Istanbul Mediterranean Cuisine & Bar
Tucson’s Best Authentic Turkish & Mediterranean food, featuring a full menu of appetizers, soups, salads, pita sandwiches, wraps, kebabs, seafood, vegetarian plates, and desserts.
About Istanbul Mediterranean Cuisine & Bar
Istanbul Mediterranean Cuisine & Bar is a Tucson restaurant founded by chef-owner Kamran Esar and his family. The restaurant serves Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine, bringing family recipes, fresh ingredients, and a connection to the Esar family's heritage to diners in Tucson. Its menu is designed to include a broad range of preferences, from vegetarians to meat lovers, while the restaurant's dining room offers tables, booths, and a bar for individuals, families, and groups of friends.
The menu covers a wide selection of Mediterranean and Turkish dishes. Guests can find appetizers, Mediterranean soups, fresh salads, pita sandwiches, grilled wraps, kebab plates, seafood, vegetarian plates, and desserts. The restaurant also lists burgers among its offerings, along with specialties such as lamb shank, manti, lamb chops, and okra. House-made desserts include baklava and jalebi. For beverages, Istanbul serves Turkish coffee, hot tea, iced drinks, and a full bar with beer, wine, and mixed drinks.
Kebabs and doner are central to the restaurant's Turkish cooking. Istanbul says it uses virgin olive oil and halal meats, and that most of its food is made in-house from scratch with fresh ingredients. Chicken doner is seasoned with spices, cooked on a vertically rotating spit, and thinly sliced before serving. The restaurant also features lamb and beef doner, marinated with lemon pepper and garlic and served with tzatziki sauce. Other chef-recommended dishes include Qabili Palaw, a Turkmen rice dish prepared with raisins and carrots and served with a choice of kebab, green beans, and salad. These offerings reflect recipes and flavors influenced by Turkey, Afghanistan, and Persia.
The restaurant's story is closely tied to the Esar family. Kamran Esar writes that opening a restaurant had long been a dream, and that his father, a butcher with 45 years of experience, has been his biggest supporter. That experience also informs the restaurant's kitchen and its focus on meat preparation. The Esar family moved to Tucson six years before the website's history page was written and has shared its love of Mediterranean food in the city since then. Kamran and his family work together at Istanbul, preparing Turkish dishes they describe as fresh and authentic while sharing food connected to their heritage.
Istanbul presents itself as a family-friendly restaurant suited to different kinds of visits, including a quick lunch, a family dinner, a work gathering, or an evening with cocktails and appetizers. Its remodeled dining room, bar, and welcoming service are part of the experience, with staff members aiming to treat customers like family. Located on East Speedway Boulevard in Tucson, Istanbul Mediterranean Cuisine & Bar gives southern Arizona diners a place to explore Turkish and Mediterranean flavors through a varied menu, traditional beverages, house-made desserts, and dishes prepared by the Esar family. Reviewing the restaurant's food menus and beer, wine, and cocktails menu is the starting point for planning a visit.