I LOVE this spot. The views, the food, the service, the music .. I love it!…read more This is where I was first introduced to adjika, a tasty pepper sauce that is served with their table bread, which is also delicious. I had to grab some at a local market. I highly recommend the chicken kabobs, juicy and well seasoned. Also enjoyed the margaritas, stiff and not overly sweet. Staff is pleasant and attentive. The views are unmatched in the evening. Make your reservation in advance to secure your sunset table. The inside is nice and classy but I simply adore the open air views from the roof. The birds really set off the skyline and you can see several of the mosques around. Not SUPER expensive but it is in the higher end price wise compared to their surrounding competition -- 100% worth it in my book. I will definitely go again on my next visit. Glad I could introduce it to a friend this go round. The only thing I disliked about this place is the "dining dome" as I called it. A portion of the roof now offers seating in a large plastic dome. The dome is scratched up and obstructs the view of the city but does protect diners from the wind. I was not a fan of this dome. I'm sure it's something someone saw on the internet and implemented .. I hope they get rid of it, it's super unnecessary. Otherwise -- LOVE!

Beautiful views, nice restaurant, huge menu. Had some really good mezze and shared the turkish…read moreravioli that we hadn't seen elsewhere and were like dim sum. The views, food, and service make for an unforgettable experience.

Ok, hear me out, there are a million and one restaurants here and honestly it can be overwhelming…read more I knew I wanted seafood and I knew I wanted to be by the water. Double check. Host was super nice greeting us and told us to 'go up to the 5th floor for same price'. Say less. And what a view it was!! Instant happiness in my book. We waited an uncomfortably long time for our server and begin to doubt our choices. He definitely didn't have the same charm as the Host, but we stayed. The table that was next to the window left and our server offered for us to move over to the better view. Redemption for you, Sir! Then the food began. Ordered Calamari for the table to share. It was cooked to perfection. In fact, it stole the show. So good! My linguine was a comforting experience, a bit on the bland side, but tends to be how things are served here. I did sample some other plates of those dining with me and each one was perfecto in taste. The Fish Meatballs (fish cakes) were similar to something my grandmother made years ago. Happy memory. Paid our check and was offered a complimentary tea or coffee. We chose the tea. A little bitter for all of our liking, but not dinging them for that. Then the waiter served us a complimentary dessert. Amazing! The act and the taste. I thought it tasted similar to Cream of Wheat with a cinnamon, butter note, warmed up and served with ice cream underneath. Wow! What a great way to end the night. Overall, highly recommend. Very satisfied.

This place is next to a pier. The restaurant has multi floors, but I dined indoor on the ground…read morelevel. The server was very cool and attentive. I ordered more than I could actually handle. I really loved the dessert or Irmik if I spelled it correctly. OMG, with so many places to try, I kept thinking about this places days after. And I still wanted to try their fried oyster. It's a 4.9 out of 5. Will come again when I visit istanbul!

Great place with delicious food and wonderful views! The entrance is a little difficult to find but…read moreafter 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.

Good, not great. The waiter seemed put off by us, not very helpful when we asked for suggestions…read more 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!

Walking around Istanbul and needing an authentic dinner place....i, of course, turned to yelp for…read morehelp! Found this place close by with ravishing reviews, so why not. Get there and easily seated. Small place but people were constantly going in and out and place was buzzing with tourist and locals alike. Menu properly labelled with prices so not a tourist trap. Sat down and ordered the lamb chops and the Adana kebabs (minced meat). Both dishes outstanding. The lamb chops were the best I've ever had. Grilled just right to perfection. Seasoned well with Turkish spices and meat was juicy. The kebabs were the same. Juicy and succulent and perfectly seasoned. Came with complimentary lavash and spicy hummus dip and some pickled veggies. Service quick and portion sizes just right. When in Istanbul, a must try for sure. Cheers! Happy eating!

I was going to try the turkey lamb chop. So I pick a restaurant close to grand plaza. It was close…read moreto the tram station. There are four chops in the set. The chop was pan fried to almost well. I am guessing they don't ask about the temperature. Overall the food is good. The meat here is a bit tougher than the United State. They are likely seasoned. The meal comes with grilled pepper, tomato and turkey blow bread.

Great place to get a cheap and tasty Balık Ekmek. The fish was very good inside for being so…read moresimple. The staff want you in and out very quickly. Be careful of small bones in your fish sandwich however, there was a lot. You order and they hand you the food almost immediately

I agree with the poster who wrote, "they don't really understand what the hype is all about" …read more.. Coming from a developed nation we are accustomed to eating moderately to great quality of fish, I understand from a local that seafood is really unaffordable to the regular citizens of Turikye, so I understand that a fast and affordable option is available. However, there is no seasonings on this fish, just slightly grilled, and there is a kinda-of-lemon dressing and salt and the table perches around their establishment looking over onto western side of the Bosporus Straight, dressed inside with sliced onion and some lettuce. The bread that enrobes the fish is a huge piece of hogie, sub bread really too much bread for fish -- and let me not start on the bones?! I ate the fish without the bread, just dressed with salt and every bite there were leat 3-5 bones and the fish had a lot of fat I left behind. Meh meh meh recommendation. I will commend their quickness to serve the food, and the massive amounts they crank out. I think this fish is a small spanish mackerel of some kind?

We were looking for fish, Turkish style, and found this restaurant…read more Because we wanted to try a mixture of fish, we went with the seafood platter for 2. Some fresh fish catches including sea bass and a couple of frozen fish like tuna and salmon were on the dish. Add in the calamari and pawns, and we got what we were looking for. The restaurant has a chill vibe and we enjoyed looking out the window to people watch. It is conveniently located near the tourist sites so that is a plus. Wait staff were friendly and service was good. Worth the try and you can expect to pay about $100 US before drinks.

Near the Agora Life Hotel, this restaurant is so good it makes me recommend the Agora Life Hotel so…read moreyou're in close proximity. We sat one night next to a Dutch family that had a similar travel rule to us, never repeat a restaurant because it's important to maximize variety and experience on a trip. They decided the meal was so good they would return and so did we. They don't have a door bully roping unwary tourists in, and there is a definite inverse relationship between the quality of the food and how loud and forceful the door monsters are. The food here, especially the fish dishes, are superb.

Very happy to discover that Turkish culture, like the rest of Europe, eats late. After flight…read moredelays, we didn't get to our hotel until 10pm. Asking the front desk clerk for a recommendation for food, they directed us next door. Server offered to seat us upstairs for better views of the port, but we were liking the breeze and cafe style seating at street level, so we opted to sit outside. Great views of the Golden Horn and for people watching. Menus had an English page, but it was limited; meaning "sea bass" or "meatballs" but no other description. Drinks? Husband had a Efes Pilsen. I had a "glass of wine" (curious what they were going to bring me with no description, it tasted like Chablis. Teens got Cokes. Food? First, we were brought out fresh bread w/olive oil & olives. Appetizers: Fried calamari. Very good. Tasted fresh Grilled shrimp w/medium spice. This was good. Came out on a sizzling hot plate. Husband liked more than me. Entrees: Salmon: good. Overcooked & bland Sea bass: Very good. My favorite. Meatballs: good. Service was excellent. We were checked on often and they kept the drinks coming.

Nice little place, good prices and the food we had was tasty. We had the shepherds plate which was…read morelamb, onion, pepper and tomato.... very very tasty. Open late would recommend!

Food was amazing... wonderful service... constant attention…read moreBaris, our server was delightful and very helpful

We saw the reviews and pictures online and decided to give it a try. We are so glad that we did try…read morethis place. From the location, ambience, food, taste, and service... everything is superb. Mr. Baris was our waitress and he took his time serving us as well as making a foodie show! Everything we tried is great. But of course we love the Turkish pot kebab. We recommend everyone to try this dish. The garden is so lovely too and such a quiet escape in a busy city. Thank you all for such a nice time. Baris, we wish you the best!