Not to miss in Cappadocia

Espresso drinks, herbal teas and gelato served with a rooftop outlook over Göreme's rock-cut houses. Good for a mid-afternoon sit-down.

Rooftop seats fill before sunset

Cave-room café with a seasonal menu of homemade soups and salads; the Turkish dishes and local wine make it a lunch stop too.

Menu changes with the season

Specialty coffee, cakes and light snacks in Ürgüp, a calmer base than Göreme's tour-bus streets. Order a filter or flat white with cake.

Confirm hours before walking over

Cheese or potato gözleme, lentil soup, then homemade baklava or künefe. Plenty of vegetarian choices; works as a casual late breakfast.

Order künefe fresh, eat it hot

Cappadocia's first Michelin-starred table. Old regional recipes with modern textures; reviewers single out the aubergine course and veal tail. Valley-view terrace.

Reserve well ahead

Village house cooking from the family garden and a wood oven: one set menu, vine-leaf dolma, terracotta plates, terrace over the valley.

Booking ahead is essential

Long-running Göreme spot for testi kebab, meat and vegetables slow-cooked in a sealed clay pot that is cracked open at the table.

Reserve the testi kebab ahead

Cave dining room inside the Taskonaklar hotel, terraces facing Pigeon Valley. Try manti with roasted aubergine or the lamb casserole.

Ottoman dish on Fri and Sat

A roughly 60 m rock citadel and the area's high point; the summit gives a 360-degree sweep over valleys and distant volcanoes.

Climb late afternoon for soft light

Tall, bulbous fairy chimneys among vineyards and orchards. Light is best at sunrise with balloons overhead, or at sunset.

Arrive an hour before sunset

Red-orange rock folds glow at golden hour from this lookout. Typically less crowded than Göreme's own viewpoint.

Wear proper shoes, stay on trails

Short, well-marked walk up from town to a hilltop looking over Göreme's rooftops and chimneys. Bring a blanket for sundown.

Get there 30 minutes early