Nuka Cafe

Update: we’ve returned a few more times and tried new dishes. They were all quite good especially the flat bread as we always order one of these. This was my first time having Turkish food. We tried different plates and they were all excellent, in particular the pite (flatbread) was very tasty. We had the combo kebab and the chicken was the best. The sitting area at this small eatery was very clean, spacious and very pleasant. A wonderful experience at this place.

Great spot, went there to take a friend from Istanbul to get some Turkish food after they were feeling homesick. Needless to say after chatting with the staff in Turkish and getting a good meal that she said “tasted like she was back home”, she had a great experience overall. As a non Turkish person trying Turkish food for the first time, it was an amazing experience, and the staff was super helpful with recommending vegetarian options for me. Wholeheartedly recommend.

This Turkish cafe is amazing. Their food is the best Turkish food I have had so far in LA. Service is great and the place is cozy. Highly recommended!

When I bit into the chicken never had I tasted something so moist. The hummus divine and the pita was soft and fluffy. I want to come back and try more of their food

We had a fantastic experience at Nuka Café! The food was incredibly tasty, with generous portions that truly captured the authentic flavors of Turkey. The café was spotless, and the staff were so friendly and welcoming. As a lovely touch of Turkish culture, we were offered complimentary tea, which made us feel right at home and brought back memories of the good old days in Turkey. Highly recommend Nukka Café for anyone looking for delicious food, a clean environment, and warm hospitality!

Delicious Lahmacun, Manti, Ali Nazik , Kebabs, Chi küfte, … The staff are friendly, caring, polite and welcoming. The restaurant is clean and has a cozy atmosphere.

Awesome food and caring polite and nice receptionists. I tried Baklava, Pide and Lahmacun which tasted like original Turkish one that I missed since 2015. I definitely will try their other dishes.

it has been a long time since i had good home made Manti (turkish dumpling), definitely recommend

I remember watching a travel cooking show awhile back and they featured Turkish pizza. I've always wanted to try it and decided to give this place a try! I ordered the dolma stuffed grape leaves, manti dumplings, and lahmacun Turkish pizza. The grape leaves were lemony and a burst of freshness. The manti were cute and tiny, smothered in yogurt sauce and an herby oil. The lahmacun actually came in a pizza box, I added the fresh sides - parsley, onion, and tomato- to the pizza, squeezed some lemon juice and rolled it up like a wrap. Delicious! I ordered via one of the delivery apps. My order was packaged perfectly and delivered quickly. The portion of manti is huge, I had a good amount of leftovers so it's a good price for the amount you get. I will definitely be ordering from this place again! I want to try the other items on the menu.

We went there for dinner because a different Turkish restaurant was surprisingly closed. I am so glad that we did because this was fantastic. We are a Turkish American family so we know what the food should taste like and this was 100% exactly what we would eat in Türkiye. My son had Ali Nazik which we never see anywhere in the United States. He was so excited because it's his favorite dish when we're in Türkiye. Everything about this place including the price was excellent. We will definitely be going back.

Chicken insomnia is a great sandwich. It tastes like a breaded chicken breast with buffalo sauce, cole slaw, and sweet pickled cabbage w cheese on a brioche bun. Im sure the recipe is better than that. But that is what it tastes like.

My husband is Turkish so we eat at a lot of Mediterranean places. I'm never a huge fan but I love this place. I crave their manti and soujek pide. And the food is authentic and so is the staff. Definitely worth a try! Don't expect fancy. A really great mom pop restaurant atmosphere.

This food was excellent. I don't usually think of Turkish cuisine but my parents were in town and requested it. Absolutely delicious - the Ali Nazik was superb. Baba ghannoush layered with lamb and crispy pita slices. And the chicken kabab, lahmachun, pide- we're all so great that even as we reflect back we're arguing over which was our favorite dishes. 10/10 Going back !

Knafeh is one of my favorite desserts and I always return to the Middle East just for this. Most of the knafehs here are a miss so it was a breath of fresh air when I found this cafe and gave us a decently-sizes plate without breaking my wallet. It's not as greasy as I usually prefer but the cheese pull is still great. Still a delicious dessert otherwise. The service took a little longer but the knafeh came out sizzling hot. So, come in with a little patience. I dined there with a friend around 7PM and it was busy. It was a very social and rowdy crowd with limited seating.

Excellent, excellent, excellent & authentic Turkish food. When my Turkish partner & I first entered, the decor or ambiance wasn't Turkish so we wondered iffff this was the right place and if the food was truly going to be good. But as we soon as we entered we were greeted in Turkish. We ordered the İskender, Çorbaci Sahara Kebap & lahmacun, & meat pide. Hands down the BEST tasting plates we've tried in the west here. We tried other iskenders in the area but this one stood out: the meat was thinly sliced & tender with the right proportion of bread slices underneath. The bread was drenched in the meat sauce (not dry) & the tomato sauce wasn't bland. We absolutely loved it and wished they had a branch in San Diego (where we reside). The only sad thing is it being too far away from us. 200% recommend!

We recently came by here because I was looking for Turkish ravioli after having visited Turkey in April 2024. We finally found at this place, it is one of the very few restaurants in LA and OC that actually offer Turkish ravioli (manti) on their menu. Found metered parking a couple steps away from the restaurant, got seated inside and proceeded to order the lamb kebab plate + turkish ravioli dish. Both were fabulous, and flavorful, so we got our craving satisfied! They only have 1 person behind the cashier counter, and he also serves as the wait staff, so the service was a bit slow. You self-serve your own water.

This place popped up on my yelp feed this morning and we found ourselves at target this afternoon and so it goes. This was our first time trying Turkish food and I didn't even know what I ordered. I was just pointing at pictures on my phone and asked for a recommendation. The service was friendly and helpful. We felt very welcomed with our six month old baby. The gentleman even filled a cup of hot water to the correct level to heat our babies milk. We got three dishes and they were all incredibly flavorful with fantastic portion size. The ambiance is cool with Turkish music playing in the background and a flower wall for my daughters viewing pleasure. We will definitely be back when we are on that side of town.

Chicken kebab and iskandar kabab is amazing. Service is great and food is delicious. They offered free Turkish tea as well.

My siblings and I all met up for dinner here over the weekend and we all agreed that we'll be going back. Everything was delicious and they luckily have a few vegetarian options. The service was wonderful and the gentleman that helped us was very efficient. It was very busy and they had a lot of take out orders but we never felt like we were forgotten. It's a more of a casual dining experience that doesn't lack in the flavor department. If you have a party of over 6 people, I would call ahead to arrange for seating since it's not a very large dining area. See you soon Nuka

It is definitely a place to try and visit with its food, desserts and friendly staff.

I'm glad to find this spot. I'm from Istanbul and it's good to have some good Turkish food around when you really need it. Lahmacun is so good. I was skeptical about cigkofte as it looked a bit dried, but it was good too. Iskender was good too. The best one was lahmacun and cigkofte for sure tho! The last one, the eggplant part was not home made and definitely tasted like a packaged eggplant. I was so excited about it, but I don't think I'd order again. Other than that, good food and big sizes. You should definitely try! P.S. I'm proud of this location and I'd love them to update the interiors a bit, as the interiors would also make an great impact in the future.

My family and I came tonight because we saw it had good reviews. Everything was fine until I started eating my chicken kabob and noticed it was all extremely chewy. I looked inside and saw it was pink and I started freaking out. My mom went up to them to complain and was met with rude behavior. The female cashier said "this is how us middle easterns cook chicken. It's supposed to be like this." My mom is from Iran and was shocked at this comment. We have cooked and ate plenty of chicken kabob and told her this is not right. The woman then said, "we can only cook you two pieces of kabob and that's it." Only two pieces?? Regardless, why would I want more?? I then went up to the cashier myself and told her I need my money back. She said the manager wasn't in the restaurant so she didn't know if she could give me a refund. I then told her that i am worried about my health and if I get sick, it's their fault. She then finally gave me my money back for only my chicken kabob plate. This establishment needs to learn how to speak to customers. Offer an apology at the least.

Took food to go. Got the isekander kebab special and the cig kofta plate, wish we got the roll instead but it was delicious. Nothing was left behind. Highly recommended coming to this hole in wall authentic cafe. Place is very small but I think that makes it all the better. Service was quick too! Only waited 15 minutes.

I go here for the kunefe. Idk how they make this, but a real unique, but amazing tasting delight

Service is EXTREMELY slow. It took an hour to get our food. I was here for lunch and had to eventually just ask for the food to be packaged to go. Never coming here again. I believe the cashier and the cook are the same person. We were told it would be 15-20 minutes and that tuned into a whole hour.

Food was amazing. Great place to stop by if trying to beat traffic on the way home.

This was my first time trying Turkish cuisine. Of course there are many middle eastern/mediterranean restaurants everywhere, but most just serve the same common items like Kebab, Hummus, Falafel, etc. You can get those here too if you want, but I was interested in more unique dishes. The three dishes we ordered were Beyti Sarma (ground meat wraps), Manti (mini dumplings), and Iskender Kebab (like Doner kebab but with a tomato-y sauce). All 3 were delicious but our favorite was certainly the Iskender Kebab. Do be aware that it's a fairly small place and seemingly has limited kitchen capacity. I was originally intending to order a lahmacun (flatbread) as well but was told it would take an hour, so we skipped it.

Amazing service, the guy at front was super nice and their tea was amazing 10/10 recommend great hospitality. I got their cheese pide and it was super cheesy!

For the first time in America, I definitely felt like in Turkey. Everything I tried was amazing and also they have special chefs from Turkey.You should try All Kebabs, Lahmacun, Ali Nazik and Baklava. Highly recommended!!!

Initially you can notice the cleanliness of the place. Service and the ambiance is cool vibrant and friendly. It's family owned and they are hands on the business. They pay attention to every table and every request from customers. Their lahmacun, manti , pide and kebab is a must. The baklava and ice cream is die for. I can taste real Turkish pistachios in the baklava. Overall it's an excellent place. I would come and bring family and friends again for sure.

Most delicious Turkish food we've had in the states. The Iskender kebap tasted just like the ones we have eaten I. İstanbul!

Food and service was amazing! We didn't order a thing that we didn't like. If going with a big group, make reservations as the place is a little small. Very accommodating!

Everything here that we got to try was tasty and fresh. Our favorite was the iskender, which was a dish I tried for the first time here. The iskender is nice and tender and juicy, perfect with the fries and yogurt it comes with. The lahmacun's size was great and the meat on it was generous and tasty. The special combo kebab was slightly lacking due to the small portion of meat, but the taste and quality of meat was still shining through. The knafeh was like a warm hug and is best eaten quickly after it's served. The baklava was standard, not anything special but definitely satisfies a craving for it. Service was super nice, though it was slightly slower at times. Seating is limited, so I noticed a lot of to-go/pickup orders. Will be coming back since it is halal!

Hands down the best Turkish food you're going to find in Los Angeles. You have to try the Iskender.

Ordered take out from this place as I was passing through the neighborhood randomly and am grateful for this chance encounter as it turned out to be the juiciest chicken kebab with the most flavorful FLUFFY rice. Definitely ordering again!

Doner kebab was decent, salad looked like it was made by someone that hates salad. Mixed grill was pretty lackluster and came barely warm. $60 for 2 people seemed a little overpriced considering the quality and alternatives in the area. Would not return.

Was excited trying Turkish restaurant food for the first time but Nuka service could be better. I was not greeted and the employee tersely answered my questions. He didn't seem to want to be there. He also didn't greet those who entered after me. Not all prices on the menu board are current. For instance the lentil soup is actually 50 cents cheaper. One star deducted because pictures or description of food would really be helpful. Good thing I read other Yelp reviews and did my research on unfamiliar food! I liked the simple unassuming interior, black and white with a splash of burgundy seat cushions. The easy listening style music in I'm guessing Turkish was soothing. **beef kafte platter with salad, rice and pita. My made-to-order Kafte looks like koobideh except it was denser, drier and salty. The brown rice with peas was seasoned well and I LOVED the salad - a large portion of lettuce, tomatoes, & cucumbers with a fresh tangy dressing like Italian but lighter. **Lentil soup - I would come back just for the lentil soup! It was blended, so comforting and sublimely seasoned. **Yogurt and bomb garlic paste available by request. Small but varied menu. I would also wanna try the Pide, a flatbread pizza. Sandwiches, sides, soup, coffee and dessert also available. Prices are good. Quality ingredients. A few tables outside but Westwood Ave traffic is often noisy. Parking - street meters, or I may have parked in the Starbucks without qualms because it's a big lot. The next time I get lentil soup I'll give an another entree a try.

It's settled. Best falafel in the area. Some of the highest quality food, obviously made with love. I love this spot!

I was very excited to bring my mom here for dinner but I greatly regret it.Terrible service. Ruined our day, we felt discriminated against. People that arrived after us were attended quickly while they kept us waiting just to take our orders. Then after almost an hour wait people who again arrived after us had their food rushed to them. From our perspective this place didn't welcome us in fact we felt that they treated us this way because we are Mexican. Didn't expect to experience racism on Hispanic Mother's Day. Wish we never came.

The food felt cold as if it were reheated and it wasn'tfreshly cooked. We spent $100 on two entrees and desserts that were disappointing.

I would go back to this restaurant again. The food was delicious and it took me back to Istanbul. The service was perfect. I would highly recommend it if you crave Turkish food.

I went here based on rave reviews from tiktok. (I know I know but 9/10 tiktok really hits the nail on the head!) it's quite small inside but honestly it's very cute in terms of decor. You order with the cashier and then they bring the food out. We ordered the: 1.) white rice 2.) lahmacun 3.) Adana Kabob 4.) cokertme kabob and it was $74. Which is pretty pricey for Mediterranean food especially at such a casual place. I'm assuming the food is made fresh to order because it took about 30 minutes for the food to arrive and when it did not all of it arrived. They gave us a complimentary basket of fries at the beginning to eat while we waited for our food which was nice. The food came and it was less than spectacular. The lahmacun was cold and it was just ok. I've had better lahmacun elsewhere. The adana kabob was dry and overcooked honestly. Even with the sides it wasn't redeemable. The worst of all though was the cokertme kabob. It was dripping and I mean DRIPPING in oil. It was essentially inedible with the amount of oil in it. The meat on top was cooked really well but was quite salty and the fries on the bottom were mush because they were DROWNING in oil. I kid you not I would've had a heart attack on the spot if I would've eaten it. The white rice was not good at all and quite frankly idk how you mess up rice but it happened. All in all the service is good, they were friendly and apologetic about the delay in food but the food is not worth it at all in my opinion. The food that was palatable was bland and underwhelming and the food that wasn't bland was inedible from the saltiness and the amount of oil. Save yourself a trip and get some better Turkish food elsewhere!

Food was amazing, and service was very friendly. A great plus is also the cute wall of flowers and neon lights, with mirror walls.

I walked in without even knowing what type of food was offered. Saw that it was Mediterranean food and wasn't sure what to order. I took advice from the kind man behind the counter and ordered beef doner. When it came, it was a huge plate with lots of beef, fresh salad, rice and pita. I can't get over how delicious it was. I ate every bit - I was such a glutton, but it was sooooo delicious. The interior is small but very nicely decorated and the bathroom is clean (with a funny sign) I can't recommend this place enough.

Got takeout. Ordered on the spot during lunchtime. It was a large order, almost 7-8 Lahmacun. The café is small, clean, and cozy. The staff were pleasant and even treated us to tea while we waited for our order.

Fantastic place. I am Syrian and this food remind me of The top food places in Syria Super great tasty food. Kenafeh taste amazing I recommend this place blindly

Great flavor of kenaf's loved the service Place looks nice with nice topping . Jerom was nice and took care of us very well Will return .

I love their food. Good quality. Good portion size. Reasonable price based on the provided quality. They are very nice. Service is great. I also enjoy the vibe. It's not fancy, but cozy and clean. :)

It's one of the top restaurants in the area! Everything is so delicious and fresh! Their vegan cig kofte it's spot on it's a must to try or you will miss out haha. Prices are affordable! I wish if they're in San Diego we really need authentic Turkish food in San Diego.

Just discovered a hidden gem in town - Nuka Cafe! The Turkish coffee here is a delight, rich and flavorful. And let's talk about their desserts - absolutely fantastic, each bite is a taste of heaven. The ambiance strikes a perfect balance between upscale and cozy, making it an ideal spot to unwind. Can't wait to return for more delightful moments!

Delicious food, desserts, and Turkish coffee. The portions are large and can definitely be shared. The place is small with about 6 tables fitting 4-6 people comfortably and some outdoor tables. Service is wonderful and I can't wait to return with others. 10/10!

Shity smell Nasty place food doesn't good and expensive plus they are charged for credit card never come back shity place

There are not many Turkish food around so you can't be picky. However, the owners have missed the opportunity to make it an icon in Westwood area with so many great restaurants. Food is fine but I am not sure if prepared by a chef; it seem the food you make in your kitchen of your house. Service is good and friendly. Cozy restaurant, but difficult to find a parking spot in the area. Mix kabob is $20 which is very expensive for the quantity and quality; there are way too many great Persian kabob place around! Don't order chai or tea which is miles away from the great Persian tea.

The food is great scrumptious and well prepared. Service is not much, since the cashier is server, Busser and handles the cash. Ambiance is not so great, it is a small place with maybe 6-8 tables or so. But you go for the food, and their food is the best!

service is helpful ，it was my first time to eat Turkish food inLa，I even did not know what I ordered，but they were very delicious 。

We stop here at least once every time we're in the area. Best authentic turkish food in LA for sure! These two dishes are our top two favorites dishes, lahmacun and adana kebab. Super flavorful! You won't regret it

Best Turkish food in LA! Hands down great customer service and authentic flavors. Portion sizes are great, one can easily serve two. I'm very happy and will be coming back for more. I wish they would include a breakfast menu soon!