Bosphorus Cafe

Wonderful food! Prompt and funny service! Pretty clean! GREAT dessert! I have never eaten Mediterranean food so this was a gamble but I loved it! We got the Sampler Appetizer and I ordered the Lamb Mediterranean. Will be back! Great decorations, music, and atmosphere. Inside and outside dining.

I’m from Philadelphia, but I’ve eaten at this gem of a restaurant on a couple of different occasions whilst visiting a friend in Indianapolis. This is probably some of the best food I’ve eaten ever. The décor is so comfy — it feels like you’re in a home rather than a restaurant. The owner, Orhan Demirtas, is the sweetest! He did everything to make my dinner there special and always found time to chat and check in on us.
My favorite is the chicken-​and-​mushroom — I ordered that along with a salad and Turkish wine. The flatbread comes out immediately and is always hot and delicious. You absolutely must end your meal with Turkish coffee and baklava! Orhan even gave us a Turkish delight as we were leaving — aww!!!
Great job, Bosphorus Café! I’ll be back the next time I’m in Indy!

Excellent food with very good service. The location is convenient to downtown. The ambiance was excellent. If you want great Turkish food then this is the place.

My wife and I really enjoy dining at Bosphorus Café. For a number of years, Orhan Demirtas has been bringing authentic Turkish food to Indianapolis. We definitely have favorite items that we like to order.
For me, the Shrimp Mediterranean is my go to dish (Sauteed with tomato sauce, green peppers, tomatoes, onions, and potatoes). I love the flavor combinations and the sides of a small salad and rice are perfect. The rice helps to soak up every last bit of flavor on the plate.
For my wife, she loves to order the Shepherd Salad (Tomatoes, parsley, cucumbers, and onions tossed with olive oil). These aren’t your typical lettuce based salads… these are collections of vegetables that are as colorful as they are flavorful. (Our friend likes to get the Navy Bean Salad and highly recommends it as well.)
Fortunately for us, most of the popular items stay on the menu instead of disappearing.
We also love the decoration of Turkish culture… take time to notice the decorative painting and wall art.
On the negative, the building itself needs some work. The floor sags and could benefit from some floor jacks. This causes some of the tables to not be quite level. The main floor is also elevated from the street, so access might be restrictive for those wheelchair bound.
Occasionally, I have had the wrong shrimp dinner brought out. I understand that some of the dishes are very similar in appearance, but feel the staff should be able to keep them straight. However, there wasn’t a long delay in replacing the dish.
If you are new to Mediterranean food, this is a great place to start. We really enjoy bringing friends here and seeing them become fans of the restaurant too.

Simply amazing the best of the Mediterranean area restaurant I’ve EVER tried and I love Mediterranean food. The tabouli is rarely as good or a rival to a hummus or babganoush, but here all 3 are a triple threat. The waiters are VERY kind and helpful, you can tell they aren’t American. Honestly best restaurant I’ve been too in a very long time and because of work/​travel i almost always eat out.

Amazing food! Must try. Kwan I town for couple days and googled somehwere to eat and this was one of the best places. Great ambience great good great people

I tried Bosphorus Café for the first time about two weeks ago and since then I’ve already came back three times. The waiters are so friendly and personable, the food is cheap but good quality and generous in proportions. To be honest, I’ve never had any other Turkish cuisine so I can’t compare it to another place, but it seemed authentic to me. I love the tabouli, adan kabob, and chicken kabob the most. If you’re into hookah they also have that!

This place is super cute and cozy, like you’re dining in someone’s house. The owner (I presume) greeted me when I walked in and was super friendly. They have a great lunch special: an app and lunch-​sized entrée for $ 8.75 and there’s a good amount of options. I had the stuffed grape leaves (dolma) which were super flavorful with the perfect amount of seasoning. For my main I had chicken adana, it was kind of a chicken sausage cooked on a skewer. Very juicy and flavorful. The sides left something to be desired (veggies, salad and rice). My friend had a dish that was similar to gyro meat and it was phenomenal. Turkish coffee is great too! Will definitely be back.

Haven’t eaten here in a couple of yrs, stopped by the other day and it’s still as good as ever. Lunch is 8.99 for an entrée and appetizer, nothing caught my eye so I opted for the Bosphorous special, a meatapalloza of gyro, chicken and beef kabobs along with some other bits of meat delicousness. A side salad, along with jasmine rice rounded out the dish. Wife got the lamb and lentil soup, I liked the lamb, soup was not as thick as I prefer it.
I plan to put this place back into my rotation. Always delicious, Bosphorus get’s major props for being as consistent as they have been.

Highly recommended appetizers:
Wonderful hummus with grilled pita strips.
Borek (feta cheese in a flaky pastry that even satisfied the 3 and 5 year olds asking for cheese quesadillas!)
Highly recommended dinners:
Turkish Delight, a beautifully seasoned dish of grilled carrots, Portobello mushrooms and other veggies ringed by hummus with a few pine nuts and raisins.
Doner, tender sliced lamb /​beef (gyros)
All served with hugs from owner Orhan if you become even a little bit of a regular.
We never have room for dessert and we almost always take food home.
We’ve been eating at the Bosphorus for ten years now and find the food has remained consistent and delicious.

Best Turkish food I’ve ever had! Was traveling through Indy and wanted to try something unique. The dishes were all expertly prepared and flawless. Can’t get a better meal for the money. Our server (who might have been an owner?) was extremely pleasant and helped guide my girlfriend and mother through the menu offering suggestions. The interior is very well decorated too! Look up at the ceiling!
Also, get the baklava. My girlfriend loves baklava and I tried it too, some of the best I’ve ever had.
We ordered three dishes to share family style between the three of us, and the portions were extremely generous… that being said the plates were very clean and our bellies very full on the way out. No leftovers from this place!

Absolutely love this place! It’s a very small restaraunt (used to be a residence), so I suggest calling ahead and making reservations. Owner and staff are very friendly and helpful with the menu. Even though it’s a small place, you can still carry on a private conservation. They have coupons online ($ 5/​$ 40 and $ 10/​$ 50).
We ordered the zuchinni pancakes which came with a cucumber dipping sauce, chicken kebabs which came with veggies, salad and rice, the Mediterranean chicken which came with a salad and rice, and baklava. Our meals were fantastic! The kebabs were just chicken with seasoning and the Mediterranean chicken was mixed with sauce and veggies. The only negative was with the dessert. It was two bite sized pieces of baklava with whipped cream. The baklava was very buttery.
We went at 6:30p on a Friday with reservations and were sat immediately, however the place filled up fast. We had no problem finding parking. There is free street parking in front and a small lot behind.
They also have take out. I believe you can even order it online.

Holy moly this place knocked me out. I had looked at the menu and figured oh it looks Greek hard to mess up. Boy was I in for a treat! It is similar to Greek but with and entirely different spice pallet and it was delicious. We started with the appetizer combo. We loved them all the pepper mix and salsa being my faves and my BF loved the smokiness of the baba ghanoush. I had the beef hummus as my entrée and absolutely loved it. The raisin garnish added a little sweetness and I loved all of the veggies especially the green beans. My BF had the Adana and the description in the menu doesn’t do it justice! When I read meat patty I was thinking burger um no lol unless you are used to 8″ long thick juicy burgers! I am posting a pic. Plus it came with salad, rice and grilled veggies. I will be taking all of my friends here and buying many more
coupons for this place for real!

This will always be a secret love of mine ever since the Indiana Peace Corps Association introduced me to it. They used to have awesome monthly dinners at different international restaurants around the city.
I love the eggplant, the appetizers, the lamb is almost always cooked perfectly, and my favorite is to follow up with their baklava and Turkish coffee. I love the Turkish coffee, it’s sweet, strong, and the grains are still in it. The décor is very Turkish and intimate. They do have outdoor seating in the summer.
My favorite waiter is this guy who used to be a general in the Turkish army before he immigrated to the states. He is very friendly and always has amazing stories to share. There is some parking in the back and along the streets. If you’re planning to go on a Friday or Saturday make reservations because it gets crowded quickly.

A cozy, delicious establishment. The owner is a charming host. The décor is beautiful. The appetizer sampler is very tasty and was my favorite dish. The entrée sampler is good. The Turkish tea is very refreshing — not bitter like many other hot teas!

Amazing experience! We had the appetizer combo, falafel and the adana kebob. Everything was delicious! The service was incredible and the atmosphere was very inviting. Don’t forget about dessert! The baklava pairs with the Turkish coffee quite well.

Holy cow this place is amazing, truly a gem! The décor is beautiful, the food is delicious and the service was attentive. We came in from out of town, checked out Unilocal for a dinner place and were utterly amazed to find this gem. (Thanks Unilocalers!)

My husband and I went to this restaurant twice. The second time, we took his parents when they were in town. They serve great food every time. I’m giving them 4 stars because their pita’s not that great. but other than that, you can’t go wrong with any of their menu items.

Beautiful interior; delicious food. We tried this for lunch on a weekend and were surprised that the luncheon menu is offered on weekdays only. However, we shared the appetizer plate (for 2) and lentil soup and our lunch cost less than Panera. Everything was fresh, service was courteous, easy parking — — and the Ezme (spicy roasted red pepper) appetizer, by itself, warrants a return visit.

Absolutely the best Mediterranean food in Indianapolis. The authenticity of the food is right on the money. I’ve been lucky to visit Istanbul so I’ve had the food straight from the source to compare. The meals are incredible and the service is always great every visit. I feel like I’ve met an amazing group of people by coming to this restaurant often over the years.

It’s a really nice place! The restaurant from inside is beautiful! You can get the sense of being in a restaurant in Turkey with all of the traditional decorations. The food quality is good but kinda pricey! I recommend their chicken kebabs, so good! Their combo appetizer is great! The only thing I didn’t like is the bread, it doesn’t seem to be freshly baked!

Best Turkish cuisine in Indy. Do try thier appetizer combo with baba ghanoush, hummus etc. In main course Adana chicken kabab is my favorite. At the end keep some place left in your stomach for thier delicious Baklava. It will melt in your mouth. Yummm I can feel the taste :)

Came in for lunch. They have a great lunch menu comes with appetizer and entrée. I got the babaganoush and beef entrée. Awesome pita too. Babaganoush was huge and beef entrée was delicious.

I don’t think I can say enough good things about the quality of this food and service. I normally wouldn’t find myself seeking Turkish food for lunch, but once I realized that meant hummus and gyros I was sold.
The owner (pretty sure he was the owner) was so kind and honestly interested in my visit to the restaurant. He was so pleasant and checked in with me (I was dining solo) a few times– and not in an annoying way, not at ALL!
I can honestly say I’ve never had better lamb. Skip the traditional gyro sandwich — get the Donor! That’s the lamb plain, with a little rice and salad. IT’S AMAZING AND SO FLAVORFUL! You don’t need gobs of tazeki (sp?)!

Excellent service! The owner is friendly and visits all the tables.
I came here with my family. We had the tzatziki sauce and lentil soup for appetizers (delicious!). For the main meal, we had the beef kebab, shish kebab, and the doner wrap. Amazing all around and we will definitely be returning!

This place had delicious flavors exploding at every level.
You have got to visit this place while in Indy. Make sure to get the sampler appetizer that gives you glorious tastes of baba ghanoush, hummus, and other small bite delicacies.
Entrees and main dishes were around $ 12 or so and they give you a generous portion. I ordered the vegetarian dish, Turkish Delight, and was pleasantly surprised with well prepared sautéed vegetables in a delicious sauce surrounded by delicate but flavorful hummus on the perimeter of the place.
My dining companions were raving about their dishes as well. Go to this small little local place and you’ll be quite pleased!

We have been to Bosphorus Café on more than one occasion and would whole heartedly recommend this Mediterranean epicurean experience.
Most recently our party of 7.5 enjoyed an evening reuniting three generations of old neighborhood families. This early Monday evening the room pretty much belonged to us. If you were mysteriously transported to the Bosphorous’ eclectic space, best described as cozy, you would never know you were in the near southeast side of Indianapolis, IN
This evening our group sampled the Appetizer Combo for 4 (that easily served our 7.5) which includes Hummus, Tabuli, Babaganush, Salsa, Dalma and Ezme and an additional app of a Falafel plate. As another reviewer already stated, if only licking plates in public was acceptable!
The evenings delicious main dishes included:
Doner (Gyro) — Homemade marinated lamb and beef grilled on a vertical spit.
Iskander — Slices of doner on grilled bread cubes. Covered with tomato sauce and served with yogurt on the side.
Beyti Kebab –Seasoned ground lamb and beef patties mixed with parsley, onions and grilled on flat skewers rolled with lavash bread. Served with tomato sauce.
Beef Mediterranean — Beef sauteed with tomato sauce, green and red bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic and onions.
Suffice to say dinner portions are easily large enough to share and that is exactly how the evening proceeded. With two bottles of Turkish red wine at the table and the above mentioned savory offerings, the tab for the evening of fine dining and service was just this side of two crispy new Ben Franklins including tip.
Afiyet olsun!

I’m normally not a big fan of Mediterranean food, but I really enjoyed lunch here. Our party of four ordered two types of kebab, lamb chops, and the lamb Mediterranean. Everyone was satisfied with their entrée. Each one comes with rice, salad, and assorted grilled vegetables, and everything was quite tasty. We also shared some hummus which was also very good.
The only complaint I have is that parking is confusing. There are a couple of places in the back but otherwise you’ll probably have to park on the street. The nearby parking lot is for the Nourish restaurant next door. Otherwise, everything was great and I highly recommend Bosphorus Café.

Wow! The Bosphorus is my absolute favorite Turkish restaurant ever! The dining area is beautiful with what seems to be authentic handmade rugs and a really cool intricate design on the ceiling. The food is Ah-​Mazing! From the oh-​so-​crispy falafel to the shawarma! You just can’t go wrong with this place. Great service, superior food, and really decent prices. (Check
or Groupon for extra savings) Although, I have no idea why this restaurant would need to be on those sites because business should be booming as awesome as their food is!

THE BEST!!! Driving on the road for 10 hours with my wife and four kids is wonderful but exhausting. We needed to stop for dinner and we found this place thanks to
, and we were in awe of the quality of this restaurant.
It is a beautiful place with colorful walls and dark hardwood floors with intricately ‘painted-​on’ rugs. It’s beautiful to walk inside, and we were quickly greeted by the staff, seated and attended to with smiles.
The menu is perfect. Not too long, but plenty of variety. We started with the calamari (crispy, well-​seasoned rings of delight), the zucchini pancakes, and falafel. With it came bountiful baskets of warm, soft, delicious pita bread. The presentation and texture were pleasing to everyone including my four-​year-​old. Lentil soup was very mild and well-​puréed with subtle flavors and colors — clearly fresh and homemade — the favorite of my daughter and littlest boy. This was followed by a beautiful beef kebab, medium rare as requested, where the quality of the beef and seasonings was far beyond what I have ever seen in a kebab — my FAVE. Chicken kebab, nicely seasoned and not too dry. Finally doner Kebab — Gyro-​licious!
We were all full, but we had to try the baklava. It did not disappoint. Served warm with what appears to be fresh whipped cream, these little squares of heaven were immediately devoured. He surprised us with a free additional order of when he noticed the kids were eating it up; and he threw in a giant plate of whipped cream for my littlest one who had smiles from ear to ear the whole night. Everyone asked to come back here on our way back to Maryland.
I meant to take more pictures, but we all ate it so fast, there was no time to capture the beautiful presentation.

I could fill up this entire screen with sentences and paragraphs attempting to do justice to the perfection that is Bosphorus Café, and would fail spectacularly. Instead let me supply a sampling of my thoughts and observations during our recent visit:
«If heaven were a condiment, it would be this babaganush.»
«I could quite happily subsist entirely on this eggplant salsa and nothing else. Ever.»
«How can a stuffed grape leaf make my soul so happy?»
«Kidnapping the chef wouldn’t be a crime if I provide room and board… right?»
Truly one of my top 5 culinary experiences since moving to Indy. I have nothing but praise.

Summary:
Taste: ³⁄₅
Price: ⁵⁄₅
Service: ³⁄₅
Décor: ⁵⁄₅
For comparison I am comparing this against the Istanbul café on 86^th street.
Lunch for 8.75 includes an entrée and an appetizer. Not bad! I ordered a dolma and sheekh kabab. The dolma was mediocre and so was the sheekh kabab. The sheekh kabab while flavorful wasn’t tender. Also sheekh kabab should usually be done on a skewer. This one seemed to have been baked on a tray. The rice was expectedly tasty but the veggies were overdone and soggy. I also ordered tea which I strongly recommend you should give a pass to. Instead try their Aryan (a buttermilk concoction also known as chaas in India).
The décor is very well done and everything seemed to fit perfectly. There’s service while good wouldn’t stand out.
Keeping in mind the price point i’d return again for lunch but not for dinner.

The first thing I noticed is that this restaurant made me feel as if I was in a lovely, welcoming Turkish home, not in an Indy restaurant. The ambience is quaint and intimate, perfect for a date outing or contemplative meal by oneself. The food was very tasty and the prices are very reasonable.
I will be eating here regularly, especially for the $ 8.72 amazing lunch special, which includes an appetizer of your choice and entrée of your choice! I give it 5 stars easily.

Glorious spot in Indy’s Holy Rosary neighborhood.
I’ve gone twice and had incredible service each time. The lunch special is $ 8.75 and comes with your choice of one entrée and one appetizer. Since our table planned to order the lunch special, the server suggested a sample of the appetizers for us to try family-​style. We loved it!
For the entrée, the chicken mediterranean was the table favorite.
The owner has a ton of personality — be prepared to be drilled on Turkish/​American trivia. If you answer correctly, he might just bring by an on-​the-​house order of baklava.