Turknaz Restaurant review: best Turkish food in Whitley Bay

By Ania Askwith

• Instagram

---

Your friends might love this too – share it!

• Facebook
• X
• Threads

Turknaz Restaurant, 57 North Parade, Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, NE26 1NX

---

Best for: Turkish food, seaside dining, Whitley Bay restaurants, Turkish cuisine

About Turknaz

Turknaz Restaurant serves authentic Turkish food, right by the seafront. The menu is huge and packed with delicious cold and hot mezze, and their signature charcoal grilled barbecue dishes—all made by Turkish chefs who know their stuff. It is a great spot for any occasion –  a big feast or just picking at some mezze with a cocktail.

It really is a charming spot.

The mezze starters

The menu is extensive, but we were drawn to the things we really love about Turkish cuisine – the mezze plates!

We opted for a mix of hot and cold dishes:

• Humus. A classic middle eastern blend of chickpeas, tahini, hint of garlic and drizzled with olive oil. It was beautiful, with chunks of chickpeas and a lovely hint of garlic.

• Kisir. Crushed walnuts, bulgur wheat, finely chopped celery, tomato, red bell peppers, onion, coriander, lemon juice and parsley dressed in virgin olive oil. It was one of my highlights – super flavoursome and a lovely texture too.

• Muska Boregi. Freshly fried pastry filled with feta cheese and parsley. It is always one of our go tos and it was STUNNING. I could easily have eaten 2 portions of this dish, delicious.

• Avci Boregi. Deep fried filo pastry, filled with mince, onions, cheese and parsley. The smell alone would entice you to order it again. Super rich in flavour too.

• Pancar Salatasi. Turkish beet salad with yogurt. We have developed quite a taste for this dish recently; it is smooth, with a lovely sweetness and earthy taste.

• Freshly baked bread buns. If you like Turkish cuisine, you’ll surely appreciate that bread is such a huge part of it. We love freshly baked Turkish bread in any variety and those little buns were delightful!

Our choice of mains

Even though we had such a feast with all the mezze plates, we couldn’t say no to the mains. After all, we heard all about their charr grill reputation!

We went for:

• Turknaz Special Mixed Grill. Selection of marinated lamb, chicken shish, adana, ribs and a lamb cutlet char-grilled. It was absolutely huge and sizzling hot when it arrived at our table. There was a lovely balance of all the meats, with some lovely sides. I don’t think anybody would need any convincing to order this dish. A signature Turknaz plate which speaks for itself. A must try for sure!

• King Prawn Kebab. Marinated jumbo king prawns chargrilled on skewers. It was obviously my choice – I am very predictable! I particularly enjoyed the lovely rice that came with it which was smooth and super velvety. The char really made the dish taste like we could be in Turkey; subtle but unmistakenly rich and deep in those charred flavours. And since I am a salad super fan (I eat salad for at least one meal a day), I loved the freshness of the salad that came with my prawns.

Desserts at Turknaz

We hadn’t initially planned on dessert, but we couldn’t resist when we saw the options! It was a lovely surprise, and we decided to share two sweet treats.

• The banoffee pie was rich, creamy, and had a perfect banana to caramel ratio; I am not into caramel or toffee things but this was gorgeous. Not too sweet, just perfect. And the top was super creamy but light and fluffy at the same time. Both the taste and the texture of this dessert was simply stunning.

• We also had baklava with ice cream, which was beautifully flaky, sweet, and nutty – the ice cream made it even more indulgent. Moreish and absolutely delicious! I would definitely order both of those again.

Why we enjoyed our visit

• What we like about this place is not just the food, but the overall experience.

• The beautiful views of the ocean really make your meal feel special – the location really couldn’t be any better! We went later in the day so it was getting dark as we arrived, but I can imagine the setting would be even more special on a sunny day or a light summery night!

• And the staff are attentive and friendly, which always helps!

Awards

Turknaz has been recognized for its excellence in the culinary world, winning several awards, including:

• Best Value Restaurant 2020
• Best Romantic Restaurant 2020 (Restaurant Guru)
• Best Service 2019 (Restaurant Guru)
• Best Kebab Restaurant (Regional) in 2019 and 2018

Location

Turknaz Restaurant is located at 57 North Parade, Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, NE26 1NX, right on the seafront, offering beautiful views of the sea.

The nearest metro station is Whitley Bay Metro Station, just around 10 minutes’ walk. There is also parking available nearby, just to the side to the building

Tips for Visiting

• Book in advance: Turknaz can get busy, especially during weekends, so it’s a good idea to book a table. We went on a Tuesday night and it was quiet when we arrived, but the place filled up quickly.

• Try the Mezze: A great way to sample a variety of Turkish flavours, from hot to cold options. I think the mezze was actually my highlight of the night – I just love small plates that you can eat tapas style, share and pick at.

• Enjoy the seaviews: Try to secure a table with a view to fully enjoy the picturesque seafront during your meal. We opted for the booth by the window.

If you love discovering things to do, places to go, and the best spots to eat and drink in the North East and beyond, be sure to follow my blog for more reviews, recommendations, travel tips, and hidden gems. And for a closer look at my day-to-day experiences, follow me on Instagram @ania.askwith for behind-the-scenes content and even more discoveries! Let’s explore together!

---