Good, not great. The waiter seemed put off by us, not very helpful when we asked for suggestions. The shrimp we ordered was served on a hot skillet which continued to cook the shrimp so by the time we ate it, it was overcooked. The crab appetizer was very good. The salad was filled with parsley that overpowered the whole salad. Also be prepared for smoke filled rooms. Only about five smokers but they were non stop and made dinner uncomfortable. The positive was the beautiful view! read more

Great place with delicious food and wonderful views! The entrance is a little difficult to find but after entering what may appear to be a small office building door on the Main Street and climbing to the second floor, one is greeted with a spectacular view of the ocean and skyline. The food and service were great. We had octopus and a few jumbo shrimp as appetizers. We then had grilled sea bass as a main. The waiters were very helpful in giving suggestions and recommendations. They even gave us a few small dishes and desert to try on the house. The seafood was fresh and flavors great. Would really recommended to others and will definitely be coming again. read more

Eleos Restaurant - Octopus - Seafood Near Me - Istanbul, 34

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Honestly such a good experience. Beautiful view, great service, close bathroom and amazing food. 10/10 experience and we found based on Yelp. It was hard to find as it is on the second floor of a very non-descript building. So glad we did! We got the baked mussels, fried squid and sea bass and they sent out 2 or 3 dishes on the house that were amazing! read more

Such a delicious have beautiful restaurant with the best view of Istanbul. The nicest owner and so great to people. A fantastic experience and a gem for visitors from other countries. read more

I enjoyed this restaurant and would recommend it, I didn't really care for the waiter constantly telling me the price of things as if I couldn't afford it. But the food was great. read more

Eleos Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Istanbul, 34

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I bookmarked this location on my list after discovering it on Yelp, which delighted me much. I visit Istanbul nearly yearly, therefore I am familiar with the city's seafood culture. I didn't exactly have the finest experience, though. Despite being a Greek seafood restaurant, the service was mediocre and expensive. Furthermore, accessing it might be difficult because it's a secret location on the highest floor of a building. https://buyozempiconlineuk.org/ read more

This place is a hidden gem. The entrance is right on the Istiklal street but it's not easily visible and you have to enter an old building that is more like and office building. But when you get to the second floor and enter the place you will love the view. The staff are super nice and friendly. For appetizer I got the grilled octopus which was amazing but they brought an additional crab pasta appetizer on the house! For main dish I got the Sea bass with eggplant and it was really good. The Sea bass had cheese on top which I had asked not to put it ( just as a matter of preference) and they made mistake and put it anyway. I am really glad they made the mistake :) however they were really apologetic and offered to bring a new one which after I said it's fine they brought tea and dessert on the house! That is how you treat a customer! Very good experience and would recommend it to anyone. read more

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I absolutely LOVE this place, albeit it hard to get to it was worth every step! The service is absolutely fantastic and the food was good as well. The restaurant is located on the second floor of a a nondescript building in a bustling area where shops and nightlife are at 100%! We did not have a reservation, but the concierge was able to secure us a table, although not on the terrace (ambiance was still great). We were welcomed with a shot of traditional alcohol and followed with an order of hummus, house complimentary mushroom grilled, Greek salad for two (really only needed one, then our fresh jumbo prawns with garlic (note they do add some type of hot chili/seasoning- if you don not like spicy say so), and friend dover sole (again the spice thing). Followed by dessert which was yummy! Oh did I add we had a descent bottle of wine as well...Ok so the bill comes...VERY REASONABLE for what we got and the great service! Will we come again absolutely! read more

don't really get it. the whole show you all the mezze apps before you order is nice, but we hadn't been sitting for more than 30 seconds when they brought it over and got a bit frustrated when we asked if we could order a drink first. octopus small plate i think is a must. best thing we had. hummus comes piping hot (?) which was a little weird. large shrimp were fine. sea bass on the grill pretty good but required us to season everything ourselves. not sure if that was on purpose. double free dessert is nice but probably not necessary. this was probably the big letdown of the dinners that we had. read more

This place used to be amazing 2 years ago and it was my go to spot for nice fancy dinner anytime I visited. However, it seems like their chef changed and nothing I ate was good at all. They used to decorate the table with complimentary appetizers, fruits and cheese that they no longer offer. We ordered a fried sole fish and it came as "fish chip" with ketchup and mayo instead of whole fried fish that we ordered. Overall, over priced and poorly cooked food. read more

My daughter and I were lucky enough to find this beautiful JEM while traveling thru Istanbul. Everything about this restaurant was incredible and we ended up dining there twice in one week. You'll find the entrance off the busy promenade by looking for their Sign to the right of the ground floor door into the tall building. Walk in, go up a few stairs and turn right for the elevator. We chose to take the stairs up 2 flights, to the entrance. The decor is light and crisp whites and Mediterranean blues, with a sprinkling of fish/seaside decor. There are a few tables in the entrance dining area and then if you are lucky you may snag a table out on the open air terrace with boasts beautiful views of the ocean and city landscapes. Now given the fact that I sell seafood for a living in the states, I know a bit about quality, well prepared seafood. Your meal will start with the presentation of a complimentary shot of locally produced liquor and a bite of gourmet olives and bread. Both nights that we dined we were showered with bits of extra "tapas" dishes, that included delicious cheese crusted squash, sautéed mushrooms and their amazing lobster sauce baked surimi dish. All of these sprinkled into the mix of the tapas that we had chosen. You will not be disappointed by the grilled jumbo prawns topped with chili oil sautéed fresh vegetables and the fresh sea bass. Just when you think you cannot eat another bite, a warm chocolate volcano type desert topped with creamy vanilla ice cream is placed at your table to finish this amazing meal. The atmosphere at ELEOS is warm and inviting and the service "Mukemmel". Oktay and Eagin were attentive and added to the overall ambiance. Well done! Seeing many locals enjoying special occasions and date night at ELEOS makes me sure of our decision that this is one very popular hidden jewel. read more

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I was very excited to find out about this spot on Yelp so I bookmarked it on my list. I go to Istanbul regularly almost every year and I am well familiar with the seafood culture there. However, I didn't really have the best experience. Although its a greek seafood restaurant, service was ok and overpriced. moreover, Its a hidden spot on the top floor of a building so getting up there could be challenging. read more

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Great views, amazing service, and delicious food! We ordered a few starters (beans, stuffed peppers, shrimp stew) and got a few others on the house, all of them were delicious! Sea bass was in season and we got the grilled fillet, also very good! They also gave us a Turkish dessert on the house which was amazing. Definitely check this place out. read more

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Fun delicious and reasonable! Try to book a table with a great view, but frankly the seafood here is terrific and the very kind staff want you to have a good time. We went back two days later for the same grilled levraki, salad and mezze and rose wine. My wife loved the view and food and ambiance. I loved the meal! read more

Eleos is by far the best place we visited in Istanbul. Our server Selami was very nice and professional. We had compliment dessert from restaurant very decent size and very delicious. Food just perfect from starters to main course. View is the best as well. We would come back and can recommend to others. read more

Amazing location, superb food and unbelievable hospitality. The Sea Bass is incredible and perfect for two. The Suirimi and the kokorec is equally as good and rich in flavor. This is a must if your in Istanbul, you don't want to miss out on this hidden gem! read more

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Good seafood restaurant with an open terrace and beautiful view. We had cold appetizers, jumbo shrimp and grilled sea bass. Appetizers were flavorful and filling, would not order jumbo shrimp again though; it was simply two shrimps with mushrooms and bell papers fried in lots of butter. Grilled sea food was well prepared and the portion very generous, hard to finish after having appetizers. Service is superb and they offer complimentary tea and dessert. If you want to sit outside, which is highly recommended, make a reservation at least a day before. read more

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Friday afternoon we might a sister of a friend for tea near Taksim Square while on vacation. She recommended dinner at Eleos cafe. She said it's where she takes out of town visitors. It was great. It is hard to find, but worth finding! It has a pretty blue and white decor, and had a lovely view of the Bosphorous. The food was delicious and they brought us so many complimentary things! We thought it was a great value. When we first sat dinner they brought out complimentary shots for us. We ordered hummus and beans as Mezes, and they brought us mushrooms and something else for free! The hummus was some of the best hummus I've ever had. It was served warm, which surprised me. For Mezes, they bring out a tray with all of the different Mezes out so you can see everything. I thought this was really helpful! We had sea bass and dover for dinner. Both dishes were great. The dover was in a lovely tomato sauce with onions,peppers, and mushrooms. The sea bass was grilled and fresh tasting. This was a great meal. Then they brought us complimentary desert of a molten lava cake with vanilla ice cream, and the semolina dish with ice cream inside of it. Both were remarkably delicious. We have two desert lovers in our group and we agreed these were outstanding deserts. This was the first version of the semolina desert that I really liked. You cannot leave here without having desert! I really enjoyed having dinner at Eleos and thought it was a great last dinner for us in Istanbul. read more

Wow. Tucked on a second (in Turkey they start from zero) Floor of a nondescript building on a popular tourist street, hard to find. This place offer amazing views of the Bosphorus Straight. This is mostly a seafood restaurant with some vegetarian options. Sea bass is out of this world, mushrooms and their version of eggplant paste is great, Eleos Seafood Salad is amazing. Chardonnay is superb. Zucchini was majestically prepared. Our waiter Oktay did an amazing job.I would recommend reservations or outside seating or great view seating may not be available. read more

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Simply amazing! A must try for any traveler coming into the city looking for an upscale Turkish dining experience. Great tapas style dining based around Mediterranean cuisine. All the dishes we had we fantastic and nothing like I have had before else where in the city. The staff and the atmosphere was wonderful. I had a local with my party so I cannot speak as to whether or not the staff speaks English well but they were very friendly. They even brought several dishes to our table free of charge including octopus tentacles, a fruit platter, a chocolate fudge dessert and Turkish coffee. All were great! I would go back here any evening. Be prepared to spend a little more for such a great experience and plan ahead by making a reservation. read more

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Hard to find but great rooftop view. They come around with trays of cold appetizers but go easy. We ordered hot grilled octopus and they brought complimentary grilled eggplant and a baked lobster dish and grilled mushrooms. We ordered sea bass, which was very good. We met nice people at the next table and had a great time. read more

Eleos Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Istanbul, 34

Delicious food and elegant dining area with views of the city. It was a little difficult to find the restaurant. There was a makeshift sign outside the front door. The building looked like there would be offices or school rooms inside. Visitors need to make their way up a dark stairwell or an old elevator before arriving at the entryway to the restaurant, which was strange. However, once inside, the ambiance was very welcoming. The food was delicious, and a manager even came by to check on us. Portion sizes were large and excellent value. read more

Definitely one of the highlights of the trip! This place can be a bit hard to find, as its in a non-descript building through a small non-descript entrance nextt to a starbucks. At first, I was wondering where I was being taken, and then I was hit by a weird smell (The smoking area is right outside the restaurant next to the elevators) but as soon as I walked in, it was all past. The place is a bit small at first, but once you walk into the open section, your jaw will drop. The view is absolutely stunning!!!! The seating make it feel like a warm greek family dinner, which was 100% perfect. I trusted my turkish colleagues to order everything (because Im sadly a 100% anglophone) but man it was all tasty! With the Reki and Ouzo a'flowin, the major standouts were: The grilled oyster mushrooms! seriously to die for. The Spicy Cheese mezze - omg so creamy, a bit spicy, and lots of sundried tomatos! The Fresh Feta Cheese triangles! The deserts omg The Octopus grilled was phenomenal!! The frest fruit on ice w/ desert shots. Seriously this place is a great time! The only thing I didn't enjoy was the mezze with the fish around an olive, but you ain't losin a star for that. Definitely a must try! read more

I went there after a friend's suggestion. It took us around half hour to find this place since we didn't have internet on our phones, and asking the locals was not much of help since they didn't know it! When we got upstairs, where the restaurant is, there were no other costumers and also no one to welcome us. All bad signs had be revealed to us, but we stayed anyway.... and that was the best decision of the day! All staff was in the kitchen because they had a wedding reception later, so once they saw us everything was as supposed to be. SUPER service, awesome food (best I had during my whole stay in the city) and ridiculous prises compared to what you get. The fried squid was just to die for. That cook really knew his game! Also the fried red mallet was amazing. So nice that I remembered to take a photo only when one was left! We also had a Greek salad and some aubergine spread that also were delicious. I don't know if they liked us or they were testing the starter of the wedding reception, but we had a complimentary (huge) plate of pasta salad with lobster! And when we asked for the bill, we also got a complementary fruit bowl and liquor shots. The scenery and the dining area were fantastic. But even if it was a rathskeller, I would definitely go back again and again for the food! read more

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Thanks to Yelp I found this place !! Now its my favorite place to go ! I really enjoyed the nice designed of traditional grec tavern look inside, also the view of Bosphorus is astonishing ! Let's talk about the food now ; I loved all the tapas that I tried especially the treats that the restaurant brings you is really nice and tasty too !! My favorites were fava, patlican,kalamar tava,salad, and karides tava ! I highly recommend if you want to have a nice dinner and spend some quality time with friends :) also the location was really easy to find it's located on the istiklal street on the hidivat palace :) read more

Eleos Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Istanbul, 34

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Really cool "white" meyhane which I believe focuses on more seafood type dishes. One of the perks was that the restaurant is not too touristy. Make sure you reserve ahead of time and get a balcony view as the restaurant oversees the Bosphorus. They start out by bringing out a huge tray of cold mezes for you to choose from. Don't go overboard as the portions add up and you also get a few complimentarty appetizers. You then order a combination of small and large sizes dishes to share. We over ordered on the mezes, so we ended up sharing a small buttered shrimp, octopus, and a huge portion of grilled fish. Everything we had was fantastic and the service was exceptional. Can't recommend more. read more

This review is not for the food, rather than the experience. The place advertised open until 2am. I showed up around 10:30, the place stopped taking the customers. Next day, i went there at 9pm and i was told need to come back in one hour. I guess i have to find out another time. read more

This was strongly recommended by a local guide and it was well worth topping off my Turkey trip on. For full disclosure, I dislike cooked seafood. Sushi, I adore, but there is something about cooked fish I have yet to appreciate. This establishment gives me an idea of what I am missing. The restaurant has a terrace and a balcony view overlooking the Bosphorus. Most of the people here are Turks in large groups (big tables full of dozens of people). The atmosphere is jovial, but be warned cigarette smoking will occur. Ordering food here is an experience. The waiter comes by with a large display of cold mezzes and you pick. From there salad and hot mezzes. There is no menu, you are just offered food until you decline. The entree was a grilled sea bass done very nicely with salt and olive oil. Simple and delicious. I would recommend the place for a great Mediterranean meal. read more

Yes, the only negative is finding the restaurant. Signage is almost non-existent, The staircase looks creepy and the elevator non-reassuring, but use it!! Once you've navigated through the obstacles, you arrive in a different sunlit world, blue and white (it's Greek after all), and a view the French would call " imprenable". Many reviewers say their is no menu, but there is, and you need to tell the waiter that you need some time to look it over. The truth is that, you can also let the waiter choose for you. English spoken. We had hamsi (anchovies) and beets as a cold meze. We opted for the grilled octopus as a hot appetizer and the kitchen also sent out the hot crab meze. We split the grilled sea bass as our main. Delicious. Two yummy desserts were also on the house plus chai. Wine, as nearly everywhere in Turkey, is over-priced (Puritan attitudes and a great revenue source). Bill for two with a glass of wine, including tax and tip: $75. A bit pricey but a great experience. read more

Given the reviews and that it was a Saturday night on Istiklal, I called in advance to make reservations. When I called to asked for a table with a view and the man made the reservations saying it was his last table and to call if I couldn't make it. When we arrived we were shown to a table that wasn't by the window. When I informed them of my request the man who spoke with me over the phone came over right away. It appears that he meant it was his last table, period. Not his last view table. Simple misunderstanding but I informed him we were celebrating a birthday and really wanted the experience to be special. He said he promises to take care of us. We sat down and since the table next to us (next to the window) was still open we could see the view and didn't find it incredible. Maybe it was where we sat but it was hard to see and the windows weren't the cleanest. We could just see some lights and boats in the Bosphorus area. They did keep their promise through showering ya with extra food every chance they got. In the end he brought us a special dessert with candles and ice cream which was delicious. They really made up for it and he staff and Service really was incredible. The food: you'll find this sort of seafood menu very common in Istanbul and particularly on Istiklal but the quality here was far better. Definitely recommend the smoked salmon and octopus. The spicy muscle dish was also delicious and so were the stuffed peppers. Tip: most said this place was hard to find and that's because any map takes you on a side street but the entrance is on Istiklal. You'll see a sign for this restaurant at the corner on Istiklal. Take the elevator to the second floor. read more

This place is just amazing. I was a bit worried that it was going to be one of these tourist/lonely planet traps but it was the complete opposite! Everything from the food quality, the service, the amazing view, and the fact that local Turks also go here, is why I would highly recommend it and definitely come back next time I'm in Istanbul! read more

1st, environment with its balcony review to the Bosphorus is good! We did not make reservation so we can only seat inside. 2ndly, the waiter is very friendly and polite! Its a honor to bring your guest there with such a nice service. The important, Mezze are not the best I ate in Istanbul, but very special ones, and good in Taksim area. Esp thanks for restaurant free offer of mezze, drink, sweets! Will go there again with my guests! read more

We went back here last week and I was even more impressed. The food is so good, fresh and delicious. The service is top notch, charming friendly waiters who speak English. Lot's and lot's of complimentary tasties and when the check comes you aren't upset! I love this place. For sure in my top 5 Istanbul restaurants. read more

We thouroughly enjoyed this meal event. Though some complain about it being hidden, I think this adds to the charm. You have to search to find this place, though the entrance is on a busy street in the Taksim/Galata area, you have to go up through several flight of stairs and you feel like you are lost. Then you walk into this comfortable, bright and welcoming restaurant with an incredible view. Get outside seating if the weather is right. As is custom you will be shown the meze at the beginning of the meal, and they are likely to throw in some meze on the house. We also had a warm starter - fish kocorec which was a variation on the traditional street food. The main fish dish was recommended was one of three fresh catches and it was great. read more

This place is a bit hard to find, but I do believe that's the reason it's stayed such a well hidden gem instead of flooded with tourists like many of the other places we've visited while we were here. The staff was amazing, there were no tables outdoors so e sat inside and ordered the Mediterranean salad and 1kg of grilled sea bream, which is about 4 pieces of fish the size of your palm. It came with a bunch of freebies (2 shots of Raki, fried zucchini, and yummy mushrooms) , which were super delicious and halfway through, the staff came and informed us that a table had opened up outdoors and moved us out there. They also gave us a free dessert (a local brandy and selection of fruits) and we're overall very accommodating. read more

Fantastic food and service. Best place in Istanbul. Had to go there twice during my short 5 day trip. Would recommend this to anybody going to Istanbul. read more

I've never posted a review before (for years I've taken advantage of other people's labors!) but I felt compelled after my great experience here. I could talk about the great service and the wonderful small plates you get for free but that's already been covered by other reviews. I'll just talk about one dish...the grilled octopus appetizer. It was probably the first dish in a couple years to wow me...and I live and dine out in New York City! I would put the quality and freshness of the octopus up at the level of sashimi grade of the most exclusive (read expensive) Japanese restaurants in Tokyo. It was simply seasoned and perfectly grilled so as to show off the octopus itself. Of course, I could've gotten lucky and come at a perfect time when they got such fresh octopus but I say put in on your bucket list. I'll remember that taste long after I forget all the names of places I visited in Istanbul. read more

OMG! So good! I've been to over 34 countries also I live in San Francisco and I tried a lot of seafood spot in SF ,but this is my favorite seafood spot.This seafood place is FANTASTIC. Hands down the best Seabass that I have ever had. The service and food were excellent I would highly recommend Eleos Restaurant -loving small parties and couple. This place was definitely a Istanbul treat and I Can't wait to be back. read more

The appetizers and desserts were so good and the grilled seapass was so delicious. Our waiter, Engin Sahin, was very attentive and his service was outstanding. read more

Best meyhane! So many ikrams.. everything in its best shape.. music is great along with the white walls and istanbul scenery.. so wonderful to visit this place.. read more