Akdeniz: A Jewel in the Sea of Midtown Restaurants

The word Akdeniz means Mediterranean, or the sea in Turkish so by knowing this, you’ll know exactly what to expect from this “jewel in the sea" of Midtown restaurants.

Akdeniz was opened two years ago by Mike Kocak, Murat Aktas, and Suleyman Yeniler. Each member of the trifecta brings something “to the table.” Mike is an established restaurateur, owning Sahara’s Grill, Sahara’s Turkish, and Pasam (in Brooklyn). Murat has worked as a waiter and manager in several restaurants in the city. He immigrated from Istanbul, Turkey in 1999, and works at Akdeniz for more than fifteen hours every day from nine in the morning until closing. Suleyman is behind the scenes producing the delicious cuisine and has more than seven years of chef experience.

If you visit Akdeniz on a weekday, especially for lunch, don’t mind the wait (as the restaurant is usually “filled to the gills”) because you’ll soon realize why this little place has such a following.