Divan Turkish Restaurant — Restaurant in Dubai

This is a pre-Corona restaurant visit: Madeenat Hatay is an authentic Turkish restaurant on Al Hadiqa road opposite Safa Park. It was recommended to me by my son's beautiful Turkish soulmate and partner, Aylin. Located next door to Malay-Indonesian specialists Mamak in Wasl Square, its interior is a typical Turkish bistro. Enter and you are greeted with an open kitchen complete with mangal and doner spits on one side and a mezza display and fresh fruit juice section on the other. If you’ve been to Turkey, you’ve seen this type of restaurant a hundred times. There’s even a small enclosed outdoor section around the back. I was smitten from the minute I set foot inside.

My sister, Pari, and I started with the excellent mixed mezza platter (know as the appetizer platter) which included my favourite Ezme Salad – yum. It was served with fresh flatbread straight from the oven…making our low carb diet even more difficult to stick to. We moved on to a mixed grill which was excellent, especially the chicken. That said, their much-hyped lamb chops weren’t anywhere close to Al Damyati & Iskandaron in Karama. But all in all, the food at Madeenat Hatay was really good. I can’t wait to try their doner and manti (which they didn’t have on the day we visited).

Service was friendly, fast and accommodating earning this casual dining Turkish gem a hearty recommendation from me.

#1 Blogger on Zomato Dubai in 2018 and 2019 and beyond… Xerxes physically dines at, or orders from, each and every venue he reviews. He pays in full for whatever he and his companions eat, drink, take away or occasionally throw at each other. Xerxes accepts no money, gifts, discounts or free meals in return for reviews or favouritism. What you have read was NOT influenced in any way by the venue. Join me on Instagram @ravenousxerxes or email me on...

Update- Management have changed. Unsure about current status.

With no doubt, best Turkish food in Dubai and most probably in the UAE. It is that good that it can easily compete with best restaurants in Turkey.

Beyran soup is no different than you can have it in it’s original region. Lahmacun was absolutely delicious with parsley and super tasty and fresh tomato on the side.

For mains I tried Adana kebab, lamp tikka and Iskender kebab which were indeed mouthwatering!

And finally as a desert you should try Umut Chef’s katmer.

On my upcoming visits will try to try different options as much as I can from the varities.

Chef Umut himself and all the staff are very attentive and caring about your feedback.

Will try to visit every single week as this place make me...

Very small inside but more seating outside next to the busy road.Our waiter was carrying but hardly spoke any English.Lucky the menu has photos so you know what are you ordering.Bread and dips came, and they were yum,but then there was huge wait for the first main.When that arrived there was huge wait again for the second so we hardly eat much from the second main.Tasty but no Turkish tasty.Chicken was over grilled to a dry point and covered with tomato like salsa from a can.The eggplant underneath was no event sadly as I love eggplant.Tasteless.Rice was nice n tasty,bread was yum,pita bread was no event.Big servings of main full plates for a cheap price.No excuses for having baklava on the menu in Turkish Restaurant but not on...