of the meal, know that variations of scrambled eggs take a back seat to traditional Turkish flatbreads topped with minced meats, melted Kasar cheese and Turkish sausage. You may need to accept a round of Turkish tea to help aid digestion before tucking in to sticky squares of flaky baklava topped with a sprinkle of pistachios over a bed of mascarpone.   

Then, to top off the indulgent culinary experience, finish with a Turkish coffee… and a tradition: Turn your cup over (onto the saucer) to let gravity guide the coffee grounds out, then exchange your cup to have your grounds interpreted.  What do we predict your fortune might read?   Definitely something about another of Ankara’s Turkish meals being in your near future.