Taşhan Restaurant (Tashan 1699)

Taşhan 1699 Restaurant takes its name from the year the Taşhan caravanserai was constructed in the heart of Amasya — a date that anchors the venue's identity in the city's Ottoman mercantile past. The dining space operates within the partially restored stone courtyard and vaulted ground-floor cells of the original han, where 17th-century merchants once stabled horses and stored trade goods on the Silk Road route through the Black Sea highlands. Arched sandstone ceilings and rough-cut walls form the backdrop to a menu that self-consciously reflects the Anatolian flavours those same merchants would have known: keşkek (slow-cooked cracked wheat and lamb) is the flagship, prepared in the traditional manner and available in limited quantities per service; güveç (clay-pot braised meat with vegetables) simmers in individual earthenware vessels; and grilled lamb and köfte complete the main course range. Amasya çöreği — the city's distinctive ring bread enriched with black caraway seeds — arrives at the table in lieu of standard pide. The atmosphere inside the caravanserai is unlike any other restaurant in the city: thick stone walls maintain a cool, almost subterranean temperature in summer, while in winter the vaulted interior traps warmth effectively. Lighting is intentionally dim and candlelit in the evening. Seating extends into the open courtyard in warmer months. Prices at ₺300–700 per head sit in the mid-range; the setting adds considerable perceived value. Weekend reservations are strongly recommended.