S’Lo Cafe Locanda, a fusion of world flavors in Ankara

Spanning an area of 1,000 square meters, the stylish three-story restaurant can accommodate up to 500 people with the third floor featuring a VIP room, which is suitable for 100 people seated and 150 standing. Behind the restaurant there is parking for about 200 cars. Customers can park their own cars or take advantage of valet parking.

Customers are greeted by a friendly waitress who escorts them to a table in the colorfully decorated restaurant or on the covered roof terrace depending on the weather and the customer's preference. The walls of the spacious main floor feature two different designs. The top half is painted in light gray with white trim and the bottom half is covered with a brown and turquoise damask patterned wallpaper. The ceiling is covered with black drapes supporting equally spaced red, white and black mini chandeliers.

One of the most eye-catching features of the decor is the range of different colorful chairs. The variety of traditional, modern and sleek chairs includes a range of colors, with some matching the damask wallpaper and others adding a completely new accent with their bright lime, purple or red velvet upholstery. Another unique element of the restaurant is a transparent water-filled rectangular table that has live fish in it.  

On the main floor, the kitchen is visible to customers, providing the opportunity to witness the creation of different cuisines. Customers can see how keenly the chefs prepare savory meals and decorate dishes to look fun and appealing.

The restaurant's owner, Selahattin Koca (50), who operated three of the most popular Turkish restaurants in Germany before returning to Turkey in 2005, said: “Customers are welcome to look inside the kitchen and see how the food is prepared. We want them to see for themselves that everything is top quality.”

Koca opened S'Lo, which is short for his name, just two months ago with the aim of providing a modern atmosphere that integrates traditional elements and serves unique, high-quality foods with a Turkish twist. Although fairly new, the restaurant has already become a popular venue in the Turkish capital, attracting people from all walks of life.

Explaining the importance he attaches to providing high-quality food and service to customers, Koca said each employee, including the chefs and waiters and waitresses, were carefully selected to ensure customers would be given the best service.  “Customer satisfaction is very important for us. If there is a problem, we encourage our customers to tell us,” Koca said, emphasizing that they want their customers to feel like they are valued.

Pointing out that the menu features popular tastes at affordable prices from different parts of the world, including vegetarian and low-fat dishes, Koca said each meal is a specialty dish prepared with the finest ingredients and cooked carefully to provide excellent flavor. He said all customers can find several dishes that appeal to them. “I know we're doing a good job because our customers keep coming back, and they come back with more people each time.”

The menu includes a variety of Italian-style pasta dishes, Mexican-style wraps and fajitas, American-style hamburgers and Turkish-style steaks and seafood. The menu also has a rich selection of desserts and soft and hot drinks, but does not offer alcoholic beverages.

S'Lo Cafe Locanda also has a bakery that sells fresh-baked pastries and custom-made cakes for all occasions. The bakery features a section where customers can watch the pastry chef prepare desserts.