Akbaba's Turkish Cuisine traces its story back to 1992, when the owner's late uncle opened the first restaurant in Nelson to share authentic Turkish flavours. As the business grew, he invited his nephew's father, a recent Business and Politics graduate from Ankara University, to help manage what was becoming more than just a restaurant. By 2000, with the loyalty of the community behind them, the family opened in Blenheim, making Marlborough their second home.
Everything at Akbaba's is prepared in-house the traditional way: lamb and chicken doner arrives raw from a local butcher and is marinated for 24 hours in Ottoman-inspired recipes, prepared by qualified Turkish chefs trained at Türkiye's top culinary schools - a world away from factory-made, frozen doner. Bread is made in-house from salt, water, premium flour and olive oil sourced from Milas in Türkiye's Aegean region, with the dough rested for 30 hours before becoming the restaurant's renowned tombik (pita), pide bread, and pizza and pide bases.
Salads use raw, never pre-cut vegetables prepared fresh in the kitchen, and the sauces and dips - chilli, aioli, yoghurt, Ottoman-inspired hummus, beetroot dip and cacık (tzatziki) - are all made fresh in-house, renowned across Tasman and Marlborough. For over 30 years, Akbaba's has stood for family, tradition and real Turkish food.
Akbaba's Turkish Cuisine carries a family story that began in 1992, when the owner's late uncle opened the first restaurant in Nelson to share the authentic flavours of Türkiye. As the business grew, he invited his nephew's father - a recent Business and Politics graduate from Ankara University - to help guide and manage what was becoming more than just a restaurant. By 2000, with the loyalty of the local community behind them, the family opened a second home in Blenheim, extending their reach into Marlborough.
Most fast food doner is factory-made - mass-produced, frozen, and packed with additives. Akbaba's does it the way it's done back in Türkiye: lamb and chicken arrive raw from a local butcher, are marinated for 24 hours in Ottoman-inspired recipes, and are prepared entirely in-house by qualified Turkish chefs trained at Türkiye's top culinary schools.
Real Turkish restaurants bake their own bread, and Akbaba's is no exception. Made with just salt, water, premium flour, and olive oil sourced from Milas in Türkiye's Aegean region - considered one of the world's finest - the dough rests for a full 30 hours before becoming the restaurant's renowned tombik (pita), pide bread, and the bases for pizzas and pide.
Every vegetable at Akbaba's arrives raw - never pre-cut, never bagged. Tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, lettuce and herbs are all prepared fresh in the kitchen daily. The same goes for the sauces and dips: no bottles, no factory mixes. Chilli, aioli and yoghurt sauces are made fresh alongside the restaurant's Ottoman-inspired hummus, beetroot dip, and cacık (tzatziki) - a combination renowned across Tasman and Marlborough.
For over 30 years, Akbaba's has been more than a place to eat - it's a legacy of family, tradition, and real Turkish food, carried forward with the same dedication imagined back in 1992. Every detail, from the raw meats sourced from the local butcher to the fresh produce and slow-rested breads, reflects the care and craft behind that original vision.
Akbaba's Turkish Cuisine is located at 2 Maxwell Road, Blenheim Central, Blenheim, open seven days a week with hours varying slightly by day. Orders can be placed online, or guests can call ahead to reach the restaurant directly.