7 MEHMET

7 MEHMET

One day, a strand of hair found in a patron’s dish drives meticulous and disciplined Master Chef Haji Hasan crazy. Enraged, the chef immediately summons his team and announces their punishment. Next morning, the entire team arrives at the restaurant with razor-shaved heads. Once Mehmet loses his hair as a result of this punishment, a scar from an accident at an early age in the shape of the letter “V” reveals itself. Referring to number seven in the old Turkish script, the mark attracts the master chef’s attention; henceforth, he starts to call him “7 Mehmet,” lending him the ineffaceable epithet. Thus begins the story of 7 Mehmet…

Having opened his own business as a modest soup maker at the Municipality Business Centre, Mehmet strategically served soup with hangers to tradesmen on his first day. On the second day, he halted this style of service and began to wait for his customers. His trick worked: the tradesmen who had tasted the soup with melted butter came back to wait in line in front of the small eatery. The story that began with four chairs and a table in 1940s has now turned into an excellent business among the top 1000 restaurants in the world today.

WE BRING TOGETHER MODERN MEDITERRANEAN FLAVOURS AND
TRADITIONAL TURKISH CUISINE WITH SEASONAL TOUCHES ON YOUR TABLES.

CAREFULLY SELECTING VEGETABLES, FRUITS, MEAT AND FISH THAT ARE IN SEASON, 7 MEHMET RESTAURANT; FOREGROUNDS NATURALNESS WITH A SEASONAL MENU THAT USES INGREDIENTS WHEN THEY ARE MOST DELICIOUS

Born in Antalya in 1983, Mehmet Akdağ is the third-generation representative of 7 Mehmet Restaurant that was established in 1937. He is the current manager and the master chef of the restaurant, a heritage he inherited from his father. Today, Mehmet Akdağ offers nearly 650 varieties of modern Mediterranean fare and traditional Turkish cuisine to his guests in his menu, following the footsteps of his grandfather and father while adding his own signature. Embracing the philosophy that “food is something so special that it deserves to be waited for," Mehmet Akdağ aims to serve any dish with maximum freshness and naturalness.

850 gr Green Beans Served to Gazi Mustafa Kemal ATATÜRK

One of the stops in Gazi Mustafa Kemal's tour of the country in February 1935 was Antalya. A feast was going to be held in the city hall in honour of Ata. A wave of panic hit the city and shook its notables. Everyone was frenetic and anxious with the desire to make sure everything was perfect. Indeed, it was not easy; they all revered the visitor and believed he deserved the best of the best.

Working for this feast along with his master chef Haji Hasan thrilled 7 Mehmet. It was decided that one of Ataturk’s favourite dishes, green beans, would be served in the meal. However, it was winter and resources were limited. At that time, there were no greenhouses stretching across the city unlike today, and Mehmet struggled to carry out his mission to find fresh beans.

Having ranged the countryside garden after garden, he finally found 850 grams of green beans in Kırcamii area. The familiar taste of the green beans served for Ata after a difficult journey led the master and his assistant to Atatürk's table. It turned out the creator of the plate, Haji Hasan, had been Atatürk’s cook during his military service. Taking part in the production of this dish made 7 Mehmet very proud that day.