Cağ kebabı is a lamb dish from Erzurum in eastern Turkey. Layers of meat cook on a horizontal spit facing a wood fire. The browned meat is carved onto smaller skewers, which are brought to your table. Those serving skewers, called cağ, give the dish its name.
You do not need to know a particular way to order or eat it. Here is what a portion means at Serden and what to expect alongside it.
What goes on the spit?
We use leg meat from Balıkesir kıvırcık lamb, prepared with onion, salt and black pepper. The layers you see on the spit are whole cuts, not a minced-meat mixture.
If you know döner, the most visible difference is the position of the spit: döner cooks vertically, while cağ kebabı cooks horizontally. As the cağ is carved, it is threaded onto small skewers for serving at the table.
How much should I order?
At Serden, one portion means two skewers. You can order an extra skewer afterwards, so there is no need to decide your whole meal at once. A single skewer is also an option for children or anyone wanting a smaller meal. We do not have a separate children’s menu.
When ordering for a table, let us know whether you mean a portion each or a number of portions to share. If you have a preference about how the meat is cooked, ask before ordering so we can discuss it.
Which side dishes are included?
Sliced onion, spicy ezme and pickled peppers come alongside the cağ. Ezme is a finely chopped, spicy vegetable accompaniment. Shepherd’s salad and buffalo-milk yoghurt are ordered separately.
To drink, there is ayran, a savoury yoghurt drink; şalgam, a fermented vegetable drink; and soft drinks. We do not serve alcohol. For dessert, we serve walnut-filled kadayıf dolması, a syrup-soaked shredded-pastry sweet from Erzurum. Tea is available too.
At the table
Use your fork to slide the meat off the skewer onto your plate. The metal may be hot, so take care when helping children. There is no set sequence: have the side dishes with the meat and ask for another skewer if you would like one.
Please tell us about food allergies before ordering. You can ask about the ingredients in the side dishes and dessert as well as the meat.
Where the dish stands
Cağ kebabı has started to appear in international food guides. In the TasteAtlas Awards 25/26, the “100 Best Dishes in the World” list places it fifth, under the name “Oltu cağ kebabı”. The same guide ranked it ninth in its 2022 list.
These rankings are for the dish itself, not for individual restaurants, and we are not claiming them for Serden. We mention them because, if this is your first cağ kebabı, it helps to know what you are eating and where it comes from.
Finding Serden
We have been on Dereboyu Avenue in Bahçelievler, Istanbul since 2011. We open daily from 12:00 to 23:00. The nearest metro station is Ataköy-Şirinevler on the M1A line. Our address, phone number and directions are at the bottom of this page.