We eat at Bristol’s new fine dining Turkish restaurant and we’ll never go back to a kebab shop again

BristolWorld revealed plans to open this Turkish restaurant in March, and it opened its doors a month later.

Owner Mehmet Tunc told us he wanted to "provide proper food" different from what people know from Turkish kebab shops - and Cappadocia certainly does that.

The menu offers an extensive selection of authentic Turkish dishes, going beyond the typical kebabs.

The restaurant, which has a sister site in Bath, is named after Cappadocia - a region in Turkey known for its hot air balloon rides, providing a fitting link to Bristol.

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We visited on a quiet midweek early afternoon and were seated in one of the comfortable two-seater booths.

The dark restaurant is brought to life with a load of lights hanging from the ceiling among the bright walls and flowers.

There is plenty of choice on the large menu, including seafood dishes, pide (Turkish pizza), as well as chicken, lamb and yoghurt-based specialties. 

Feeling a bit overwhelmed with what to choose, I went for the 'Cappa four course' - which has “a little bit of everything”.

For £33 for one person or £61 for two, it included two sharing starters of a mixed cold and hot meze, plus any main course and baklava for dessert.

To drink, I had a Diet Coke (£2.50; bottled), but the restaurant is also known for its cocktails, serving classics and signature cocktails such as the Turkish Tinto, from £8.

Our mixed cold meze came out first, with some delicious bread to enjoy with the dips. Before I knew it, the mixed hot meze arrived, and it was just as flavourful as the first meze.

For the main, I ordered chicken köfte and rice, where the chicken breast was infused with garlic, parsley and peppers, and the house spice mix gave the dish an exciting kick.

Feeling quite full, I was relieved that the baklava for dessert was four small sharing pieces and it was super sweet but super delicious.

As a final treat, a Turkish delight containing a nut came out as I paid the bill - a nice way to end the visit. 

After eating at Cappadocia, I can vouch that it is "proper food" - it is like a Turkish fine dining experience right in the middle of Bristol.

And it's such a stunning venue, with plenty of photo opportunities, that it certainly feels like a special place to eat.

Cappadocia, 30-34 Baldwin Street, Bristol, BS1 1NR