Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine opens in the EDGE District of downtown St. Pete
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One of Central Florida’s most well-known Turkish restaurants has officially arrived in downtown St. Pete.
Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine is now open at 1246 Central Avenue on the ground floor of EDGE Collective, bringing Anatolian flavors and an Istanbul-inspired vibe to the EDGE District.
Dinner service is currently offered from 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 4 to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with the lunch hours to be added in the future.
The 5,200 square foot restaurant takes over the space formerly home to Furnish Me Vintage, a longtime furniture and home decor shop that closed in 2019.
On the south side of the building, Amorino Gelato has plans to debut in March or April.
White Bean Salad with tomatoes, bell pepper, and parsley, topped with a hard boiled egg and a freshly made vinaigrette | Bosphorous
For owners Doved and Tammy Sexter, the opening has been years in the making.
The longtime restaurateurs previously told St. Pete Rising they had been eyeing downtown St. Pete since 2019 before ultimately securing a location in the EDGE District.
The restaurant’s interior draws inspiration from Istanbul’s Basilica Cistern, with ornamental pillars, stone textures, mosaic tile accents, warm wood tones, colorful lighting, silk carpets, and handmade Turkish glassware.
Bosphorous first opened in Winter Park in 2004 and has since expanded across Central Florida.
The restaurant is built around fresh ingredients and traditional techniques, with a kitchen that uses Halal meats that are fresh, never frozen, and incorporates Mediterranean ingredients, some imported directly from Turkey.
Spinach and Feta Pide made with A thick dough crust topped with sautéed spinach, onions, feta cheese, and fresh tomatoes | Bosphorous
The menu is organized into cold and hot appetizers, soups and salads, pastries and pides (or Turkish flatbreads), seafood, specialties, entrees, and desserts.
Meals often begin with made-to-order lavas bread served warm and paired with spreads like hummus, babaganoush, fresh feta, and muhammara, which is a blend of roasted red peppers, walnuts, olive oil, and pomegranate molasses.
Entrees generally range from the low $20s to high $30s and feature a variety of proteins including chargrilled beef, braised lamb shank, grilled sea bass, sautéed shrimp, chicken skewers, and grilled lamb on a vertical rotisserie known as döner kebab.
Most entrees are served with rice pilaf and a fresh vegetable medley of pickled red cabbage, beets, carrots, and red onions topped with a Turkish vinaigrette.
Pistachio Baklava made with layers of crispy, thin pastry dough filled with pistachios and topped with a citrus infused syrup | Bosphorous
Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available as well, such as falafel, roasted eggplant, zucchini fritters, white bean salad, lentil soup, stuffed cabbage, and sauteed okra.
Desserts include pistachio baklava, dark chocolate mousse, pineapple cake, and künefe, which is a traditional pastry made with shredded phyllo dough layered with sweet cheese and finished with citrus-infused syrup and pistachios.
Be sure to visit Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine’s website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram for more information.
