Dunya Lokanta — Restaurant in Rotterdam

We had a dinner for two at Dunya recently and had a lovely experience. I ordered the grilled chicken skewers, which were served with rice, salad, and roasted vegetables on the side. The meat was well-seasoned, not juicy but tender. It wasn't dried out at all. The rice was one of the best Turkish rice I've had in the Netherlands, almost rivaling my mother's! I asked for some bread to wipe the plate, and they brought a huge yufka. Only then we noticed the lady at the back who hand rolls each yufka, so the bread as fresh as it gets! It was flaky and soft, filled with the smell of fresh butter. Not to mention it was on the house. To finish off our meal, we drank Turkish tea. Although it was the end of the day, the tea was still fresh and fragrant, it wasn't bitter at all.

We were pleasantly surprised by the service! When I wanted to pack and take the leftovers with me, they brought us extra meze on the house! And that's on top of the generous portions. They have a cozy atmosphere, and unique decorations will take you to a journal across Anatolia to Mesopotamia. Overall, we had a delightful time at Dunya, we'll definitely go back for a raki and meze night, and of course, save some room for the...

Good food but bad service. We were 4 people and we ordered 4 baklavas as dessert (one per person). We were quite full so we asked the waitress about the size of the baklavas just in case and she told us they were small, just a couple bites. The waitress comes with 4 plates of 3 baklavas, ice cream and whipped cream each. We told the waitress we just asked for 4 baklavas instead. She was doubtful, she even asked the table next to us if they wanted them. They said no. Given the awkward situation, we gave in and kept them. We just ate 4 and took the rest (8) for take away. They charged us for all of them. Given the misunderstanding, it would've been a kind gesture to take back at least 1 of the plates and I wouldn't be here...

If you are keen for authentic Kurdish food, this is the right spot! Not only the atmosphere is comfortable and makes you feel like you're in a Kurdish village, the food is amazing too!

I totally recommend getting the fresh homemade-style Kurdish bread with the mezes, especially Girit ezme & Dep Borani. Do not hesitate - give it a try!! What I also really liked was the Dunya mix grill, particularly the chicken shish kebab. If you are not into meat, they have many vegetarian options as well.

Food & Service 5/5

Greetings...