An authentic Turkish restaurant serving chargrilled chicken kebap, fresh babaganoush, and slow-braised lamb shank is coming to Central Avenue this winter.

Bosphorous, which refers to the body of water that lies in the center of Istanbul and connects Europe to Asia, will take over a portion of the ground floor of the former Furnish Me Vintage building across the street from Hawkers Asian Street Food.

The building, located at 1246 Central Avenue, is part of a larger mixed-use development known as the EDGE Collective being brought to life by Miami-based PTM Partners and DoveHill Capital Management. Anchoring the project is a 163-key Moxy Hotel by Marriott, which is slated to open in June.

The popular Turkish restaurant got its start in 2005 on Park Avenue in Winter Park, just outside of Orlando, and has expanded over the years to Lake Nona, Dr. Phillips, and Winter Garden.

Husband and wife duo Doved and Tammy Sexter, both veterans of Darden Restaurants, purchased the brand in 2009. This September marks 15 years of ownership.

“We are very excited to be coming to St. Pete,” said Doved in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “We've been looking for a location in downtown St. Pete since 2019. We think we found the perfect spot and couldn't be more thrilled to be joining the EDGE District community.”

The lunch and dinner menu at Bosphorous contains traditional dishes from Central Anatolia.

“We import around 85% of our ingredients from Turkey,” said Doved, noting that Bosphorous is one of the biggest importers of Turkish goods in the United States. “Some things you can buy in the United States, but a lot of things you cannot.”

On your first visit to Bosphorous in St. Pete, start the meal with an order of lavas (pronounced lah-vash), a Turkish pita bread that is perfect for dipping into hummus or muhammara, wrapped around a kebap, or eaten on its own.

Other appetizers, such as the red lentil soup and falafel, are also popular at the Central Florida locations.

According to Doved, for lunch, diners love the Chicken Sis Kebap, which is hand-carved fresh chicken breast marinated in a special blend of unique seasonings and then chargrilled.

The lamb shank is a best-seller at dinner time. The lamb is braised slowly for over five hours with a medley of fresh carrots, onions, and bell peppers and served with rice pilaf.

Complete the meal with the house-made pistachio baklava, which consists of layers of crispy, thin pastry dough filled with pistachios and topped with citrus infused syrup.

The St. Pete outpost will be the largest location yet at 5,200 square feet. The restaurant will have an expansive bar area and plenty of seating. Outdoor seating will be offered along Central Avenue as well as in a courtyard shared with the neighboring Moxy Hotel.

The interior has been designed using turquoise and yellow color tones accented with one-of-a-kind Turkish ebru paintings, silk carpets, and hanging Turkish mosaic lamps. 

Most of the furniture and décor at Bosphorous will be made in Turkey.

“We literally have a shipping container on its way to us right now. It's currently docked in Spain,” said Doved. “It’s filled with plates, silverware, art, and more. And we've got furniture that will be shipping from Istanbul in three days as well.” 

Near the front of the restaurant will be a custom-made copper-clad oven for baking lavas.

Bosphorous is expected to open in St. Pete’s EDGE District by the end of the year.

In addition to St. Pete, Bosphorous will be opening at 714 South Howard Avenue in Tampa’s SoHo neighborhood in June. Another outpost in Wesley Chapel is slated to debut early next year.