Anason — Restaurant in Sydney

My family and I had an absolutely fantastic lunch at Anason last week, and we cannot stop raving about our experience! From the moment we entered the restaurant, we were greeted with warm smiles and genuine hospitality, thanks to the amazing team at Anason, especially Alp, the bartender, and Leticia, our server.

Alp's mastery of mixology shone through as he expertly crafted a range of delightful cocktails that perfectly complemented our meal. His creative concoctions, along with his friendly banter, set the tone for an enjoyable dining experience. He attentively catered to each of our preferences, making our drinks even more special and personalized.

Leticia's attentive and gracious service truly made our lunch memorable. Her knowledge of the menu and insightful suggestions allowed us to explore a diverse array of dishes, each one better than the last. She was patient with our questions, accommodating to our dietary preferences, and made sure we felt at ease throughout the meal.

As for the food, it was an absolute feast for the senses! The House Baked Turkish Bread was the perfect start, and the Cauliflower and Lentil Kofte entrees were bursting with flavor. The mains were equally impressive - the Sardines on Toast and Grilled Octopus were fresh and perfectly cooked, while the Pomegranate Roasted Chicken and Slow-Cooked Lamb Shoulder were tender and packed with deliciousness.

The highlight of our dessert experience was the Kunefe, which was simply divine. And we must mention the delightful Tilba Haloumi, a delightful and unique sweet treat that left us wanting more.

The ambiance of the restaurant was cozy and inviting, providing the perfect backdrop for our family lunch.

Alp and Leticia's exceptional service, combined with the outstanding culinary journey at Anason, made this lunch one to remember. Their warmth, attention to detail, and genuine care for our dining experience made us feel like treasured guests.

Anason is a gem in Darling Harbour, offering not just delectable Turkish cuisine but also a memorable dining experience. If you're looking for a place with outstanding service and scrumptious food, don't miss out on Anason. A big thank you to Alp, Leticia, and the entire team for making our family lunch truly special. We will definitely be...

This Turkish restaurant, situated on the waterfront, presents an intriguing menu of traditional Turkish dishes. It also offers a selection of hard-to-find Turkish wines, which, in our opinion, are excellent, though their appeal may be limited to those familiar with the region.

Unfortunately, during our visit, several of the wines listed on the menu were unavailable, which was disappointing. Furthermore, the service was somewhat chaotic from the moment we arrived. The staff engaged in a loud debate about where to seat us, and then attempted to take our order before we had even been presented with the menus. However, this chaos, and the associated negotiations, ultimately proved to be a sign of authenticity, as it mirrored the lively and sometimes unpredictable atmosphere one might find in a true Turkish establishment.

We ordered a variety of dishes, from appetizers to main courses, meant to be shared in the Mediterranean tradition. Without exception, they were well presented and extremely well executed, adhering closely to the original Turkish recipes, with which we are very familiar.

The restaurant is not cheap; we paid $150 Australian dollars per person, including one glass of wine and tip. Furthermore, the restaurant has the audacity to charge diners an additional 10% on weekends, a fact not disclosed upfront, which we found to be a rather unwelcome surprise. For dessert, we ordered "Keshkul," typically an almond pudding, here made with coconut. Again, it was beautifully presented and a worthy innovation or improvement on this classic Turkish dessert.

While the inventory management could be improved, and the initial service was a bit disorganized, the restaurant's commitment to authentic cuisine and its selection of Turkish wines are commendable. However, the lack of transparency regarding the weekend surcharge is a significant negative.

As ordinary consumers, we are not paid or compensated in any way for this review. We are always looking for reliable and transparent businesses and hope the owner will take this feedback into...

Travelled to Sydney and rested a bit. When I woke up, I was starving. Only restaurant that came into my mind was Anason. I have never been there before but my friends kept mentioning the place. I know that it is owned by one of the greatest Turkish chef who is also in MasterChef Turkey. It is Saturday 4:50pm and tried my luck. Ismail answered the phone and stated that it was all booked out. I explained my passion for Somer’s food and travelled over 800km to taste the specialties. Ismail gave in and asked us to be there at 5:30pm. Berke served us and he was a true young gentleman. He took our orders and made sure our glasses were full. Waitress also helped a lot. As we were dining, one of the waiter has dropped few bottles on the floor and they shattered with a loud noise. You could tell he was frustrated and so sorry from his body language. Ismail, maître d'hôtel, went next to the waiter and asked “Are you ok? Are you hurt?”. Well this act really was worth million perfectly cooked stakes. It doesn’t finish there. The snapper I had was cooked to perfection. The skin was crispy, inside was moist and delicious. The salad, which tasted like “Piyaz” was complimenting the fish. Yogurt Kebab was another story. The shish kebab style meatballs had an extra flavour. The meat was probably rested with onion juice as it was bit darker than usual. The texture was “compact”. Flat meatballs were placed on top of sauced bread and yogurt. The sauce was “Iskender kebab sauce”. I know how it tastes as it is one of my favourite dish. However, it had this extra sour taste which I liked.

Hummus dip was a good choice for an entree. The bread was oily so I would recommend for you to use knife and fork.

Overall, it was an excellent experience. They also offered us Turkish Coffees which we could never reject. I like to commend the management (Somer Sivrioglu in that regards) for having a...