The suburbs have gained a bad reputation over the years. From the plastic and stoic beauties of 1975’s Stepford Wives, to the ominously bland and synchronized green lawns and picket fenced set of Edward Scissorhands, all the way to the psychological and moral decay of American Beauty. Most of it a Hollywood exaggeration for the sake of entertainment, suburbia in Istanbul has instead become synonymous with a sense of welcomed dissociation with the imbalance of city life and a return to a naturally inspired quiet.

Kemerburgaz, about a half an hour drive outside of the city, is that kind of suburbia. The perfectly translucent green of golf courses stretch into the sunburnt hills where houses rest by lakes and small water falls make their way through the dangle of tree branches. Upon such a scene the kick of maternity and family life is only one possible intention, or the pang of hunger with all that fresh unpolluted air. As such, the town center offers many options in the mentioned department, including Westside Cafe and Bistro where it seems that classic American dishes have been imported directly.

The Double Goat Cheese and Spinach Salad marked the beginning, where the fresh crunch of raw spinach met the creamy and crunchy intentions of two types of goat cheese along with a suddenly sweet interlude of dried cranberries. Moving away from that healthy start just a little, the inspiring circumference of the Mexican Beef Taco Pizza arrived in an olfactory gust of fresh mozzarella, seasoned ground beef and the welcomed crunch of tortilla chips. An essential member of the American menu, the All American Original Burger with a 160gram patty clothed in melted cheddar cheese, iceberg lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles, with a homemade special sauce hiding beneath the toasted bun marked the finale.

Whether for lunch or dinner or Sunday brunch, where breakfast platters such as the American Breakfast Plate (two sunny-side-up eggs, bacon, home fries, pancakes and jam) or Hollywood (cinnamon brioche french toast, bacon, with maple syrup and jam), Westside is a worthy option. You might want to take a jog around those mentioned golf courses after such a satisfying meal, but that’s really up to you. Istanbul Caddesi Telekom Sk. Arcadium Carsisi No:3/7, Kemerburgaz; P: 0545 328 9378