Gurme Ayten Usta

Gurme Ayten Usta operates as a boutique dining and breakfast destination in Eskişehir, established to revive forgotten culinary recipes rooted in Anatolian traditions, the Ottoman Imperial Palace, and Seljuk folk cookery. The enterprise began in 2006 as a modest family-run roadside kitchen located along the Bursa road. At the core of its founding is Ayten Hanım, who retired from her teaching career at Istanbul Haydarpaşa Vocational High School (İstanbul Haydarpaşa Meslek Lisesi) and directed her vocational diligence, meticulous culinary care, and emphasis on human health into professional cooking. Her early development work centered on a single staple—earthenware-cooked dry beans—before expanding into broader historical menu research. As the family enterprise gained recognition, the concept broadened into dedicated spaces, expanding to the greenery of Ulu Önder Park in Tepebaşı in 2014, opening Aynalı Kahve in Odunpazarı, and serving guests at this Göletli Park location in Eskişehir. Visitors seek out the establishment to sample antique culinary compositions—from Seljuk dough soups to palace-style slow-roasted meats—prepared in an authentic family setting. Today, the brand combines regional pantry sourcing with wood-fired stone oven baking, providing a culinary link to centuries of Anatolian foodways through time-honored techniques.

Cuisine and Menu

The culinary repertoire at Gurme Ayten Usta spans historical court recipes, regional specialities, and communal banquet staples. The morning service is headlined by the Destan Kahvaltı (1180 ₺ per person, served to a minimum of two guests), which operates as an unlimited feast where guests can reorder any featured item as dishes empty. Individual breakfast options include Kavurmalı Yumurta (540 ₺), prepared with 150 grams of braised beef, alongside Pastırmalı Yumurta (450 ₺).

Appetizers and soups draw directly from regional culinary history. The kitchen prepares Tutmaç Çorbası (200 ₺), a heritage Seljuk recipe crafted with sour dough notes, alongside Konya's floral Bamya Çorbası (290 ₺) combining dried flower okra with tender lamb and lemon. For shared tastings, the Anadolu'dan Beş Başlangıç platter (750 ₺) brings together pomegranate-dressed hummus, sun-dried stuffed vegetables, lentil dumplings, keşkek wheat mash, and fellah bulgur spheres.

Main courses highlight stone-oven baking and slow braising techniques. Imperial Ottoman influences appear in dishes like Mutancana (840 ₺), which pairs lamb tandır with dried plums, apricots, figs, almonds, and turmeric rice, while Saray Tandır (840 ₺) rests stone-roasted lamb over a bed of white keşkek garnished with dried fruits and nuts. Slow cooking is epitomized by the Şah Kuzu Güveç (890 ₺, minimum two guests), baked inside the stone oven for five hours. Regional favorites include Eskişehir's Balaban Karışık (750 ₺), the brand's foundational Çömlekte Kuru Fasulye (420 ₺) featuring İspir beans and pastırma baked in earthenware, and Circassian potato Haluja dumplings (500 ₺) dressed with yogurt and walnuts.

The dessert list resurrects historical sweets such as Kardelen (320 ₺), a 15th-century imperial preparation harmonizing sütlaç rice pudding and golden zerde, and Nevzine (330 ₺) from Kayseri, prepared with tahini, grape molasses, walnuts, and buffalo clotted cream. Refreshments feature cold Bakır Bardakta Ayran (110 ₺) poured into chilled copper vessels, artisanal sorbets such as Reyhan Şerbeti or Meyan Kökü (90 ₺), and the ceremonial Sultan Kahvesi (275 ₺), which requires a twelve-minute brewing process.

Atmosphere and Who It Suits

The physical environment of Gurme Ayten Usta provides a calm, family-oriented retreat shaped by its parkland setting. Operating within a landscaped open-air environment with garden seating, the venue allows diners to sit amidst refreshing greenery and open skies, offering a restful contrast to crowded metropolitan eateries. The dining area is situated directly inside the park grounds, giving guests an unhurried visual backdrop of green landscaping. An active, wood-fired stone oven anchors the kitchen space, infusing the dining room with gentle hearth aromas and evoking the rustic artisanal spirit that defined the founders' earliest kitchen.

In terms of ambiance, the establishment cultivates a quiet, historic, and pleasant atmosphere tailored specifically for collective dining. The dining room prioritizes a traditional family atmosphere where conversations can unfold at a relaxed pace. This spacious layout naturally accommodates multi-generational family units and parties with young children, who benefit from the open park setting and commodious table arrangements. At the same time, the comfortable and orderly environment appeals to friend groups looking to share extensive weekend breakfasts or sit down for celebratory evening dinners centered on shared heritage dishes.

Beyond daily casual dining, the venue is thoroughly equipped with customized table styling and organization services suited for both corporate and private gatherings. The interior and garden spaces support formal business luncheons and corporate meetings requiring prearranged table seating and dedicated service. For personal milestones, the establishment manages tailored group celebrations, hosting private events such as birthdays, weddings, engagement parties, promise ceremonies, henna nights, graduation dinners, baby showers, and formal congratulatory occasions. This integration of professional event management, peaceful open-air park surroundings, and traditional culinary hospitality makes the restaurant an adaptable venue for guests organizing meaningful collective events.

Location and Practical Details

Gurme Ayten Usta welcomes guests at its designated Göletli Park branch located in the city of Eskişehir. While the broader brand narrative originated in 2006 along the Bursa highway and later expanded to park premises in Tepebaşı and the Aynalı Kahve building in Odunpazarı, this specific establishment is situated within Göletli Park, offering visitors an accessible outdoor setting within Eskişehir's municipal parklands.

The operational hours are maintained continuously seven days a week, opening every morning at 08:00 and closing at 22:00 across all weekdays and weekends. This expansive operating schedule accommodates early risers seeking the unlimited Destan morning service as well as late afternoon and evening diners stopping by for slow-cooked casseroles, freshly baked pide, or seasonal heritage dishes prepared in the stone oven.

Advance reservations are supported and recommended, particularly for guests requiring special table arrangements or those visiting during peak dining hours. Diners can secure a table and coordinate specific seating arrangements directly through the reservation system on the official website, via telephone at (0222) 325 04 44, or by submitting an inquiry to [email protected]. Coordinating in advance is especially advantageous for groups planning to order specialty dishes that require extensive preparation times, such as the five-hour stone-oven baked Şah beef and lamb casseroles designed for shared parties.

Alongside on-site dining operations, the brand extends its culinary offerings through its dedicated online platform, Ayten Usta Pazar. Through this digital marketplace, the establishment distributes artisanal pantry products crafted with traditional methods, including bottled fruit jams, sun-dried home-style tarhana soup mix, hand-cut erişte noodles, and select items sourced from local agricultural producers, allowing guests to bring the restaurant's foundational pantry ingredients home.

The Mio Angle: As a Meeting Spot

On Mio, where members look for trustworthy recommendations on where to gather, Gurme Ayten Usta stands out as an exceptional choice for group breakfasts and celebratory culinary outings. Sitting within a moderate price tier, the restaurant offers an accessible balance across its menu: everyday beverages start at 40 ₺ for water and 50 ₺ for Rize tea, while hearty individual main courses like Balaban Köfte (570 ₺) or stone-baked İspir beans (420 ₺) sit within manageable everyday budgets. For diners seeking an expansive culinary event, the multi-dish Destan Kahvaltı (1180 ₺ per person) or the five-hour Şah Dana Güveç (1120 ₺ for two) provide high-value sharing formats where portions and refills justify the spend.

From a social sharing and visual standpoint, the tables offer rich photographic material deeply rooted in culinary craftsmanship. The unlimited breakfast spread creates a visually dense tabletop of cheeses, jams, and regional bites, while copper mugs containing frothy ayran (Bakır Bardakta Ayran) provide classic textural detail. The kitchen's historical plates—such as the colorful two-tone Kardelen dessert pairing baked white sütlaç with saffron-yellow zerde, stacked sheets of Kayseri Yağlaması layered with minced meat and white buffalo yogurt, and bubbling earthenware pots fresh from the stone oven—present distinctive subjects that tell a genuine story on a traveler's feed.

The venue is especially well-matched for Mio community members organizing family reunions, graduation lunches, or weekend gatherings where guests have diverse appetites. With its tranquil park setting, extensive historical beverage program ranging from 90 ₺ herbal sorbets to the 12-minute Sultan Kahvesi, and dedicated children-friendly open space, it solves the perennial question of finding an authentic, slow-paced dining spot that satisfies multiple generations in comfort.