Review Caravanserai - Brisbane

Have always wanted to try this place, it has such pretty fairy lights outside. It has a lovely warm atmosphere inside and was quite busy on a Friday night. We got the sublime platter, dip duo and salmon main to share between 4 of us. The dips were not my favourite, I found them a bit flavourless. The Turkish bread was amazing though! The platter had a lovely selection and gave us a good sample of everything. The desserts were delicious, the sticky fig pudding was yum and Turkish delight was a lovely end.

This place was absolutely amazinggg! I’ve been looking for a good reliable Turkish restaurant and I definitely found one. The flavours were divine, the kofta and the meat was so soft, the spinach and feta filo pastry was perfect too! Amazing charcoal grilled flavour on the meats and prawn, and the dips/sauces were fantastic. Service was also great, we didn’t make a booking but one of the waiters were able to squeeze us in for an hour and a half. Highly recommend.

This place is awesome. We met friends here and had such a lovely evening. The service is good, its BYO, the food is delicious, and the setting is relaxed and welcoming. Our bill came to only $150 for 4 ppl. I can't wait to go back as there is so much more I want to try from the menu!!

This is a great little suburban gem with awesome food and wonderful ambiance. If it’s your first time you simply can’t go past the Deluxe Sultans banquet. You won’t go home hungry! It goes without saying that one of the best things about this place is that it’s BYO! How fab! There’s a bottle shop just across the road too in case you don’t come prepared. Uber don’t drive!

Amazing setting & vibe. The food is ok, nice experience to go once but not amazing enough to come back. The bread & prawns were the tastiest out of everything.

Must orders: The platter!!!! Everything on it is PERFECTION The mussels - this is so delicious and everyone I bring here also love love love the mussels here. With the Turkish bread dipped into the soup it comes in it is just soooo delicious!! I wish I could recommend more from the menu as I’m sure it’s all lovely but we always cave in and get the platter and mussels because they’re just SOOOO good so we never have space for other mains. Desserts/ the pudding in butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream is soo yummy. Baklava ok. I sing nothing but praises for this restaurant- they and Taboon on the GC are top tier. Amazing flavours, so balanced and healthy and just WOW every time. Btw also the service here is really attentive and nice, they do get busy on weekends so make sure to call up beforehand.

Excellent service and very delicious food. I had the Ottoman Meze for main, it was filled with a large variety of different yummy tastes. Harriet was so helpful and knowledgeable on all the recommendations of the menu.

Make sure to make a booking! This place gets full pretty quickly. Their platter for 2 is amazing. It has a great range of mezze and traditional turkish mains with great flavours. The grilled lamb chop and beef kofta ball was so tender. Even the chicken skewer was mouth watering. Definitely coming back. The low lighting in this restaurant makes a perfect mood for a nice dinner with your partner.

We got the share platter for two. The platter was very generously portioned. The array of food was amazing! Everything on the platter was beautifully cooked (even the prawns!). We thoroughly enjoyed the chicken kebabs, which were beautifully moist and marinated. The green herb sauce was a taste sensation! We will be back again, and I’ll be bringing my picky family along to try this restaurant too. Honestly, a delight!

June 2020. Went here with a group of friends on a weekend night for dinner after making a reservation ahead of time. BYO - we bought our wine from the nearby bottle shop from across the road.<br/>We shared the 'full banquet' which included a selections of breads and dips for mezes, and succulent skewers and meatballs for mains, followed by sweet morsels of baklava for dessert. Food was flavourful. Good portions.<br/>Service was unfortunately disjointed throughout the evening with noticeable lack of communication between the staff. Casual ambience with indoor and outdoor seating available. Reasonable prices.<br/>Overall, good food albeit service could be improved.

Food = 4.0<br/>Ambience = 3.5<br/>Service = 4.0<br/><br/>Amazing food and great choices. The food is dome well and meats are succulent and not dried out. The large platter is great for sharing. The bread is done so well and so tasty. The dips are really tasty, would like a bit more quantity as there is more bread to go around and if sharing the dips, its not enough.<br/><br/>The service was great and prompt. Would definately come back to this place again and try their other offerings. The turkish delight was an interesting twist and just amazing.

Very nice steak. However would come back just for the Turkish bread.

Really really good middle eastern food. Been coming here for years and have brought several friends here after talking things up so much with every one of them being impressed.<br/><br/>The staff are incredibly hospitable and always seem to manage to find you a table even when you're slack and just call at the last minute.<br/><br/>The dimmed lights inside make for a really nice intimate meal when you're having a date time or just catching up with close friends.<br/><br/>One day I'm sure I'll sample the menu more fully, but for now I just can't go past the platter for two that gives you a bit of everything and certainly doesn't leave you feeling hungry at the end of the meal.

Would highly recommend. Great value for money, great atmosphere, and all the food tasted delicious

My partner and I had dinner at Caravanserai last night and honestly the food we ordered was 5 stars. We arrived just after 6pm without a book omg and we were lucky to get a table, the restaurant filled up very quickly so bookings here are definitely essential. We ordered the Feta Pide (Turkish pide with sweet chilli and feta) it was so simple but so mouth watering delicious. For mains we ordered the winter special, lamb shank with potato and spinach and the seafood risotto. The lamb melted of the bone and the seafood risotto was perfect the prawns and mussels were the tastiest I have had in a long while. We don’t normally eat dessert but everything was so good we could not try it so we ordered one latte, an Arabic coffee and a baklava to share. The Arabic coffee was such an unusual but smooth flavour of cardamom and coffee it was like drinking a thick hot chocolate, I will definitely ordered another one. The baklava was the cherry on top just the perfect size to top off the night. We also shared the Turkish lemonade in a jug for the whole dinner, it was a great balance between sweet but sour. I will recommend Caravanserai too all my family and friends.

This evening we had a delicious meal , our only mistake was having an entree which was the Pide bread and dips it was yummy but so much food we could not finish the main which was the Sublime Platter for two also abundant and delicious. We were sitting at the back  deck area which was warm and cosy. Service was attentive and prompt. Took a doggy bag(box) home , too good to leave.! The ( I would think was home made) Turkish delight which we bought and took home was heavenly. Highly recommend this lovely restaurant and we will definitely return.Thank You.

We had dinner here recently. A big family get together. We got the set menu another was literally so much good we couldn't eat it all! The entré was enough. All of it good too! The atmosphere was quite dark if that's what you are into. BYO was a hit with everyone as well.

I used to go to this place ages ago & tried it again recently. The fact it's still there is a testament to how good it is. We shared the banquet & it was awesome. We all left SO FULL! Everything was delicious.. Would definitely recommend & go again. Maybe with some stretchy pants this time!

The feta pide was far too salty. I quite enjoyed the kofta (meatballs) and thought it was a very filling meal. The meatballs were pretty dry and flavourless without the tomato sauce though. <br/><br/>Wasn't a fan of the very dim and red lighting (as can be seen in the photos without flash).

We ordered take away to have in Highgate Hill Park up the road. The wonderful lady serving us offered us restaurant cutlery as they did not have take away cutlery. The she said, she would provide crockery to improve our eating experience which we gladly accepted. <br/> <br/>So as we were waiting outside for our order, the same lady came out, offered us a table to sit at and then bought out cold water for us. <br/> <br/>The food was exceptional and the overall experience - outstanding.  <br/> <br/>And our Canadian visitor was blown away by the quality of the service and the food. Thank you so much for this wonderful experience.

Without a doubt, Turkish food isn't one that I often get to sample very often at all, but having said that, there are a few Turkish places that have long piqued my interest and I've always wanted to try. So of course, I was quite pleased when Adam decided to take me out to Caravanserai, one of the highest rated Turkish restaurants in Brisbane for date night. Although it was a fair hike from the city, we decided to walk, and it turned out to be a smart move to work up our appetite before dinner.

Very busy, and difficult to have a conversation with any friends at dinner. The food is lovely although very heavy on the dill. I would definitely visit again.

A nice night walk to a beautiful Turkish restaurant, on the side streets in West End. We were not ready for what we were about to get into 😊. Housemade Lemonade. Upon arrival we looked at the drinks menu and decided on the lemonade. A nice giant pitcher of sweet goodness, reminded me of selling this back home for pocket money 😊.

Busy place but has a nice ambience. It has good anti-food Instagram lighting, no joke I can’t take a photo to share with friends. Pretty expensive but if you want to try out some food with good profile, I would recommend at least trying.

Delicious food and a nice busy yet cozy vibe. I’m not one for straying from a single course, but everything looked too good. Three courses and they did not disappoint. We loved eating here and the BYO was a plus! <br/>

It's a busy restaurant so you'd better book a table in advance. We were happy because we didn't spend too much time to wait for our food. The fig mousse is special and delicious!

Amazing food, we loved it. Everything perfect, Except that there was no heater on the outside where we were seated, so, it was kinda freezing diminishing the experience. Would love to visit again!!

An exotic name and interesting place. The meze and kofta and borek delicious. It's not a regular for us but doesn't disappoint. It's palatable Turkish that's accessible. <br/>

Food was great, will be coming back here again for sure. A great experience at a reasonable price. BYO is a big plus as well. Only thing I would change is scrap the 3 or 4 plastic chairs you have for the wooden ones!

I was here once before but it was at least 10 years ago before we moved to Australia. I knew what the exterior looked like and that it was somewhere West of the Story Bridge. I also knew that it was very good and I wanted to get back there. I found it by accident again while out for a bike ride and waited for Mrs Canuck to arrive for a visit.<br/><br/>After the third bite Mrs Canuck said we need to come back. By the middle of her main she said we were moving to Turkey. Later she said it was the best meal she's had in a long time.<br/><br/>The good: service, food, ambiance, quality, quantity, and prices.<br/><br/>The bad: it's a long way from Melbourne where I live. They don't serve alcohol but allow BYO. Not to worry if you forget as there's a bottle shop 50 m away.<br/><br/>Oh yeah. Dessert is awesome. Mrs Canuck said it was a texture explosion in her mouth.

What a gem of a place. Yes it’s LOUD - but that’s just the sound of happy patrons bonding over their utterly delicious food and BYO wine. Have been here multiple times but most recently went in the busy December Christmas period and was graciously accommodated for a Table for 10 at the last minute. We had the Garlic Pide (a must, it literally is dripping with garlic), Ottoman Meze and a variety of mains. Everything came out in a large servings and was packed with flavour. Also satisfied our GF, DF and vegetarian friends. We definitely recommend making a booking, bringing a bottle of wine along and opting for a Meze platter and shared mains (try to keep room for the yummy desserts too). One more tip would be to opt for an outside table if you have guests who are a little hard of hearing. Looking forward to our next time at Caravanserai!

Stunning little middle eastern gem. I love the bustle and loud chatter this place brings. Was originally my fave little Turkish hangout in Brisbane before they all multiplied. Still has amazing food there. Got to park in pokey little side streets but not too much drama. Biggest shame is they dont have bellydancing performances anymore😞

Loved it! Food was delicious and serving size just right, prices really good too. We got the platter for 2, which had such a delicious selection of different meats and sides. Forgot it was BYO so make sure you bring your wine to compliment your meal :)

I am never disappointed by the food or service at Caravanserai! The staff are lovely and are always ready to offer their recommendations, and the food is excellent! It gets busy though, so would recommend calling ahead and reserving a table if you can.

Quality food served very quickly. Pick up your wine first at the bottleO nearby. Eclectic, relaxed and zero pretensions. Muted lighting isn't really my thing personally when I'm eating food but it suits the venue. It's the kind of place you come with your nearest and dearest. when you're more interested in great food being served and quality conversation than nice tables and chairs and who's noticing who.

This is one of my favourite restaurants in Brisbane. The mezze platters are amazing. Beautiful ambiance. Always great service. Only big disappointment is the catering to vegans. They offer the holumi and polenta stack but then it comes without holumi or polenta.. So it's just vegetables? I would love to see a better vegan option on the menu!

The share platters will blow your mind. I loved the low-light setting and great for a date or a catch up with the fam over fantastic food. If you like Turkish food, look no further, because this has to be the best of the cuisine in Brisbane.

We went for dinner here last night and had a great time.This gem is located just before a turn on Dornoch Cr.The ambience was really nice you almost feel like your sitting in Turkey for a minute.I grew up in Dubai so am very familiar with authentic Turkish cuisine and these guys were spot on.The staff was really friendly and helpful.We took a lot of time to decide on what to order ,so many choices.The food was really amazing,we tried a whole assortment of items and noone had anything bad to say.The best part was how all the food is set up to be shared among us so everyone got a bite.We will be going again.

Great place with a nice atmosphere - might be a bit too dimly lit for some. <br/>The food is delicious, especially their winter fare (who doesn't enjoy a good lamb shank!). <br/>Not too enthused with their desserts.

Caravanserai used to be my local a few years ago. I absolutely love the food there. They used to have a lamb shank with eggplant mash that was so good I craved it constantly, but the last time I went there it wasn't on the menu. It's been replaced with potato mash, which is still amazing. The meat falls of the bone, and has such a flavoursome sauce. They have a dessert called Sultans Balls - the chocolate combo will knock your socks off. Cannot recommend enough.

Four of us headed off for dinner last night with high expectations. Good reviews and a long standing restaurant fully booked it seemed. Food was tasty - mezza plate to share and good choice of mains to suit most tastes. The service however was poor and really damped the night. We felt unwelcome and pressured to eat quickly and leave. For a Saturday night we felt a 7.30 start and departure by 9.45 was most reasonable. But we were pressured to order promptly and then each course rushed out with barely time to breathe in between. Plates cleared before we had finished and chairs stacked and floors mopped with potent disinfectant while guests still there. We won't be back.

Charming, intimate and way more sophisticated than you'd expect from a Turkish restaurant. Service is friendly and reasonable. Menu is limited but really interesting. Food is outstanding! Even the dips are different and really really good 'best I've ever had'said my partner. Not your normal yoghurt and stuff here: Fresh herbs, subtle flavours great colour. Really special. Mains sound pretty standard on the menu but each was subtle, complex and delicious. Even the carrot and onion pickle was outstanding.<br/><br/>So Good:

Been to this restaurant a few times over the years. As usual, the food was great. Good servings with platters the best way to go... The service tonight was also good as usual however our meals were a little slower than usual to arrive... The manager had noticed this and brought our meals out personally. He offered us complimentary desserts and coffee for our wait. By this time we were all full and a little tired so we opted out. I thought that would have been that, however the manager opted to knock a bit off our bill seeing we didn't want the freebies... Great work guys!!!<br/><br/>Thanks for the great food and hospitality. I understand you were very busy and in no way did I feel you hadn't acknowledged that we were waiting... My family certainly appreciated that as much as the great food... We'll be back 😀👍🏾😉

This is another one of the long-timers that populate the pockets of West End. With the ideal location, and the view from the top (river and everything), how could it not be? Matching it with some excellent and affordable fair, along with great service and an ambiance to match Caravanserai has a lot of the makings of a classic for the years to come. That is probably among the reasons that it has managed to persist for so many already. <br/><br/>It was that usual time again, meeting with a friend. The go-to area for food now seems to be around the South Bank/West End area, and that is for a good reason - there is quite a breadth of options all within one or two blocks of each other, and the average quality is maintained at a high level. This time around, she was thinking of one of the options of Hardgrave Road - perfect. This is just as good as Boundary or Grey Street (arguably better, but opinions are opinions), which has the concentrated options but is far from the maddening crowd. Another thing about it is that Hardgrave Road is a little out of the way, but also that it has two seperate clusters. Looking at them both, the further one (the one that connects to Dornoch Terrace) was where we ended up. Looking at a couple of West End's best and most acclaimed places, it was down to one of these two. My friend thought that because she was yet to have done Turkish with me, and what a way to mix it up. So Caravanserai it was. <br/><br/>If you get lucky, you are shown the back door which goes to the balcony. While anywhere to sit in the restaurant would be great, there is something more that is added to the experience when going out back. You get the candle lit ambiance, the lovely service and, if it is a good night, cool breeze to top it all off. Make no mistake, inside was also good. There was mood lighting, Arabic artworks around the place even the lanterns and a lot of red hues. All of this does not look apparent from the outside, which gives it much more of a charm - one that is like a warm, homely sort of charm. <br/><br/>Service is what it needs to be. They are friendly, they are efficient and they tend to leave you be. That is not to discount the ethic that they have, because these lasses are hard-working. One of them I saw - no exaggeration - carrying a stack of water glasses - one within another - that was about the length of her arm. Suffice to say, that is a level that probably can't be taught. <br/><br/>With the beautiful view, the mood lighting and the generally quiet surrounds (they did score lucky with this one), one of the highlights of the meal were the visitors that we had. Both our table and the one next to that saw the same thing. On the balcony, possums are a frequent guest during the night time rush and the staff even feed them from time to time. It was one of the cutest things that I have seen, and it was truly a surprise on the night. <br/><br/>Getting onto the food, Caravanserai's menu is definitely one that is aimed for sharing, as is anything truly Middle Eastern really. One of the first options that appear on their menu is the meze platters. These are good for entrees with a few people, and can be a substantial meal with less. Other entrees precede them. A good range of mains is on the next page, with all kinds of meat and seafood that are well thought out and added with all sorts of fresh ingredients. These must be quite substantially sized. If you honestly are having a hard time deciding, not that I blame you in spite of a fairly compact menu with the good range on offer, with enough people there are the banquets. As always, sweets appear at the end along with tea and coffee. Whether in a big group, or one of those special dates, this is probably one of the best choices in the local area. <br/><br/>Both of us being poor students, and having to get a fair bit to sample, the way to go was one of the meze plates - also, not enough people for a banquet. Getting the best bang for the buck, it was the Ottomon feast. This had grilled asparagus, chorizo, haloumi, almond-crusted goat's cheese, baked polenta, chargrilled prawn skewers, several dipping sauces and warmed Turkish bread. As well as the meze platter, some mussel were ordered. These came in a tomato-based butter sauce, and were also served with Turkish bread. All of these items were really good, tender bits of meat and delicious vegetables cooked with gusto and spices. The prawns were really sweet and sauteed with garlic, plus the chorizo was a little less smokey than most, and haloumi is always a winner in my book. The goat's cheese was delightfull creamy, as was the polenta. Those mussels as well were fantastically simple - cooked in a tomato sauce, the tomato sauce was delicious and full of flavour; the butter gave the texture a need bit of robustness. The mussels were sweet and the perfect texture as well, they alone could have been a great snack. Even if there was a lot of it, the Turkish bread was still fantastic and made for a good mop with all the sauces and such left over; it was hot, soft and had a crusty finish on the outside. <br/><br/>At the end of the meal, it was the thoughts about whether or not to get dessert. Well, of course we did in the end - silly. Looking at the menu, even with only a handful of options, it was still tricky. Ultimately, both an order of Turkish delight and baklava each. It also went without saying that I got a coffee on the side - can't resist a coffee where possible. As usual, both those sweets were reliable - the Turkish delight was sweet and powdered with icing sugar, and the baklava had its usual stickiness from the honey drizzled over the pastry. Turkish coffee manages to tow this line where the coffee will definitely be very strong, packing a real punch into a thimble-sized cup, along with having a sweetness to it that is couresty of cardomon. It is a delight each time to drink, and I thoroughly recommend all coffee lovers to give it a go. And it was with that, that we called it a night. <br/><br/>At one point, Turkish cuisine was that kind that I was neither here nor there about yet hearing a lot about it. Perhaps it was because until now I had not had the great experience of it, with all the places I had been to. Bits and pieces were certainly sampled over the years, but not stuck with me as much as other cuisines. Well, now I have found a couple of places which might give Turkish its due - and Caravanserai is one of those places. Instead of being fantastic, I would put the word reliable at the forefront - you have a view that is worth a few grand, a lovely setting and good, relaxed service to go with the high quality food. In shorter words, Caravanserai was really good.

Many visits, much delicious, so taste. Caravanserai is the place for any occasion. Whether you're wanting to impress on a first date or trade laughs with a big crew until closing time, the restaurant provides the perfect setting. Grab a bottle of plonk from across the road, get some dips and a platter on the hook, and settle in for a great night – guaranteed.

Great vibe. We had a great night! The food was flavourful and delicious. We went on the Friday night and the place was packed. We'll definitely go back when we're in town.

Went there for lunch on <br/>Mothers Day. Portions are generous. It is not overly expensive and the food yummy. We had the Meze for entree, mixed platter for two for mains, fig mousse for dessert with coffee. I can now hardly walk! Dessert came with pomegranate and pistachios on top- not too sweet but good none the less. Both main and entrees came with warm Turkish bread. Koftas, chicken skewers, garlic prawns and green beans were part of the main. All were delicious. We will return. Good value meal.

The best Turkish I've tried in Brisbane hands down! Incredible Meze platters to share with a bottle of wine, everything on them was perfection. I cannot recommend Caravansari enough! Get in early on the weekend or make a booking, it fills up quickly! The banquet is a great way to experience the menu, but you better be hungry, it's huge! Two meze platters, four mains, Turkish lemonade, sweets and tea/coffee. We couldn't finish it all! $49.50 per person.

I've been coming to Caravanserai for over 5 years now and I am still yet to be disappointed by a meal. Generally speaking, I end up rolling out like a bowling ball, full from the meal and ready for a post-food nap. If you can get a group together for a banquet it is well worth it as the menu presents many great options and it's worth it to try everything. Service has always been consistently good - food comes out steaming and is always fresh. The fresh Turkish bread is just unbelievably delicious (and fresh out of the oven on arrival!) <br/><br/>My one word of advice would be to arrive a bit early for dinner because parking can be a little bit tricky during popular times!

This place has a great atmosphere, great food and very friendly and entertaining staff :)<br/><br/>Recommend it for everyone to come here.<br/><br/>We ordered the Platter for two, and then my piggy partner ordered the baklava, macadamia and fig pudding, and Turkish delight. All really good choices! Lucky for us, we can take away what we couldn't finish. <br/><br/>Easily booked out though, so book ahead! Other than that, it is well worth it :) <br/><br/>Thanks for a lovely night out caravanserai!!

This is the most amazing Turkish food I have ever had. The food is great, the service is amazing and in a convenient location. I had the share platter with my partner and you get a bit of everything - Delicious!! Can't wait to come back and have recommended to all my friends.

We got the feta pide and the Mediterranean Platter for $64.50, absolutely delicious! Beef was v. tender and flavoursome, the meatballs were the best I've ever had in my life, and the prawns weren't bad either. Only issue was the chicken skewers, quite dry and a bit burnt, they should've used chicken thighs instead of chicken breast. Regardless, I'll be back again!

Caravanserai is a feast for your palate and eyes. With the delectable smells filling the air and the soft middle eastern decor, you will feel transported to another land. The food is flavorful and the restaurant is very accommodating about food allergies as well. I found the chicken skewers with the quinoa salad very satisfying. The cranberries and pomegranate were a nice touch. I finished the meal with a spiced coffee. The coffee had a depth of flavour, but the powdered spice did make it a little heavy and pasty. I am a coffee lover so it was still enjoyable.

This place has accrued a loyal following for years - and rightfully so! The food is delicious and it's one of a few nice BYO restaurants around - what more can you ask for. We had the platter for 2 which was perfect because you get to sample a bit of everything. We pretty much loved everything on the platter, especially the perfectly cooked haloumi! Caravanserai is a great restaurant for groups and their banquets are well-priced for what you get. Parking can be a bit tricky being in west end but there's also a bus that stops a stone's throw away on Hargreaves Rd.

First off, sorry no pics for this one! Had a dinner with a bunch of other bloggers pre-Christmas and decided to have the night off taking photos :pBut the night was amazing, service was quick and effective. Food was top notch too. I shared the share platter and it was super filling with a great variety of flavours to eat. Everyone had great things to say about their food too, no complaints at all!

We had a fantastic evening catching up with friends over some shared dishes. Everything was delicious - beef rib, chicken skewers, prawns, hummus, breads etc. Good vegetarian dishes, and the overall price was quite reasonable. The didn't make us feel like we had to move on immediately after meal, which was nice.

Fantastic food. We went as part of a large group and the service was quite good. It was nice to be able to get a fish and vegetable dish. It may not have been authentic but it was delicious and not too heavy. My dining partners all seemed happy with their meals too. I would happily return.

Went here on a date on Saturday night. The staff are super friendly and helpful. Restaurant has a great vibe with dimly lit rooms. The food is very high quality and great serving sizes - My partner and myself shared the mussels as an entree and got the mixed platter for 2 as our main. We couldn't finish it all! All the food was great and I really couldn't fault the place. You will pay approx $40pp but it is definitely worth it! I really can't wait to go back and try other items on the menu. I really do love being able to write such a positive review about a place! Brisbane is so hit and miss when dining out...

Fantastic, fantastic place. I've never had a bad meal here, and I've been eating At Caravanerai since the 90s! The staff are friendly, professional and fast, and the food is generously portioned and absolutely lovely (including the baklava and Turkish delight - normally I'm not interested in these, but here they are the freshest and tastiest I've ever eaten in Brisbane, by a very long shot). A true West End gem with Bohemian ambience a plenty, Caravanserai has "wonderful night" oozing out of every nook at cranny of its cozy interior.

Amazing food! Will definitely be back!<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>

Love love love this place! Presentation isn't top notch but the taste makes up for it. We always come back for The Mixed Platter for Two :).

We just had the most delicious meal here! I would highly recommend the kofta's and the chicken skewers were amazing! I'm already planning our next meal here!

Its been a while ago since I was here. I remembered each dish was nice but lacking in a little finesse and balance. Great place for catchups with nice decor and good service which creates a nice atmosphere to the dining experience.

I dined here recently with a large group of friends, and the Caravanserai staff could not have been more accommodating. We organised to bring our own cake and they were so understanding and helpful about when it should come out, where we could store it, etc. Our mains were also absolutely delicious!!! I highly recommend the vegetarian and seafood pilaffs. Finally, the ambiance is kind of moody and cool, and very Turkish! I strongly recommend this place :)

We dined on. Friday evening.. The food and service were good. Clearly they have lots of large groups taking advantage of the BYO so they were very loud.<br/>With little in the way of sound absorbing or soft furnishings you could hardly hear yourself talk.<br/>It's such a shame. I'd like to go again on a quieter night - it's definitely no good for a romantic or special evening / due to other patrons.<br/>Food was fresh/ delicious and lots of it.<br/>Dessert special "flourless brownie" was stodgy.

Loved It. Party of 7 for dinner on a Thursday night and I convinced everyone to get the Deluxe Sultans Banquet. There was some initial reluctance with this decision but from the first course everyone loved the food. There was plenty of it to go around and it was fresh, light and flavoursome - not heavy or on the oily side like it can sometimes be. Definitely go again.

Favourite Restaurant in Brisbane. I love the dim warm vibe of this place. Food is always amazing and a fun atmosphere. You have to get the platter for two! Mouth watering goodness!!!!

This place is the best! Definitely recommend getting platters to share - both the 'Caravanserai' and 'Ottoman' mezes are great, and the main mixed platter for two is sensational. Don't forget to bring some tasty wine! Amazing staff, beautiful restaurant. We love sitting outside, either out the back or out the front.

I cannot give a proper review because this restaurant is never open. One I'll get to taste their food and I'm sure it will be nice.

Love this place. Great staff, beautiful exotic decor and great homemade Turkish cuisine. <br/>I've here many times and it always makes me smile.<br/>One of my favs.

Left hungry. Got the banquet for about 20 people which was $40 per person, barely any food came out and every one of us left hungry. Even more embarrassing for me as I recommended the restaurant to everyone. This is a great restaurant for 2 - 4 people to have dinner. Very underwhelming for a large group however.

Wandered in on a Friday night without a booking (shame on us), and the accommodating staff still found us an intimate table. Fantastic combination of buzzing atmosphere and romantic setting. <br/>The meze platter for two was faultless (always eat the halloumi first thing- it practically melted in my mouth, it was so perfectly cooked) and the sticky date pudding was ultimate. <br/>The staff were friendly, polite and chilled out which also helped us to feel very welcome. Will definitely be back.

Great Night Out!. I've been coming to Caravanserai for years and it's always been a satisfying experience. The food is delicious, the staff are friendly and helpful and I love the feel and appearance of the restaurant. <br/><br/>Whether it's just my partner and I or with a group, Caravanserai has always provided a great experience. I'll be back soon and will be continuing to bring others that haven't had the pleasure as yet. <br/><br/>Thank you!

Went here with my boyfriend for dinner on a busy Thursday night ! The Lovely staffed sat us out on the back veranda which has a lovely view and great atmosphere! <br/><br/>For entree we had the ottom Meze it's a MUST and the mussels! The servings a pretty generous so we shared the Izmir chicken breast which was lovely and juicy the only bad thing I could say the it's could of come with a bit more of the side salad. <br/><br/>We will be back

Chill night happy times. The food, the atmosphere and the staff were all lovely, My partner and I are both vega and there was heaps of entrees and lovely mains for us to pick from. The staff are happy to answer questions and have a chat and the food was delicious and filling. Deff coming again and deff recommending it to others.<br/><br/><br/>-----31 Oct, 2014-----<br/><br/>Such tasty food. Love this place, awesome food, happy vibrant staff and great service! Back deck is so nice now that the weather is warming up. Deft coming back :)

Turkish food - great platters. Awesome environment to meet numerous friends, fun to share the platters in small groups. save room for dessert

A group of 23 of us had dinner here for a friends birthday. We ordered the deluxe banquet that, with corkage, came to about $45/person. All of us left hungry. For my $45 I got: 1 slice of Turkish bread to dip, half a little filo the size of a spring roll (shared it with my girlfriend as there wasn't enough for everyone), one meatball, one chicken skewer, and some pickings of Turkish delight and baklava for dessert. The only thing I turned down were one or two mussels that maybe I could have had if I were a seafood eater. The food was tasty, but I've never left a restaurant feeling more ripped off.

Always a great dining experience. I've eaten dinner at Caravanserai on numerous occasions, usually with a small group of friends and occasionally with a larger group and every time I find something different and delicious to eat. Great restaurant for sharing meals and flavours and consistently an enjoyable time with great service<br/><br/><br/>-----27 Aug, 2014-----<br/><br/>Always a great food experience. I've eaten dinner at Caravanserai on numerous occasions, usually with a small group of friends and occasionally with a larger group and every time I find something different and delicious to eat. Great restaurant for sharing meals and flavours and consistently an enjoyable time with great service

Got the deluxe banquet for 6 people tonight, got served enough food for about 2-3 people. Total bill of $380. very underwhelmed

Terrific Turkish. Had a delicious dinner on Saturday evening - could not fault a single one of our 8 meals. Excellent service. Will be singing your praises - we will be back soon!

I absolutely love it here. Caravanserai is always heaving on weekends and I can see why. This also helps with atmosphere! You feel like you're in a Turkish market! I went here with a group of 6 people and shared a banquet. We were extremely happy with the variety, quality and quantity of the food. No one was left wanting! Will certainly be back!

Best Turkish food in Brisbane!. Always very impressed by the delicious flavours, great service and warm atmosphere! Celebrated my birthday here with my dad and my brother, vegetarian mains were amazing and for dessert we were spoiled with a Sticky Date Pudding on the house! One of my favourite restaurants.

Our group of four had a lovely meal here on Sunday night. The Caravanserai Meze, Meatballs and the Salmon were terrific. The meals were huge so we didn't have room for dessert, but the coffee was excellent. Will be going back.

The food was nice. No complaints but not really any 'standouts'. I would like to eat the food again but the service was terrible. Had to ask for wine glasses, ask for water, wait over 40 mins for our food, the guy next to us was SMOKING! & they ran out of dessert & ten we had to ask for the bill while they were packing up chairs around us.

Awful dining experience! (Noisy, Dim & Disappointing).. Dined on a Friday night at an 830 reservation. After being stuck in a dark corner (where the light overhead was blown) we had to farm candles from other tables and use the light from our phones in order to read the menu. <br/><br/>We had decided on the ottoman meze ($29) for entree and the Istanbul sublime share platter ($65) for main. Upon ordering these items, the waitress suggested we order something instead of the ottoman due to duplicate items across both platters (although this didn't seem to be reflected on the menu). We ordered dips (baba ganoush & hummus) but the waitress said they were on the sublime platter as well & suggested we choose yet another alternate item. We settled for Ispanak borek ($26) for entree. And mentioned if it wasn't enough food for the group (3 people) we would order some more a little later. The waitress said this was fine. <br/><br/>The entree arrived fairly quickly but was somewhat oily. When plates were cleared we had to keep our dirty cutlery to use for main. When the sublime platter arrived it was served on two small plates and it was explained that the restaurant had run out of big platters. As we wistfully looked at other diners enjoying a full sized platter we couldn't help but note the quantity of food on ours was substantially less. We also couldn't help but notice there was not any hummus, baba ganoush (as the waitress had advised) on the platter either. We did note 3 staff members standing in the kitchen were eating their own meals. We called for the menu to order again and upon closer inspection the only common items from the meze platter was haloumi cheese & a prawn skewer. We were then informed we couldn't order anything else as the kitchen had closed at 9pm! It was approximately 920 & there was a good 30 diners left in the restaurant. The waiter suggested they could give us some "left over mussels that the staff were just going to eat". We declined this offer and expressed our disappointment. We were told there was nothing that could be done; the oven was off.<br/><br/>Surely they weren't out of dips or other items that could be prepared on a stovetop or alternative heating method!?<br/><br/> The dessert menu was thrust upon us and we declined as we were still hungry for savoury and substantial fare. The bill was then unceremoniously slammed down in front of us, where full charges were applied and no offer of a discount or even a complimentary Turkish tea was offered. <br/><br/>The staff were uncooperative, inhospitable and unprofessional. I have never been treated so atrociously.<br/><br/>Never going back. Do NOT recommend.

The good was good but had to wait ages for it. The nation's came out an hour and half after entree and meals were close to cold. Will try it again but earlier in the evening and on a weeknight. The baklava is the best I've tried

Lovely!. We had a beautiful meal and the service was fantastic. <br/>The restaurant is very popular and very loud on a Friday night but the food and service makes it well worth the visit and I highly recommend it for a great night :)

Fab choice. Was there for dinner this week and the food was really great, soooo tasty. The meats had been marinated to perfection and the Turkish bread and dips were yummy. Their homemade lemonade is the bomb to wash it all down with. Very friendly staff who were very efficient. Been there twice now and will be a regular, good value for money too. BYO only, so take your wine and bon appetite!

Excellent!. Our dinner experience at Caravanserai was exceptional. We ordered all of our food to share between 4 with extra servings of bread. In this way we were able to taste a sample of everything. All of the food that was delivered tasted fantastic and the service was pretty good considering how busy the restaurant was - no empty tables at around 8:30. We left very full and satisfied.

Excellent... An excellent evening,a five minute wait though we had booked.<br/>Shows how popular this place is and the young man came to find us to tell us a table was now waiting.excellent food served by friendly and pleasant staff.<br/>Good food,excellent setting,wonderful staff.

Highly Recommended. From the moment we walked into this beautiful and atmospheric place, we were greeted by the friendly and warm staff. The service was genuine, charming and efficient. I had the mussels for a starter, it was one of the most delicious seafood soups I have had for a long time. The banquet we ordered was expertly crafted and every morsel was worth the trip to West End. The meat was marinaded and cooked perfectly; the greens beans were done just right; the pilaf was impeccable. We finished off with some Turkish Delight and some tea. We were well looked after the whole time despite the busy night. We loved the service, the food and the ambience. Excellent!

LOVE it. We go here all the time and get the banquet. The staff are awesome, food is amazing and its such a bargain however you go. It can be really busy so you might need to book but it has to be one of the best restaurants in Brisbane.

Went on a Tuesday night and it was packed! Must have been due to the $30 banquet special which we also decided to order. Thought it was a main each but everything comes out for the table to share. Was a bargain for the amount of food that you got but one of the listed mains were missing which was a little disappointing. Chicken shish was delicious and loved the salad that came with it but kofta was the stand out by far. Vegetarian inclusions were a little meh but still nice. Highly recommend feta pide with sweet chilli. Service was great at the beginning of the night but was impossible to find anyone after finishing mains which was irritating when we just wanted to wrap up and leave. All in all a great evening but slightly ruined by the lack of service at the end of the night.

Still on the fence with this one.... Yep, title says it all... The food is reasonable, we always get the platter to share. Some items are hit and miss tho... The ambiance is a little bit off somehow, and you really have to pick your nights - if it is busy you will wait ages for a table, even longer for your meals. The seating is unnecessarily close, making for a somewhat awkward and claustrophobic experience if it is packed. The table cloths are always sticky and in need of a good clean. Yet for some reason we still go back when the mood strikes...

We will return!. I went here with a small group of five and had the Deluxe Sultan’s banquet. When the meze platters came out we were a little disappointed to see that most items were in sets of four (one person missed out) and we felt a little jipped. However, then the mains came out and there was more food that we could fit in. The food quality was outstanding, everything was delicious and fresh. The setting was a little dim but it did create atmosphere with the beautiful glass lanterns. <br/>The value was excellent and we shall return for sure.

Try it.. Been here many times before and even though the prices have gone up and the Sublime platter no longer has lamb cutlets on it (hint hint) the food is always great. Would recommend to all, served with a smile however can get busy so may have to wait for food depending on the time you arrive.

This is a great local place, food is very good and is good value. I great place for a large group with their share plates and the main meals are an average size so feel free to over order on food

One of the Best in Brisbane. The atmosphere is akin to being transported into a gypsy hideaway and the food is utterly fantastic. It may have just been luck in our ordering the first time I was here, but of all the meals I've had in my life, Caravanserai definitely fit in the top 10.<br/>It was delicious, well-priced, and extraordinarily memorable meal.

I was in on Saturday night for a friends birthday and I was blown away with the tasty food, excellent customer service and the great atmosphere in the place. The meat balls are amazing and what's even better was the waitress gave me a free take home container FULL of meatballs. My new favourite restaurant.

Definitely will be back. Visited on Thursday night with a group of friends, had the $39 platters, so tasty, generous portions and no problems with getting served. We will be back!

I was here last night waiting an hour & a half for our food. Not once did we receive an apology & others received their meals before us. We ordered immediately upon arrival & were polite customers. After waiting over an hour we asked if the bread could at least be brought out & were told it couldn't. Very disappointing. I had been here in 2010 a couple of times and definitely noticed the difference.

Terrible. Waited for 2.3hr for mains. Then main was chill muscles which had little to no flesh. Very disappointed by the time it took and the quality

Outstanding! Gobble Gobble.... As always, great atmosphere and energy from the moment you enter this eclectic restaurant...<br/><br/>Most recently we were delighted with shish kebab chicken, chargrilled garlic prawns, kofta meatballs, spinach filos, haloumi slices, green bean salad, rice, sauces and warm pide... coupled perfectly with our BYO wine. Outstanding flavour and value... really great.<br/><br/>Caravanserai was full, so are we thank you!!!

New favourite. Got there at 6pm. Was great to beat the crowd. Ordered the caravanserai meze for entree and the kofta for main. Both great. Didn't check if it was byo (yes it is) so only had a choice of softdrinks. I don't drink softdrink, but relented and shared the turkish lemonade (loved it; not very softdrinky at all).<br/>By 7.30 we realised it was REALLY noisy in there, but a pleasant hum. So popular! With good reason. Plan to make this a regular dinner spot. Will try a different dish each time I visit because so many great choices. But really love the share platters.<br/><br/>Staff seem pretty cruisey.

Best Place for Party Dinner!. I decided to book a table here for my birthday dinner on a recommendation from a friend (and a other great reviews on the internet) - and I am so glad that I did! I booked a table of 20 with no problems, the staff were some of the most helpful and friendly I have experienced, and the food was amazing. There was no problem with ordering entrées for mains, and we decided to take advantage of the BYO and the staff made sure everyone had a drink and never had to wait! I would definitely recommend to anyone who wants great good and great service and no drama!

Food coma!. The kind of food I could imagine my grandma cooking - if she was Turkish. It has a very homey nurturing feel. The portions are big, the flavours are spot on. I tried quite a few dishes because we all shared and it was all delicious! The lamb ribs are to die for - so tender! The spiced meatballs have a really complex flavour. I can usually restrain myself at restaurants but in this case even once I was full, I couldn't stop eating! Needless to say I entered a food coma on the drive home. :)

Dissapointed. Although I enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant, I was dissapointed with my meal. My partner and I shared the platter for two for $65 - way too small! No real Turkish flavours. More like a Greek entre platter. If we'd known how small and somewhat bland, we would have ordered seperate meals.

A hidden gem. We ordered the deluxe banquet between four and every course was spot on! Great atmosphere, service can be slow on busy nights but well worth the wait.

I love the rooms / balcony and the ambiance. I find the food not as heavy as some other turkish places. I also find it great value for money especially due to byo

Good quality Turkish food! Desserts are mediocre tho.

Fantastic. Caravanserai never fails! I always order the Caravanserai Meze for us to start - everything on the platter is delicious. The meatballs are fantastic. Tuesday banquet is also great value. The staff are always friendly and you can't beat the atmosphere.

Lovely food. We went to Caravanserai in West End last Saturday. The service was quick and efficient. The food was not cheap but it was lovely (I had Sebze - a vegetable stack with grilled polenta and haloumi), very tasty and light. The rest of our table had a Banquet. The highlight of the banquet was a quinoa salad; the other dishes were good too. The only thing I did not like in Caravanserai was the noise. We were sitting inside and the small dining room was absolutely packed with people. In order to have a conversation we had to shout at each other. In the end I could not wait to get out of there as soon as possible. I would go back but maybe not on a Saturday night.

I shared the full banquet between 4 people. I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO STUFFED FULL OF DELICIOUS FOOD EVER IN MY LIFE.

OH MY GOD AMAZING. We got.... OH MY GOD AMAZING.<br/><br/>We got the full banquet and it was an excellent choice. Every single dish was super delicious. <br/><br/>Book so you can sit outside!

A Hidden Treasure. Dined here on Saturday night - a table of 7. Food was delicious and generous sized servings. The main platter which states it's enough for two, was huge and could definitely be shared among three people. Very friendly staff who provided great service. Will be back!

Second visit as good as the first. Had our second visit a few weeks ago and it was great. Our table of 3 had perfectly attentive service, not too intrusive. Our meals arrived within what i would call a very reasonable time and were delightful. Will definetely take others there as it has a nice relaxed feel about the place.

It's an experience!. So, a group of us (10) were celebrating a birthday on a VERY busy Saturday night. On top of that our original reservation was for 2 fewer people than actually came, so more people than they originally planned for, and one was late and we waited for them before ordering (no more than half an hour). <br/>Worst diners ever, right?<br/>Well, our waitress sure thought so. <br/>She was visibly pissed when we told her we were waiting for one more person before ordering. She ignored our repeated (hand-waving, eye-stalking, loud excuse-me-miss-ing) attempts to get her attention. She even managed to wander away from the table when we were ordering desert, leaving half of us without it. <br/>By the end of the dinner it was so ridiculous that we were more amused than offended (lucky too, because we may go back just out of curiousity).<br/>But the thing is, she was not the only member of the serving staff who was obviously not in love with their job. I can only conclude that rude waitstaff with a 'get out of my way you insect' attitude is part of the experience.<br/>Other than that, food was lovely (get the sticky beef ribs) and the atmosphere of the whole restaurant was very engaging.

Wonderful. Great atmosphere, good service and really tasty, authentic food. We went to Caravanserai on a Thursday evening and the restaurant was full for good reason.

The waiters and waitresses are too rude, which is a massive turn off. I asked for a vegan option and was treated like a total idiot by the waitress at the front desk, she told me to go sit down and discuss it with my waiter. The waiter was also rude, impatient and he was highly irritated when I ask what was in the baba ganoush. The bad service was a real disappointment because the food was great.

Food with 'tude. Depending on where they sit you, you can have a great night or a mighty uncomfortable one. The waiters/waitresses have serious attitude problems and have done every single time I've been (about 8 times over a couple of years). Too good to be serving you is the feeling I get. They also tried to mooch off with my leather wine carrier, but 'found' it after 15 minutes of searching... Food is lovely, but I seriously have to be feeling it to bother going here. The Deluxe Sultans Banquet is the way to go, the sullen service staff might bugger up the order if you bother them for longer than 10 seconds.

Disappointed. Been to Caravanserai quite few times over the last 3/4 years and was disappointed on Saturday night. We found that the menu choices are now limited and the prices had increased quite a bit. <br/>The meal size was smaller and the dessert was sparse<br/>Not only that around 9pm the staff started chucking the empty bottles in the bin making quite a lot of noise, stacking the chairs on the tables to give the hint to leave.<br/>Wont be going back

Booked a table for 12 here for my Birthday and every single one of us LOVED the food, one of my friends even decided to book again for her Birthday coming up soon.

Poor service coupled with bland mediocre tepid food.<br/>I'll start by saying that I eat out on average 3-4 nights a week and have dined in most of the restaurants in the West End over the last couple of years as well as many further afield.<br/>The first bad sign I made the mistake of ignoring - was as we walked up, we approached a waiter to ask for a table and he instead of greeting us decided the better option was to rush past us ignoring us and letting the door swing in our faces instead. So giving the benefit of the doubt to him assuming that his pet pidgeon had died the previous evening or something resulting in his current psychological state being sent into a state of unbalance. <br/>Onwards and upwards we think to ourselves and approach the girl at the counter who eventually gets round to acknowledging our presence and points to the table which is to be ours for the next 15-20 minutes. So having been informed we'd better be quick placing our order we opted to skip the starter and have the Istanbul Sublime platter for two and a Turkish Lemonade since the premises wasn't licensed. We would have had one each had the waitress who in hindsight may have been a deaf mute (in which case all is forgiven as it can't be easy working as a waitress and operating solely based on lip reading) snatched away our menus and vanished.<br/>About 5 minutes later our platter (for 2?) arrived all be it san haloumi. The half loaf of bread/pide and dip was really the highlight of the meal. The prawns didn't taste of anything, the two meatballs mmeh, and the chicken shish kebab overcooked yet strangely barely warm.<br/>So deciding to put the experience behind and avoid the ever so inviting Turkish "Delight" which was being fingered out of it's cardboard box on front of us onto a plate by one of the waiters we made for the counter to pay. Having waited for the counter staff to finish their conversation (probably on how best to console their pidgeon fanying collegue about the loss of his prised Shortfaced Tumbler, Cedric) we settled up and bid farewell to the fleeting experience that was Caravanserai.

Not impressed. Service was appalling. We came in on a busy Saturday night, but that's no excuse for rudeness. Food was bland and overpriced, certainly not good enough that we'll be going back after this experience.

Enjoyable experience. Went with friends, shared the entree, lots of dips and bread and had the Istanbul Sublime platter with my husband. Portions were really generous, even on the individual dishes, food was tasty and we all really enjoyed it.<br/>Would go back again.

Been around for a long time for a good reason!. This restaurant has been around for a long time and serves up great food. The menu has enough on it to make you want to return again and again. Fit out is lovely and I recommend if you are going with friends to get the banquet so you can try a bit of everything.

Just right!. Caravanserai serves a great dinner! the food is value for money (especially compared to other bris restaurants) it's also very tasty and hearty. The menu is simple but has an option for everyone- seafood dishes, platters, vegetarian. The venue is so beautiful- back deck on a summer night is heavenly and the atmosphere is alright too- sometimes it can seem a bit too loud and dark though due to the lighting. Overall we love caravanserai and regularly enjoy the cheaper tuesday banquet :)

Happy with our meal. It was totally packed and apart from the chill every time someone opened the door we had an enjoyable evening.. Making alot of turkish food at home i wasn't overly impressed with the menu and we came late so we ordered the sublime platter.. And overall it was pretty nice, more salad with all that meat would perfect it and a bit pricey really... But that's because I am comparing this turkish restaurant with my old workplace the Ottoman cafe as the menu there was so fabulous and the food was so cheap but it is no longer :( would try Caravanserai again..:) alfiyet olsun!

Service sucks at this place. Waitress was totally uninterested and seemed to want to be anywhere but here. Overall experience was sub standard.

I visited caravanserai when it first opened years ago and wasn’t impressed with the food or the long waiting times. I revisited the restaurant recently and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food. The serving time is still quite slow and we waited an hour between entree and main. However the food was excellent. The caravanserai mezze plate was delicious with lots of tasty dips and warm bread. Main of prawn and muscle pilaf with white wine sauce was also very tasty! I would have liked a little bit more seafood but i really enjoyed the meal. Baklava with home made ice cream was also a hit. I would return for these dishes again.

Orange Blossom Special, I found your review very informative yet hypercritical to the MAX. You just gave this restaurant a big wrap and then said that you wouldn't be returning given the prices which you didn't even pay! You seem to have the down low on how cheap the ingredients are yet you have no idea what over heads this place has and neither do I! Your experience was positive yet you left a negative overall response of which will many punters will read. I hope they see it the way I did.......

Tasty Cuisine; Too Pricey. Not having eaten in a Turkish restaurant before I found that the food we got on the platters, to me, were extremely similar to Greek and Persian. I know that this restaurant must hate this comparison, but it's the best way to describe their food. Although what we sampled was delicious, the prices were too expensive for what you got.<br/><br/>A large group of us went to Caravanserai on a Tuesday evening (May 1) which was lucky as it was their special night: Banquet Dinner for $29.99 (regular price $39.50). What a great way to try a variety of menu items, especially for those who were unsure of the cuisine.<br/><br/>We started with the Caravanserai Meze ($24.50) which gave everyone a chance to try items like humus, babagounosh (eggplant dip), kalamata and green olives, feta, artichoke and Turkish bread. A delicious way to wake up your Mediterranean taste buds! <br/><br/>Quite familiar with Greek dishes and having a brother who works in a Persian restaurant (run by an Iranian family), it was easy for me to recognize all of the food that showed up, even though they had slightly different names.<br/><br/>The Banquet Dinner consisted of: Kofta (meatballs, the same as Greek "Keftedes"), Shish Kebap (chicken skewer; "Joojeh Kabob" in Persian), Ispanak Borek (filo pastry filled with spinach and feta: "Spanakopita" in Greek), and Sebze (grilled eggplant, zucchini and roast capsicum, similar to "Mirzaghasemi" in Persian).<br/><br/>The kofta was quite large (about 3 bites) and the mild flavour of the herbed beef was complemented nicely with a light tomato and chili sauce. The chicken shish kebap was tender and juicy with a slight bit of charring enhancing both the flavour and texture. Topped with a cucumber yoghurt, this combination of tart and savoury is a fun way to tickle your taste buds! The ispanak borek pastry was light and delicate with a slight flakiness which added to the smooth richness of the melted feta and warmed spinach. Expertly done, this is always one of my favourites when made correctly! And lastly, the sebze vegetables were beautifully roasted together but still slightly al dente giving a subtle crunch to a dish roasted in what I believe was a tomato-based sauce. Fantastic authentic… and vegetarian!<br/><br/>To finish on a sweet note, a few plates of desserts appeared. All in bite-size squares, the baklava and Turkish delight were easy to recognize but there were a few others but just as sweet and delicious!<br/><br/>I can't comment on the service as large platters showed up and we passed them around to each other. But the food did come out at a good pace and was nice and fresh. The ambiance of the restaurant was relaxing and casual and for those sharing platters, it became more of a lively and interactive experience.<br/><br/>This is a restaurant that I would have loved to come back to, but after seeing the price of the mains of the same food we just had, it was way too exorbitant! The dishes averaged in the high $20 to mid $30, which is crazy as the ingredients used are not overly expensive; I can comment on this as I have inside knowledge of a Persian restaurant.<br/><br/>I would recommend Caravanserai to those who would like to try something different or who want to expand their horizons on the food front - it is delicious, no disputing that. I would like to visit this restaurant again if they were to lower their prices, but in that this is highly unlikely, then it's highly unlikely that I will be returning.

Very busy, but for a reason. Good food, good atmosphere. Exceptional staff on the night we visited 8/10

I went there about a month ago... Was very disappointed with the whole experience. The place is very crammed and had very few staff. We had a reservation and were put onto possibly their worst table near a door that kept opening right next to me. The food took over 1 hour to arrive. Te staff didn't seem to think that this is very unusual and compensated us with some bread. The food I thought was overpriced for what we got. The lamb chops I ha we're way overcooked, think I would have done a better job on my BBQ. The only real posivives were the Turkish delights and their choc mint chai. These were really good. Would never go back to this pace. Real rip off.

The last hoorah here - for good. Went here the other week, has seriously gone down hill. very hodge podge. the chef was wearing a vespa pizza t-shirt? meals took forever - 1.5hrs. no apology offered just a wry smile and "you guys are next." bought baklava serious rip off and was very forgettable. staff seem unkempt and our waiter was v rude he had a "i'm too good to be here" attitude problem. oh well.

Lots of food!. Went for a banquet dinner with 9 people. Service was fine, food was tasty and plentiful. Everyone enjoyed the food, and with some picky eaters, that was a relief!<br/>Had an early booking but the staff had forgotten to tell us they'd rebooked the table later on - but when we (fairly gently) protested at being kicked out with 2 minutes notice, they apologised and worked out a solution and we could stay and finish our coffees at leisure.

Overpriced epic fail. The only positive experience to be had when I went, was the fact that it made me appreciate how good the value for money is at other restaurants I go to. As much as Caravanserai has nice decor and absolutely lovely staff, it is SUCH a rip-off. Six of us went in for a banquet option, but everything about it was just so mediocre... There was a lot of food to be had, but that doesn't mean it's good value. The food needs to be nice. And it wasn't. Like I say, I'm glad that I now realise just how much I can get for my money elsewhere.

Chicken?. Look, I'm not one to order chicken when I go out to eat. Why? Because I've had terrible experiences in the past - dry, dry, dry (bordering on chicken jerky) and boring are my reasons. <br/>I decided to man up and order chicken at Caravanserai, in the hope that my faith in chickenkind would be restored, and hallelujah, it was! The breast was juicy, juicy, juicy (bordering on heavenly) and definitely not boring since it was drizzled in honey almond butter. It was served with a salad of cous-cous, roasted capsicum, beetroot and feta, a glorious combination of simple but harmonious flavours. <br/><br/>My companions ordered the salmon, fattoush (a traditional turkish salad) and the shish kebap, all of which seemed to satisfy. <br/><br/>Turkish food has always seemed to be disappoint me in the past, but Caravanserai has changed my mind. The staff are friendly, the prices are on the exxy side, but the food is good and the ambience in the restaurant is gorgeous. Next time I think I must try the turkish delight and the baklava. My only regret of the night.

Best Turkish in Brisbane. My husband and I visit Caravanserai as often as we can - one of our favourite places to eat in Brisbane. Love the Ottoman Meze in particular. Have never had a bad experience with food, service or atmosphere. <br/>Best visited by night - tables are candlelit and nice West End breezes. Gets a little hot during the daytime in summer, but if that's the worst thing about it they're doing alright!

Great food!. I went a week ago on a Friday night and it was packed! We booked very late so we did only get a little table outside, would have preferred inside for the atmosphere. I can only say hugely positive things about the food. I just had the simple meatball dish, but it was fantastic. Also I recommend trying the Baklava here - they're very small portion sizes, but it's all you really need after a big main meal. Everything was generously priced as well.

The food took a very long time to arrive but it was definitely worth the wait! Fantastic food and very good service from our friendly waitress. Definitely recommend a visit.

Win!. One of my favourites. The only time we ever went wrong was with the salmon but everything other dish has been special.

One of west ends best kept secrets..family run restaurant with so much passion and a really warm feel which reflects this restaurants vibe. Love the open kitchen and charisma the chefs put into their work...the best part is - it's Byo woohoo!

Caravanserai is one of my favourite places to go out to dinner. The atmosphere is so romantic and the food is to die for!

My favorite restarant in Brisbane. I love Caravanserai! The food there is so yummy and the atmosphere is fantastic. The service is really friendly as well. It is a great place to go when you have time to sit for awhile and have an entree, main and dessert and drink a bottle (or two of wine). I just love being there!<br/><br/>On the down side, its really expensive. I would definitely go more often if it wasnt so pricey and I think that would be the case for a lot of people.

Great food BUT really slow, really noisy & too expensive!

Prepare to wait. The food was absolutely delicious, but the service ridiculously slow. One hour between starter and mains! My husband is a diabetic and was on the verge of a hypoglycemic attack waiting on food, if I hadn't gone up and told the staff I dread to think how long it would have taken. All of the tables around us seemed equally fed up waiting. Such a shame, as the food was so good.

Great Food. Caravanserai would have to be one of the best Turkish restaurants in Brisbane. We did not have to wait long for our entrees and mains to come out. Food was amazing. The homemade Turkish Delight is to die for.

Nice turjish place. Great service,<br/>really really busy but really efficient service, though the food was not as 'traditional" aas one might expect, really nice food, and good atmosphere.<br/>Paid 100 bucks for starters huge main and nice desserts and tea and coffee<br/>we were really satisfied and spent aa great saturday night.<br/>trongly recommend the place

I am still undecided about this place. I only tried the platter for two, and it was tasty enough, so maybe I should just lighten up. None of it matters really except for this: the baklava is out of this world amazing. Juicy, sweet and just generally worthy of multiple foodgasms.

Always wonderful. One of those restaurants we keep returning to. Delicious, great menu, fabulous service and well priced. Great ambience.

We had the Sultan's Banquet and throughly enjoyed every part of the wonderful meal. Service was ok, if a little slow in between courses. The ambience was excellent, although the coffee and apple teas arrived so long after the sweets as to be a bit of a wasted opportunity. Our only criticism is the lighting is very dim - beyond mood lighting - you can't even read the menus without using the phone to light it up!

Great lamb. Was there on tuesday and the lamb was great it came with a salad with orange and mint and big cous cous feta and a beetroot sauce girlfriend loved the chicken but wouldn't share boo hoo , efficient lovely service from a frenchman <br/>good value too

Bland Bland Bland. Turkish food is all about the spice and when you can't taste any in the food you know there is a problem. The place has a nice atmosphere but the food is unauthentic and uninspiring. The Kofta (meatballs) were especially disappointing.<br/>The wait staff is also very sloppy. Waiters wearing jeans that expose their underwear is not my thing.<br/>If you can cook better food at home, what is the point?

Busy place. Really popular place and it looks great - but food was really disappointing. expensive and basic - i make better food at home...

Meze Great - Main was Meh. I went recently for a birthday. Service was very average - taking half filled jugs, but leaving empty plates etc. The Meze was really good - nice variety - but I ordered Zebze for main and it was just like the Meze only stacked upright rather than displayed out on a plate (less a couple of items). For the price I wasn't that impressed. I would go back if invited but certainly wouldn't organise a meal there. I would rather go to Mondo Organics, get better food, better service and enjoy the entire experience.

Good entree, average mains. We went for dinner tonight and got the duo of dips for an entree, they were awesome! Unfortunately this set us up for a disappointing main. There wasn't anything in particular that was wrong, they just weren't very interesting, especially for the price you pay.

Great turkish food. I went here with a group of 5 people as we're all big fans of Turkish food, having travelled there. It was SO crowded and a little noisy but that adds to the atmosphere. The food itself was delicious and authentic. The tasting platter was fantastic - but I could hardly eat my main afterwards! I think we got the set menu and everyone was very happy with the dishes.

Great experience here!. I had great difficulty in getting a reservation here, so when I finally did I was hoping I wouldn't be disappointed - and I certainly wasn't. The three of us got three different dishes, and all were simply delicious. Some people have mentioned that they thought the decorations are a bit tired, but I didn't find that to be the case at all - it felt very authentic and provided something a bit different to every other restaurant in town. Our food was fresh and brought out very promptly and I have no complaints about the waitstaff - although I have heard (not only on here) that some people disagree. Nevertheless, the dining and atmosphere will not disappoint!

Getting a bit tired. Caravanserai has been around a long time now, so they must be doing something right. For the price, this is a good place to come for groups, though it could really use some redecorating.<br/><br/>Food is generally good but the service is generally very average - you get the feeling the wait staff are students who really don't want to be there.<br/><br/>Go with low expectations and you'll be happy enough.

Great atmosphere and friendly service adds more charm to this Turkish restaurant with a long history. I usually go for one of the mezzes to share with a company/ies. Loved by many locals new and old. A great little place.

Great food - not so great staff. We are regulars at Caravanseria because the food is great, and its a good place to go with a group of people. <br/><br/>Often times you get the impression that your putting the satff out and they tend to get a bit bitchy. Last time we went with a group of 15 - we booked and ordered the banquet at thier request. We waited an hour to eat and then they were rushing us out the door without coffee (which is supposed to be included). The last few times the desserts have been less generous as well, they used to be whole but this time they were chopped up into small bits. <br/><br/>Nevertheless, the food and atmosphere cant be beaten

Annoying staff. Although we were all pretty boozed up by the time we arrived, with #2 having sustained a severe shoulder injury after giving #1 a running piggy-back in attempts to scare away the hiccups, it was clear this place was not bad. Haloumi (vegetarian bacon), other good Turkish type stuff. Lovely. Only drawback was douche bag staff.

Delicious food, authentic and amazing! Recommend the lamb cutlets, an AWESOME b.y.o (corkage free!) restaurant!

Steak is delicious staff wonderful n helpful nice dinner out with friends

Good food, good service, Tuesday banquets are great value. Staff very friendly and help keep a lighthearted atmosphere. The desserts are great especially the bakclava.

I had the Ispanak Borek. Filo pastry with spinach and feta with a Turkish salad and yoghurt dressing. The filo was good. The salad was mostly quinoa and dried fruits. I hate dried fruits but that’s my own damn fault. My criticism is that I was hoping for veggies as my salad, not a starchy side. The quinoa overall was flavoured really nicely. There were no other vegos at the dinner, but people liked their meals. I think a few people found it a bit exotic but pleasant.

I ordered the shish kebap. It was pretty good actually. The chicken pieces were really tender and were chargrilled to perfection

I've never been overly fond of Turkish cuisine but Caravanserai no doubt puts a modern twist into their middle-eastern dishes and together with their charming ambience, it's no wonder this Turkish restaurant is amongst one of the most popular around town.

We decided to forego any form of entree and just indulge in the ‘Istanbul Sublime’, a mixed grill platter for two. When it came out we were both extremely happy with how large it was, there’s no chance of going hungry here and if you are not a big eater, you will probably have leftovers.

When I'm planning to go out and eat in a group, I can't help but think of Turkish or Greek food. The servings are generous and it's a style of cuisine that begs to be shared and eaten with friends or family. Even the environment of most Turkish restaurant

Time to do Turkish at Caravanserai on Dornoch Terrace at West End . It was a friend's birthday and we scored a long table on the rear verandah. Ok in summer but very cold in winter! As it was a Friday night the staff were stretched at the beginning so too