Yagiz: Modern Turkish cuisine

Immerse yourself in a night of opulence and indulgence at Yagiz’s Meyhane nights. Situated in the heart of South Yarra on Toorak Road, the popular restaurant has a long-standing reputation for offering punters some of the best Middle Eastern and Turkish fine dining experiences in Melbourne. Expect to be wowed by bold, fresh flavours, stunning cocktails and authentic Turkish live performances.

Word of the day: Meyhane. A Turkish word that translates to ‘house of wine’. It is a traditional Turkish restaurant that serves a mixture of fresh and seasonal mezze dishes accompanied by Raki wine and cocktails. 

Yagiz owner Murat Ovaz is guided by his ethos to redefine the art of Turkish cuisine in the bougie, eclectic Melbourne foodie scene. Inspired by his travels to Turkey, the restaurant is named after Ovaz’s grandfather. Ovaz, and restaurant manager Andrew Clifton-Smith have teamed up to craft a sumptuous modern Turkish venue with touches of tradition. The interiors are draped in earthy colours, tones and textures and the space is dressed in desert-inspired greenery, classic pottery and dishware. The bill itself is handed to customers in a traditional Turkish passport! 

With this in mind, their decision to host a monthly Meyhane night is a win.  

Milk Bar was fortunate to drop in on the 31 July Meyhane night. The traditional menu kicked off with starters. There was braised sea samphire, some shallot, bullhorn pepper, braised oyster mushroom, steam octopus with black olives, chickpea served with red onion and parsley, hung yoghurt adorned with zucchini and confit chilli, and feta cheese and melon. All were completely delicious! All this was served with traditional baked bread – I was in heaven! I couldn’t help but gravitate to the feta cheese, the steamed octopus, the hung yoghurt and the mushroom first. 

Next were the mains. Our favourites were generous portions of chargrilled greens with burnt butter, seafood risoni (yum!), and Kuzu Pirzola (charcoal lamb chop served with grilled pepper and salad). Dessert then capped off a stellar night of eating.  

Two signature cocktails were available. The favourite was the Rose Gimlet, a delicious cocktail of Hendricks Gin, lime, kafir lime cordial and rose water, served in a petite stemmed glass with a rose petal. If you’re a wine person, then don’t fret, because their wine list is impressive and expansive. 

Yagiz’s Meyhane nights are unforgettable, lively and sophisticated. Sit back, enjoy a couple of drinks and be prepared to devour many, many of the best Turkish and Middle Eastern dishes you will encounter. Please rock up hungry! 

Yagiz’s next Meyhane night is Sunday 28 August. 

Yagiz
22 Toorak Road, South Yarra, 3141
Open Tuesday to Saturday, 5pm to late
yagiz.com.au/home