What chef Omur Akkor at Mahsan wants you to feel when you enter the restaurant is the tradition, sense of belonging and warmth of delicious food — which is exactly what you get.

Akkor traveled from village to village in Turkiye’s Anatolia region to learn about the authentic flavors that are served at his restaurants at Istanbul and Antalya airports, and now in Riyadh. 

The restaurant, which is located in the vibrant Shorofat plaza in Riyadh’s An Nada District, came to the food scene in mid-June and has quickly become a popular establishment. Its beautifully decorated interior and welcoming staff transport you to a Turkish-inspired sanctuary. The details, from the plate settings to the bathroom decor, inspire your eyes to explore, as your taste buds do later with the food offerings.

For starters, we opted for saran — which are vine leaves imported from Kilis, Anatolia, hand-rolled with aromatic rice and herbs and finished with a touch of lemon — as well as the dolma, which are bell peppers and eggplants stuffed with aromatic rice and herbs. These are imported from Gaziantep in the Anatolia region and served with homemade Turkish labneh. 

The stuffed leaves could have done with more of a sour kick and some basic spices, but the dolma is a must-try if you are a fan of homey dishes. It was a perfect blend of spices and its soft texture almost melted in your mouth.

To further discover its warm Anatolian flavors, we ordered the manti: a dish platform of hand-folded beef dumplings, traditionally prepared by Turkish mothers, served with creamy yogurt sauce and warm chili-infused butter.

We felt the texture of the dough was more of a pasta than a dumpling, and the chili infusion was not showing through as much as we had hoped. 

We had to try a few of the Mahsan signatures. The creamy hummus, served with grilled beef tenderloin, toasted pine nuts and Turkish spices was a good choice.

An even better one was our Ali Nazik order, a dish featuring chargrilled beef served on smoked eggplant and creamy yogurt, along with Turkish spices.

The warmth of this dish, especially when eaten with fresh bread, produced an indescribable feeling of nostalgia. We accompanied our dishes with the Anatolian spiced potatoes, which were tossed with spices and fresh herbs and cooked golden to a crisp: a high recommendation from our end.

The establishment has some interesting drinks on the menu, like the Anatolian blossom, a signature blend of fresh orange and grape with basil and delicate rose water, and the Turkish sharbat, a blend of hibiscus, pomegranate, cinnamon and rose petals. 

While there were some hits and misses, we are definitely going back to explore the rest of its menu. If you are looking for a new restaurant to check out without breaking the bank, Mahsan is a great option. 

It is open from Sunday to Thursday from 4 p.m. to midnight, and Friday and Saturday from 1 p.m. to midnight.