Galata Turkish Halal Grill

We first discovered Galata Turkish Halal Grill by accident: “Galata Turkish Ice Cream & Dessert” appeared on a map near our original destination – Long Beach Lebanese restaurant Open Sesame – and we were intrigued enough to stop by after finishing our meal. Wandering down the street in Belmont Shore, home to restaurants as varied as The Second Owl and Rance’s Chicago Pizza, we found two Galatas sandwiching a beautiful Turkish decor store named Istanbul Home. They turned out to be commonly owned: The decor shop spawned this restaurant in 2023, then the similarly-named dessert parlor in 2024. Over the course of two visits, we determined that all three are worth visiting.

Despite menu similarities between the Galata restaurant and Open Sesame, they’re substantially different places – Galata is quieter and more intimate, with equally impressive but gentler hospitality. Thanks to long yellow benches and gorgeous stained glass lamps from Istanbul Home, the brightly lit space can seat at least 25 people indoors with some patio overflow outdoors, mostly at tables designed for two people. The near-constant hustle we felt at Open Sesame is replaced here with a more relaxed, take-your-time vibe, though ordering from Galata’s multi-page menu is equally straightforward, and food still comes out fairly quickly. Apart from the fact that our beverages arrived well after our appetizers, we had no complaints about any part of our meal, and really appreciated our server’s obvious kindness.

One novelty here: pitas and dips arrive before anything else as a snack, recalling an earlier era where complimentary bread was a given at many restaurants. Galata’s warm, plush pitas pair wonderfully with everything from roasted red peppers and olive oil to a lightly spicy dip, and extra baskets of pitas are included with the meal. We were also offered free pomegranate tea at the end of our meal, and declined only because we’d already had two other (delicious) drinks by that point, and wanted to save room for Galata desserts two doors town.

Some of the items we tried at Galata are at least as good as versions at Open Sesame, perhaps better: Galata’s fresh babaghanoush ($11) pairs better with its thicker, softer pitas, and there’s a same-priced “veggie” version that adds tomatoes and green peppers to the eggplant and tahini base. Cheese rolls made with crispy, phyllo-wrapped feta cheese tubes were larger and tastier than expected, served with a yogurt dip that added the perfect level of tang to each bite. An Ottoman sherbet ($5) – an iced hibiscus, rosewater, and cinnamon drink – and an apple tea ($4) that tasted as if it was made with both hot cider and tea, were equally deeper and more complex in flavors than expected, fighting neck-and-neck for a “which is best” verdict that was never settled.