legit, really tasty hummus. if you order ahead you can get the salt dome chicken…read more fried peppers good too.

Very good Turkish food at a reasonable price. Service is excellent as in any typical Turkish…read morerestaurant. Overlooking the major Adnan Menderes Blv with a nice ambiance. We dined on the second floor. The servers speak Arabic well.

We were so excited to dine at this restaurant since it's advertised as serving typical foods that…read morewere eaten by the sultans from the Ottoman Empire. After we made the reservation we were notified that the menu would not be the same as usual since they would only be serving a Ramadan menu (we traveled in May 2019). We kept our reservations since we thought it would be a unique and different experience. Well the meal was definitely different but not in a good way. The Ramadan meal was a total bust. When we first got there, our cold appetizers (cheese, jams, olives, stuffed grape vines, dried fruits, breads, sherbets, cookies, etc) which apparently are traditional starters and are the foods Muslims eat to break their fast, were already served and waiting for us on the table. We were discouraged from tasting anything until the time came when it was announced that it was ok to eat. This wasn't a huge issue since it was only a 10 minute wait and we wanted to be respectful and considerate of those religious people around us. It appears that lots of Turkish people prefer to dine out for dinner during the holy month and this was evident at this restaurant since it was full of locals. Once we were able to taste the food though we realized we had made a huge mistake. There were so many items that were purely sugary foods as well as breads, but nothing to balance it out with, like proteins. The cold appetizers remained on the table as they were to be eaten throughout the meal. Again, there was nothing to pair these items with. The first item served was the chicken and almonds soup which was ok, nothing special but at least it was warm. The main courses followed, we opted for the veal and the lamb. Both were totally under seasoned and bland. The lamb served with bulgur was actually cold when it was brought to our table. The veal was warmer and the rice served with it was a bit tastier than the bulgur, however we still had to add salt to the food to add some flavor although this didn't really help much. If this is truly what the sultans ate then they didn't eat well at all! The deserts, both puddings, were equally as boring and underwhelming as the meal and too sweet. For a meal costing 185TL (expensive for Turkish standards) I expected to be served food that was at least warm and tasted good. This was a total disappointment and kind of a rip off actually. If you're a non-Muslim foreigner who appreciates good and flavorful food, do not dine here during Ramadan (although I'd be skeptical of their food during non Ramadan months also as flavors shouldn't have to be compromised just because they're offering a special menu). Also, don't sit outside unless you want to be dining with cats all around you!

What a delightful experience it was to dine here in beautiful Istanbul. Each dish was delicious and…read morepresented extremely well. The service was wonderful, and live music tied everything together. I cannot wait to come back.

Great desserts! Baklava is always fresh! They serve sahlep in winter. It's a traditional Turkish…read moredrink. Really delicious and warms you up in cold days! Love this place!

It ain't cheap anymore folks, maybe it was never cheap to begin with and I just got lucky the first…read moretime, but in either case, an updated review is in order, cause if you're wallet conscious and want the experience but want to avoid spending upwards to 160TL per person sans alcohol, here is what you gotta do. First, the more the merrier applies here if you're going to be splitting the bill, with the sweetspot being a party of 3 ballerinas and you of course. To get things started, get a big salad, the tasting meze plate and the tasting meat plate, both of which are exceptional. Now you can order 2 or 3 mezes which you would like to have a private moment with, however don't overdo it, they hover around 12-15TL and it's easy to order too much. Then order the octopus, shrimp and calamari, the octopus being the "dayum daYUM DAYUMMM" dish. A single piece costs like 23TL so savour every mouthful. I personally like the calamari, but it's on the heavier side so one can avoid it if you want to keep things simple. Now onto the main dish, which will either be fish or meat, sadly there is nothing exciting on the menu at the moment. You may get the sea bass only in the event that you'll be splitting it, as it costs 100TL+. As for meat, you can either avoid the entrecôte, which is too fatty and pricey at 45TL, or settle for the kofte, which costs 25TL but is more common than seeing a girl wearing Uggs. Personally if you mustn't have to have a main dish I would stick to more mezes or entrees. Lastly, get the fig dessert, again to be split, with extra 2-3 slices of ice cream, as it's far too sweet and the ice cream balances it. A dash of salt helps too. Stick to water as it's unlimited. Now if you go the Italian way about this, and spread the dinner to 3-4 hours, only sporadically eating, this ought to fill you up and keep the check at a very manageable level, the ballerinas won't be eating much anyways. However let's say you do have the cash, well simply order every meze, stick to seafood, a couple nice bottles of white wine and give me a call will ya?

Absolutely fantastic! Everything was fresh and cooked perfectly. The service was attentive and…read morefriendly. Lovely atmosphere. Will definitely be back.

This is my absolute favourite place to eat Iskender kebab in Istanbul. I've had my share of…read moreIskenders around Turkey, but none has ever exceeded the quality of this place. The place doesn't look too nice from the inside, but their food is absolutely amazing. Each order comes with a different bunch of salads and bread. For drinks I highly recommend their homemade ayran, and if you have some space left after all the food you should try their küneffe.

Very nice place. The staff was friendly and the fish was cooked perfectly. And the prices were more…read morethan reasonable. I would recommend this place to anyone traveling to Istanbul. I also thought the location was great.

This is a fun local seafood restaurant if you want to get away from the tourists and try some real…read moreTurkish seafood. The staff is extremely friendly and the prices are half what they are in Sultanahmet. It's not far from the metro. Try the Hamsi!

From the owner: Ailece işlettiğimiz bir mekandır. Ev yemekleri ve türkiyenin çeşitli bölgelerinden yemek örnekleri…read moresunulmaktadır.

Take your Fener Balat Tour to see the beautiful streets, houses and spirit of Old Istanbul! Then,…read moregive a break and take rest at the beautiful Dervis Baba Kahvehanesi! This place has very unique and authentic decoration. The music is great, soft and relaxing! They have indoor and outdoor seating as well. People who serve you are absolutely amazing! They make you feel like home with their good attitude and warm welcoming! Go there, have your Turkish coffee or tea. Or just let the host to mix you a good herbal tea!

Fatteh / fetta - 5 stars Reminded me of a Mexican nine layer…read moredip. It had fried (pita?) chips layered with strained yoghurt, chickpeas, sumac, cumin and a pool of melted butter on top. The waiter told us the original was the version with butter but next time I'd definitely get it with olive oil instead of butter. Ichli kofte(?) - 2 stars Least favourite of the lot - this was too dry! Fattoush - 4 stars Deliciously crunchy, fresh crisps with plenty of fresh vegetables. Lamb with rice - 5 stars We're not sure what the dish was called - the waiter recommended it to us - but it tasted like a divine lamb briyani, albeit not spicy. The rice was packed with spices and the lamb was tender and well-seasoned. Incredible! We wanted to go back the next day. One of the best places I ate at while in Istanbul and worth the trip there!