Hunger. Once again. As me and my old friend the appetite were just roaming the side streets of the…read morenow upcoming area of Karaköy I saw a sign leading to a small fish restaurant. Oh Destiny! The place itself is cute: It's under new mangement for three months time now, so the ambience and decoration has changed. Many interesting nautical pieces can be admired here that are all part of the owner's private collection. Quite good! But anyway, I was there for the food. Since I knew before what I wanted (bonito), I didn't even check the menu. I wouldn't have needed to anyway as the senior owner was very helpful about my side dish and stuff. (If you are not sure about what to choose, let me assure you he will be glad to recommend something. He speaks four languages, so there shall be no problem at all.) To cut a long story short: I loved it. Everything. The fresh fish (grilled slowly on a proper charcoal barbecue), the nice side order, the hospitality itself, the extreme politeness, the friendly chat and the whole positive feeling about the restaurant. I can only advise every fish lover to go there. It'll be worth it. Oh, and before I forget, they have three further floors from the restaurant on the ground floor. Perfect for your private party or a simple get-together. Just talk to the guys; they will be happy to be of assistance. Hunger + I once more say thanks for everything, Istiridye Balık Restaurant. We'll be back :)

Found right along the busy Abdi Pekci - pretty packed especially considering it was a Monday…read moreevening. Ordered the sea bass Lacks any sauce but the fish itself was surprisingly tender and tasty. Not sure why the salad didn't come with dressing. Cizbiz Kofte This is a Meat plate - the Beef Patties seemed a bit processed, as if it was frozen, because all the patties were the same size with identical "grill marks". They tasted good, but you can tell you'd get sick of them eventually. Sicilia Spaghetti Interesting find - made with a low viscous white sauce that's rather subtle but the best part of this dish is the crispy and savory chicken, flattened, battered and seasoned. Bomonti beer Yes - served in a frosted mug while you wait for "take away"... very refreshing light colored, malt style beer. Highly recommend!

The menu is rich in terms of diversity, but i would say the taste is not above the average…read more It is okay if you are really hungry but if you want to enjoy a lunch to it's fullest Kırıntı does not quite meet the expectations. If you want an advice, try the soup.

Located in a row of Turkish restaurants we liked the look of this place and decided to stop in…read more They have a huge menu and the place was packed when we arrived. Mostly filled with locals and a few tourists for good measure. They barely spoke English here but were very friendly and helpful. They brought out the display of mezze for the day and we chose a few dishes. My favourite was the sardines and it was delicious. The hummus and baba ganoush were also quite ok. The bread however was dry and tasteless. My main was a kefta which was quite nice here but nothing really that blew me away. The meal was reasonably expensive and value for money was lacking. But we enjoyed the service and the ambience here. I am convinced they have two menus one for locals and one for tourists with different prices. Not sure why I think that, but I do. A good place for a meal if you are famished and don't want to look around a bit more. Good atmosphere and busy.

Ok. Full disclosure. We tried two restaurants across the street that were full on a Saturday night…read moreat 10:30 pm. The manager of the second one not only recommended this one, he escorted us across the street and personally handed us off to their manager. The food. Awesome. The service. Attentive. Our one gripe? We were seated in the smoking section when two tables decided to smoke anyway. What is wrong with Turkish people? So, the manager opened a window and to make up for our inconvenience - FREE DESSERTS (plural). Without asking! Now that is service. Because when your customers are a-holes, you treat the nice ones even better. 4 stars overall. 1 extra star for knowing how to placate their non-smoking guests when the other customers decide to be A-holes. Thank you for saving our night.

This is a place to drink Raki not talk politics, as I was told. Seriously, there is a rule not to…read moretalk politics here. Raki is too serious a drink and the mix of that and political emotions can be an explosive mix. Ask the server there about this unwritten rule (if you can get someone to translate for you). A small quaint place off the tourist beat. I found this on a tour with the fantastic guide by the name if Katerina. Check out the Culinary Backstreets Tour of Istanbul.

This place is to die for. Promise…read more This was our very first non-airport meal in Istanbul and we loved it. We went in here after walking up and down the little restaurant street twice. Since all the waiters will be trying to cajole you into their restaurant, you need to walk with a determined look on your face while casually letting your eyes survey in your peripheral vision. When we got to the end of the street, my friend and I turned to each other and surprisingly both said "the one with all the world flags hung up inside?" "Done." So we walked back down the street with the same determined look in our eye, avoiding all the charming waiters except the one for this restaurant. We got seated at the very top, where we got a nice view of the street. We had two appetizers and one entree each: the sarma, caviar, coban salad and a kebab dinner. I can't say enough good things about the sarmas. Nothing I have ever tasted before in any Turkish restaurant in the US compares. At all. Needless to say, we wiped all our little plates clean and were satisfied until the next morning, when we ventured out for a pastry shop breakfast.

This was a good restaurant and I was not disappointed with my experience here…read more The food was very good and the service was friendly and attentive. They were very flexible since they allowed all 7 of us to use 7 different credit cards to pay for the group meal, which was very helpful. We ordered a couple of bottles of red wine and they arrived slightly chilled, which was perfect for those hot evenings in the summer. I'd recommend this restaurant if you're in the area.

We ended up in Bej after planning to stop by Lokanta Maya for dinner without a reservation (on a…read moreMonday night) and learning there were no tables available. Desperate to avoid the row of tourist traps along the water, we asked the staff at Lokanta Maya if they could point us in the direction of another good restaurant in the area, and that's how we found Bej. The ambiance here is upscale/ classy/ trendy, but not stuffy. There was a huge display of gorgeous fresh flowers greeting us when we walked in, and we managed to snag the only unreserved table in the place. The menu offered a good selection of food, all slightly interesting twists on classic meals. The three of us split a bottle of wine from a moderate sized wine list, and started off with a couple of appetizers. There was a slightly spicy chicken dish we ordered that was delicious. For a main course I ordered the baked goat cheese, which was described as being served with beets and arugula. Perhaps the description in Turkish was more accurate, but I was depending on the English version of the menu, being a foreigner and all. When my meal arrived it was actually mostly a large bowl or salad, with a largish sized baked goat cheese on top. The flavor was great, and it was warm and creamy. The beets were difficult to find, but were eventually discovered hiding at the bottom of my bowl. While it wasn't the most delicious flavor combination, it was still really good, and I enjoyed the meal. We finished things off with a selection of ice creams: Rose, lavender, and chocolate. This was the perfect ending to a meal, and the unique flavors were a definite treat for the taste buds. Don't skip the chocolate because it is typical though- it paired wonderfully with the other flavors and really made them even more enjoyable. Another cool discovery at this place is back behind the bar area, there is actually a little shop which is open during the day. It is filled with cool items (from paper, prints, home decor items) that all have a unique and slightly funky flair. Much better for potential souvenir shopping than your typical tourist traps.

The secret is out! This restaurant used to be a local favorite and it was a hidden gem. Now the…read moresecret is out. Everyone knows how delicious the potato pancakes and the shish kebabs are. Their sample platter is filled with various samples of the local cuisine and a must try for any traveler. I need to mention the potato leek pancakes again. They were my favorite. Come share in the not-so-secret secret!

Amazing food with great atmosphere. I love restaurants where people sit on the streets drink, eat…read moreand have fun in the process. This was a great example. We tired few dishes the best was the egg plant with minced meat and rice. Very similar to middle astern Musaka. There was a Turkish street singer on the next table which med the atmosphere even more enjoyable. Service was great and very friendly staff. I would definitely recommend and would come here again next time I'm in Istanbul

Lovely late-afternoon lunch. Recommend!…read more First, the menu is in both Turkish and English, which is helpful for tourists like me. Second, free WiFi with the password in the menu. Third, the space is quiet, with soft music, and tastefully decorated. Fourth, and most important, the food was very good. We shared the 4-piece Bruschetta, the cheese platter, and a soup of the day (yogurt and wheat). All were tasty. If you like *really* strong, motor oil-grade coffee, get the Turkish; otherwise, the filtered will be more typical to American tastes. They were so busy during the day that they ran out of desserts by the time we arrived, which is too bad - I bet were great too.

A nice relaxing pit stop after visiting the Modern Art museum and walking under the rain…read more Cute eclectic little café where I ordered a "soupe du jour" with lentils and a nice chunk of bread. Ended with a warm cup of winter tea, reading a French manga found in the little library of the café. Definitely recommend!

A New Yorkesq bar near the section of Taksim in Istanbul. It was an amazing experience! Ugr takes…read moremixology to the next level making complex drinks look easy and tasty. He was incredibly interactive with the bar patrons, even asking what our favorite flavors were and made a specialty drink based of our tastes. Do not miss this hidden gem next time you are in Istanbul, you will not be disappointed.

Wonderful cocktails, great barmen and very good music. This place is really great. Perfect to warm…read moreup before going to a club.