Bosphorus Turkish Street Food — Restaurant in Sydney

The Worst "Turkish" Restaurant on Earth—A National Embarrassment

If you value good food, respect, or even basic human decency, let me save you the trouble: DO NOT COME HERE. This place is not just bad—it is a humiliation to Turkish culture, hospitality, and the entire concept of customer service. I have never, in my life, been so disgusted by the way I was treated at a restaurant.

Let’s start from the beginning. I arrived at 8:45 PM. They close at 9:30 PM, so plenty of time for a meal. But from the moment I stepped through the door, I was treated like an inconvenience, not a guest. No smile, no welcome—just a miserable, lifeless waitress who made it crystal clear that she did not want me there. You could see the resentment in her face. Not just laziness—actual hostility.

She graciously informed me that they would still serve me (gee, thanks, I guess?), making me feel like I had somehow committed a crime by walking in. If you hate your job this much, quit. Don’t take it out on paying customers.

Food? Mediocre. Service? Abysmal. Attitude? Unforgivable. I asked for a mix of döner and shish. They had both. This was not a complicated request. But instead of accommodating it like literally every restaurant in Turkey would, they flat-out refused. Why? Because they simply couldn't be bothered. I wasn’t asking for a Michelin-star custom dish. I was asking for two meats that they already had on the grill. In Turkey, a place with this kind of attitude would shut down overnight.

We finished eating at 9:10 PM. Before I even swallowed my last bite, the table was aggressively cleared. No questions, no care—just an obvious, impatient move to push us out the door. In Turkey, this is beyond offensive. It’s a blatant way of telling the customer: “Leave. We don’t want you here.”

The Ultimate Disrespect—A Complete Insult to Turkish Culture I noticed other customers receiving complimentary Turkish tea, a tradition as old as the cuisine itself. Naturally, I asked for mine. The response? “The kitchen is closed.”

Excuse me? You serve Turkish food. You have tea. You are OPEN.

At this point, I’d had enough. I demanded my tea. It’s not difficult—hot water, tea leaves, done. But instead of correcting their mistake, the waitress turned her back on me mid-sentence and walked away.

That’s when I asked for the owner. And that’s when they realized I was Turkish. Suddenly, everything changed.

“If you told us you were Turkish from the start, we would have had your tea ready before your meal.”

Are you hearing this? So, if a foreigner asks for tea, they’re refused, but if you’re Turkish, you get special treatment? That’s not hospitality. That’s disgusting, two-faced favoritism. A restaurant that only respects you if they know your nationality is a disgrace to Turkish culture.

And just when I thought it couldn’t get worse, the entire staff—eight people—surrounded me.

Not to apologize. Not to listen. To INTIMIDATE me.

I was cornered, surrounded, and treated like a problem for simply asking for basic respect. A proper business would have pulled me aside for a private conversation. Instead, they turned it into a public humiliation.

This Restaurant Should Not Exist. Let me make this perfectly clear: This place is an absolute embarrassment to Turkish hospitality. The owners should be ashamed to call themselves Turkish. They should be ashamed to serve our food. They should be ashamed to take people's money when they have zero respect for their customers.

A restaurant like this would not survive a single night in Turkey. It is an insult to the cuisine, an insult to the culture, and an insult to anyone who expects even the most basic level of human respect.

DO. NOT. GO. HERE.

You deserve better than this sham of...

(3.5 stars) Launching in November of last year, Marina Square is an integrated shopping centre in Wentworth Point. More than just a place to do your grocery shopping, at spots like the cool pan-Asian supermarket and bottle shop, Zetciti, it is also a community hub for the high-density living suburb that’s already home to 14,000 people. Along with a children’s playground and medical centre, the centre also includes the MSQ Art Space. Curated by 107 Projects, this gallery space already features the work of local artists, and will also play host to workshops on everything from constructing terrariums to painting. Marina Square Wentworth Point is also a place where – in just 45 specialty shops – you can find a surprising number of different places to eat.

Bosphorus Turkish Street Food sits on the outside edge of the centre facing towards Rhodes. While the street food name and the room-dominating kebab shop counter might give you the impression that this is solely a grab-and-go affair, what comes out on their shareable Three Skewer Mixed Plate ($35.50) should quickly put an end to that misconception. Hunks of tender lamb, charry moist chicken pieces and the hand-shaped adana kebab are all great eating against fluffy rice, sumac dusted onions, cabbage salad, blackened whole tomato and a piece of bread saturated in all the meaty juices that you’ll undoubtedly fight over.

Bosphorus also make an Iskender Kebab ($21.50) using cubes of Turkish bread topped with thin slices of beef kebab meat, tomato and yoghurt, which I found hard to stop eating. You can round out any meal with Stuffed Vine Leaves ($5/each) that are fragrant and flavourful with lemon and sumac. Their Stuffed Cabbage Roll ($5) was almost as good, though the Falafel ($2/each) struck me as a bit dry and crumbly. I suspect they’d eat better teamed with garlic dip and bright lemony tabouli.

Charcoal chicken is sold by the bird, piece or plate. A Half Chicken Meal ($12.50) includes two pieces of barbequed chook, a small mild garlic dip, plentiful pickles, some chicken-salt dusted chips and a can of drink. It's tasty but wants for more charcoal flavour to stand up to Sydney's iconic chook spots who are cooking fowl in a similar fashion. It should see you right for dinner, though a little salad wouldn’t go astray as an add-on.

Dining with a large group and subject to mass preferences, I found the Mix Pide ($18) with chicken, beef, onion, tomato, capsicum, mushroom and cheese a bit hectic for my palate, that’s more aligned with Italian pizza topping minimalism. I reckon I’d like the Sujuk ($18), egg and cheese one better. Bosphorus are also serving up this spicy Turkish sausage pan-fried with eggs and Turkish toast for breakfast, or you can add it on to Menemen ($12) (Turkish scrambled eggs with tomatoes and chilli).

They also make gozleme – I tried Spinach and Cheese ($14). While there's nothing that set it apart from the thousands of others you can eat across this city, it does help round out any corners; in case you're not as greedy as my group, who covered three tables with a veritable feast. Staff are friendly and welcoming, interacting warmly as they delivered our meal and glasses of...

I think this is hands down the BEST Turkish food I have ever had, and honestly one of the best dining experiences overall. From the moment you walk in, you can tell Bosphorus takes pride in what they do. The atmosphere is warm, welcoming, and full of that authentic charm that makes you feel like you’ve stepped right into Turkey itself.

The food is on another level every single dish is bursting with flavor, cooked to absolute perfection, and clearly made with high-quality ingredients and a lot of care. The meats are tender, juicy, and seasoned so well that you can taste the layers of spices in every bite. The bread is fresh and soft, the dips are creamy and rich, and the sides balance the main dishes beautifully. You can tell the chefs here truly know what they’re doing.

What impressed me even more is the consistency. A lot of places might get one or two things right, but at Bosphorus everything from appetizers to mains to dessert was outstanding. It’s the kind of meal where you don’t just eat, you savor every bite, and you find yourself already planning your next visit before you even finish.

On top of that, the service is excellent. The staff are so friendly and attentive, and they make you feel right at home. They’re knowledgeable about the menu and more than happy to recommend dishes if you’re not sure what to try. It really adds to the experience and makes the whole evening feel special.

I would 100% recommend Bosphorus to anyone, whether you’re a huge fan of Turkish cuisine or trying it for the very first time. This is the kind of place you’ll want to bring friends, family, or anyone you want to impress with an incredible meal. It’s rare to find a restaurant that delivers so much flavor, quality, and hospitality all in one, but Bosphorus nails it. Absolutely unforgettable I’ll definitely be back...