Those who know Istanbul and its fame for its 'Balikcis' or also known as fish restaurants, know…read morethat they ALL serve the same food. Don't get me wrong - I love a good Balikci with their Mezes - but sometimes it's hard to tell the difference if all of them taste exactly the same. And here comes Azur. A group that has taken the term of fish restaurant, but upgraded it so much, it just has a WOW factor. You enter the beautiful teal building in Yeniköy and immediately walk past the counter with the cold starters, but again, not anything like the classic fish restaurant. Artichokes in different sauces, instead of the classic "Lakerda" an array of different smoked and cured fish, avocado and shrimp, all the shellfish you can wish for from shrimp, to langoustines, to of course Lobster and Oysters. The decoration is seriously amazing. Like a beautiful Yali that has been tastefully decorated by an experienced interior designer. Nothing over the top, but very classy and super chic. So, overall it is a great experience really. Good for date nights (my husband and I love going here), but also for groups and especially if you have foreign guests. Take them here!! The prices are a little steep, of course, but I suppose thats normal. The good thing is - and this is the tip - there are two menus. The menu that the ladies get don't show prices (unless you're on a Girls Night Out I guess) and the gents get the menu with the prices. A nice touch!

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.

The meal was delicious. I selected my meal from a case of fresh fish. The sea bass was grilled to…read moreperfection. Located with a lovely water view, the restaurant has an impeccable staff of servers. My server, Hamit was very attentive and offered great suggestions for appetizers.

Wooow what a view! This restaurant is located on the top of a building over a hill and offers and…read moreamazing view of the city and the bosforus. The menu is mainly fish and seafood oriented. We had a reservation and I showed up wearing my tourist clothes (Jeans and at-shirt) and felt like i was under-dressed, I wish I had wore something a little nicer, but no one batted an eye . My friend did all the ordering and we ended up with an assortment of little plates of seafood that were delightful. The highlights for me were the octopus,the sea-bass and the anchovies. The staff was always attentive refilling our drinks and making sure we had everything we needed at all times. Totally recommended for a nice formal dinner in town!

Never in my 40 years of travel I have been exposed to such bad treatment! There should be an option…read moreto give 0 stars for establishment like this one. The service staff was so bad, crude and rude, we had to leave before we even had a chance to order. It was also unprovoked, somehow they did not like our appearance even though we were very well dressed. Place looked disorganized, not a very friendly place at all. Spare yourself agony! Go to next door to Yeniköy İskele Balık Restoranı!

Nice atmosphere, completely boring meze, and ridiculously overpriced. We were overcharged for rakı,…read moreand when we told the waiter, he shrugged and took 10TL off the bill. Avoid this place - there are better options in the neighborhood.

My family and I had dinner at Lacivert Restaurant on the Asian side of Istanbul, right by the…read moreBosphorus in Beykoz. From the moment we walked in, I was amazed by the view -- calm water, city lights, and a perfect evening breeze. We were seated at table #320, right by the water, and it couldn't have been a better spot. Our waiter was a true gentleman -- very polite, friendly, and attentive without being overbearing. He checked on us just enough to make sure everything was perfect. Service felt smooth and professional all night. We started with bread and butter service. The butter had a light lemon-citrus flavor, which I loved -- it tasted fresh and unique. The olive oil was also high quality, perfect for dipping. For cold appetizers, we had the sea bass marinade, lakerda (pickled fish), sea bass carpaccio, shrimp with avocado and artichoke hearts, and stuffed grape leaves with sour cherries. Every dish had its own distinct flavor and presentation. The lakerda especially stood out -- I've had it before in other places, but this one was more delicate and flavorful. Then came the hot appetizers -- shrimp in garlic butter sauce was absolutely delicious. I used way too much bread to soak up every bit of that sauce. My sister ordered the grilled octopus, which looked tender and beautifully grilled. By this point, we were already full, but we couldn't skip the main course. We shared a whole 4-lb sea bass for the table -- cooked to perfection, juicy inside with crispy skin, served with roasted potatoes. For dessert, we couldn't decide so we ordered a few: chocolate mousse with raspberry ice cream, Mexican-style flan with orange flavor, and semolina with ice cream. All three were excellent, but the flan surprised me the most -- light, creamy, and not too sweet. We ended up staying late just talking and enjoying the view. The setting, the service, and the food all came together perfectly. Prices are on the higher side, but this is not your average dinner -- it's a full experience. If you're visiting Istanbul or celebrating something special, Lacivert is absolutely worth it. I can't wait to come back and bring more family with me next time.

Great food, amazing view, pretty steep prices. Their fish always taste very good but at the…read morebeginning, they brought bread that were very dry and clearly not fresh. Then, we got grape leaves as appetizers which were alright. For fish, we got blue fish and sea bass that were both delicious. For dessert, we got kazandibi and that was very well done. Our waiter wasn't very attentive either.

I'd like to thank this restaurant for turning down our request for a couple of beers and calamari,…read morewhich led to a much better experience. We ended up buying beers from a nearby shop and enjoyed them on benches by the sea, right next to the restaurant. When we asked what the minimum order requirement was, they vaguely replied with "full service," whatever that means. While they may have good reviews, policies like this are bound to drive away many potential customers. Bu restorana iki kişiye bira ve kalamar servis etmeyi reddettikleri için teşekkür etmek isterim. Bu sayede çok daha güzel bir deneyim yaşadık. Yakındaki bir Tekel'den bira alıp, restoranın hemen yanındaki deniz kenarındaki banklarda keyifle içtik. Minimum sipariş miktarını sorduğumuzda, belirsiz bir şekilde "tam servis" dediler, ne demekse. İyi yorumlara sahip olabilirler, ancak bu tür bir politika ile birçok iyi müşteriyi kaybederler.

Rumelihisari Iskele Restaurant is one of the best sea food restaurants in Istanbul with a great…read morelocation. It is literally placed on the sea and thus it has the perfect view of the Bosphorus and both of the bridges. If you are looking for a restaurant to go on a date, you should go here and get a table right next to the sea! Besides the perfect view and atmosphere, they also have great food. I have tried their marinated sea bass, butter shrimp, fried calamari and roasted pepper as mezes. The sea bass was delicious but the butter shrimp was so for the best! It was AMAZING! Huge tip: Dip your bread into the sauce of the shrimp! The taste will take you to heaven! As a main course, I had the grilled flounder fish. It was cooked perfectly, the meat was soft and juicy. I loved it! Even though it is slightly expensive, Rumelihisari Iskele is one of the best sea food restaurants. Try it and you won't regret!

From the owner: İstanbul'da boğazda balık keyfini yaşamak isteyenler ve muhteşem terasında boğazda balık tadını…read moreyaşamak isteyen müşterilerine Bodrum türkübünü aratmayan kumsalında sıcacık lezzetler sunan Villa Bosphorus, Asırlık ağaçlarıyla, yeşilini muhafaza edebilmiş tarihi semtlerden Çengelköy'de bulunan Villa Bosphorus, Boğaz Köprüsü ve arkasındaki tarihi yarımadayı izleyebileceğiniz bir mekan olmakla beraber, denize uzayan iskelesi, önünde bulunan kumsalıyla Türkbükü'nü İstanbul'da yaşatan eşsiz bir mekan Villa Bosphorus is located in Çengelkoy which is one of the historical places with its centuries-old trees and protected green areas. Besides offering the advantage of watching the Bosphorus Bridge and the peninsula behind it, Villa Bosphorus is a unique place which survives Turkbuku in İstanbul with its pier and beach.

I highly recommend giving this place a try if you are in the area. Fish wrapped sandwich (super…read morethin flat bread) is cooked right in front of you and you cannot even compare how much better it is than the one you can get at the places under the bridge. Mackerel is so flavorful and perfectly cooked on a grill. Dorada is excellent as well! You choose your fish, and their amazing chef would cook it for you. They have fresh mussels, different types of fresh catch, and shrimp. It is very reasonably priced and a must try if you are looking for quality fresh seafood.

First found this place during my first trip to Istanbul in back in October 2013. Ordered some food,…read morearmed wrestled one of the employees, and the rest is history. The main reason we visit this place is for the midye dolma (stuffed mussels with aromatic rice). Check out the photos I've posted. It is located in the outskirts a bar/restaurant area called Nevizade. We would hit this spot every night, eat a few mussels, proceed to the bars for drinks, and return at the end of the night for round 2. Upon our current 2015 visit to Istanbul, our nightly routine did not change. Same good food, same good guys! We make sure to rent our apartment within walking distance from this area. Golden Koreç, Thank you for taking good care of my wife and I!!!! -Tarzan

The authentic fish restaurant with excellent salad (with feta cheese) and of course the highlight:…read moresalmon shish. The corn bread and the Turkish tea at the end complete an excellent dinner. Highly recommended.

The seafood at this place is phenomenal! We had the best calamari we have ever had at any location…read moreanywhere in the world. The fish was fresh and cooked just right. To top it off, the service is great as well.

I have only been to this restaurant thrice and was impressed with its variety of fish and the…read morequality of its cooking and service. My Grandfather used to frequent it in the 50's as did my father who took me there in 1990. I have since been twice and each time it has been a lovely experience. On entering you are confronted with a fish display as you would find in a fish market. Get shown to a table and watch furs go past on summer evenings. If you are lucky to get a table by the waterfront then you will have a great view along the Bosphorus. I am not a great cooked fish lover,but this place is good. I am afraid that I can not comment on prices as I never had to pay in this restaurant, but for a western European it is affordable(ish)