26 seats
Front garden
Covered and screened. The first place to fill on summer evenings.
Serden Erzurum Cağ Kebabı
Bahçelievler, Istanbul · since 2011
Lamb on a horizontal spit over a wood fire, carved onto thin skewers and brought to your table hot.
Cağ kebab is our craft.
Enjoying it is yours.
- Every day
- 12:00–23:00
- Address
- Dereboyu Cad., Bahçelievler
- Metro
- M1A Ataköy-Şirinevler · 11 min walk
- Parking
- Front and back
- Booking
- 0212 441 41 57
The table
What comes to the table
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Cağ kebabı
A portion is two skewers. Sliced onion, spicy ezme and pickled peppers come alongside.
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Kadayıf dolması
Erzurum’s dessert: shredded pastry rolled around walnuts, fried, then soaked in syrup.
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The rest of the table
- Sliced onion, spicy ezme, pickled peppers
- Shepherd’s salad
- Water buffalo yoghurt
- Ayran, fresh or bottled
- Şalgam · soft drinks · sparkling water · water
- Black tea
Afiyet olsun.
No alcohol and no coffee. During Ramadan, lentil soup and Erzurum’s ayran aşı are served at iftar. Prices are on the QR menu at the table.
What is cağ kebabı
What happens at the fire
Cağ kebabı is the kebab of Erzurum, in eastern Turkey. Lamb is stacked on a large spit that lies horizontally in front of a wood fire, so it cooks from the outside in. The browned layer is carved onto thin skewers and served on them. That is also the difference from döner: döner turns on a vertical spit, cağ on a horizontal one, and cağ is whole cuts of lamb throughout.
In the TasteAtlas Awards 25/26, the “100 Best Dishes in the World” list ranks cağ kebabı fifth, under the name “Oltu cağ kebabı”. The ranking is for the dish, not for individual restaurants. TasteAtlas Awards 25/26 · read 20 September 2026
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01 The big spit, before it goes to the fire. The meat
We use the leg of Balıkesir kıvırcık lamb, a breed from western Turkey. Whole cuts, never minced, seasoned with salt, black pepper and onion.
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02 You can see the layers from the side: what is on the spit is what you eat. The spit
The meat is stacked layer by layer onto the large spit and set horizontally in front of the fire. How the usta stacks it decides how it cooks.
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03 Oak wood fire, ground floor hearth. The fire
The spit turns in front of an oak wood fire. When the outer layer browns, the usta carves it off and the inside keeps cooking.
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04 One portion: two skewers. The table
The carved meat goes onto thin skewers and comes to the table hot. A portion is two skewers; if you are still hungry, order another single one.
In numbers
- 2011
- Opened in Bahçelievler. 15 years at the same address, one location.
- 75+
- seats across three spaces. Up to 100 for events.
- 12:00–23:00
- Every day. Closed only on religious holidays.
Our story
Same address, same hearth, since 2011.
Serden opened in Bahçelievler in June 2011 and has been in the same place ever since. We are a family business with a single location; we never opened a second one.
Our usta at the fire has stood in front of the same hearth for more than ten years. Rather than adding new items over the years, we kept doing the same work. In the early days the name was Serden Cağ Evi; we changed it to Serden Erzurum Cağ Kebabı so that guests who did not know the dish would know what we cook.
Same street, same hearth, same usta.
The place
Three spaces, three kinds of table.
14 seats
Ground floor
The hearth is here. From the table you see the spit, the usta and the fire. There is a floor-seating corner for six or seven.
35 seats
Upstairs
Wide windows and a floor-seating corner for eight. For families and large tables.
From our guests
What people write on Google.
An automatic selection of four and five star reviews with written text, pulled from Google Maps; we do not pick them one by one. Every review, including the lower ones, is on Google.
Google Maps
Visit
Dereboyu Avenue, Bahçelievler.
- Address
- Şirinevler Mah. Dereboyu Cad. Bayburt Sk. No: 10, 34188 Bahçelievler / İstanbul
- Hours
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Daily 12:00–23:00
Coming late in the evening? Call ahead and we will keep the fire going.
- Phone and reservations
- 0212 441 41 57 0533 246 17 050533 763 57 02
- Getting here
- About 11 minutes on foot (800 m) from Ataköy-Şirinevler station on the M1A metro line. The Şirinevler Metrobüs stop is at the same point.
- Parking
- There is parking we can use in front of and behind the restaurant. If it is full, tell us and we will help you find a space.
- Payment
- Cash, debit and credit cards, contactless. Meal cards are not accepted.
Groups and events
Come in numbers.
We seat 75 on a normal day; with notice we rearrange the tables for up to 100. The front garden takes a single table up to 25 metres long: open roof and fans in summer, an enclosed room with a pellet stove in winter. The upstairs hall is laid out to suit the group. Birthdays, business lunches, family gatherings: book by phone.
CallFAQ
Before you come.
01 What is cağ kebabı, and how is it different from döner?
Cağ kebabı is the regional kebab of Erzurum. Lamb is seasoned with salt, black pepper and onion, cooked on a horizontal spit over a wood fire, and the browned outer layer is carved onto thin skewers and served hot. Döner cooks on a vertical spit and may contain minced meat. Cağ kebabı is whole cuts of lamb from start to finish; no mince is used.
02 What comes with it?
Sliced onion, spicy ezme and pickled peppers come alongside the cağ. Water buffalo yoghurt and shepherd’s salad are ordered separately. For dessert there is Erzurum’s walnut kadayıf dolması.
03 Where does the meat come from? Is it halal?
All our meat is halal. We use Balıkesir kıvırcık lamb, leg only.
04 How big is a portion?
A portion is two skewers. You can add single skewers. For children we serve a single skewer.
05 What are your opening hours?
Every day from 12:00 to 23:00. If you are coming late in the evening, call ahead so we can keep the fire going.
06 Is there parking?
There is parking we can use in front of and behind the restaurant. If it is full, tell us and we will help you find a space.
07 How do I get there by public transport?
Walk about 11 minutes from Ataköy-Şirinevler station on the M1A metro line. The Şirinevler Metrobüs stop is at the same point.
08 Do you take group bookings?
Yes. The front garden, ground floor and upstairs hall seat 75; with notice we can rearrange for up to 100. Please book by phone.
09 Can you host an event in the garden?
Yes. The front garden takes a single table up to 25 metres long. In summer the roof opens and fans run; in winter it is enclosed and heated by a pellet stove. The upstairs hall is rearranged for the group as well.
10 Do you cater events?
Yes. We cook on site for events under our sister brand Mobil Cağ. Bulk takeaway for events is also possible.
11 Do you serve alcohol?
No. We serve ayran, şalgam, soft drinks, water and black tea. No coffee.
12 Which payment methods do you accept?
Cash, debit and credit cards, and contactless. Turkish meal cards are not accepted.
13 Is the menu available in English?
Yes. The QR code on every table opens the menu in Turkish, English and Arabic, with current prices.
Guides
On cağ kebabı and the neighbourhood.
- 01 Trying cağ kebabı for the first time What is on the spit, how many skewers to order and which side dishes are included: a guide to your first meal at Serden.
- 02 Oltu cağ kebabı and its geographical indication The official registration, its connection to Erzurum and what it tells us about the dish.
- 03 From Istanbul Expo Center to Serden The metro route to Bahçelievler, what to allow for the walk and a few practical details for a meal after the fair.
- 04 A family or group meal at Serden Seating, smaller portions for children and what to discuss before bringing a group to our restaurant in Bahçelievler.
- 05 Where to eat near Sinan Erdem Sports Hall A practical plan for cağ kebabı before or after a match, concert or show at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall in Istanbul.