A new central spot for a hearty Turkish feast at Café Cultura

Posted on 10 January, 2025

Oh hi Canberra! It’s only the second week of January and already we are out and about discovering brand new places to quell our insatiable appetites.

Café Cultura is a breath of fresh air in the tiny hexagonal building which used to house the Fish Shack, just next to David Jones on Bunda Street.

It has been given a new lease of life by Turkish uncle and cousin trio Cemre Keser, Eser Girmez and Emre Girmez, and has been open for just a few weeks.

It’s Cemre’s first foray into hospitality but her love of her heritage, cuisine and a desire to “make people happy by feeding them” shines through.

Her uncle, Eser, has run a few Turkish eateries and kebab shops in Sydney and is happy being back of house making sure each generous dish has every ingredient it needs.

The menu is well-priced hearty mediterranean food which is perfect for sharing – such as the Turkish banquet for two at $23 per person which comes out on a board and provides a pan of fried eggs with sujuk, feta, olives, salad, borek rolls, simit and Turkish bread.

The breakfast platter for two will put your morning in fresh perspective!

Honestly, it’s delicious and a perfect way to start the day, knocked back with a Turkish coffee or tea (or a more conventional Toby’s Estate flat white if you prefer).

While Café Cultura will keep traditional patrons happy with a range of Anglofied burgers, fish and chips, and traditional big breakfasts, the menu favours the adventurous.

The Smashed Avo has eggs, zaatar, feta, tomato, cucumber and beetroot dip, the Manti is a delicious mix of homemade beef mince and onion stuffed dumplings with garlic yoghurt, chilli oil and dried mint. There are zucchini fritters and a falafel lunch bowl for just $18.

The Manti is a hearty meal with home-made dumplings.

There’s also an extensive kebab selection as well as gozlemes and a toasted cheese simit bread which is a perfect pick-me-up at any time of day. If you’ve never tried simit before, get on it. It’s the Turkish equivalent to a bagel, only covered in sesame seeds and much, much better.

If sweet treats are your thing, the inside counter has a fine selection of Turkish morsels  and the baklava is a superior sticky version which somehow also manages to be light at the same time.

Turkish tea and coffee with sweat treats for any time of day.

The simit, sweet treats and Turkish bread all come from Eser’s friend and Sydney supplier of Turkish ingredients, Saray Sweets.

The café itself has a cute little book installation over the counter, while brightly painted bench seating out the front make it an inviting place to sit.

“The location is really great as we are literally in the centre of the city,” says Cemre.

There are many options on the kebab menu

“We want to bring more of an outdoor seating feel to the city and want this place to be a meeting spot for anyone who wants a good coffee or a meal. Turkish culture is all about serving good food for enjoyment and we are so excited to have opened our doors.”

Café Cultura is currently open only during the day but Cemre says the family would like to  stay open late on Friday and Saturday nights, once everything is settled in.

Hearty meals at very reasonable prices – this Shish Delight is $26.