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Restaurant

Aysel Turkish Restaurant

357 Smith St, Fitzroy VIC 3065, Australia

Recommended by 5 people

Updated

Find Aysel Turkish Restaurant

357 Smith St, Fitzroy VIC 3065, Australia

Directions ↗
+61 3 9415 9742
HoursMonday: Closed Tuesday: Closed Wednesday: 5:30 – 10:00 PM Thursday: 5:30 – 10:00 PM Friday: 6:30 – 11:00 PM Saturday: 6:30 – 11:00 PM Sunday: 5:30 – 10:00 PM

*Opening hours may differ during holidays.

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About Aysel Turkish Restaurant

Smith Street’s liveliest evening escape delivers a feast of home-style Turkish cooking paired with live music and belly dancing. Diners settle into the intimate, tavern-style meyhane energy as banquet tables fill with manti, smoky adana kebabs, fresh dips, and warm bread. Long celebratory tables routinely spill into communal dancing across the floor, wrapped up with steaming glasses of black tea.

  • Live meyhane entertainment: Evening services transform with live musicians and belly dancers that get whole dining rooms dancing.
  • Feast-ready banquets: Generous banquets feature manti dumplings, spiced adana skewers, fresh borek, and house dips.
  • Dedicated celiac protocol: Accommodates severe dietary needs with dedicated, separate-area preparation during busy banquet services.
RestaurantTurkishRestaurant

What's On at Aysel Turkish Restaurant

Upcoming events, special menus and other reasons to plan a visit.

No events or specials listed right now.

Why Dine at Aysel Turkish Restaurant

Discover why guests choose Aysel for milestone celebrations, authentic Turkish dining, and unforgettable meyhane nights.

  • Vibrant Meyhane-Style Live Entertainment

    Guests experience an immersive Turkish tavern night featuring live music and belly dancing that gets entire dining rooms up and celebrating.

    With live music and a belly dancer show, I think it’s the best Turkish meyhane (tavern) I’ve seen in Australia.

    Zafer Ataklı

  • Communal Celebration and Dancing

    The high-energy music and performances foster spontaneous joy and shared cultural connection across the room.

    The live music created such an amazing vibe, and the belly dancing performance was fantastic and so much fun. Our entire group was laughing, dancing, and enjoying every minute of the night.

    Yvette Ozkavak

  • Authentic Home-Style Turkish Feasting

    Diners enjoy traditional Turkish culinary staples crafted with authentic recipes, deep flavor, and home-style care.

    The Adana kebab is hands down my favourite, perfectly cooked, so flavourful, and just hits the spot every time.

    Alice Loh

  • Dedicated Celiac Banquet Care

    The kitchen accommodates severe dietary needs with dedicated allergen handling, offering personalized celiac-safe banquets.

    They provided completely separate service for me all night long. I was the only person with this requirement at a table of 10, and they did all of this just for me without any hesitation.

    Pelinsu Bilge

  • Seamless Milestone Group Hosting

    Large parties, milestone birthdays, and wedding dinners run seamlessly with coordinated courses and attentive event pacing.

    Everything ran so smoothly from start to finish, which made the evening completely stress-free for us.

    Gonca D.

  • Flexible and Accommodating Group Hospitality

    Attentive hosts accommodate unexpected group adjustments and larger party arrangements warmly even during fully booked sessions.

    Despite being completely full, the staff went out of their way to accommodate my request to add one more person to our table.

    Juliet

Signature home-style dishes and grilled specialties celebrated by diners

  • Adana Kebab

    The Adana kebab is hands down my favourite, perfectly cooked, so flavourful, and just hits the spot every time.

    Alice Loh

  • Manti

    The Manti, green bean salad, and Adana took me straight back to the streets of Istanbul, rich, fresh, and perfectly balanced.

    Jack Achilles Food

  • Borek

    Manti, adana and borek were all great- a lovely dinner enjoyed by people who haven’t had much Turkish before!

    Sharon Taing

  • Mix Grill

    The Adana kebab and mix grill are bursting with authentic flavors, perfectly cooked to satisfy any craving.

    Ismail Aslan

Beyond the menu

Distinctive cultural entertainment and attentive hospitality details experienced at Aysel

  • Dedicated Celiac Preparation & Service

    For guests with severe celiac requirements, the kitchen prepares dishes in an allergen-isolated area and coordinates dedicated individual service throughout group feasts.

  • Live Music & Belly Dancing Celebrations

    Evening banquets transition into an energetic cultural tavern experience featuring traditional live musicians and interactive belly dance performances.

  • Traditional Black Tea & Fruit Finish

    Multi-course banquets conclude with complimentary traditional Turkish black tea alongside fresh fruit to round out the evening.

  • Thoughtful Seating Accommodations

    Even during sold-out weekend services, the team accommodates last-minute interstate visitors and expands full tables to ensure no guest is left behind.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the dining atmosphere and entertainment like in the evening?

Evenings, particularly on weekends, feature an energetic meyhane tavern vibe with live Turkish music and belly dancing performances. Guests frequently dance alongside the performers, so it is not tailored for a quiet dinner.

Do you need to book a table in advance?

Booking in advance is strongly recommended, especially for weekends when the venue often books out weeks ahead. Aysel accepts reservations.

How generous are the food portions?

Portions are hearty and generous, and guests frequently leave satisfied or with leftovers to take home. Banquets and dishes like the mixed grill or Adana kebab offer plentiful servings.

Can the kitchen accommodate strict gluten-free or Celiac requirements?

Yes, staff can accommodate strict dietary needs such as Celiac disease by providing separate service and isolated preparation to avoid cross-contamination.

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