Came here for the view, stayed for dessert. There are some negative reviews here I don't understand about the service; it's clearly indicated as a self-service setup where you order at the counter and they bring your selections to you. Some of the best cheesecake I've had anywhere. It and the other desserts we tried were not too sweet; perfect for a hot summer day. I'd come back for sure. read more

Galata Konak Kafe - Rooftop Café - Cafes Near Me - Istanbul, 34

It was busy but we got a table around 9 pm on a Sunday during low tourist season. Take the stairs and get ahead of the people waiting for the slow, tiny elevator. It's only a few floors, and even after the elevator, you'd have to walk up a couple floors. You seat yourself. Almost any table has a view. The Golden Horn and all the sites in Fatih are nice but familiar. I actually found the close up view of the Galata Tower the most impressive. There's Wi-Fi (with a multi-step sign in process, but the staff will walk you through it). The service is good. We spent 23 TL before tips for a coffee and a frozen strawberry drink - you definitely pay for this view. I liked that my strawberry drink wasn't too sugary, but there was strawberry syrup decorating the inside of my glass that I decided not to mix into the drink. read more

Galata Konak Kafe - Drinks (Sunday night 2015-05-24) - Cafes Near Me - Istanbul, 34

My first visit was great. I stopped by on a Monday afternoon and it was fairly quiet. My first impression was jaw dropping; the views of the city are spectacular. I ordered breakfast (Sahanda Yumurta); the dish is served at the table in a saucepan along with a warm basket of bread rolls and my first Turkish coffee in Istanbul. It was all delicious and I was able to have my meal at leisure whilst fully enjoying the scenic views. Please note, that the restaurant portion of the venue is located on a rooftop terrace; entry is a doorway down from the cafe's entrance on the ground floor. My second visit was short lived. It was on a Sunday afternoon and upon arrival, most of the seating around the perimeters of the terrace were marked 'reserved'. Although I proceeded to sit at an available table in the shaded area of the terrace, the maître d' asked me to move to a smaller table in the sun, that was meant for a party of 2 (rather than 4). I told him that I did not want to sit in the hot sun, when there was ample availability (at the time) in the shaded area. I decided to leave the venue, since I was not in the mood to fuss about it. My philosophy, zero stress on vacation! read more

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This restaurant has an amazing location and view. Now for the bad: expensive (like, "we-know-you're-tourists-so-we-can-stick-it-to-you expensive). As a guideline, plan on spending exactly double of what nearby businesses are charging. Drip coffee = 12 Lyra. Soda = 9. A Turkish tea will set you back 7.50 Lyra, while most places charge between 1.5-3.5. I really hate being taken advantage of, which is why we left after one drink and some photos. I wouldn't give a dime to this place if I could avoid it. Servers are apathetic and slow. Not slow like normal Turkish service; they're slow by Turkish standards. Take the elevator up, snap some pics and go enjoy one of the dozens of other places around Galata. read more

Don't go here! The Konak Kafe and the Konak Restaurant are the same place and cuisine and its just horrible (see also the reviews for the Konak Restaurant). We went here for breakfast, since the view above the golden horn is nice. Also we entered a clean and nicely furnished place but sat down on the unwelcoming terrace to enjoy the view. We sat there for a long time before we where noticed by a waiter - which is weird since there weren't any other guest that time. We odered the quite expansive traditional Breakfast and again a long time after that we recieved something resembling more scraps than fresh food. The bread rolls seemed so unbelievably old, we must have been the first guests in days. The butter was scraped together and the (cheap) cheese was showing signs of mold. A Brownie my girlfriend ordered was sp dry they had to obscure it with some digusting chocolate like sauce. Disgusting food, bad service, horrendous prices, ok view. This is most definitely a pure tourist trap. read more

Awesome view with good service and nice menu. You can also feed the seagulls. :) The place is not cheap but a visit is well worth it. read more

To enter this cafe, you have to take an elevator or walk to the top of the building. Being on the rooftop, you get a super nice view on the Bosphore. If you are cold, you can swap the view for a cosy fireplace surrounded by sofas. The special coffee is good AND you get free cookies with it. The staff was unfriendly but we were not surprised as it seems to be the tradition in a lot of places in Istanbul. Our Lonely Planet advised us to order pastries from the store downstairs but it is now closed. read more

This cafe at the top of an old building offers a superb view of the Golden Horn and the Bosporus. Service is acceptable, prices very high even for tourist Istanbul. No alcohol seems to be served. You go for the view and pay for the view. read more