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 soul-mate and partner, Aylin. Located next door to Malay-Indonesian specialists Mamak in Wasl Square, the restaurant interior is 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.
Interior 
Doner spits 
Enclosed outback
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).
Mezza platter 
Oven fresh flatbread 
Mixed grill
Service was friendly, fast and accommodating earning this casual dining Turkish gem a hearty recommendation from me. Note, this restaurant is still open. In light of the currently restrictions discouraging us from visiting the restaurant, order from them instead. Small, privately owned venues like this will die if we don’t keep supporting them.
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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 xerxes@dellara.com.