I should have heeded my instincts and went somewhere else when I saw the three stars for Ahmets. I didn't and I got exactly what was expected, three star quality. We ordered a variety of dishes: manti lamb dumplings 9/10-these were little parcels of deliciousness, the sauces complimented them perfectly. Sigara borek 9/10-the right level of crispy and melted cheesy goodness. Garlic prawns 9/10- excellent flavor with a sauce you just have to keep dipping your bread in. Mini lahmajun 4/10- flat and lacking in flavor. Roasted eggplant 3/10. There are so many delicious ways to prepare eggplant and this was just bland and uninspiring. Beet dip1/10-just awful, and I love beets. The bill was quite steep and frankly, not worth it. Service was fine, and the outdoor seating area was nice, like the rest of the establishments on Little Stanley Street. It had some decent aspects, but I'd eat somewhere else. I'm still baffled as to why it was so busy, I didn't think it was worth it at all. read more

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Work End of Year/Christmas Lunch We had our work Christmas function here in the attractive Turkish themed restaurant. The food was banquet style - it was beautifully presented and tasty and everyone seemed to enjoy it! The drinks were lovely too!! read more

Fantastic Turkish food situated on the Riverwalk of Brisbane, Australia. My server recommended most things and she was correct! read more

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This place is a fav for Southbank. The place has atmosphere - it's bright, colourful and usually load. Space is comfortable - I prefer regular chairs and table but benches are an option. Service is fast and prompt. Menu is mouthwatering - it's all delicious but I do for the dishes with pilaff/rice. The Mains are a decent size and the tastes are great - you don't loose out with quantity. Coffee is good and deserts are what you would expect for a Turkish Restaurant - Baclava is a favourite. All round sound choice for restaurant at Southbank. read more

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As a native Turk and a frequent visitor, Ahmets did not deliver what we have had hoped to have. As there are no menus at the table we had to refer to the incomplete menu at the entrance. What was described as a lamb pide main dish was in reality lamacun, which is normally served as an appetiser. My Lamb Iskender was served cold,soggy and was far short of what I had been anticipating and left me disappointed. We skipped desert rather than be further disappointed. The final insult was to have gst added to the bill rather than built into the individual dish prices. We will be not be returning to Ahmets for our next Turkish dining experience. read more

I have eaten here a few times and the food quality fluctuates quite a bit. Most recent was lunch on a Friday. The Turkish lamb kebab was delicious, the meat was juicy and tender. The mini lamb dumplings were VERY small, not what I had imagined at all. It felt as though there was a single grain of minced lamb inside the pastry, I couldn't taste the lamb at all (the sauce was very, very tangy to the point of being inedible). The chicken skewers and the chicken pide were delicious (the pide was bigger than we expected). Loved the apple tea frappe. No complaints about the service. read more

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It's rare that I have a meal where "ooos" and "aahhs" follow each bite of every member of the table. But that's exactly what happened for the first part of our meal. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/7o5aNw9zlCGVD6u0LYpKlw?select=KHRMPvozdXkCOqltcD8xOg#KHRMPvozdXkCOqltcD8xOg It looks simple enough; some bread and some dipping sauces, yet each one of those dips was in a league of its own. From the hummus to the baba ganoush to the pembe sultan (beet dip), all were fantastic. I could have and should have just eaten that for dinner and called it a night. But we pressed on and split some grilled chicken, falafel, lamb chops, and my lamb pizza type thing. Of the previous, only the lamb chops stood out. My "pizza" was okay, but nothing to write home about. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/7o5aNw9zlCGVD6u0LYpKlw?select=1QtUM94fTK_9M3AE6XOjPg#1QtUM94fTK_9M3AE6XOjPg Overall it was a very good dinner, due in large part to the simple bread and dips. I'd go back. read more

Ahmets - bread and 6 dips - Turkish Near Me - South Brisbane, QLD

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The reason most people visit Ahmet's is due to the atmosphere (belly dancers, large cushions [A.K.A. seats] and bright Middle Eastern decorations) and the fact that it perfectly suits large groups. And the plus side of dining with a group of friends is that more attention is paid to the plethora of conversations going on, rather than on the flavour of the food. The menu is vast, and covers all of the Turkish favourites (Turkish bread and dips, falafel, variety of pide, grilled lamb skewers and mousakka). The serving sizes are generous, and great for sharing, though things can get a little pricey. Probably your best option if your with a group is to opt for a banquet (around the $42 mark [oh, and that's per person]). Just the real problem is the flavour - there just isn't enough of it. The kicker for Turkish (or all ex-Ottoman/Middle Eastern cuisines) is the depth of flavour which is enhanced through the mix of spices. This just isn't the case at Ahmet's. The lamb Guvec (effectively lamb stew) is beautifully presented in a clay pot, but is just lacking in seasoning. Overall it's a fun experience when you're with a group of friends, but I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking to impress someone. read more

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I'd often walked past this place and seen the people sitting on the low cushioned divans enjoying picturesque meze platters. I'd even heard exotic tales of belly dancers and gypsy jazz on the weekends. So when I finally went for the first time it was with a sense of anticipation. Our party of four had a vegetarian in the ranks, and seeing as we were sharing, we went for meat-free options, of which there were plenty. The waitress was also quite keen to help us by recommending dishes. We went for 'Ahmet's platter of mixed Turkish bread & dips', 'Mixed meze platter' and 'Felafel'. I was a little concerned that it might not be enough for all of us but it turned out to be plenty. The dip plate looks great and featured some interesting takes on the standard Middle-Eastern dips I had grown accustomed to. The Baba Ghanoush had only the slightest hint of smoke in it, with an unusually but pleasantly buttery taste. The brilliantly purple beetroot dip is very tasty too, as it SHOULD be considering the platter costs thirty-five freakin' dollars! The 'capsicum stuffed with bulgur rice' is well-flavoured, with tasty pine nuts, raisins and a hint of cinnamon. I enjoyed the vine leaf rolls, but here a hot tip -- you can't beat the ones they do at King Ahiram's. But I'd have to rate Ahmet's felafel balls over the King's (sorry your highness). They're artfully shaped into a flat bottomed cone, with a crispy outer and a lusciously tender inside (more appealing than the dried out things you tend to get from a kebab store's hotbox). Service was pretty good but could have been a bit more attentive (I had to ask to have my water refilled), but one of the waitress's did comply with my out-of-towner friend's request that she take not one, but two photos of us, just to make sure... read more

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This place has the atmosphere, but not always the food to match. The restaurant is large and is beautifully decked out with brightly coloured cloths, cushions, and furniture coverings. It's almost always busy, so the vibe is energetic and lively, and there is live music and/or belly dancing on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. The food isn't bad by any stretch of the imagination, but it doesn't quite live up to the feel of the rest of the restaurant. On my most recent visit, the Iskender (lamb on Turkish bread with a special tomato sauce, yoghurt, and rice) was the best of the main courses. The entrée of garlic bread was also good, however the felafel and the casseroles were a little bland. A lot of the food on the menu is great for sharing, so it's a good place to go with a group. The meals aren't outrageously expensive, but they are pricy for what you get. If you don't want to be roped into a belly dance, outside is usually the safest place to sit! read more

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You know for all the hype about this place I came away a bit disappointed with Ahmet's. ...maybe its my fault, maybe I read too many of those reviews on urban spoon (OMG BEST MEAL EVA. I COME HERE ALL THE TYME!!!!! ORDER THE MOUSSAKA!) My first sore point with the restaurant is the price, sure have all the belly dancers/turkish gypsy jazz musicians you want but thats not going to make me enjoy my $35 bread platter any better. The food is also pretty weak compared to the other turkish meals I've enjoyed. The turkish stew reminds me of my home-ec classes, appealing looking but BLAND and suspiciously salty. Another thing that bothers me about this place is the unnecessary awkward encounters with the other restaurant goers. Yeah yeah outdoor seating is surely loaded with atmosphere, but Ahmeds seems to go by the philosophy of "It's Friday night let's sardine them together so that EVEN MORE people can get in!" ....Hence on weekend's you will either be wedged in with an amorous couple swooning over the Baba Ghanoush or an grumpy old lady waiting for her husband to return from ogling the belly dancer. To be fair I've had a slightly better experience with the slightly cheaper $16 lunch menu, But the service is still a bit laborious so be prepared to wait. It's not too terrible but hunt around for authentic Turkish elsewhere. read more

Ahmets - Turkish Near Me - South Brisbane, QLD

Definitely a wonderful dinner spot. This popular Turkish restaurant is great for people who like to have heaps of different options. I ended up sharing the Marinated chicken wings and the cheese & spinach Gozleme with my partner which was more than enough. The food and service is wonderful. I definitely recommend this restaurant and will be back again soon. read more

Ahmets - Table decorations/ place mat - Turkish Near Me - South Brisbane, QLD

Made a booking for 6:30 pm on Friday night and ordered the king size banquet for 5 people. We received the first course very quickly however after 1hr and 50mins we still haven't received our final course of dessert. At times we received the same course twice and we also had to remind the waiter of what course we are on. The food was good just the organisation of the wait staff needs to improve. We have had awesome experiences here in the past so I'm very surprised. read more

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This was a disappointing experience grown adults unable to split the bill and pay on their own credit cards we were actually sent to an ATM out in the dark it's been a long time since I've been to a restaurant that was so pedantic ...and then the manager came back again to discuss his position I had to ask him to walk away from me. I sent a complaint to the Southbank Corporation and to the restaurant and the owner and never heard a word back which shows they don't really care about the experience of their patrons. read more

Not sure how authentic it is. I have been to Turkey and I couldn't find any of my favorites on the menu. That being said, the food I had was pretty good! I had a Raki cocktail with cucumber and lime juice. Very refreshing! I had butter bread with the Olive dip. Not like any Turkish bread/dips I have had but it was good. I had the harissa beef kebab with rice. Steak was well cooked. Good flavors. The decor was trying for Turkish...pretty lights, low tables, unique lamps. Nice ambience. The belly dancer was interesting but loud. I left shortly after she came out. Overall, not a bad place. Good food. Interesting theme of you are interested in that. read more

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Amazing food and drinks, amazing service, was very bustling and busy and we managed to get a table with no reservation although I would recommend one. read more

A friend was having a birthday, and after reading the Yelp reviews, I wasn't too excited and went in feeling pretty hesitant. The prices are what you would expect with such a high profile location along the strip in Southbank, though it has to be mentioned that it is very easy to get to, there is parking just on the other side of the road and plenty of public transport nearby. No complaints about the food itself, it wasn't bad, but now what I would call exceptional. We were there on a Sunday night and there where still a few empty tables. The choice of music was not the best, it was too loud, upbeat, and just didn't make for the best atmosphere in my opinion from what you'd expect in Turkish, but this is something that many Australian restaurants just don't know how to do well. Perhaps us Australians are just ignorant when it comes to that.. It's bearable if you're just there to drink a lot of alcohol and forget everything else, perhaps that's why they play it? Many of the reviews criticize the restaurant for getting orders wrong, and this was no exception from my night there. They completely forgot to bring out one of my orders! After reminding two waiters of this, eventually they brought out the forgotten dish, however to their credit, they gave it to me for free, so no complaint there, though it was one of the less expensive dishes that got forgotten. The waiters did have a slightly hard time working out the orders from our 10 people strong table, but they can be forgiven as they are quite tricky situations. It's worth a look if you're in the area and looking for something Middle Eastern, and you're not cash strapped. Not bad, just not the best. read more

Nope nope nope nope uh uh! Please do not, under any pretense think that this establishment resembles (in any way) an actual Turkish restaurant. As a Turkish girl in Brisbane, I kindly suggest you not even bother. So many wrongs, where do I begin? Sorry Ahmets but someone's gotta speak up. The Adana Kebab is elastic.....ELASTIC. The kofta is beyond recognition and resembles giant Italian meatballs served with marinara sauce. The pita and dip platter is not remotely accurate of actual meze. Fairly certain beetroot is not made into dip back home. Putting rosewater into a cocktail doesn't make it Turkish either. What Ahmets does do well (I guess) is cater to individuals who have an idea of what Turkish food/culture must be like and are looking for an overpriced yet entertaining evening. Oh and the blond belly dancer most certainly not Turkish either. Just quietly sayin. read more

Okay, I really wanted to like this place and spent some time trying to pick the right dish. It was very expensive for Turkish and the waitstaff, though professional, seemed robotic like they were used to dealing with the people that filled the hotels nearby and not a lot of repeat customers. There were also two moms sitting together that literally let thier kids run amuck in the place. They were screaming and bumping into peope everywhere. I had fun watching people stare at the moms and them pretend not to feel all the stink eye. Very expensive menu for some very basic dishes. The food was authentic tasting and I thoroughly enjoyed the lentl soup and I ordered a lamb pizza that was pretty damn good. If I had taken the waitresses restaurant I would have been out there by myself with a $75 bill. No drinks.. Sit outside and have the soup and watch people walk by. Fun but pricey and touristy. read more

I came here with friends as we are in town from Los Angeles. On top of all the things that went wrong, we were most confused about the $12 hummus coming out with 4 sad small pieces of the pita bread. This was just an extremely awkward place to eat at. The appearance was misleading. It looked so cute but it all fell apart as soon as we were seated. read more

The food here is outstanding. We are very glad we stopped by. It was relatively quiet at 3:30pm on a Saturday afternoon. Great time for whatever meal would be dinner sized between lunch and dinner, "dunch"? The service was not exceptional but was nice enough and satisfactory to get what we needed out of the experience. I definitely recommend the lamb dumplings and zucchini fritters. We also enjoyed the break and cucumber, yoghurt dip, lamb kofte and a cucumber tomato salad. Delicious! read more

Had a nice hot beverage there one time with a friend but the meal was all bland. Went there a while later (because it was closest) and they very clearly didn't let my husband and I in because we had our 8 month old (at the time) son with us. They were about to seat us then look at our son and suddenly had 'no room' but seated groups of people without reservations after us. So rude. Not at all family friendly, tasty or well-mannered. Will not dine here with or without my gorgeous son. read more

I have never felt so uncomfortable and unwelcome by a business before. Sadly we experienced a rude and ridiculous service. My friends needed/asked for recommendations. The waiter was stoic and short with them saying 'This one, this one is spicy' then pretending to not understand her Brazilian accent with "Say it again!?". No people skill unfortunately. However the other waitress and waiter that looked after us were both friendly and helpful. The wait was long for a not-too-busy weeknight and food did not live up to expectations. The lamb shank arrived and was lacking seasoning and heat. Sauce was very runny and blend. That is not fine dining. Overall - pretty mediocre mains and desserts. When I commented about the food, the restaurant manager bluntly said "I'm not saying you're wrong but no one has ever complained about this dish before... The other day I had a gentleman saying this was the best lamb I've ever had". Now - that was uncomfortable and condescending! Even though, Manager ended up giving us a 10% refund on the bill and Turkish sweets I don't think I would want to patronize this venue again. The attitude left us speechless! read more

I am usually a bit sceptical about restaurants located right in the center of South Bank since they have crowds coming in regardless of the other factors. This place unfortunately supports this stereotype. I had beef skewers for $28 and the meat was very stringy, it was extremely hard to chew it. It appears that the beef used for it was the cheapest one. All grills in this restaurant are supposed to come with lavash and yet mine came only with a 2x3cm piece. My wife had Adana skewers and there was one large lavash with it as expected. Overall, the food quality appears to be below par and that's frustrating. Plus I would call it is overpriced. read more

We had a group dinner here and it was fantastic. The service was on top of everything and every dish was mouth watering. Definitely a great place if you crave Turkish food. read more

I'd never been to Ahmets before but had heard the hype - after all, it's in the busy Southbank restaurant strip. How could it be bad? Plus, it's always packed. And there's always a line. But maybe this restaurant is living on years of good will gone by, because I was less than impressed when I visited the other night for dinner. The fit-out is great - billowy rainbow curtains, thick patterned table cloths and vibrant, hanging lamps. The service is also good. We were quickly seated and friendly wait staff were always topping up our water, taking our orders and checking to see we were fine. What lets this Turkish restaurant down is its food. It's ok, but it's nothing to write home about. In fact, you can make it at home. I had the lamb guvec. The serving size was sufficient, but it lacked flavour. If a Turkish resturant's meal tastes the same as my mum's 'leftover special' casserole, something has gone wrong. My friends had the mousakka and iskender - again, both lacked spice, heat, flavour. We were left feeling like these were dishes we could have made at home, but with better results. However, the place was very busy so maybe I just missed the appeal. read more

I can't help but compare the Turkish food to the Mediterranean food to the Persian food... I am a stupid asian girl who doesn't really quite know the difference quite yet. I really need some more friends in these areas I'm thinking, or I need to pay attention more in culinary history class... what? Doesn't exist? Oh well. I'm comparing Ahmets the original Turkish restaurant I used to go to all the time to fancy pants Meccah Bah... which is probably a totally different cuisine I realise... or is it? The prices are fairly similar, the menu is fairly similar... the food is spiced fairly similar yet Ahmet's doesn't quite hit the button as much as I would like it to. The rice servings are too small. The stew servings are too small... it's not indian curry people, we don't get full on just a little tiny bowl. My kebab was nice but it took ages to come out and I find the restaurant a bit confusing for some reason. On Friday nights there are belly dancers which other restaurants don't have, which I like, but I don't really like being rubbed on or pulled up to dance with... if I don't want to. The atmosphere is okay, and I can see why groups still come here, with the convenient location and everything... but if Ahmet's don't up their game a little people will flock to other places... like Meccah Bah... sorry to say. I haven't been back for a few months needless to say. read more

Too many people go crazy over Ahmet's but unfortunately my experience just didn't hit the mark. The place does offer bucket loads of atmosphere, moderately authentic albeit slightly tacky and worn decor, and reasonable enough meals but really I've had far better. They've crammed so many tables out front that any movement including getting in/out of your seat when there are other guests around is just plain dangerous... So hot tip, don't need the toilet half way through your meal! I hit up the vegetarian 'pizza' and it was just plain boring. At first I thought well maybe it's my fault for not ordering one of the more exotic dishes but really is it acceptable to have ANY tasteless dishes on a menu. Then further I compared it to the middle eastern pizzas they make at Mecca Bah and I realise what I to given at Ahmet's is just unacceptable. The rest of my group seemed to enjoy their meals, and the sharing plate which was ordered looked nice enough and certainly had plenty of food on it but for the extraordinary price tag I can't say we would have been happy with any thing less. Overall I definitely won't be rushing back if I don't have to... The Brisbane food scene has far superiour competition to Ahmet's these days! read more

Well. I didn't actually get here. So as for the food, I have nothing to say. After five attempts (online and by phone) to make a booking for a friends birthday and no one from the restaurant ever getting back to me, I give up! They obviously don't want the business. Good luck running a restaurant guys. read more

Pide bread was lovely and came out quick, unfortunately we sat for ages waiting for the lamb skewers, the wait was worth it though as the lamb was delicious and tender. Lovely atmosphere outside, the seats aren't too comfortable. read more

We wandered into Ahmets on a Monday evening before Australia Day. While we were waiting I read some online reviews and they were very mixed. The atmosphere is interesting, a bit Turkish bazaar, noisy enough to be interesting without being so loud you couldn't talk. It took a little while to get first contact from a staff member but after that everything happened quite quickly. We had the Lentil Soup and Lamb Meatballs. Both dishes were substantial and nicely spiced. On the whole we enjoyed it and would go back. read more

Margaritas were a delightful blue and they tasted fantastic! In addition, the lamb chop, small-plate, was perfectly cooked and very well seasoned. We also enjoyed the fried calamari, zucchini fritters and lamb meatballs. However, most of the vegetarian options were a bit underwhelming. The vegetable guvec (a stew of potatoes vegetables and lentils) was bland, the tomato walnut salad also lacked flavor (tomatoes were unripe) and the menu implied pomegranate molasses, of which there was no pomegranate flavor present in this dish. The pickles in the cucumber salad detracted from the freshness of that dish. The spinach and feta pastry was soggy, and bland, the worst version of this dish I have ever tried. The homemade bread and dips appetizer was reasonably tastey but I've had plenty of better Mediterranean dips and spreads elsewhere. I think the chili and capsicum was the best of the dips. The dip tray in my opinion doesn't come with enough bread. While the bread is baked fresh, in-house, it's nothing special. read more

As a group of 10 parents we had a night out while our kids had their high school formal. We shared the banquet and the food was freshly made and service was quick! The waiters were very attentive and it was no problem for extra water etc. atmosphere was great. We sat outside so missed the belly dancing but there was so much chatting anyway. read more

We have been here a few times and food has been good and service satisfactory. Last night we arrived and were seated straight away. We waited 15 minutes for service, not even a glass of water. In that time we tried to get the attention of waiters but to no avail even though they walked past. They are very good at avoiding eye contact. Too busy cleaning up or standing around talking to each other. As we left I called out to a waitress- the only way I realised to get attention, to say how disappointed we were, she didn't even try to get us to stay. Will not be going here again. read more

The king's feast was so wonderful, we had the lychee cocktails and ate ourselves to death, the feast was massive and delicious but the table service was by far the best of all such wonderful hospitable people, I'm definitely going back and recommend it to everyone! read more

A very pleasant vegetarian meal for two, good selection with nice flavours. However not keen on the artichoke but never have been!

Fantastic food! Nicest manager and staff I have experienced in a long time, amazing food and wonderful live music. Officially my favourite restaurant in all of Brisbane read more

The food was great, lots of flavour and very well presented - reasonably pricey though. What killed it for me was the service. Perhaps how busy it was made the difference on the night, but the staff (for my visit) weren't able to communicate to me (or each other) the location of my 30 minute late pizza. Turns out it was dropped and remade, but I didn't find out until everyone at my table finished their meals. read more

Stumbled across this restaurant late one Friday night and was intrigued by the notion of trying Turkish for the first time as well as the beautiful chandeliers and seating (indoor and outdoor). The menu at the door didn't give much description of the foods but thankfully the menus we were given when seated did. It was quite busy and a server offered us water (without mentioning it was simply a refilled bottle which would cost $7). The bread and cucumber/ yoghurt dip was the starter and it was quite nice. Followed by lamb dumplings with yoghurt, lamb/chilli pizza and chicken skewers. The dumplings were tiny and there was not much lamb stuffing; I was quite unimpressed. The lamb and chilli pizza, though very hot, was tasty and the chicken skewers were moist and seasoned well. Unfortunately the rice that came with the chicken skewers contained a long hair; probably the first time that has happened while dining out. Overall, when it came to the quality of the food, it was definitely not worth the price and I wouldn't eat here again. I wouldn't say it was terrible but nothing special so, three stars. read more

With so many amazing places to eat in Brisbane, let alone on the very street Ahmets is on, there is really no good reason to eat here. Service was below average, 2 pastry dishes came out cooked on the outside but a mess of raw filo inside, while other dishes were 'fine' at best. Not terrible, but not something I have any urge to relive. read more