SHOPPING/EATING
This is where you can put your recommendations for shopping and eating in Ankara.
MIGROS Grocery stores are common in Ankara and everywhere in Turkey. Migros Jet are the small ones, MMMigros, or 5M Migros are the bigger ones. Some say the more M you get, the bigger it is, but it does not means the selection of products is better! For exemple, the 5M Migros at Ankamall is pretty big, but the selection is more limited than the MMM Migros at 365 AVM. (Map of migros in Ankara) MACRO CENTER are the high end stores of Migros Turkey. You can find lots of imported items, and a varity of product that are not availiable in Migros, Cagasas and other grocery stores. The prices for basics items are normally not higher than Migros, but the imported items are more pricey. There is a good cheese selection, you can find pork products (lots of types of bacon, sausage, procuito) and more gourmet products than other grocery store. More choice of coffee, cereal and lots of imported products. Make sure you ask for your Fatura BEFORE they start scanning your items, otherwise it can be hard to get it. (Map of macro centres in Ankara) GIMSA shopping experience is between a public market (Pazarı) and a Walmart. There is a one in the Yenimahalle's neighborhood. (Get the map here) Gimsa is one of the biggest hypermarket / discount department store / grocery stores in town. Note that there are smaller Gimsa branches in Etimesgut and Sincan (in the western part of Ankara) In term of size, selection and pricing it's comparable to a Walmart Supercenter. Prices are cheap like discount stores but the selection is better. There is a bakery, a butcher, cheese & bulk nuts sections and a large selection of fruits & vegetables . The vibe is different than Çankaya's malls. It is like going to the market, (Pazarı) but without the pressure of the sellers. Like most supermarkets, it would usually be crowded at night and on the weekend, so going on a weekday is probably a better time. CITY GROSS If you prefer more quiet stores, try City Gross. Somewhere between Metro Gross Market and Migros but with a wider selection. Prices are cheaper than Migros & Metro and it doesn't have that warehouse look of Metro Grossmarket. The food section is really interesting + they have a nice fruits & vegetable section. They sell alcohol. They have more choice of cheeses than most places and they offer a lot of bulk products. Unlike Metro, you don't have to buy big packages. Also, you don't need a membership to buy there. City Gross is about 15-20 minutes from Park Vadi. It is located on Macun Mahallesi in Yenimahalle (Get the map here). METRO Grossmarket is similar to Costco. It is actually a German brand, that also carry the Makro supermarkets. There is a good selection of products. You can find 3 Metros in Ankara, - one nearby Nata Vega Mall in Mamak, one at the Fatih neighborhood near Wonderland amusement park; and one in Etlik. The bigger one is the one located in Etlik. It has 2 levels, and a wide selection of products, electronic, clothing, etc.. It normally has everything in stock, unlike the one in Mamak. (Get map of all three Metros here) CARREFOUR supermarkets are also found in Ankara and everywhere in Turkey. It is pretty similar to Migros in terms of price & selection. (Map here) ÇAĞDAŞ is another supermarket brand in Turkey. There is one on Hosdere but and another one a little further on Kırkkonaklar Mahallesi. Prices are normally lower than Migros and selection much better than the discount stores. (Map here) BIM, ŞOK and A101 Another category of grocery stores are discount stores. BIM, SOK and A101 offer less choice but are very cheap. You find these store everywhere in Ankara and in most Turkish towns.
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Chinese dumplings in Ankara @ Mister Jiaozi. https://www.facebook.com/misterjiaozi/
Mixed reviews. Definitely worth a try..the location is very interesting...in a shopping arcade in a residential building in the middle of nowhere..with other shops and restaurants..really nice..the food was ok..mainly dumplings with few side dishes.. very cheap..they serve alcohol...well... he grabs it from the grocery store next door...restaurant owned and run by a Chinese chef..very nice..we went with a Chinese friend who did not love the dumplings..we did however order 5 servings and were all gone...worth a try for something different. Chinese restaurant @ Altinpark - online reviews on their food are good. Can't comment on their service and atmosphere though.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wang-Chao-Altınpark-Çin-Lokantası/253925414708690 One of our families have been here and can vouch for the food. The restaurant used to be run by the chinese government / embassy and that's how it got its popularity. Now no longer the case, but food still good. If anyone is missing pork.. uptown speakeasy in Çankaya has excellent grilled pork ribs..
Looking for good coffee in Ankara? Check these places out. https://europeancoffeetrip.com/ankara-speciality-coffee-guide/
A re-post from earlier this year, so this is mainly for our newbies in town. Recommendations by officers and families are listed below: F451 Brewer - Tiny cafe on John F. Kennedy Caddesi, located off Tunali Caddesi. ROR Cafe and Roastery - Excellent coffee at ROR also on Bahçelievler.....and good cakes... PROD Coffee Roasters - the best of the 3 coffee shops we tried...they serve an iced brew coffee on tap...in a bottle..supposed to taste like a guiness. Mocaco - in Bahçelievler is also reasonable but a bit further. Eksi Maya - Another good one. https://www.facebook.com/eksimayaankara/ This cafe specialises in sour dough bread and serves good breakfast and brunch. "L'avare "...a tapas restaurant was our latest new find in town..off farabi sokak..a good selection of tapas ( all the tapas we ordered were delicious) ...they also have paella...and other generic stuff..cozy atmosphere...there is a small theatre in the back for performances. 4 stars
The name of the restaurant is L'avare (it's a french word for a Spanish restaurant) it is on Üsküp caddesi - Make a left on Üsküp from Farabi just before the tunnel..it's 300 m up the street on the right. if you are a fan of cafe kish on bülten sokak of Tunalı..(a small cafe that serves mainly quiches pies and salads.. its bigger sister kish Kitchen just opened few doors down..
very trendy and cozy place with good variety of food.. For MEN -
In relation to my previous post, I couldn’t recommend something for the ladies and leave out the fellas. So for larger size men’s clothing and shoes, check out this online store http://www.superbattal.com/en/ . They do delivery and their website is also in English. If you are in Istanbul, there is supposedly another store recommended on TripAdvisor called Pierre Cassi. The closest store to the Consulate is around the neighbourhood of the Grand Pazar. www.pierrecassi.com For WOMEN - For anyone finding it difficult to shop for larger size women's clothing, this Turkish online shop has a good affordable range. https://www.bandito.com.tr Below are some online shops for large size shoes. All the sites are in Turkish, with the exception of the second listed below which has an English option (although priced in GB Pounds). In saying this, they're relatively easy to navigate around.
Ordering from within the country will avoid the risk of an overseas purchases being held at customs - which we have had to face at one point. http://www.37numara.com (women only) http://www.deichmann.com/GB/en/shop/welcome.html (men, women and kids) https://www.incideri.com (men and women) Chinese dumplings in Ankara. I haven't tried it myself but the reviews look good.
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