3.5 stars
What a cozy restaurant with a great view! Outside…read moreof the crowds in Göreme sits the small village of Cavusin, and while things here still seem catered to tourists, there's definitely a more local flavor to the shops and restaurants. In the middle of touring Cappadocia, my tour group stopped here for lunch and ordered from a set menu. We started our meal with warm, spiced lentil soup, salad with lettuce and carrots, a yogurt dip, a grated tomato dip, and pickled vegetables. Everything tasted so fresh, and you could see everything being made behind the counter in the kitchen!
For the main course, I tried the vegetable casserole, a simple mixture of eggplant, tomato, potato, onion, and other vegetables served in a small clay dish with rice on the side. It wasn't anything that special, but definitely tasty! I also had the manti, or Turkish ravioli, which was a dish made of dozens (if not hundreds) of tiny, hand-folded dumplings with just a microscopic amount of meat! These manti were a lot smaller than ones I've had elsewhere, and our guide explained that the smaller size really showcased the mastery of the cook! The dumplings were dressed with yogurt and a slightly spicy sauce, making for a well-balanced, flavorful dish.
Finally, we ended with dessert--the tel kadayif was a pastry made of phyllo noodles and syrup--quite sweet for my tastes, but definitely representative of Turkish desserts.
