For our anniversary meal we decided on Divan which is relatively small and intimate with excellent food; glad we made reservations. Love their food- shepherds salad, hummus and iskender entree plus Turkish wine. Service was very good and ambiance is cozy. Brother in law and sister in law both enjoyed experience as well. read more

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I was delighted to see a Turkish restaurant near our vacation spot. This is one of my favorite cuisines! We did take out and tried the regular chicken kabobs, the ground chicken kebabs, and the Manti. The ground chicken kebabs were everyone's favorite, great flavor, texture and just a delicious kebob! It came with salad, rice, and pita bread. My kids also LOVED the mini manti. We had the yogurt sauce on the side and they were great with and without the yogurt. 100% delicious and worth a try!!! read more

Divan Turkish Cuisine - Manti, kids chicken kebob, chicken adnan - Turkish Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

We decided to give them another try and it was a great dinner. The Lentil soup and eggplant appetizers were very tasty. The chicken skewer and the Branzino were prepared perfectly. Service as usual was great. I would highly recommend reservations. Still reasonably priced although prices have gone up around 10 % from our last visit. read more

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This review is based on a recent weekday dinner. This was my first visit to Divan. +. The ambiance is family owned cozy resto in Gulf Gate. Their small DR felt a bit crowded with many tables. We were seated quickly without a reservation. ++. Food is Turkish and differed slightly to other Middle Eastern foods I've had. We started with baba ghanoush and softest pita ever. For mains, we had a Donar, kale salad and beef kabob. Their oils, seasoning and food combinations were slightly different than other Middle Eastern foods I've had. Even compared to several Turkish restos I've been to, Divan's food tended to be more oily (not in a bad way). Everything was tasty and tender and I found their Orzo rice (orzo and rice) addictive. +. Pricing is average. +. Service was friendly and prompt. Our waitress though, did have some language barriers and couldn't explain the menu very well. Also, she could have checked in more often as we had long waits for beverage refills. +. Parking is shared with other merchants and street. Overall, Divan is a great addition to Sarasota ethnic food scene. MY RATINGS - - - Inhumane - - Disgusted - Don't bother = Missed the Mark + Good ++ Better +++ EDIBLE...WHERE have you been all my LiFe! read more

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We had a very nice experience at Divan's for dinner last night. For my meal I had their Shepherd Salad and a dish I had not had before, Manti. We began by splitting the salad, a mixture of chopped ingredients that was very fresh and flavorful with a simple dressing. No lettuce here, it is similar to a Greek salad but without the saltiness of feta or olives. Fresh and refreshing. Manti is tiny dumplings and in this instance, stuffed with a small amount of ground beef. So many tiny dumplings, all uniformly made, each containing a small ball of meat. There was a red sauce and some yogurt on top. To me the pasta stood out while the meat was there in the background, much of the flavor coming from the sauce and particularly the yogurt mixture. It was a fun dish to eat, getting all those dumplings. Service was excellent and the pace of the meal fairly quick. It's a smallish place with about a dozen tables. They have been open for over 3 years and fairly busy last night, all signs of a good place. read more

Divan Turkish Cuisine - Shepherd Salad - Turkish Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Recently tried Divan and what a great little place! We love Armenian food and can't find much on the east. Mainly looking for lamb shish and this place ticked some boxes. We walked in and they were very accommodating- allowing us to dine without a reservation. We had a tasty Turkish beer and houlumni cheese wrapped in grape leaves and a large dinner of lamb kabobs. We all chose the lamb kabob with pilaf and salad. Everything was cooked great with that grilled char we always crave. The meat was a little salty but cooked perfectly and I prefer vegetables like grilled onion peppers and tomatoes to a salad --lots of menu items to choose from. Make a reservation as this is a busy little place. Beer and wine only. Lots of parking. What a gem go here! read more

Divan Turkish Cuisine - Lamb shish - Turkish Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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An awsome hidden gem. Loved the food. The service was great also. If you want some great Turkish/Mediterranean food, this is the place. read more

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I've eaten here a few times now, and will continue to come back. It definitely offers authentic tic Turkish cuisines, and isn't gimmicky with it at all. The ingredients are quality and fresh, and because of that, sometimes there's a bit of a wait time between ordering the food and having it served. The manti is delicious and the garlic yogurt sauce is nice and tangy. The serving size is pretty large as well, so I had an entire meal the next afternoon as well. Last time I ordered keftah, which is similar to meatballs or meat patties. The flavors within the meat were outstanding, and they were nice and juicy. It also comes with rice and some kind of dipping sauce in the side. Great meal. My husband usually gets the skewers or kebabs, and he doesn't ever stray from those, because he says they're so good that he doesn't want to risk trying anything else. read more

Ordered lamb skewers but the lamb was stringy. It was tasty and not dried out but a better cut of lamb should be a priority. All of my lamb was like that - not just one piece. Service was very good. I'll try them again and report back. Pasta dumplings were also poor.. meat was minor part..mostly dough. Not good. read more

Guest reviewer: The Wife While visiting Sarasota recently, I was taken to Divan for dinner. Our meal began with the zaatar hummus and tzatziki. Both were quite delicious, generous portions served with fluffy, freshly made pita. I ordered the Greek salad with falafel for my meal. The salad was very tasty, but do keep in mind that they add quite a few olives, so if that's not your thing, you might want to ask them to keep them out. It was huge, as well. Far too much for me to finish, especially after the dips. The falafel was nice. Not the best I've had, but tasty, especially when I dipped it in some of the hummus and tzatziki. At this point, you're probably thinking I was too full for dessert. And you'd be right. But they had a Dubai chocolate cake, so I could not pass that up. It was fine. Not as luscious as a piece of Dubai chocolate, and the pistachio layer was not as prominent as it could have been. That didn't stop me from finishing it! read more

Love this Turkish spot in Sarasota! The service is always amazing and you can tell everyone from servers to cooks really cares. Highly recommend the lamb chops. They are flavorful, filling, and super affordable. Everything tastes fresh and authentic. Definitely a go to! We need restaurants like this in Sarasota! Love you Divan! read more

We have been to this restaurant many times. It is our go to especially when we have guests staying.we have never been disappointed with the quality of the food. One of the favorites is the Bronzino fish. Absolutely delicious. Also some of the best hummus. Also try the Ezme, little spicy but it grows on you. The servers are very friendly and knowledgeable. Looks like you in a small restaurant in Turkey. This is a keeper. read more

excellent delicious very nice people. I have taken friends upon friends here and i recommend it to everyone.

First let me say we didn't actually go to the Turkish restaurant we went to the Turkish bakery across the street young lady in there was very very nice definitely took her care of us and was knowledgeable on the food we got kind of a cheesy filo bread pie and a pistachio parfait I guess you could call it. I have only had Turkish food once before but it was dinner and it was delicious I'm going to have to delve in that and start cooking Turkish food myself and has a little bit of seeing in there but more of a get yourself something and walk and eat. So the filo cheese pie I guess it was okay thought it was going to be more flavorful but again I'm sure it's cuz it's different and other countries and here we use a lot of salt sugar and everything is bad for you the pistachio parfait was not too sweet again I am not a big sweet person but I thought that was delicious and perfect so we will go back and try some other things that we saw be adventurous get out there you deserve it treat yourself read more

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WOW! Everything was fantastic! First time here and sat at the bar with a friend. Place was busy and would recommend a reservation unless you want to take a chance. They also do takeout. Service was great and they are always moving around tending to everyone as quick as they can. The flavor, freshness, selection and presentation of the food was spectacular! You can tell that they really love what they do and have very high standards. We talked to a few other people at the bar and we enjoyed hearing about their experience at Divan. Great hearing the food is very consistent and that people go back for more again and again! I am looking forward to eventually trying everything on the menu over time! read more

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We arrived early, around 5:30 and were seated quickly. The lovely young lady was working the dining area alone but was able to manage the 4-5 tables of guests. We ordered the Vegetarian Manti, Doner, and Turkish Shepherd's Salad. It was delivered quick and all amazing. Everything was fresh, hot, and flavorful. For dessert we sampled both the regular and chocolate baklava. We'd never had Manti or chocolate baklava before. We actually preferred the chocolate! We look forward to to another visit soon. read more

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Wonderful experience at Divan -- food was reminiscent of what we had in Istanbul! Excellent, attentive service in cozy, comfortable restaurant. Highly recommend! read more

It was delicious. We started with the hummus and it was smooth and luscious. Aggressive with olive oil on top and the warm pita to eat the hummus was a winner for the boss and me. She had the beef kabob with rice and salad. Cooked as she ordered, rare, it was tender and flavorful. I had the Iskender and it was also delicious. The doner was flavorful and the yogurt on top was tart and made the meal perfect for me. Service was excellent and the decor was a great Turkish vibe. read more

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DIVAN TURKISH CUISINE - 4 stars - no fryer and rice pudding We came here after Christmas for dinner and were promptly seated. The environment was nice and well decorated. We wanted to start with some appetizers, but the waitress said their fryer was broken. As a result, we could not order falafel, fries, or calamari, which was disappointing. We started with zaatar hummus and spicy ezme, which were both served with complimentary bread. They were delicious with good portions, and the bread was warm. The ezme was not spicy, and flavorful. We also got the Anatolian salad, which was also delicious. We ended up asking for more bread, which took a while to come. Otherwise, the appetizers were great. For entrees, we got Iskender, Doner, the Adana kebab, Manti (regular) and the Branzino filet. All of the entres were large and tasty, however, the doner came out lukewarm, almost cold. The iskender and Adana were well seasoned and tender. The filet was flavorful, delicate, and not fishy. The best dish, however, was the manti. The tomato sauce that the manti was cooked in was amazing, the season yogurt was great, and the dumplings themselves were cooked perfectly. We also got the potatoes to share, which were so good. For drinks, we got the ayran, which was phenomenal. It was the perfect consistency and saltiness. We also got tea, which was good. We wanted to order rice pudding, but they were out of it too, so the waitress gave us complimentary baklava. I'd give this four stars due to the fryer not working, the cold doner entree, the slower service, and the absence of rice pudding. read more

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A dear friend sent us there a couple of months ago. My husband and I keep returning to this place because the food is delicious. Together, we have had several different dishes, each of them so very delicious. I don't have all the pictures of the food we have eaten there. The service is also good. The ambiance is good as well. I am giving it a 4-star review, although I want to give it five stars. The reason is they are not willing to swap out side dishes even when I explain my health restrictions and offer to pay more money for the kind of vegetables I can eat. Every request made to change the side dish was " NO." I wish they were more accommodating of side dish swap. read more

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Divan is a divine delight! Nestled in the Gulf Gate malls, Divan Turkish Cuisine is a bright spot in the mosaic if ethnic food in Sarasota. My favorite parts of my dinner were the appetizers and desserts. The appertizers are generously portioned (enough for four) and fresh, vibrant, and colorful. The dessert--housemade allmond pudding--was sweet and delightful. The main courses are divided into land, pasta, and seafood. I had the equivalent of an open faced gyro dinner. Really an exceptional find. The other in my party who has experience New York City's many ethnic restaurants heartily agreed. The servers are sincere and serious. Weekend dinners book up so it is advisable to make reservations for peak hours. I was advised that I had 90 minutes at my table before the next part with a reservation would arrive. read more

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I've been here a couple of times when I get my hair done across the street. Unfortunately, I went there this last week and they open at 4 o'clock. Brought my daughter and she was so disappointed so I'll have to come back again but each time I go there everything that comes out of there is incredible balanced flavor, balance spices, and it's just so good. Definitely give it a try. read more

Just WOW! What a fantastic experience!! My husband and I both enjoy Turkish cuisine and are always on the lookout for new restaurants. Well, Divan did not disappoint! We had the Bronzino, which was the perfect blend of spices.. the Lamb Lollipops that were sooo tender and the Manti which was topped with a mildly spicy yogurt sauce. Everything from the side salad to the veggies and rice were just bursting with flavor. Our meal was so good we returned two days later just to both have the Bronzino again before leaving Sarasota. This place is a real gem and we can't wait to go back the next time we are in Sarasota! read more

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We had dinner here last night and we're lucky to be able to have a seat at the bar. It was very busy and running on reservations only. It was a wonderful experience overall. Our servers were fabulous, which is so important but not as important as the food! The Food was amazing. Our hummus appetizer was so fresh and so flavorful. Our falafel's were light and fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside and came with such a great sauce. We decided to try one dinner entrée after we had such big appetizers and it was so delicious! I apologize I can't remember the name of it, but it was the carved from the spit of lamb beef mixture served with orzo rice and pine nuts- along with a beautifully dressed small salad. Every flavor was so bright and intense. I highly recommend this restaurant. Excited about returning! read more

Ambiance, lovely menu and service. Outstanding quality of food. Boutique, warm environment. Vibe conducive to conversation. Servers all great. Great for date, fam visit. read more

Beautiful decor, Friendly staff and most of all delicious,tasty food. Have been there twice and will definitely return.

Food always good Service lightning fast Prices are fair Yelp wants more words ok Asdf cfft bhhy hfr wrg hyrdd evge wedrtggb. Gheewyytb. 3543, vr gf eytru try h read more

The food was delicious, as if you were having a homemade meal. Unbelievably fresh and satisfying. From the appetizers to the desserts. *chefs kiss*. The service was top notch. Friendly, timely and efficient staff. From the back of the house to the front of house. Hidden gem in Sarasota. Do yourself a favor and visit Divans. read more

Divan Turkish Cuisine - Tzatziki - Turkish Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

A delicious experience with great service, but I'm dismayed to see that they are no longer open Sundays for brunch where their pita sandwiches and other dishes were incredible. Perhaps this may be temporary as they always seemed to be busy with many satisfied customers. Hope to be able to make it for dinner sometime. read more

Great food and service in Sarasota!! The hummus was amazing, lamb kebab was great!! Will definitely come back when visiting Sarasota/Siesta Key!! read more

We had dinner with friends on a Thursday night, and this casual dining restaurant was full, so it's a good idea to make a reservation. The food is very reasonably priced with huge portions. We started with the hummus and babaganoush, which were served with warm delicious pita bread. Our table ordered the doner kebab (served with rice), the iskander (served over pita bread and enough sour cream to serve the entire table), the chicken skewers (served on pita bread with tzatziki) and the branzino which was served with a salad and the best roasted potatoes and Brussel sprouts I have ever had). We forced ourselves to finish our meal with their homemade baklava, which comes 4 pieces to the order. You have a choice of 3 flavors: pistachio, walnut and chocolate. Great value for a delicious meal. Loved our meal. The service was attentive and friendly. Parking is free in front of the restaurant, as available. read more

Sweet discovery on Superior, second visit there and just as pleased as the first one. Staff is knowledgable and friendly, portions are generous, and the place is immaculate - I'm always thrilled to have leftovers to enjoy again! I enjoyed making a meal of just appetizers; I'm smitten with the selections. So happy to have more dining diversity. read more

Never disappoints. Such good food. Decent service. Love the kebabs , babaganoush , baklava etc. Turkish wine decent as well

The take out order was absolutely perfect! Everything we ordered and actually more bread then we ordered. The hummus was the best I have had in a really long time, super fresh and so delicious. The rice somehow was incredibly tasty and the chicken skewers were so flavorful. It was such a wonderful experience and now our favorite in the area. Also the restaurant was meticulously clean and super cute!!! If I can say a restaurant is cute, very inviting. While I was leaving a large group walked in and suddenly the place was packed!!! I see now why it was packed. The staff was warm and engaged and asked if this was my first time( Like somehow thy knew). If I can say one thing to the owner it would be keep up the amazing job!!!!! Food was so delicious and thank you for the great experience. See you soon!!! read more

Delicious food, but even better service! Very warm and friendly staff who make sure you enjoy your experience. We will definitely be back! read more

Divan Turkish Cuisine - Turkish Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Service was excellent and very friendly! The food was all covered in cooking oil. I ordered the shrimp skewers and the bf ordered the doner kebab. The skewers came with a veggie mix that tasted solely of cooking oil, I couldn't eat it. Both the shrimp and kebabs were doused in oil. If it was olive oil, I wouldn't mind but it wasn't. Not a fan and do not recommend. read more

Excellent food and warm and welcoming ambiance. The service was wonderful as well. Highly recommend. One of the top meals that I have had in Sarasota. The branzino was delicious, as was the doner. read more

We checked this place out last Friday. Reservations for 4 were made. Greeted warmly upon entry. The staff is super friendly and eager to share their recommendations. We ordered the 4 cold appetizers. The hummus as on point and the Babaganush was outstanding as was the Turkish spicy salsa. The vine leaves were reminiscent of the Middle East. All outstanding with warm pita. The lamb was cooked perfectly, the shrimp skewers as well and the chicken Iskender, a recommendation by Ness, our server, was sooo good! Authentic food, authentic people ..give it a try..you won't be disappointed. read more

We love this restaurant! Babaganoush is fabulous, salads are fresh and tasty, kebabs perfectly done, and the rice delicious. Highly recommend Divan. read more

This is our second visit to Divan and we were just blown away by the wonderful dishes we ordered!! The hummus with warm pita was a very large portion and delicious, not even having to add more lemon juice to heighten the flavor. The generous shepard's salad was chopped and seasoned with a dressing which included a pomegranate juice addition. Again absolutely so tasty. To continue, my husband and I had the grilled branzino with mixed veggies - again a winner! To top off this delightful dinner, we had the rice pudding, which was so creamy and topped with toasted hazelnut. Another winner! You must dine at this quiet, intimate find in Gulf Gate. You won't be disappointed. read more