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Cafe Instabul serves authentic Turkish flavors where you can dine for brunch, lunch, and dinner. A menu featuring items such as hummus, lamb shank, kebabs and much more. A great patio to enjoy if you do want to eat outside. The lamb shack and manti were very delicious. The manti featured stuffed tortellini served in a creamy yogurt tomato sauce. All of the dishes were very large and we had plenty to take home to enjoy. They can easily be shared between two people. Service was great and a wonderful place to go out for a night.
Came here with my friends for lunch on a Friday, and had an overall just alright experience. The chicken kebab was a mixed bag - the best part of the meal was the chicken, which was seasoned very well and super tender. However, the bread and service weren't quite there - we were one of two parties in the restaurant and had to ask for our check after waiting for a while.
This place is bangin' for real!!! I have no idea why we haven't tried it til now, but our bad. The eggplant dip and bread they start you out with is delicious. I could eat an entire bucket of it. The hummus was smooth and fresh. The kabob, just as delicious! Rice was cooked perfectly and included veggies divine. I can't stress enough how much we loved this local spot. Can't wait to come again soon!!!
This was a place I happened upon when a nearby diner was closed. I looked at their menu online & decided to give them a chance & was NOT disappointed. The atmosphere alone was quite inviting. Cozy, shaded, outdoor seating. The inside was very formal as well. The most appealing element of this place is how reasonable their pricing is. My waiter Ori (sp?) was awesome. Very personable. He started me off with a complimentary Carrot Dip appetizer which was by fast the highlight of my meal. He stated that it's not always on the menu, but I will ask for it anytime I go back. I can't give them 5 stars only because my main course, the Doner entree, which is a seasoned lamb & veal meat with basmati rice was a bit salty. Not overwhelmingly salty, but noticeable. But I'm definitely going back to test their other dishes, especially if their carrot dip is available.
Fifth time enjoying a meal here over the last three years . Every time spot on food and service excellence. Today was no exception. We sat outdoors and we appreciated how genuine the staff was and how attentive they were. The meal was very well paced--no sense of rushing us through all the courses. We had appetizers and then we chose Rack of Lamb, Braised Lamb Shank and Braised Short ribs. Honestly each meal was perfection. Rack of Lamb was unanimously voted the very best lol. I've never had better. Portions were generous and we were served complimentary warm bread with a tasty dip to start the meal as we looked at their menu which had a bit of everything. You really can't go wrong. Dessert was Baklava and Flan and again--so good. Turkish style. We went home with leftovers for another meal. Thank you to the lovely Staff. Outstanding meal all the way around!
Recently had dinner with girlfriends here, and it was one of the best meals I had all year. We shared plates and probably eight close to the whole menu. Everything was absolutely amazing and slightly different than what you would get at most Mediterranean restaurants in Chicago. You could tell there is a level of authenticity that I'd be hard to find elsewhere. I can't stop thinking about how great this place was.
Revisited again.. this time time the food was just okay; didn't feel like the first few times. The food didn't taste as fresh and everything came out extremely fast (maybe because we were there noon on a Friday) we ordered creme brulee for dessert and it was the worst I've had, super sweet, and water down at the bottom not cooked all the way through. I hope they aren't loosing their consistency.
I have been several times to Café Istanbul. I have also visited Turkey many many times. Cafe Istanbul does have good food but they are currently nickel and dimming people 18% service charge is inexcusable. They are charging a credit card service fee and the brunch was mediocre and small was $30 per person(no meat, bread, fruit, eggs). This is Turkish food. This is nothing gourmet. It is good, but I felt totally overcharged and that there was no fun and being there by paying all these service fees. I had Manti and Sheppard's salad $35 + their added 18%. I can tip them what I want. They don't need to add a tip onto my dinner/lunch. Too costly for one person ...charge charge charge unfortunate
Big portions for affordable prices, delicious food, and you get seated fast on most days even though the restaurant is never really empty. There's indoor seating & outdoor seating with large heat lamps. I've been here twice - once for brunch and again for dinner, same menu except brunch has a turkish breakfast option. Every meal comes with carrot dip & bread, which for the record, is really good bread & dip. We've ordered the islim sarmasi (eggplant stuffed with beef in a tomato sauce), the mixed platter (we got a meat & seafood mixed platter, comes with scallops, lamb, steak, shrimp), the sogurme (smoked eggplant dip), and the iskender (thinly cut & sliced meat in hot tomato sauce). We also ordered the turkish tea. 1 entree and an appetizer are huge portions and probably good for 2 people. Every dish was delicious, but I'd recommend everyone to ordee the sogurme most of all - super smooth smoked eggplant dip, with some sort of oil, and fresh hot walnuts on top. By far my favorite thing on that menu. They have turkish breakfast that looks super good & comes with a large variery of items. We didn't get it, but saw others that did, and looks like a great bang for your buck at $30 per person. Service is awesome. A great, reliable mainstay on division, and also casual enough to drop in on at any time.
This Chicago Turkish place has a very cozy patio and also indoor atmosphere. We tried several of the dishes including the lahmacun (a Turkish flatbread), the Adam kebap which is the most famous of the Turkish kebaps, the mantı which are like small Turkish dumplings, and the lentil soup. All were exceptional! The service was great as well! Can't wait to go back and try their kahvaltı (Turkish breakfast).
A lovely neighborhood spot with solid food, excellent service, reasonable prices, and an awesome outdoor patio vibe for the warmer weather! We ordered the following dishes- - Sogurme (4.4/5) - Turkish Delight (4/5) - Manti (4.5/5)- probably my favorite dish of what we ordered. It was unique in the combinations of flavors and textures. - Kuzu Shish (4.3/5) They serve BOTH complimentary bread + dip to start and complimentary dessert to end, which we really appreciated! The bread was soft, fresh, and warm, and the dip was solid and flavorful. The dessert, a small, soft honey almond cookie, was tasty too. Overall, the service was fast and so friendly. It's a place I'd return to for a reliably solid meal experience in every facet.
A well maintained establishment with a wide menu selection, filling servings & personable service! They serve homemade bread & baba ghanoush as a complimentary appetizer while you look through their menu. The main courses were new to me but both dishes were made up of lamb & carb/bread. The Lahmacun was a great appetizer reminded me of an open face burrito or a turkish version of pizza. The iskender reminded me slightly of spaghetti except the noodles were cubes of bread and instead of ground meat it is thinly sliced lamb. The dish was served with yogurt to balance out the acidic sauce of the tomato. I paired the baba ghanoush with all the bites & enjoyed the distinct turkish taste. The restaurant definitely attracted a good flow of locals!
02/28/24 - Tonight my wife & I went to Cafe Istanbul @ 2014 W Division Ave for dinner. I've had this restaurant on my radar for several years. Well tonight was the night & Cafe Istanbul more than lived up to my expectations. The food was outstanding. They brought us fresh bread w/a dip to die for made of yogurt w/julienne cut carrots, green onions, garlic....it was absolutely delicious. I could have made a meal of this by itself it was that good. In addition we ordered the following dishes Islim Sarmasi - Braised lamb shoulder wrapped in eggplant served with/basmati rice. Doner - Lamb & Veal combined seasone and cooked w/basmati rice, shredded red cabbage, julienne cut carrots, & dill yogurt sauce. This came w/2 piece of paper thin flat bread. I wrapped this w/the lamb, veal red cabbage, carrots & yogurt dill sauce & made a Turkish taco (lol Turkish taco Wednesday). The servings sizes are very generous & both of us will be able to make another meal from the take home leftovers. *They also have lunch menu which is less than the dinner menu. The food was outstanding as was the service & ambiance of the restaurant. This was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. We will definitely be back again soon.
3 months ago
Loved all three dishes we ordered: the seafood salad, the eggplant appetizer, and the variety kebab plate. The combination made for the perfect meal on a hot day. It was light and refreshing, but also still satisfying and filling. Everything complemented each other really well. read more
Absolutely amazing restaurant with such helpful service. This was our first time trying Turkish cuisine and the servers answered our questions and helped walk us through some dishes that were new to us. The Kofte kebab was so tender and well seasoned! We also loved their tzatziki and schug! The seating area is a bit snug but it adds to the family feel, and their patio is greatly shaded. We all absolutely LOVED the complimentary Turkish carrot dip and bread (not pictured) it was so refreshing and flavorful, a perfect medley of vegetables. Our table also loved the Beef Kebab, Lamb Wrap, Chicken Panini, and Imam Bayildi!! We can't wait to bring all our friends here! read more
Cafe Instabul serves authentic Turkish flavors where you can dine for brunch, lunch, and dinner. A menu featuring items such as hummus, lamb shank, kebabs and much more. A great patio to enjoy if you do want to eat outside. The lamb shack and manti were very delicious. The manti featured stuffed tortellini served in a creamy yogurt tomato sauce. All of the dishes were very large and we had plenty to take home to enjoy. They can easily be shared between two people. Service was great and a wonderful place to go out for a night. read more
Came here with my friends for lunch on a Friday, and had an overall just alright experience. The chicken kebab was a mixed bag - the best part of the meal was the chicken, which was seasoned very well and super tender. However, the bread and service weren't quite there - we were one of two parties in the restaurant and had to ask for our check after waiting for a while. read more
This place is bangin' for real!!! I have no idea why we haven't tried it til now, but our bad. The eggplant dip and bread they start you out with is delicious. I could eat an entire bucket of it. The hummus was smooth and fresh. The kabob, just as delicious! Rice was cooked perfectly and included veggies divine. I can't stress enough how much we loved this local spot. Can't wait to come again soon!!! read more
3 months ago
This was a place I happened upon when a nearby diner was closed. I looked at their menu online & decided to give them a chance & was NOT disappointed. The atmosphere alone was quite inviting. Cozy, shaded, outdoor seating. The inside was very formal as well. The most appealing element of this place is how reasonable their pricing is. My waiter Ori (sp?) was awesome. Very personable. He started me off with a complimentary Carrot Dip appetizer which was by fast the highlight of my meal. He stated that it's not always on the menu, but I will ask for it anytime I go back. I can't give them 5 stars only because my main course, the Doner entree, which is a seasoned lamb & veal meat with basmati rice was a bit salty. Not overwhelmingly salty, but noticeable. But I'm definitely going back to test their other dishes, especially if their carrot dip is available. read more
4 months ago
Fifth time enjoying a meal here over the last three years . Every time spot on food and service excellence. Today was no exception. We sat outdoors and we appreciated how genuine the staff was and how attentive they were. The meal was very well paced--no sense of rushing us through all the courses. We had appetizers and then we chose Rack of Lamb, Braised Lamb Shank and Braised Short ribs. Honestly each meal was perfection. Rack of Lamb was unanimously voted the very best lol. I've never had better. Portions were generous and we were served complimentary warm bread with a tasty dip to start the meal as we looked at their menu which had a bit of everything. You really can't go wrong. Dessert was Baklava and Flan and again--so good. Turkish style. We went home with leftovers for another meal. Thank you to the lovely Staff. Outstanding meal all the way around! read more
Recently had dinner with girlfriends here, and it was one of the best meals I had all year. We shared plates and probably eight close to the whole menu. Everything was absolutely amazing and slightly different than what you would get at most Mediterranean restaurants in Chicago. You could tell there is a level of authenticity that I'd be hard to find elsewhere. I can't stop thinking about how great this place was. read more
Revisited again.. this time time the food was just okay; didn't feel like the first few times. The food didn't taste as fresh and everything came out extremely fast (maybe because we were there noon on a Friday) we ordered creme brulee for dessert and it was the worst I've had, super sweet, and water down at the bottom not cooked all the way through. I hope they aren't loosing their consistency. read more
1 year ago
I have been several times to Café Istanbul. I have also visited Turkey many many times. Cafe Istanbul does have good food but they are currently nickel and dimming people 18% service charge is inexcusable. They are charging a credit card service fee and the brunch was mediocre and small was $30 per person(no meat, bread, fruit, eggs). This is Turkish food. This is nothing gourmet. It is good, but I felt totally overcharged and that there was no fun and being there by paying all these service fees. I had Manti and Sheppard's salad $35 + their added 18%. I can tip them what I want. They don't need to add a tip onto my dinner/lunch. Too costly for one person ...charge charge charge unfortunate read more
1 year ago
Big portions for affordable prices, delicious food, and you get seated fast on most days even though the restaurant is never really empty. There's indoor seating & outdoor seating with large heat lamps. I've been here twice - once for brunch and again for dinner, same menu except brunch has a turkish breakfast option. Every meal comes with carrot dip & bread, which for the record, is really good bread & dip. We've ordered the islim sarmasi (eggplant stuffed with beef in a tomato sauce), the mixed platter (we got a meat & seafood mixed platter, comes with scallops, lamb, steak, shrimp), the sogurme (smoked eggplant dip), and the iskender (thinly cut & sliced meat in hot tomato sauce). We also ordered the turkish tea. 1 entree and an appetizer are huge portions and probably good for 2 people. Every dish was delicious, but I'd recommend everyone to ordee the sogurme most of all - super smooth smoked eggplant dip, with some sort of oil, and fresh hot walnuts on top. By far my favorite thing on that menu. They have turkish breakfast that looks super good & comes with a large variery of items. We didn't get it, but saw others that did, and looks like a great bang for your buck at $30 per person. Service is awesome. A great, reliable mainstay on division, and also casual enough to drop in on at any time. read more
This Chicago Turkish place has a very cozy patio and also indoor atmosphere. We tried several of the dishes including the lahmacun (a Turkish flatbread), the Adam kebap which is the most famous of the Turkish kebaps, the mantı which are like small Turkish dumplings, and the lentil soup. All were exceptional! The service was great as well! Can't wait to go back and try their kahvaltı (Turkish breakfast). read more
10 months ago
A lovely neighborhood spot with solid food, excellent service, reasonable prices, and an awesome outdoor patio vibe for the warmer weather! We ordered the following dishes- - Sogurme (4.4/5) - Turkish Delight (4/5) - Manti (4.5/5)- probably my favorite dish of what we ordered. It was unique in the combinations of flavors and textures. - Kuzu Shish (4.3/5) They serve BOTH complimentary bread + dip to start and complimentary dessert to end, which we really appreciated! The bread was soft, fresh, and warm, and the dip was solid and flavorful. The dessert, a small, soft honey almond cookie, was tasty too. Overall, the service was fast and so friendly. It's a place I'd return to for a reliably solid meal experience in every facet. read more
2 years ago
A well maintained establishment with a wide menu selection, filling servings & personable service! They serve homemade bread & baba ghanoush as a complimentary appetizer while you look through their menu. The main courses were new to me but both dishes were made up of lamb & carb/bread. The Lahmacun was a great appetizer reminded me of an open face burrito or a turkish version of pizza. The iskender reminded me slightly of spaghetti except the noodles were cubes of bread and instead of ground meat it is thinly sliced lamb. The dish was served with yogurt to balance out the acidic sauce of the tomato. I paired the baba ghanoush with all the bites & enjoyed the distinct turkish taste. The restaurant definitely attracted a good flow of locals! read more
02/28/24 - Tonight my wife & I went to Cafe Istanbul @ 2014 W Division Ave for dinner. I've had this restaurant on my radar for several years. Well tonight was the night & Cafe Istanbul more than lived up to my expectations. The food was outstanding. They brought us fresh bread w/a dip to die for made of yogurt w/julienne cut carrots, green onions, garlic....it was absolutely delicious. I could have made a meal of this by itself it was that good. In addition we ordered the following dishes Islim Sarmasi - Braised lamb shoulder wrapped in eggplant served with/basmati rice. Doner - Lamb & Veal combined seasone and cooked w/basmati rice, shredded red cabbage, julienne cut carrots, & dill yogurt sauce. This came w/2 piece of paper thin flat bread. I wrapped this w/the lamb, veal red cabbage, carrots & yogurt dill sauce & made a Turkish taco (lol Turkish taco Wednesday). The servings sizes are very generous & both of us will be able to make another meal from the take home leftovers. *They also have lunch menu which is less than the dinner menu. The food was outstanding as was the service & ambiance of the restaurant. This was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. We will definitely be back again soon. read more
6 months ago
We came an hour before closing but the food was still stunningly fresh. Quality in every bite, each dish distinct marination just enough not to cover the honesty of the meats. We had the chefs mixed grill. It came with beef medallions(good),shrimp(good), chicken white meat(beyond good and juicy), lamb(excellent), Scallops(amazing), kofta(possibly the best ever). Kofta for the uninitiated is ground beef and lamb. Even the rice was delectable. One caveat parking on a Saturday night on Division St. is a bitch. read more
Visited some friends and was asked what I would if there was a cuisine I was interested in going to and I immediately said Turkish. Good Turkish cuisine is hard to come by I feel in the Twin Cities and whenever I travel, I like to find a good Turkish restaurant. So my friend recommended this one as it was one he had wanted to try. So the three of us went to check it out. Its a small dining hall but bright and clean with white table cloths. Fairly busy but we had an reservation so we were seated right away. Got our waters and the server asked for drinks. I had a couple of questions on the drinks but the server didn't have many suggestions as such. Ended upo with the revolver which was a good cocktail. For appetizer, we ordered the Lahmacun for the table. Very tasty. The beef was spiced really well, the bread was crispy and and plenty of it to go around between the 3 of us. For entree we ordered one each and the were all very good. The kebab was moist and flavorful. The Islim Saramasi was a unique dish and was tasty. The lamb was tender and the eggplant was not overdone. A good balance of flavors. My Iskender was exactly what i was looking for. It's one of my childhood favorites and any time I get to have it, I am all for it. Good place with fast service and great food. Next time I am in Chicago, I would certainly make this on my list of places to visit for some good turkish food. read more
1 year ago
Went w 3 other friends. We ordered a couple things to share off the menu. Everything was delicious. Service was great. Tip was already included on the bill so make sure you watch out for that. read more
Came here for lunch and overall enjoyed the experience. The free bread and side were very nice and delicious! Everything was very fresh tasting and tasty. The portions were good as well. I really enjoy Mediterranean food and so my opinion is based around the different Mediterranean foods I've had around Chicagoland. I'd give Cafe Istanbul 4.5/5 if i could. Service was alright, they seemed like they were kind of pushing us to order a little more than the entrees we got. The restaurant itself is very cute and cozy. I think it would've been even better at dinner time. There is an 18% service charge and a 3% credit card fee but they do make it clear on the receipt. read more
Great location, really nice staff all around, nice option to eat outdoors if the weather is nice, is clearly very popular. The Saturday night we went it was probably 70% full. We had a reservation but they were taking walk-ins too with no wait. I loved that they offer a BYO option (with corkage fee) despite having a full bar. As for the food, I'm struggling with what to write because I'm not sure if it just wasn't for my taste, or it wasn't that great. We started with the Sogurme, basically like baba ganoush. The bread was outstanding. The dip I didn't like because I couldn't figure out what type of oil they used. It was the color and taste of vegetable oil but the dip was drenched like it should be extra virgin olive oil. The thought of dipping bread in vegetable oil was grossing me out. Related to this, they have oil on the table so I stared at that for a while trying to figure out what type of oil it was. It was yellow-y-er like EVOO but I didn't bother trying it because I was ew-ed by the other oil I consumed. For entree I got the Cag Kabob, my husband got the Doner Kabob. It comes diner style plated, with a mound of rich, mound of marinated carrots, mound of marinated cabbage, and flat bread. We both thought our meals were fine. The doner is like the kind of kabob meat that comes off a spit. He thought it was fine. The yogurt sauce they both came with was good. Lastly, watch out! An 18% service fee is already on the check (see picture) but then they have suggested tip amounts on top of that. We confirmed with the waitress the service fee was indeed the tip and she said yes. We would have tipped more than 18%. Sad that they have to force 18% and they miss out on people who typically tip more. I know we could have added on, but whatever, we just did what they asked. read more
11 months ago
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Excellent Food! Must visit! Portions are huge! Service was pretty fast on a Sunday afternoon. Ambience is simple. Nothing too fancy! read more
2 years ago
Very authentic and well prepared meals at a reasonable price. Attentive service. I have eaten here several times and try to visit whenever I am in Chicago. read more
2 years ago
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3 years ago
i finally stopped in for lunch. This restaurant is absolutely amazing. The hot bread was sent from heaven. I had the best bowl of creamy mushroom soup I've ever tasted and the hummus was different, but so good. I loved the different taste. It was a gourmet type of hummus. The lamb chops with veggies were phenomenal. They suprised me with a smal serving of rice pudding which was so delicious. read more
2 years ago
Our son told us to come here. Beautiful restaurant inside, outside looks fabulous as well. It was just too hot. The service was perfect. The food was remarkable. The carrot dip and bread comes with every table, and it is unbelievably good. I have the seafood salad, which was stunningly, beautiful, and delicious as well. I had a bite of the lamb wrap, it was fantastic. Six stars if I could. . . They have a wide variety of food on the menu and I can't wait to go back! On a cooler day/dinner, the outdoor seating would be perfect read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
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More info about Cafe Istanbul
2014 W Division St
Chicago, IL 60622
West Town, Wicker Park
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(773) 661-9487
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http://mycafeistanbul.com
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Is this place BYOB?
Yes it's byob but the charge a corkage fee $10 per bottle opened. They have a full bar.
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