We visited once early in our trip, and had a great meal with excellent service. Later we were in the same area. We were open to trying other restaurants in the area. One was closed, and the other was overpriced (and we only found out after we had sat down). So we returned to this known good cafe. Our waiter, who had last seen us a month ago, remembered us. A real caring guy. This time, we ordered the Ali Nazik Kebap. Often kebap dishes in Türkiye are served a bit dry. Buhara's dish, on the other hand, was well-seasoned and presented well on a bed of smoked aubergine. I'd eat here all the time if I were a local. read more

Buhara Ocakbaşı - Turkish Near Me - Istanbul, 34

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Our first meal in Istanbul was at Buhara. What a group of friendly people to welcome us. The food was delicious and we are so happy we found it. Thank you. read more

The main courses were flavorful and spiced well. The presentation was beautiful. 10/10 service! They gave us free tea and dessert at the end & immediate service. Everything came out timely. The mixed meat and testi Kebab pot were sooo good 10/10 coming from an armenian/iraqi. The bread is so fresh too and perfect for pictures. They take card and split checks too. Best food on the sultanhmet side. Cozy place, and looks like they cook on a legit oven. The appetizers 8/10. read more

Buhara Ocakbaşı - Mixed kebab - Turkish Near Me - Istanbul, 34

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. read more

Buhara Ocakbaşı - Right - sea bass Left - special "testi" kebab with flaming centerpiece - Turkish Near Me - Istanbul, 34

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An amazing experience thanks to the food and the service. The staff made us feel like family and were happy to give us recommendations on their favorite dishes. You should come here for a delicious dinner read more

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. read more

Buhara Ocakbaşı - Turkish Near Me - Istanbul, 34

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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. read more

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This was one of the best places I visited in Istanbul! Amazing food, great hospitality, and overall awesome vibes. I ordered the Ottoman Lamb Special which was prepared in-front of us in true Turkish style with a show! Everyone working here was truly amazing! read more

I've been going to this wonderful little place since I was first working in Turkey, in the early 2000s. Mohammed and the rest of the staff make you feel like you're a long lost part of the family, like you've been on travel for a long time and just popped in for a surprise visit (which is actually my excuse). I can't even imagine how much BBQ (US equivalent) Buhara has served up over the years. My main go to is the lamb ribs and Adana Kabab; but then anything lamb is my go to no matter where I'm at, like Ethiopian Lamb Kay Wat (but I digress). If you're unsure what to order, you're always safe with the Chicken Shish Tawook. But most important, don't be afraid to try things. Take time to look around and see what others are eating that looks good to you and just order that. And, regardless of your religion, you need to take a sort walk to the Blue Mosque, one of the epic architectural landmarks in Turkey with a long history. Remember, when you're in Istanbul you are literally standing at the gateway between Europe and Asia. read more

Mohammad gave great service he made sure we ate well, gave us fantastic suggestions and was overall really passionate about the food and restaurant. Coming from America we heard it's hard to find really good places close to the center but happy we found this gem! Wish I had gotten food bc wow, FOOD WAS DELICIOUS!! read more

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. read more

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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 read more

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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. read more

Buhara Ocakbaşı - Turkish Near Me - Istanbul, 34

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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. read more

Buhara Ocakbaşı - Turkish Near Me - Istanbul, 34

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Awesome find! While walking by with a tour group, we decided to leave part of the tour that was shopping and look for food. We had passed by this little gem of a place and went back. Everything was so good! Service was outstanding.....food delicious....finished off with baklava and tea. Yum! read more

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. read more

Buhara Ocakbaşı - Turkish Near Me - Istanbul, 34

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We arrived at our hotel around 10 PM on a Friday, exhausted and hungry. Our hotel guide recommended," a simple, delicious, kebab house that I often eat at." We walked in and were warmly welcomed and ordered a mixed kebab plate and an order of the fried cheese pastries (cheese boreg). Everything was fresh, delicious, and delivered quickly enough! Our meal received a complementary baklava and tea- would recommend if you're around! read more

Fist time in Istanbul and the hotel recommended this restaurant which I remember seeing on Yelp before. This was a wonderful place with great food and great atmosphere. Baklava was amazing and you couldn't tell there was butter in it! Chai was also amazing! read more

This place got very high ratings on Trip Advisor, but we didn't think it was anything special. The kebabs were pretty standard, not bad, just not as great as the reviews stated. It is also pretty pricey for what you get. FYI the homemade lemonade is not really homemade. It was florescent yellow. I suspect it was just a powder. read more

Came here for dinner on our last night in Istanbul. Very close to Topkapi Palace and easy to find. Received high reviews on trip advisor which is why we came but I wouldn't agree. They have menus in multiple languages - definitely catered to the tourists. Friendly staff. We started with the mixed appetizer which overall was good - small spoonfuls of different vegetarian dishes. Their hummus tasted different from hummus that I've had in the past and I was not a fan. The bread was good but we only got one piece. Tried the chicken shish and the lamb shish. There was not a lot of meat and it was somewhat overcooked. The taste was fine, nothing unlike other kebab places we tried. At the end of the meal they gave us complimentary apple tea. They also have international foods (pastas and pizzas) on their menu if that's what you're looking for. read more

Despite the overly enthusiastic reviews on TripAdvisor and its #6 ranking out of supposedly 10,000, the food was just ok. The prices were about the same as other places, I'd say $$ in US standards. Service was surprisingly ok, and I say that because everywhere else we've been people have been super nice and much more responsive. It seemed like they made up for taste by adding lots of oil --- the meat was decent quality, but the hummus left a lot to be desired. read more

Don't trust Google maps...took us a while to find it but the food is great and the waiters are helpful and friendly... Definitely go here if you're in Istanbul read more

Buhara Ocakbaşı - Pitta bread - Turkish Near Me - Istanbul, 34

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It's really a 4.5. I would strongly recommend this place if you are a tourist visiting the Basilica Cistern. The price is moderate and the taste is superb for the two dishes I ordered. Went there on Tuesday 3/17 after visiting Ayasofya. A local store owner (opposite of the ATMs) recommended it to us. I ordered Kilbastı Kabap (Mixed Kebab) Künefe (dessert) Homemade Lemonade The taste was really good, and it seemed popular among tourists, especially Germans. One of the servers spoke very good English. Next time I'm near the area, I'll be sure to go again. read more

We came to eat here after it was recommended to us by one of our local friends. We wanted to try something local. This spot was it. We had Urfa Kebab, Chicken Tawook, and Lamb Ribs. They were all grilled to perfection. The food was light to eat yet filling. The bread was freshly baked. To summarize it, there was nothing left on the plate when we were done. Mohammed who served us complimented us with Baklawa and tea. Will come back here again whenever I'm in Istanbul! read more

This place was a quick internet search and a bit longer physical search away. Once I found it, I was happy I did. Another patron ordered the kebab inside a clay container- the show and resulting contents looked lovely. I personally ordered the lamb kebab and red wine- great combo. It did have surprisingly hot peppers and my server provided me with a yogurt dish to balance it, which was thoughtful. Overall, a great experience, attentive staff, and even better baklava. The reduced stars from 5 (it was more like 4.5/5 stars) would be from the hard location to find (definitely not the worst thing) and the after dinner tea- it was a little bitter- nothing sugar couldn't fix but it was my least favorite of my Istanbul trip so far. Update- I received a replacement tea that was lovely and as tasty as the other teas I've drank today. The apple tea in Istanbul is a must try! read more

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

Service was very nice & outdoor seating is great. Unfortunately didn't get to eat anything from the oven because we came late but the lamb was amazing & fresh along with the bread. They also gave us free tea & baklava to take home which was delicious as well. read more

Very highly rated, and reviewed, on TripAdvisor but we both had contrarian opinions. Our kebab plates were good and flavorful, but nothing special that we haven't had back at home for the same price, if not cheaper. As it is very near the major tourist areas this establishment receives a lot of foot traffic its way so they are able to inflate their prices. Overall we had a tasty and pretty satisfying meal, but there is much better food in Istanbul at a mere fraction of the cost. read more

We enjoyed our lunch meal here while in Istanbul. I agree with John N. that it is easy to walk right past this place, despite being on a main street. The service was better here than we had in other restaurants in Istanbul. The kebabs were tasty. read more

The best food in Istanbul. Amazing service. Friendly, funny staff. Complimentary fantastic bakalava and tea. Back rubs for anyone who needs one from the waiters. Saw many patrons taking photos with the waiters. They really know how to make you feel welcome. Lamb kabab with or without yogurt is fantastic! read more

This place was incredible! A few of us from the hostel went out for dinner and were amazed at their service and the food. The staff were super lovely, the food was insanely delicious and decently priced. Highly recommend it if you want a traditional Turkish feed!!!! read more

This place was very nice. They welcomed us with a smile. The host took us to our table and sat us down. Immediately our server welcomed to the restaurant and greeted us. Service was on point and very attentive. Server took our order and appetizers came fairly quickly. Server checked on us and asked how everything was going. The dinner portion was very generous. Again, this place was wonderful. If you can, avoid going to Ottoman Cafe. read more

Went on our last night in Istanbul after eating on the Asian side of Istanbul for a couple of days. It was the absolute best meal we had in our week in Istanbul. I had the Turkish Kebab and my wife the lamb. While everyone says the food isn't as good near Sultanahmet, this proved everyone wrong. Waiter (Burak) was perfect. Would without a doubt recommend anyone visiting to try it. Very much lives up to the press it receives. read more

When we talk about our trip to Istanbul, this restaurant is the first thing we talk about! The food was really, really good! We had a very good time here, and when we were leaving, these people who runs this place offered us a ride, and took us where we needed to go! People, atmosphere, food, everything here was what we expected! If we travel to Istanbul again, we will definitely visit this place again! read more

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Food was average, service made up for it. grilled sea bass n sea bream were fresh, lamb ribs were good but a bit salty. Very very friendly staff and cozy atmosphere. read more