We asked our driver to take us to a place where we could have typical Turkish food. He brought us to this Develi. The restaurant is enormous! We sat outside and enjoyed an amazing meal. The staff did not speak a lot of English. So we used Google translator. They served us a traditional dish called Cig Kofta. Made of raw beef, lamb and spices. Back to Google to decide if it was safe to eat. We all loved it and lived! We then ordered a sampler dish that included various Kebap, Turkish pizza, chicken wings, tomatoes and peppers. Everything was so wonderful. There are several locations with a similar name. read more

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Great food, courteous service. Only caveat is the road to rooftop is kinda like a maze, however don't give up - it is well worth it.

I got a recommendation from a turkish friend about this place and tried it with my wife. The raki is a harsh drink and it does not go well with the kebaps but the rest was fantastic. If you like baklavas try them as well. 5 out of 5 read more

We had four dishes of starters and two dishes of mixed kebob and the happy ending with ice cream konefe. We sat on the rooftop area. Nice view. Great service. The way they have managed the service was interesting for me. read more

Highly recommended to us by frequent Istanbul travelers, we had high expectations for Develi. An excellent first impression was made when the restaurant arranged for a private shuttle to pick us up from our hotel (we had our concierge call for reservations). After a 35 min ride from downtown to Develi, we were seated on the terrace which offers great views of the seaside with the city lit-up. We were handed menus and given about 3 mins to study them before a waiter presented their selection of mezze. We ordered yogurt with dill, yogurt-eggplant and a spicy tomato paste. The portions were generous and came with the freshest bread we have gotten in any Istanbul restaurant so far. Second servings of bread came with a small delay but was as fresh-out-of-the-oven as can-be. All throughout our starters-feast we wondered when we would be able to order the main course We could place our order as were done with the starters (a nice touch of not being rushed into an order I must say) The food came promptly and was tasteful. We had the pistachio kebab (which really did taste like pistachio) and the yogurt kebab. Prices were ok (maybe a bit higher for meat, comparing to to other restaurants) but definitely worth it and the service was great. You never felt rushed or not-welcome as a tourist (amongst an overwhelmingly "local" crowd) and the terrace offers a nice setting. A downside, if you want to find one, was the fact that everyone around us was smoking, not only after, but also during the meals, but I guess that's just how it is in Turkey. We would recommend Develi to all who want to try the "local" spots and are up for good food and a nice atmosphere. read more