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    Buhara Ocakbaşı

    4.5 (40 reviews)
    ModerateTurkish, Barbeque, Kebab
    Closed 11:30 am - 11:30 pm

    Buhara Ocakbaşı Turkish Restaurant Photos

    BUHARA OCAKBAŞI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - Buhara Ocakbaşı

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    Right - sea bass Left - special "testi" kebab with flaming centerpiece

    Small establishment with BIG character. The kebab was delicious - perfectly cooked, not overly greasy or salty, seasoned to perfection. I came with some picky Arabic eaters who said this was probably the best kebab they have ever eaten and that's saying a lot. The portion size was very large - the kebab for 2 could have fed 3-4 people fairly easily. The sea bass was also crispy and tender. The mezze plate had eggplant, garlic hummus and beans with some stuffed grape leaves. For dessert some delicious Turkish baklava. I had vegetarian dishes including a pasta with mushroom and cream sauce and a vegetarian casserole which resembles tagine. Overall highly recommended, great food at great prices! Nice place to go after exploring Sultan Ahmet and the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.

    Dylan V.

    The food was delicious. After the meal we were given baklava and Turkish tea for free. We ate next to the street while listening to the sounds of the city. The staff were very friendly and the prices were reasonable. It was a very nice experience.

    Robert N.

    Loved this place! Friendly staff, wonderful Turkish food, and they provide you complimentary tea and baklava. They even tried speaking Chinese to us even though we didn't stand them. 95% of the patrons that day were mandarin speaking Chinese! I can understand why because this restaurant is in a touristy neighborhood. I loved their garlic minced kofta kebap and grilled sea bream! My absolutely favorites.

    Brian C.

    Came on a Monday evening (~7:45pm). My first choice for kebaps was closed, so I wandered the area. There were several alley ways filled with cute restaurants that screamed touristy trap to me. I ducked into a random hotel and asked the concierge for a recommendation for kebaps. He directed me here. Slightly off the beaten path. Service was great since the place was pretty empty. Price is reasonable. I basically had two waiters waiting on me. Food was good. (Caveat....I haven't eaten in enough places in Istanbul to be able to rank them against the competition). Lamb ribs were a little bare but tasty. Spicy salad had some fresh ingredients, and interestingly, was not spicy at all.

    Mixed kebab
    Thomas P.

    The very best hummus 5 star Mixed kebab 5 star Fresh bread 5 star Adana kebab is excellent 5 star Chicken in clay pot - excellent presentation and was very good 4 star Excellent wait staff and service

    Ansel C.

    I came to here by TripAdvisor recommended. It is so delicious for foods, I like the way they cooked, it make foods more fresh and live.

    Anthony C.

    The food is really good, especially the lamb rib and cheddar pita, the perfect easy lunch. The other thing that sets this place apart is the service, fun and attentive.

    Luis P.

    Great food, open until late and great attention from Mohammed who seems to be the manager. The chicken was fresh & DELICIOUS. And like almost everything in Istanbul, very fairly priced.

    Pitta bread

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    8 years ago

    Great place to eat. Mohammed and his staff are very inviting and the food is amazing.

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    Buhara Ocakbaşı Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Buhara Ocakbaşı

    Great food, open until late and great attention from Mohammed who seems to be the manager.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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    Zübeyir Ocakbaşı - Grilled garluc, onions and pepper paste

    Zübeyir Ocakbaşı

    4.2(94 reviews)
    3.0 kmŞehit Muhtar Mh., Şehit Muhtar, Hüseyinağa, Beyoğlu
    ₺₺

    Istanbul was love not just because of the history and architecture but most importantly for its…read morefood. The sweets and savory both are on point. You can actually go to a hole in the wall and get the best kababs or baklava or halwas every eatery is a sheer joy. So this is one of the best places for a kababfest all over Yelp, YouTube influencers backing that and also the most recommended place on internet based reviews. We chose a non busy time it wasn't that packed. This restaurant is not compact but definitely crowded in the sense that tables are very close to one another. The staff is extremely polite, helpful and friendly. We ordered a little bit of everything including liver. Each item was bursting of flavor and the meat used was top notch quality. Price point isn't bad. Do google the menu with pricing and these change quite often in places like Turkey which is a tourist hub. We paid with credit card no issues. The food came out piping hot and within reasonable grilling time. Definitely recommend this place it's a haven for meat lovers I can't wait to go back this is a solid 5 on 5 for me.

    Extremely terrible experience. The following behaviors of this restaurant made us feel that they…read moretreat customers differently, discriminate against us, and engage in forced consumption: The staff were slack in their work; we called them several times, but they pretended not to hear us. They brought the wrong dishes. We ordered one lamb and one kebab, but the first time they served two lamb dishes. After another staff member scolded the server, the server still giggled and didn't take it seriously. They did not serve us pre-meal bread. When we asked, the staff said it was because we didn't order a salad. However, other customers who also didn't order salad were served bread. Moreover, during the rest of our trip, all the restaurants we visited provided free pre-meal bread. The worst part! When we paid the bill and refused to pay the service charge for the above reasons, the staff forced a 10% service charge without our consent. This is forced consumption!!! We should have turned to the local law enforcement authorities, but doing so would have ruined our entire trip -- and that is exactly why they acted so blatantly. I believe that in any modern country, such behavior is against the law!!! We had a wonderful trip in Turkey, but actions like this disgrace your country!!!

    Photos
    Zübeyir Ocakbaşı
    Zübeyir Ocakbaşı - Fresh baked Turkish bread

    Fresh baked Turkish bread

    Zübeyir Ocakbaşı - A truly great and fun evening, tons of delicious food.

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    A truly great and fun evening, tons of delicious food.

    Kapı Karaköy - Shish kebab with peppers, onions, tomatoes, and cilantro. A nice red wine to go with it.

    Kapı Karaköy

    4.4(8 reviews)
    1.6 kmKemankeş Karamustafa Paşa Mh., Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa
    ₺₺

    We came here for dinner in our second night in Turkey, and thoroughly enjoyed it... we loved the…read morekunefe the most, and it was our favourite out of all the ones we had in Istanbul! The ambiance here is beautiful - hidden in a small alley on a road beside the Galata Tower, there are lights and music that fill up the narrow path here. Outside seating is super quaint, and the inside of the restaurant is nice too, decorated in a very traditional way. We started off with a shepherds salad because I was in desperate need of fibre after two days of straight protein and carbs . It was a simple Mediterranean style salad, with tomato, onions, cucumbers, and parsley. We then shared a chicken shish and, heavily influenced by the meal we had at Antiochia the day prior, a kebab durum. The durum was good - crispy and meaty - but I think we had the best at Antiochia. It lacked a bit of juice. The chicken shish was delicious though; it was tender, moist, and flavourful. The real star, however, was the kunefe. This dessert was by far the best of its kind we've had in Istanbul! It wasn't too sweet, the inside was creamy (and more mild than some other variations we tried), but it was the clotted cream on top and the pistachio crumble that elevated this to another level. The cream made the dish super buttery and fragrant, adding complexity. Would definitely come again just for the kunefe!

    Good and personable service. Medieval decor created a beautiful and unusual atmosphere. The shish…read morekebab was stellar.

    Photos
    Kapı Karaköy
    Kapı Karaköy - The spread

    The spread

    Kapı Karaköy - Dining area.

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    Dining area.

    Ali Ocakbaşı - Main course.

    Ali Ocakbaşı

    4.0(7 reviews)
    3.0 kmGümüşsuyu, Gümüşsuyu Mh., Beşiktaş
    ₺₺₺

    We were visiting from out of the country and this restaurant came highly recommended by someone…read moreattending the same conference as us. We checked the reviews and were excited--it looked like it was going to be an amazing experience. And at first, it was! We were seated on the patio with a great view, and the atmosphere seemed lovely. However, things quickly went downhill. There was a very large party inside--maybe 30+ people taking up the entire dining room--and it felt like the patio got forgotten. The bigger issue came from the table next to us, which had apparently become the designated **smoking area**. At first, I thought it was just staff taking a break, but then around **8 more people came out to smoke** right next to our table. The smoking itself wasn't the worst part--it's outside, and I get that--but they were all crowding around our table, standing with their backs literally **inches from our food**. It felt extremely rude and disruptive, and unfortunately, the staff couldn't do anything about it since there were no other tables available. To be fair, our server was **fantastic**--you could tell he was uncomfortable too, especially since the smokers had taken over what looked like his service station. He did his best under tough circumstances, and we appreciated that. Maybe we just caught it on a bad night, but I'd say if you're sensitive to smoke or looking for a more peaceful experience, **avoid the patio**.

    January 2/2024: Our final meal in Istanbul with my Al…read more This was a very nice restaurant. The service was fast & polite with no issues. The view from the seating area was FANTASTIC. The food taste was delicious but they lost a star because the small size of the entree. This is a very authentic do over if you're in the area.

    Photos
    Ali Ocakbaşı - Seating area.

    Seating area.

    Ali Ocakbaşı - Appetizers arrangement.

    Appetizers arrangement.

    Ali Ocakbaşı - Patio view of Istanbul.

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    Patio view of Istanbul.

    Old Ottoman Cafe & Restaurant - Traditional dessert

    Old Ottoman Cafe & Restaurant

    4.8(307 reviews)
    0.0 kmAlemdar, Alemdar Mh.
    ₺₺

    This was my first night in Istanbul and I eased tired from traveling from cappadocia earlier in the…read moreday. This restaurant was close to my hotel and had great reviews on Yelp. When I arrived there was only one other customer inside. The restaurant decor was cute and I very comfortable. The staff were friendly and welcoming. This spot was a bit pricey just like most of the restaurants in this touristy area. I had certain Turkish entrees i wanted to try during my vacation. I ordered the Iskender kebab which is beef and pita bread covered with tomato sauce with yogurt on the side. I ordered a side salad to go with it. The dish was very delicious as you can tell in one of my pics. I chatted with some of the staff about life in Istanbul. I was offered some complimentary pomegranate tea before I left and it hit the spot. This is definitely a place to check out when you're in the area.

    A MUST TRY. As an American, I have been SO impressed with food here in Turkey and if you are in the…read morearea, this restaurant is an absolute MUST-TRY if you're looking for great food. I had some of THEE BEST chicken kebab I've ever had in this country here. The beef kebab was also tender and flavorful. You cannot go wrong with any of these! The service was quick and prompt, and the servers were great at making recommendations. I came here in the winter so we sat indoors which felt a bit cramped however, there is also outdoor seating during the nicer weather months. If I'm ever back here in Istanbul, I would definitely come back. And if you're reading this, you NEED to try the Old Ottoman!

    Photos
    Old Ottoman Cafe & Restaurant - Streetside

    Streetside

    Old Ottoman Cafe & Restaurant
    Old Ottoman Cafe & Restaurant - Wall outside the restaurant.

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    Wall outside the restaurant.

    Buhara Ocakbaşı - turkish - Updated May 2026

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