One of the best Turkish food I have had including what I had in Istanbul and Cappadocia! Their food is extremely flavorful and delicious! We went for lunch and had the Falafel, Iskender, Kazandibi and Kunefe with Turkish Tea and I cannot stop thinking about everything! Everything we had was fantastic! Excellent service and staff is very friendly. I don't have many restaurants in my rotation but this one is worth returning to! read more

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My friend and I met up for dinner here to catch up and enjoy a good meal. We made reservations and arrived just in time since the parking was challenging. The food options were good, the service was as expected, and location is superb (except for the parking). For a weeknight it was crowded so reservations are recommend! My meal was okay and would give it another try. The atmosphere elevated the experience. read more

Pera Turkish Cuisine - Turkish Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

There is a 5 star Turkish cuisine in Philly! You can try every single dish, starters or deserts... The owner also so nice and kind couple from Türkiye. Very cost place. Small but very big taste! You can also learn about the Turkish food... I wish I live close them... read more

This was our first visit and we enjoyed the ambiance and kebab sandwich. The mucver was really good too, not too greasy and well seasoned, and such beautiful presentation. The kebab sandwich was simple but well done. We look forward to coming back to try other dishes read more

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Wow! All the food was delicious and reasonably priced. This place is packed everyday and I got curious enough to try. Definitely did not disappoint. The inside is cute & clean and the staff are nice & accommodating. read more

Pera Turkish Cuisine - Combo platter - Turkish Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My nephew was in town and we decided to try something new. The customer service was amazing. They frequently checked on us throughout the meal. The lamb and chicken were seasoned well. The rice was average. It's a small restaurant and it was welcoming. read more

Went here for a girl's night outing and I enjoyed this food from Pera. The lamb dishes were amazing and really nice portion sizes. The interior is definitely small so if you go on a weekend night it will feel a little crammed. We went on a Tuesday night, and had good room and a nice size table. The service was good, though it definitely felt a little rushed, especially at the end. The folks started handing out boxes, sweeping and cleaning as tables were still eating and being seated. That part I didn't enjoy as much. It is also a BYOB with no reservations, just first come first served. I will be returning to check out the other grill dishes, they all did sound really good. read more

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dang this place was GOOOODDD. The Tzakiki sauce was different then i was used to- it had a bit of a minty taste. but I would go there everyday if I could this place was delicious read more

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Pera Turkish Cuisine on N. 2nd Street is a corner kitchen on the narrow streets of Northern Liberties, Philadelphia. Its glass walls take in a lot of daylight and makes the dining room shine and show off the exposed brick inner wall. Our table was in front of the window, allowing for front row seats on local streetlife. Our servers were attentive and friendly and returned to check up on our needs and satisfaction. We just missed out on the lunch menu that ended at 4, but were able to order what we wanted, but in larger portions from the dinner menu. I went with the Lamb Adana (w roasted onion, tomato wedge, hot thin green pepper, pilaf and pita), and my companion the Lamb Gyro platter (similar accompaniment). The Adana was excellent, with a spicy roast flavor that played well with a fork holding lamb, onion, tomato a hot pepper draped together and deposited in my mouth. Each flavor and texture melded perfectly so that I took time enjoying each delicate chew and swallow. My son did not offer a taste from his plate, which I took to mean he didn't care to share. I didn't blame him. The room was filling up by the time we were ready to depart. The menu says that there is a 90 minute limit on seating privileges, so we knew our time had come. Despite that soft notice, we were totally sated by our meals and appreciated Pera's efforts. 5 Turkish Stars for getting it right. read more

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My friend's husband is from Turkey and this is his favorite in the city, so we wanted to try it and I'm glad we did! We arrived at 5:45 and they were able to seat the 2 of us without a wait. It was chilly out so a warm Turkish tea hit the spot. We started with the chef's choice meze- the ezme was my favorite (the red dip in the photo)- accompanying pita was soft and warm. The feta cheese rolls were yummy, too. Chicken Adana was moist and flavorful. For me, though, the kunefe was the best. I'd never had this dessert before but would eat it every day- shredded phyllo envelopes melty cheese and it's drenched in orange flavored sugar syrup and topped with pistachios. It's BYOB as well. Give yourself time to find parking though we did manage to score a spot 2 blocks away. Will definitely go back. read more

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Pera in Fishtown has some of the best Turkish food in the city. The place is BYOB which is pretty cool. I ended up getting an Orange Soda. The orange soda was less sweet than in America (it was awesome to taste the difference). The place is pretty small and gets pretty crowded for Friday dinner so definitely come in earlier than later. The place is pretty affordable for food and also offers catering. We had the babagannoush, mix eggplant, and the doner/gyro meat. The pita bread was very tasty (we asked for another round). The babagannoush and doner was kind of plain (there is better babagannoush at other restaurants). I do have to say the mixed eggplants is literally the best thing on the menu. I really liked the fried eggplant with tomatoes/pepper/garlic sauce. We ended up ordered 2 because we really liked it. read more

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How did I not write a review earlier? Lowkey obsessed with this place. My Turkish friends love this place so that says something about the food. We always order literally everything off the menu - thank goodness for friends to share with and I really enjoyed everything! The deconstructed gyro, even the liver (which I usually hate organ meat) so wow lol. And probably one of my fave desserts in the city! I took no pictures because I attacked it too quickly! Kunefe! I've had it first at apricot stone and this is my favorite one! If anyone has a good recipe, message me! read more

Pera Turkish Cuisine - Turkish Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Very nice new phone as we love Turkish food. Our first time here we start off with the Ezme appetizer, have a very nice flavor profile surprisingly as we had no idea what to expect. For our main dishes, we shared the Monti, which is a go to favorite for us and the donor Gyro. What kept me from making us a five star was that the Gyro meat that was cut was dry. It would've been nice if they cut the dry and toss it and give you fresh moist meat. Unfortunately we must've been too early in the crowd. It's a BYOB and FYI if you came by car like us, good luck funny parking. read more

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I might have set my expectations a little too high but Pera was definitely still good! We started with tabulli and I wouldn't recommend but the bread was great. We also had the calamari and it was really good but not super special. The shrimp kabobs had a great flavor but the shrimp themselves were kind of tough. Boyfriend ate himself into a coma with the doner gyro so I would say that was a good order. Service was phenomenal. The space itself is cute but I wouldn't really recommend for large parties read more

Pera Turkish Cuisine - Shrimp Kebap, Doner - Turkish Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The best BYOB in NoLibs. The manti is delicious and the menu is large with good prices read more

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We ordered the chefs combo for appetizers which included 6 different apps. They were all amazing with so much flavor! The hummus was great with some olive oil that added a nice flavor. The tabula was standard. Everything had such a unique and complimentary flavor on the chefs combo. We also ordered kabobs which I would get again. The meats are flavored perfectly and cooked just right. The vibe is calm, romantic and a small dining space. The staff was on point with coming to check on us frequently. The restaurant is byob so we brought some drinks and they offered wine and beer glasses to use. We will definitely come back again! read more

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Very delicious Turkish food. We went to this place for dinner; luckily we did not have to wait for a table, one was available at the time of our arrival. I would definitely recommend it to anyone:) read more

Pera Turkish Cuisine - Turkish Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Food: Food was simple and tasted exactly what you would think it would be like. We think the falafel paired very well with the sauce. The meat was very tender. Service: Quick & speedy! Ambiance: Casual restaurant. It was clean and well decorated. read more

Pera Turkish Cuisine - Turkish Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We moved into the neighborhood over a year ago and had been wanting to try this place for a while. Now that we finally did, we'll definitely come here again. It's a very nice little restaurant and the food was impressive in both presentation and taste. The pita and hummus were the best I've had in a long time. The pita was warm and toasted, crisp on the outside and warm on the inside. The chicken kebab was not overcooked and dry like at a lot of other places. read more

Pera Turkish Cuisine - Chicken Kebap - Turkish Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Five years in Philly and this is probably my number one most visited restaurant. A halal Turkish restaurant that serves some of THE BEST dishes in Philly. Located in northern liberties, it's a small restaurant with a beautiful interior and friendly staff. Not to be THAT person but I have also gone to Turkey, and the knafeh here tops some of the ones I've had in Istanbul, Ankara, AND Fethiye. (I might be taking it too far but it genuinely is really good in my opinion lol) I absolutely love the seafood options and my go to with friends is the mixed platter. That way you get to try a little of everything. Price wise it's definitely a bit more expensive so I save this place for those special moments. However, every penny spent is well worth it. I've compiled some of my best photos to really emphasis my love for the restaurant! read more

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Incredible food, great service, cute spot. What more can you ask for!? Highly recommend.

I ordered to go via DoorDash and it was awesome. I can tell it was made with care. I would go to dine in person. 100%. Just a little pricey. read more

I went to this place with my bf and his university friends. One of them said Pera is apparently the best Turkish restaurant in the city, and I wouldn't be surprised if that's right. The two Turkish people in our group seemed to enjoy the food as much as everyone else. Turkish cuisine overlaps a little bit with Greek, so you won't be completely lost if you have experience with the latter. I didn't want to just get a gyro or shawarma, so I got the garlic chicken. It was super tender and flavored with a orange-ish sauce that had garlic mixed with something else. It also came with this flavorful rice (couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly). We also got Turkish coffee and three desserts, including baklava. Careful! Turkish coffee has grinds and the bottom, so be sure not to drink the "soot" at the bottom of the cup. Kunefe, the dessert that looks like fried noodles, apparently isn't easy to find, so I suggest having that if you already know about baklava. Our server was super helpful and patient. Also spoke Turkish a little bit to us. The restaurant is full of Turkish travel blog-like stuff and ethnic art. It's a clean, well-decorated restaurant with some higher priced food, but nothing you need to dress up for. Good food, good atmosphere. read more

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Combo platter $24 six mezes selected by the chef. All were really good. They only bring four small pieces of pita out at a time but when they see you run out they bring out more HUNKAR BEGENDI $32 slow-cooked Lamb shank over smoked eggplant - good with rice. Boyfriend really enjoyed this. I liked the eggplant more than the lamb Baklava $8 four pieces. The syrup seeps out the bottom when you bite into it. It was good but definitely no more than two pieces at a time read more

Pera Turkish Cuisine - HUNKAR BEGENDI $32 slow cooked Lamb - good - Turkish Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Came here for a casual lunch with my buddies and I was blown away. We all ordered their Iskender with side fries and it's safe to say we all entered a food coma by the end of the meal. The lamb was so well seasoned and paired wonderfully with the red sauce which I could describe as a spiced, garlicky tomato sauce which is soaked up by the diced pita but remained not musky but was actually spongy. Their greek yogurt provided a contrasting creamy coolness while adding substantial protein (if you're a gym rat). The service and ambiance was also superb and I would definitely recommend. read more

This is an amazing place to eat. Despite not offering reservations they're quick to seat you and offer fast service as well. It's BYOB so don't expect to see any alcoholic drinks on the menu. Overall, the menu is quite expansive and offers a lot of different options for small or large parties to share or have their own dishes. A lot of vegetarian friendly options as well - I couldn't recommend the smoked eggplant appetizer more. I would literally lick the bowl if I were home alone it was that great. For the ambiance, it's nice with paintings and pictures and moody lighting. Overall I'd absolutely recommend to friends and can't wait to visit again! read more

Pera Turkish Cuisine - Smoked eggplant cold mezze w chili oil - Turkish Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Fresh, flavorful Mediterranean fare done well in an intimate neighborhood restaurant. Came here with friends for a pre-wedding dinner and this place did really well as a fancy, but not over-the-top restaurant that was walking distance from the groom-to-be's townhouse. We shared the stuffed grape leaves and few other things for an appetizer and the stuffed grape leaves were light and flavorful like you'd like as opposed to being cold and dense like they'd been in a case all day. I got the Chicken Adana plate, which was somewhere in between chicken kabobs and chicken shawarma and really good. Spiced, but not spicy and tender but not ground. It came with rice and a grilled pepper. Like almost everything, it was simple and excellent, but not huge. The service was attentive and polite, but not intrusive. We brought wine which they corked and poured for us for a readable fee, which was a nice addition. read more

Pera never fails to amaze. The quick service and the food is so good. I scraped my plate clean which I rarely do when out to eat. The rice and pita is a great addition to the meat. The pepper is the right amount of spice when mixed with rice and onion for spice lovers. The ambiance was bubble and vivacious! Still some empty tables but they offered indoor and outdoor seating! This is always a must and I always recommend it!! Try it out! read more

Pera Turkish Cuisine - the Chicken Kebap and Lamb Shish - Turkish Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

What a great meal. Forgot to take pics of the hummus and grapes leaves. Hummus was smooth and flavorful. Pita was soft and thick. Great combo. The grape leaves were fantastic. My son never had them before and he thought they were delish . The lamb adana was seasoned and cooked perfectly. It tasted amazing. The falafels were very crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The lamb shank was literally off the bone with only a fork and was also delish. The eggplant was a perfect accompaniment to the lamb. The rice was fluffy and tasty. The grilled onion was done so you could taste the natural sweetness. Service was friendly and prompt.clean look with nice plants place along the window sills. Overall, it's a kick-you-know-what meal. read more

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My husband and I went for dinner and the food was outstanding. We ordered the lamb Adana and hunkar Begendi as main dishes and hummus as appetizer. Could not be happier with our experience, not to mention the Turkish coffee was delish and the servers were very nice and attentive. We will for sure come back. read more

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Great food in a great neighborhood! Everything I tried at Pera during NoLibs Restaurant Week was outstanding. There was a trio of starters that included falafel on a tahini sauce, hummus, and an eggplant-based dip that had a nice kick to it. Delicious all around and served with fresh, soft pita bread that I am still daydreaming about. I went with the Chicken Beyti which is a spiced ground chicken wrapped in flatbread, cut into pieces and served on a rich tomato/cream sauce. Cannot recommend this dish enough! Super filling and great leftovers for lunch the next day. The atmosphere here is interesting! Part party, part sultry, part casual - I had a little bit of trouble picking up on the vibe of this spot. It is a BYOB so be sure to grab a bottle on your way in. You'll be packed in pretty tight which is no biggy, but it is often difficult to hear and you'll be fighting for volume with your fellow diners. It seems like they do great business for takeout as well, and I think that's the option I'd go for next time, because the food really shouldn't be missed. I want to try the whole menu and will opt for Pera anytime a craving for Turkish food hits! read more

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So glad to finally try Pera! I went with several Yelp friends so you know the cameras are first lol The place has a warm, friendly vibe with plants and fairy lights. Windows look out on the street. Tables are a little close together and it's a little noisy. The service was really goo. Our waiter explained the dishes so it made easy to choose. We had an appetizer plate with several dips and pita bread for dipping. All were yummy. lamb dishes were delicious! The lamb was cooked perfectly and nicely spiced. The rice and veggies were also cooked perfectly. The chicken was also delicious. We all chose baklava for dessert. It was so good with a flaky pastry, nuts and gooey sticky syrup! A perfect way to end the meal! read more

Pera Turkish Cuisine - Menu - Turkish Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I'm a frequent visitor to this place and LOVE the food. However, the one star is for our experience today. I understand that it was a Friday and it's busy. We went as a party of 3 and They told us it's a 20 minute wait (and there was a party of 6 ahead of us). We put our names down, went for a walk and came back. The party of 6 was seated and there were three sets of table for 2. For a good 20 minutes there were 3 open tables with just no one. They were waiting for another party of 6 to finish up. I checked back in with the hostess / waitress and she said another 25 minutes or even sooner. One thing here is that because it's BYOD, people bring bottles of wine and take their own time. We continue waiting for a table (and we were next in line), and a couple left. They combined their table with another table and set up a table for 4 people. It had been a good 35-40 minutes of waiting by now. I asked if our table was ready since I see a table set up. The hostess said that she didn't make the waitlist and it was another guy and that we still had to wait for the party of 6 to clear up (to get a table for 3) and that this table was for 4 people. TLDR they gave this table to someone else who was behind us because they didn't have their queue communicated amongst themselves. We just left after 40 minutes of waiting. The service is just so unorganized, I don't get how you can have so many open tables when you have people waiting in line. And if you're going to have BYOD, maybe set a time limit on the table so you have more turnaround especially on a Friday night. read more

It is a nice cute place with a modern contemporary feel and Turkish flair. I thought the doner had good flavor despite being lukewarm or room temperature wise at best. , but not old or stale by any means at all - friendly staff and a place that is worth visiting if you are in the university district.. it would seem like a pleasant dining experience. read more

My friend and I came to Pera for dinner around 8pm on a Thursday and were able to snag a table. We weren't drinking that night, but I do appreciate that it's a BYO! We ordered the tabouli, humus, and cheese rolls to share. The cheese roll in particular was so delicious and came with a yummy dipping sauce. For my entree, I got the vegetable casserole with rice. It was tasty and a generous portion (I took half home to eat for lunch the next day), but I do wish there had been some protein in the dish (beans? falafel? something!) For dessert, we split the kunefe which was delightful. Overall, it's a great place to get delicious food for a variety of dietary needs and share small plates! read more

Pera Turkish Cuisine - tabouli, humus, cheese rolls - Turkish Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Had a great visit here with a friend. Have you ever had some awesome halal food from a food truck around town? Coming here is like taking that food truck food and making it 100x better. The location is unassuming but very cute. Service is friendly and servers are happy to help pick items for you. We ended up getting a great assortment of dishes, but what really stands out is just the perfectly cooked, tender meat that they served up. Great value for money as well! Although they have gotten quite a lot of fame recently it still feels like a neighborhood joint. Do not forget to order the baklava, not only is it to die for, but it is very pretty as well. read more

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Everything here is top of the line. The servers , the chefs , the food . Absolutely the best calamari. The best beef . I returned many times, whenever I have visitors. We come here. This is really the perfect example of what a great restaurant is. My only concern is the cigarette smoke outside seating . read more

I'm finally reviewing this restaurant after eating there last year... FANTASTIC FOOD! GREAT SERVICE! Of course, first we ordered the chicken livers, and they were excellent! After that, we ordered the lamb shank and eggplant with ground lamb...excellent! And for the finale, we ordered the sweet cheese dessert...more excellence! One of the servers even tried to help us read our Turkish Coffee grounds. I love that there's an awesome Turkish restaurant in NoLibs! Can wait to go back! Arnavut Cigeri: 5/5 (Pan fried liver w/ onion & lemon) Hunkar Begendi: 5/5 (Slow cooked lamb shank over smoked eggplant) Mousakka: 5/5 (Chunks of baby eggplant w/ ground leg of lamb, seasoned with herbs & served w/ rice) Kunefe: 5/5 (Sweet cheese dessert) read more

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Really fresh and flavorful ingredients in every dish. I think I liked every dip that was provided in the sampler. I really enjoyed the white eggplant dip (maybe I'm wrong and it's not eggplant !?) The Turkish coffee was great and it came with small Turkish delights. The candy paired well with the coffee. read more

Pera Turkish Cuisine - Sampler - Turkish Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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PERA Turkish Cuisine sits at the corner of N Second St and W Laurel in Northern Liberties. This neighborhood gem serves up traditional and authentic style mezze plates, charred eggplant, salmon/shrimp/lamb kabobs, gyros and a ton of sweet desserts. Recommend trying it all! Favorites included- TURKISH TEA FRIED CALAMARI MEZZE PLATTER SHRIMP KABOB FALAFEL PLATTER read more

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