Very traditional Turkish food done extremely well. Babaganoush, zucchini fritters and slow cooked eggplant were outstanding. Will be back to try the Adana kebab.
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We had the banquet at Taksim last night as a group of 16 in a full restaurant and the service was pretty seamless (other than a few water requests). There’s a great ambiance in here and it’s definitely established a firm following since the time I walked past an empty restaurant in its opening week to a year or so on where it was still pretty pumping at 11pm!
There are several banquet options to chose from, ours started with several mezze items including bread and assorted dips, saganaki (okay that ones Greek), calamari which was quite yummy, the mucver which is a zucchini fritter and really well done, and also the cheese borek which had a beautiful crisp pastry.
We then had huge garlic prawns and blue eye fillets which was followed by the meat platters which appeared impressive and tasted great too. My favourite on here was the lamb cutlet which is something I don’t usually go for but it had a lovely flavour. By this stage everyone was ridiculously full.
The standard banquets do also include dessert but I have a feeling we customised ours to swap out the calamari instead as this is a calamari OR saganaki selection in the standard. Definitely great value either way and a great option for dinner in a group big or small
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A few weekends ago my friend and I visited Taksim Square on a busy Saturday night (November 2nd)! We are Turkish, so we love visiting new Turkish restaurants all over Melbourne! I’m so happy to say that our 50 minute drive was incredibly worth it. We ordered the Taksim Square banquet, as on Saturdays it’s a set menu only and they really didn’t let us down. Not all the food we got is pictured, but every dish we had was so delicious! Tender meat and good portion sizes, leaving us so full at the end of it all! Our gorgeous waitress with the blonde hair (we missed out on getting her name) was so helpful and kind to us! Her service and friendliness made us feel right at home and made our night. What an amazing asset she is to your restaurant! It was great to see live entertainment, which is what we expect for Saturday nights and they were great too. Despite how busy they were, we were never left waiting long before our next dish came. A nice touch was that the kitchen was open, so you could see them cooking your meal right in front of you. A great atmosphere with authentic Turkish food and music.... you can’t keep me away much longer!! The only downfall was the price being slightly expensive, however for the quality of the food it is worth it. Can’t wait to be back.
Had a fantastic night with the family. Food was fresh, flavoursome and presented superbly. Service was attentive and friendly, however staff were overwhelmed and a few extra floor staff would have helped. Overall, very happy to have such an awesome Turkish restaurant locally that showcases beautiful flavours and culture.
oh my god how nice and clean venue, food and appetizers are great. 1 meter Adana kebab is like a dream. Thank you for opening such a venue in melbourne.
We were pleasantly surprised with the food and service. It exceeded our expectations. We ordered the banquet and did not leave hungry. All the dishes in the banquet were delicious and well presented. It's nice to have another cuisine choice in Moonee Ponds! We will be back again.
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My Key Three Pointers
* Some places need a second chance and this second chance was spectacular.
* The food was fantastic.
* You get to experience what Turkish Cuisine is about. Not modernised or a Kebab Van.
I visited Taksim Square when it was newly opened and the food was fantastic but it did have a few teething issues. I opted not to review immediately as I wanted to give it another try and felt these things could easily be fixed. I’m so happy I walked through those doors again. I was not disappointed and very impressed, I can confidently recommend a Turkish restaurant, I hope they keep up these standards.
We had a very large group of 25 and the service was excellent. The food service did not take long and everything went very smoothly. I was very surprised for a group of that size they did not force a set menu on us. I usually hate set menus but the Adana Banquet is definitely on my best set menu list. It was very good, excellent value and not one person left our table unsatisfied. The dips are very nice, perfect flavor and well balanced, the fried liver was a standout dish for me. The Adana kebab was juicy and full of flavor. It is about 1mt long for about 6 people and also had additional chicken wings. The kids are not required to get a set menu and we got the kids meals. The decor was pleasant and we did not feel it was very noisy but I can’t comment on how loud it would get if the band was playing. They have a full bar and the food quality is also on display. The Adana kebab is cooked in full view of customers.
I think it’s very unfair for people to come to Taksim Square and compare it with other Turkish restaurants on Sydney Road. I rather pay slightly more and get food that is worth paying for, enjoyable and most importantly edible and that’s exactly what they offer. You can’t even compare the food quality. Why can’t a Turkish restaurant charge more than what a takeaway kebab is worth if they have such good food.? There will be many Turkish mums and Dads that complain because they can’t come to terms with paying money for food they can cook at home. On the other hand, there will be many millennials who can’t cook Turkish food and are delighted they have an affordable option.
Well done to the owners and staff at Taksim Square. I will be happy to dine at your restaurant all the time
Set Menu! Yum omg so much food we had to take some home in a take away book. All the food was delicious and the staff so friendly. Thanks so much for a great night.
Taksim Square in Moonee Ponds was my first venture into Turkish food – having tried a handful of Middle Eastern restaurants before, but none so specific to Turkey. It was definitely a worthwhile experience, from the moment we stepped into the spacious restaurant, with all its beautiful furnishings and the open plan kitchen, we knew we were in for a journey into Istanbul from the heart of Melbourne – in Moonee Ponds. A restaurant of all occasions, we saw business partners, families, couples out for date nights – if you’re in the Moonee Ponds area then you’re in luck! If not, it’s worth checking out anyway!
Yes/no? Yes
Came here for Adana kebab but they didn’t have any :( so instead I get the seftali kebab with some dips and cheese pastries.
It’s very classy and the pricing is a bit up in comparison to other Turkish places around Melbourne
The meat is flavoursome and tender, the lentils were cooked to perfection, the Fillo pastries were nice and crisp. I also had dessert which consisted of baklava which was perfectly sweet and crispy.
The portion sizes were on the smaller side but I guess it’s what you expect from a classy restaurant.
Great service and atmosphere, very tasty food albuterol small servings. The adana kebab is a speciality with the metre long kebabs being very popular! Highly recommended!
Great new Turkish restaurant to add to the ever expanding range of restaurants in moonee ponds. This place has it all. Charcoal fired grill and meat. What more can you ask you. All the meats were tender and succulent. The service was good. Place is nice and big so you don’t feel crammed.
This place is amazing! A must try with friends and family. The most delicious, carefully prepared Turkish food I have ever eaten. I am pregnant and have absolute no worries about eating at this clean and transparent restaurant. I love how you can look straight into the kitchen and see the food being prepared with the kitchen staff appropriately dressed (e.g. hair up, head banners on etc) and also watch the chef cook the food over the open fire. The food is extremely well priced and the two times my family and I have been there, we are not at all left with hunger. I am also not a big meat eater, but boy do I love the meat prepared at Taksim Square. Really I love everything that was prepared for us when we enjoyed the banquet, it was an absolute feast of meat, fish, veg and the most delectable array of dips. My family and I will come back over and over again! Thanks Taksim Square for the most amazing Turkish food! I always liked Turkish cuisine but now I LOVE it thanks to you!
This new Turkish restaurant is amazing. We just had lunch here with a group of 8 and were very impressed with the service and the delicious food.
One of the best Turkish restaurants in Melbourne!!
Excellent food. Excellent service. Melbourne was long missing a real Turkish Restaurant at this level. Will come back and recommend without a hesitation.
The best Turkish restaurant in Melbourne. Great atmosphere, nice music and lovely people. Should try chef’s special and rice pudding. Thanks a lot!
There were many friends recommended the place so I had to go. The food was good. Dips were great. Especially I’ll go back for their Adana Kebabs. The place gives you the feeling of a Mall food court. High ceilings and bright lights gives an image of a shopping centre setting.
The waiters and waitresses were great. Very helpful. It is pricey but it’s understandable while too many workers at the kitchen.
Overall, I’ll go there again. May be a background Turkish music would have been nice.
Keep up the good work Taksim!
A very cozy Restaurant in Moonee ponds, Melbourne. They have Turkish cuisines serve in warm Atmosphere. Their service could be better. The menu is well prepared and offer varieties of different Turkish foods. We ordered ADANA BY THE METRE. Although expect more bread/side.m, but it was Yum. Will definitely go back for different dishes.
The food is excellent, generous portions and great prices. The service was fast and friendly. The life music on Saturday night was the best entertainment. I highly recommended it if you are in the Moonee Ponds area.
Amazingly delicious food in a great intimate setting with excellent service. Highly suitable for family night. Service was top notch and felt above and beyond. I'd highly recommend and will be back. deserves a much, much higher rating! Among my top 5 restaurants in Melbourne.
Amazing Turkish food and great service. We had Adana Banquet Menu and it was delicious. Service was really good, while restaurant was packed. At one point l dropped my fork and the waiter came within a minute, with a clean fork without me even asking for it. That’s how great the service was.
Thank you and we will be back for sure.
We had the best kebab ever in this unbelievable perfect athmosepher, I could not put in words how delicious the meals were, all, starter, main dish and dessert. Finally I want to mention the staffs were so friendly and helpful with everything from what the dishes are and all about the details given that I asked to many questions and they reply pationatelly. lastly I want to thanks Vural, for being so so so friendly and makes my day. please let him know about this review and convey my sencere thank you to him. Thank you Vural and Thank you Taksim Square Team
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