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Café Istanbul

4.2 (19 reviews)
ModerateTurkish
Closed 12:00 pm - 10:30 PM

Café Istanbul Photos

CAFÉ ISTANBUL ATMOSPHERE

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

Recommended Reviews - Café Istanbul

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The lunch special sampler at Cafe Istanbul.
Brian N.

My daughter suggested that we try Turkish food for lunch as she had never had that cuisine. We searched for the best rated restaurant and bent our steps in that direction. The ratings didn't lie! We ordered a lunch special that consisted of several small portions of Mediterranean fare. Grape leaves, meatballs, eggplant salad, spanakopita and many others. Everything was delicious! We decided to split our entree and ordered a mixed grill of meats with a savory tomato sauce. Thank goodness we did because we could not finish it together. It was phenomenally savory and tender. I am not even sure which meat was what but they sure tasted good. We both ate until we were in pain. Then we ate a little bit more and still didn't finish it all! The service was also top notch. Informative and attentive. Will definitely be back the next time I visit Manchester.

Large mezze plate lunchtime deal - £8.40 with essential pitta bread.

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2 years ago

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Review Highlights - Café Istanbul

The Theatre Menu is available Monday Friday 5.

Mentioned in 3 reviews

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Topkapi Palace - Hummus platter

Topkapi Palace

4.1(27 reviews)
0.2 mi
££

I was brought here by the director of our company for a final dinner after several weeks of…read moretraining. This was one of their favorite spots, so we saved it for our last night for the five of us together. Super clean restaurant, courteous staff, we ended up in a nice large booth that extended out, giving us plenty of room to spread out and get ready to feast. We started with a couple of appetizer plates that had a hummus selection, which was spectacular,, I'll highlight also the beet hummus I really liked as well as the bread brought to serve it on. The starter plate had a variety of things from chicken, falafel, calamari, lamb chop. It was nearly filling in and of itself! Excellent starter plate. Since I was the guest, they then ordered two large platters of the meat which included lamb, beef, chicken served kebab style, and grilled baked. I really couldn't determine but all the meats were flavorful. Well seasoned excellent. For dessert, we had Turkish coffee, baklava with ice cream, a chocolate cake, and cheesecake, which they all really enjoyed. Again, very upscale place, excellent staff, good craft beer. I'm not sure if it was Local, but always love a good lager. Highly recommend.!!!

Great experience, we actually over ordered. We had a mixed appetizer and mixed entree platter for…read moretwo adults and two kids. Everything was hot and tasty. Service was quick and friendly, if I lived in Manchester it would be a go to place for sure!

Photos
Topkapi Palace - Turkish coffee. This presentation was gorgeous.

Turkish coffee. This presentation was gorgeous.

Topkapi Palace - Excellent flatbread

Excellent flatbread

Topkapi Palace - Starter plate with a huge selection of various treats, including calamari, sausage, chicken, sauces

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Starter plate with a huge selection of various treats, including calamari, sausage, chicken, sauces

Turkish Delight

Turkish Delight

4.0(24 reviews)
3.0 miChorlton
££

Let's get the admission out of the way first: I'd never eaten a doner kebab before in my life…read more So it was with some trepidation, but mostly an extreme urge for meat, that I found myself in Turkish Delight with four mates, ordering what became the 'poshest' looking doner I've ever seen. (This review is of the restaurant, not the takeaway). We all shared Lux Mezes for starters, which were a selection of eight small dishes (the ninth was a lemon slice) - some were very good, the rest so-so. For me, they didn't compete with the likes of Alexandros Greek Restaurant's meze offering (http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/alexandros-greek-restaurant-manchester). The service was also very good, taking extra drink orders and bringing more pitta bread (FYI the Efes beer was lovely, not too 'gassy'). For mains, three of us opted for the Iskender Kebab which comprised plenty of meat rested on a large pitta bread and partially covered with a tomato sauce. The grilled fillet of lamb, chicken breast and minced lamb were all ok, but I just couldn't like the doner meat. Strangely I found myself wanting some salad with it but it came without, a veritable meat-mountain. So it was a satisfactory experience, but not amazing, and at £14.50 for a kebab, you'd definitely insist on it being amazing.

This is without a doubt Chorlton's most popular takeaway. My Hungarian friend loves it, although…read moreshe calls it Turkish Daylight. I suppose that's a reasonably apt name for it, as it is one of those rare takeaways that you could actually visit in the daylight rather than when you are so intoxicated that you cannot even see what you are eating. Unlike Alison, I have never been to the restaurant part of this establishment. Although I've heard very good things about it, it just seems a little bit weird eating in the backroom of a takeaway in a room you can't see from the outside. The lunchtime offers seem especially good at around £8.95 for 2 courses and coffee. However, the fact that the takeaway was born in the same year as me (1985) and the fact that a guy I know who used to work in the takeaway is actually Turkish and would bring home a kebab for his own dinner, shows that they're doing something right. The takeaway is busy 7 days a week at lunchtime and in the evenings. Being a veggie and having only had chips from this takeaway I feel that I'm missing out somewhat, as many will claim that Turkish Delight do the best kebabs *ever*.

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Turkish Delight - Iskender Kebab (lamb, chicken and doner meat)

Iskender Kebab (lamb, chicken and doner meat)

Turkish Delight - Lux Meze (for two, served with pitta bread)

Lux Meze (for two, served with pitta bread)

Turkish Delight - Efes beer (Turkish)

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Efes beer (Turkish)

Beirut - Baklava.

Beirut

4.2(12 reviews)
2.0 miRusholme
££

I've gotta say that I'm pretty pleased I used my trusty Yelp app to find this place, in fact it's…read morebeen on my radar for a while thanks to reading some great reviews from fellow Yelpers - but as I arrived in Rusholme and whacked out my app, it was handy to stand outside and have another good read of reviews which cemented my decision to go in! Basically this place does amazing Middle Eastern/Lebanese cuisine and on this occasion with it being Friday lunch time, I popped in just as they were doing their all you can eat buffet. For £11.95 I tucked into some amazing kofta, breads, dips, salad, wings - wow, so much great food just check out my snaps - plus there was lovely cake and pudding included to follow. The food was wonderful and tasty - really nice! To round off I bought an Arabic cardamom tea which was fantastic - really nice and complimented the meal well. It was nice to go somewhere not on my normal radar, I'll be back!

In the heart of where else but Manchester's curry mile will you find..... wait for it... BEIRUT!?…read moreYes that is indeed right. Nope its not a randomly named curry house, Beirut serves food deliciouso Lebanese-o! For those not in the know, Manchester's curry mile has seen a mini Middle eastern revolution of its own. The Mile of curry is now equipped with a plethora of Shisha bars as well as restaurants such as Beirut. In honestly of alls, my first impression of the place was not great. The capital could be described as chaotic from the kids running around whilst parents going to town on their meat feasts to the directionless type waiting staff, more laid back than the kobedas on show. First impressions however don't last and I'm here to announce that the food thankfully did make a lasting impression. I'd personally recommend the mixed grill, even if I struggled to get through half of it. Don't be put off by the cover, its the contents of the book that count. If Beirut was a book, I would highly recommend it, it was a great read.

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Beirut - Spicy potatoes (on buffet).

Spicy potatoes (on buffet).

Beirut - Lebanese sweet - semolina-based. (?)

Lebanese sweet - semolina-based. (?)

Beirut

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Alif Grill

Alif Grill

4.0(3 reviews)
0.9 mi
£

I first visited Alif Grill in Cheetham Hill about 12 months ago. Since then I have been at least 10…read moretimes. I have since told my colleagues and friends who are now all regulars here. The food here is always freshly prepared over a grill and the salad is the best I have ever had from a takeout/sit in café. The salad contains lots of different things and is always nicely presented. Whatever you order you get 'turkish' bread which is freshly rolled out and baked and is excellent. There are many items on the menu but I would recommend the mixed kofta or the lamb burger (served without the amazing salad etc.). I have also tried the chicken which is also very good. I also recommend the curry. This isn't anything like you'd get in Rusholme or the likes but more like a home style curry you'd make at home but this with the rice 'n' chickpeas is lovely. Seating area is large and this place is very clean. I would highly recommend. Delivery service has always been good whenever I've used it whilst at work.

Just enjoyed a lovely juicy lamb kofta here and aside from the fact I ordered shish - on a naan…read morebread - and my friend's order got totally mixed up too - the food was actually rather tasty. Only came in as a guy from work eats here every week and I pass it on the way home. I would have sent my two lone skewers of meat back (and the guy did offer to change it) if I wasn't so I hungry, so I settled at them bringing me a naan and some salad to go with the kofta. The man who took our original order, I don't think his English and/or listening skills were that great as all he kept saying was 'kofta' even before our food arrived. Just make sure you see what they're writing down and clarify what you've ordered. My friend wasn't too impressed that they seemed to rush taking the order rather than paying attention to what we wanted. All in all though, I have to say their homemade spicy and mint/yoghurt sauces are blooming delicious and the kofta was still worth it, after a long day.

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Alif Grill - Menu..

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Menu..

Efes Taverna - A wide view of the buffet.

Efes Taverna

3.8(29 reviews)
0.5 miOxford Road Corridor
££

For the first year I was at my job I tried as much a possible to conceal how nuts I am however ALL…read moreHAS NOW BEEN REVEALED thanks to our super fun night at Efes. Firstly, it's really well set up for groups so look into it if you have a work/bday type do. There were about 15 of us and ordering and food delivery went extremely smoothly. They have a two course deal for £19.50 with loads of great options - I obviously had the mezze platter to start and the meat platter for my main. Both tasty although I might go for one of the other starters next time as lots of the mezze elements were great but you don't get that much of each because the overall portion is so generous (i.e. this isn't really a complaint). The meat I thought was a very high standard, I enjoyed every element. Nice condiments accompanying it too. We were a little late to arrive so the entertainment (live singing) started while we were still eating - this made it impossible to chat so they might want to consider better volume control depending on what stage people are at with their night. However the entertainment was in general great - not the best belly dancer I've ever seen but very enthusiastic. The waiters also danced which was hilarious (note: some of them quite fit) and then they got everyone in the restaurant holding hands kicking randomly not-so-Turkish-style. I think this was the juncture at which my friend who knows I yelp turned to me and held up five fingers. Finally there was some DJing and we were dancing until at least 1am (and I'm sure if we'd wanted to stay out longer than would have been welcomed). Hilarious and fantastic range of songs from current top 10 to Spice Girls Wannabe and a whole load of other cheesy classics. I danced like nobody was watching. Unfortunately a large number of my work colleagues were watching and some of them had cameras. Overall if you're looking for something sophisticated/upmarket it's clear from all the reviews this isn't the place but if you're a group and want a bit of a laugh with some decent good value food this is ideal.

We popped to Efes on Thursday night and I have to say I'd probably give it a 3.5 if I could - the…read moreoffering was nice but there were a few bits which seemed to let down the experience. The best bits! 1. Tasty food and as much as you could consume in one seating - I only had 2 plates of mains and one of dessert but I seriously was struggling to breathe afterwards (in fact I couldn't even finish my pint in the next bar I was that full!) 2. There were some tasty Turkish treats but it was very international with all sorts - the lasagna was particularly enjoyable. £10.90 wasn't a bad price to pay for it. 3. The desserts were ace - profiteroles were so so so good! The bit's which let it down slightly 1. The beer selection was pretty lame with just generic lagers on sale - I only drank half of my Efes beer which looked like the best bet. No craft beer or ales. 2. The atmosphere was a bit lacking considering the buzz is that it's electric at the weekends - maybe they could do with adding something in the week! 3. I thought it was a bit (a big bit) of cheek putting a 10% service charge on our bill seeing as it was a buffet - I've seen some strange things in my life and this goes up there in the WTF stakes! Overall an enjoyable night out with friends but I'd struggle to five it a 4 on this visit.

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Efes Taverna - Seating and the bar.

Seating and the bar.

Efes Taverna - Cold starter options.

Cold starter options.

Efes Taverna - A variety of pizzas.

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A variety of pizzas.

Safad - Cheeseburger & Fries £3 (May 2015).

Safad

4.3(7 reviews)
0.5 miGay Village

Cheap and cheerful take away in the Gay Village which has been there for as long as I can remember…read more At the end of a night out, having consumed copious amounts of alcohol there's nothing nicer than a Cheeseburger and Fries from Safads. For £3, really cheap too. Although I think they do hike this upto £5 at Pride. There's a few tables available to eat your food immediately if not carrying it home. The chipped Formica tables have seen better days, but at these prices it wouldn't be fair to complain!! There's also a good selection of Middle Eastern food and Pizzas. Recommended!

Safad is an ordinary-looking pizza and kebab shop in the Gay Village which has attracted a fair few…read moreplaudits on review sites for the quality, freshness and healthiness of their offerings. £3 falafel wrap from here was good quality and the central location of Safad makes it worthy of special mention - this was my lunch stop whilst doing a training day on Piccadilly Gardens. Flatbread for the wrap looked to be khoubz from a packet and warmed up on the chargriller. The falafel seemed fresh enough. On these two points, this places Safad slightly behind Atlas Shawarma where the bread is fresh naan and also I always see the falafel being made to order at Atlas. Safad's trimmings such as hummus, tabbouleh and yoghurt mint sauce are above average, but still suffer from the unwritten law that kebabs shops must use only iceberg lettuce and pale tomatoes. But my overall verdict is that £3 is outstanding value for a substantial, freshly-made lunch. The décor is well-worn vinyl on the floor, formica tables etc. But for me is the integrity and warmth of the staff, plus the predominantly Arab clientele which give Sadaf a charm which beats many flashier places. I would definitely go back for falafel or maybe a pizza.

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Safad - Tipping anyone?

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Tipping anyone?

Café Istanbul - turkish - Updated May 2026

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