It was great experience. Chief Sadık is marvellous. A very successful restaurant on seafood and…read morepasta

Great food! Asparagus soup, Baby artichoke salad, sea food spaghetti all great as well as their…read morebread and wine list.. And deserts! One of the best in Istanbul but pricey.

Samdam Meyhane. Another hidden gem!…read more I've always been weary of visiting hotel restaurants. They are sort of known for being very expensive and serve run of the mill type of food, but I was pleasantly surprised when I came across Samdan Meyhane in Pera. I was out searching for somewhere that had an awesome view, when I discovered by complete accident this gem of a place. It wasn't decorated as you'd normally expect from a hotel, but instead bright coloured table runners on wooden tables arranged in such a way that it felt cosy. The view was out of this world too. A Stunning and picturesque panoramic vista lay before us. Topkapi Palace, The Blue mosque and the hustle and bustle of the Halic inlet lay at our feet. We'd arrived just in time for one of most magnificent of sunsets I've ever seen. After looking at the menu, we understood that it would cater for everyone's tastes, vegetarian or like myself an avid meat eater. A good selection of Mezzes (cold appetizers) were available at the glass fronted refrigerator. As usual, I always order stuff I can't cook at home, or is too time consuming We were also keen to try as much as we could, so I ordered the aubergine (eggplant) puree, which was superbly made. Smooth, smoky with a hint of sweetness and garlic. Stuffed vine leaves topped with sour cherries, an odd combination I hear you say, but it really worked well. We tried them on their own first, then decided that they tasted a lot better after squeezing the lemon garnish they had decorated the dish with. I would have liked to have seen lemon wedges instead of slices. Nevertheless, very tasty! We also ordered goat cheese wrapped in fried aubergine and courgettes (zucchini) topped with a fresh Pesto. It was fresh and interesting but it wasn't our favourite. Our favourite by far was this unusual herb/plant that was crunchy and had a tangy taste to it. Our waiter was really friendly and told us the name of it in Turkish, Kayakoruk. In English it's known as Rock Samphire according to google Our hot Mezzes were very creative too. Crispy Turkish Dumplings, stuffed with succulent meat and served in a yoghurt dip, Liver, pan-fried in butter, that just melted in our mouths and traditional Kokorec. Which is for all intense and purposes finely chopped lamb's intestine. Now I know what you are thinking, but this delicacy is a must try in Turkey and I would never advise trying it on the streets of Istanbul, but if you find a top notch restaurant that serves it, it's a must! You can imagine by now, my guest and I were absolutely stuffed. We made a rookie mistake and munched down on the freshly baked bread that they kept bringing over. We decided to order some wine and our waiter said their house red was a Merlot, so we kicked back and watched the scenery below. The sunset a blood orange was disappearing behind the blue mosque. It was really quite romantic. Even though we were quite full, I wasn't about to leave without trying some of the meat. After all, we were in no hurry and they place was very inviting, you could really just stay there all night. Soft music in the background wasn't disturbing and people were starting to arrive for dinner or just drinks. I asked our waiter if we could try a tasting platter, a small portion of the meat they had on the menu. He was very accommodating, helpful and said it wouldn't be a problem. About 20 mins later this massive platter appeared. (See photos) We weren't able to finish it all, but I'm glad we tried everything. There's no need to go into too much detail, but the steak, meatballs and lamb chops were of the highest quality. Perfectly seasoned and cooked at the right temperatures. No frills just top notch and lean. We grazed slowly and had a very romantic evening. If you are looking for an 'off the beaten track' sort of place, then I highly recommend Samdan Meyhane Pera (on top of the Rixos Pera hotel). Let's not forget too that it was not expensive at all. 6 Mezzes (hot and cold) 2 main courses and 2 glasses of wine came to around 150TL. It's not easy to find the quality, the view and the atmosphere for much less than double that.

Şamdan (which literally means candle holder) at the Rixos Pera İstanbul is breakfast room by day…read moreand Mey-hane by night. It has, hands down, one of the most spectacular views of the Golden Horn and is worth visiting for this purpose on its own. The restaurant is handsomely decorated in the current nostalgic fashion of the new Mey-hanes, or wine bars., of Istanbul with elements of the past mixing with the present. I have only had breakfast and afternoon coffee here. The breakfast buffet is good but limited in comparison with other, bigger, five star hotels. That said there are live looking stations for pancakes, crepes, etc., and of course for eggs. Surprisingly, my favourite egg dish, Menemen, was included in the buffet but was runny and a discredit to this otherwise delicious dish. Service however, is 5-star; warm, friendly, and super-efficient, making this trendy May-hane well worth a visit. Waste NOT. Want NOT.

Located on the 17th floor of the Hyatt Regency (hotel opened in January). A group of us wandered…read moreup here at about 7pm to check-out the view. Its gorgeous! My pic does NOT do it justice. Sweeping views of the Marmara Sea & Istanbul. Fantastic breezes, contemporary furniture of couches & a DJ spinning cool tunes; we all were swept away by the feel of this place. Hostess sat our group at a great spot overlooking Sea. They serve Ceviche, Tapas, Small Plates & a few desserts; plus, handcrafted cocktails. We had planned on just stopping by for a drink, but ended up watching the sun set and spending the rest of the evening here (we left around midnight, but they were open until 2am). Cocktails: I started with the Red Lips. This was a delicious treat of vodka, Prosecco, pomegranate? with a whipped egg white froth on top. Yum. (had a few of these) Food: all the items were good, but there wasn't anything I had that is a Must Have. The Yellow Fin & the Empanadas were the standouts for me. Yellow Fin Tail Ceviche Empanadas Grilled Rib Steak w/chimichurri & lime dressing Octopus Lamb Cons? Pricey. Cocktails (around $15) & Tapas were LA prices. Smoking. People smoke everywhere. Service was a bit slow, at times. Husband had ordered his martinis with olives, but they kept bringing them with lemons (he didn't mention it to staff). Closed Sunday nights. This was a great spot to end our visit to Istanbul.

Hello I haven't tried this place yet but I want too and also I was wondering about the prices and…read moreif people out side of the hotel are able to come or not

Came here on a busy Friday night which was also Christmas Eve, 2021. Our party of 4 probably…read moreordered half of the items on the menu: guacamole, french fries, fried zucchini straws, pate plate, soups, meatballs, duck rolls, popcorn shrimp, ribs, ice cream, cheesecake, and many other items. To say everything was exceptional is an understatement! The food was incredibly tasty, served at the perfect temps, and prepared to perfection. The service was beyond amazing: our server even cut most items into quarters and personally served all of us. He was incredibly attentive (but not overly attentive) and took care of everything we asked for very quickly. The manager also spent quite a bit of time with us taking care of everything. She was beyond incredible! Beyond the food and service, the decor was out of this world and the atmosphere was great. I could go into specifics on how amazing the craft cocktails were as well, but just take my word for it when I say they were world class. I've not had many dining experiences as good as this in my whole life. If you are ever visiting Istanbul and you don't visit this place, you are truly doing yourself a disservice. A true gem!!! We'll be back the first chance we get. Thank you for the wonderful experience!

You don't go here for the food or for a culinary experience, you go here for the ambiance and to…read moredine with the upper-upper milieu of Istanbul. It's 300 per person if you don't drink, however the cuisine is neither unique or special enough to spend that sort of money. It's urban cuisine done good, but that's it. Even the side dishes you can order with your main dish are extra. I've had 3 pieces of fillet meat and mashed potatoes for 67 liras, which ought to give you an idea. Yes it tasted fine, but not amazing. The only unique food on the menu are the steak tartare and the snail. But to have a coffee, this is pretty much the perfect place as it's reasonably prices and the coffee is really good. (Julius Meinl) You can sit inside or outside, and the ambiance and service is genuinely good, however you either must be loaded or trying to impress somebody if you're having a proper dinner here.

Mushroom risotto was pretty good. Salmon was salmon ,…read moreacceptable . For the truffle fries, when it was served, it was only regular fries. We reflected, and they took it to the open kitchen, then the chef spray the truffle oil all over, seriously?

Probably the most unwelcoming and discriminative place in Istanbul. Waited for a outdoor table and…read morewhen I did not accept a table they offered because it was in the entry way they told me I lost my wait in line. Talked to the manager- all he said was "thanks for feedback" . Make sure you dress in brands that show labels so they talk to you with respect!