Bey Sofrası

Bey Sofrası takes its name from the bey (lord) of the Karamanoğlu dynasty whose tombs and monuments are scattered across Karaman's old quarter, and its address on İbrahim Bey Cad places it within walking distance of İbrahim Bey İmareti, the grand fifteenth-century complex of mosque, imaret, and mausoleum that stands as one of the region's finest examples of late Anatolian Turkish architecture. The restaurant makes a point of drawing on the culinary heritage associated with this period — the cuisine of the Anatolian beyliks before the Ottoman consolidation — serving dishes that are, by Karaman standards, comparatively uncommon on modern menus. Keşkek, a slow-cooked combination of cracked wheat and meat pounded together into a smooth, savoury paste, is one of the oldest ceremonial dishes in Turkish culinary tradition and appears here as a main course with a pool of clarified butter poured over the top. Tirit, an ancient preparation of bread soaked in rich meat broth, appears alongside. Höşmerim, a soft fresh-cheese dessert cooked with sugar and served warm, concludes the meal in a manner more reminiscent of a medieval imaret kitchen than a contemporary restaurant. The dining room sustains this register: low wooden furnishings, kilim textiles on benches and walls, candlelight in the evening, and subdued lighting that complements the historic street outside. Midday hours are the busiest; the lunch trade from nearby government offices fills the room between noon and two. Service is informal and generous.