Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Istanbul Blue

    4.1 (349 reviews)
    ModerateMediterranean

    Istanbul Blue Photos

    Business Info

    ISTANBUL BLUE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

    You might also consider

    More like Istanbul Blue

    Recommended Reviews - Istanbul Blue

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Tasty cigars are crisp and light
    Nancy R.

    Istanbul Blue is one of those neighborhood spots that we need to think of visiting more often.  It is calm and clean and the parking is easy.  Service is pleasant and prompt and, of course, the food is tasty.  We especially enjoyed the lamb shank which had plenty of very tender meat in a delicious sauce.  It is moments like these that make us even more grateful when a restaurant has great bread to dip in!

    Marjan W.

    Visited a few weeks ago for an early dinner with my parents. This is conveniently located near Vienna and Oakton with easy parking. I loved the blue decor inside, it made for a beautiful atmosphere. We started with the Istanbul blue mixed platter as an appetizer. This was delicious, however, the bread to accompany it took some time to come out and when it came out, it was a little charred. I didn't have an issue with this but my mom requested different bread. I wish the bread was ready before we finished half the appetizer, especially because the restaurant wasn't too busy. The falafel and the cigari borek were excellent. Falafel is usually hit or miss because I've had it back in the Middle East so many times but this was very well done. We also got the Lahmacun which was delicious but my mom wished it was less charred/burnt. I didn't mind the crispyness. We got two Pides, the cheese one was my favorite. The star of the show was definitely the mixed grill, which came with rice and Cacik (yogurt dip) which was so fresh. The doner was excellent but the lamb was my favorite. Lamb is also hit or miss for me as I don't like when it tastes gamey but this was so well done. Overall, service was good but a little slower but that just may be because it's European/Middle Eastern. I will definitely be back as the food was excellent!

    Kofte Kebab

    A messed up reservation at Carnegie Diner led 6 of us to need another place for brunch. We walked across the parking lot and Istanbul Blue quickly accommodated us. I was planning on coming back here and this visit was as good as the first - so a lucky mix up. I had the yummy Kofte Kebab - a very generous portion, a glass of very good Anatolian wine, and Kunefe for desert. Our waitress was personable and deftly handed separate checks. The relaxed atmosphere allowed us to linger and talk. Great experience. Next time I won't wait so long.

    Istanbul coffee
    Adalberto T.

    Food was fresh and amazing, we came here to celebrate my friend birthday and we had a lot of fun. Service was great ( only one lady serving but she handled everything perfectly) , ambience was great and plenty parking

    Istanbul Blue Platter was so very delicious!
    Linda B.

    It was our first time here and it was so delicious with great service! We started off with some nice, strong Turkish coffee which was delicious! We ordered the lahmacun appetizer which was phenomenal with amazing flavor! My friend ordered the Istanbul Blue mixed grill which consisted of grilled beef and chicken, lamb chops, and doner kebab and served with rice for his entree and it was so delicious. I ordered the chicken yogurt which consisted of two grilled skewers of chicken marinated with olive oil, tomato, and pepper which was served on a bed of bread chunks, tomato, and yogurt sauce. It was very good, but the yogurt sauce made the bread extremely soggy, hence the four stars versus five. We then got the baklava dessert to split which was excellent! We will most definitely go back, but I will order a different entree for sure. We would definitely recommend this restaurant!

    Falafel, dense and dry
    Aarti B.

    Delicious authentic Turkish food bursting with flavor! Definitely get the Istanbul Blue sampler! Great mom and pop restaurant with excellent service that really goes the extra mile. Istanbul Blue sampler (5/5) - Fun way to dapple into the appetizers and try the dips. The crispy Cigars Borek phyllo pastry was the stand-out, filled with soft cheese that paired so well with the dips - hummus, baba ganoush, and garlicky feta spinach cheese. The nice staff easily accommodated my request to swap out the dolma grape leaves for the baba ganoush - glad I asked! The complementary bread is quite dense and filling, not as fluffy as I expected. It's better warmed up (if you get delivery or take-out). I wasn't a big fan of the falafel, it was very dense and dry to the bone. I would love to swap it out for another cigar borek! There was plenty of leftover dip for the next meal! Spinach Pide (1/5) - Not a fan of the pide, it was too cheesy and did NOT matched the photo depicted on the menu which had a lot more spinach and much less cheese. The cheese to veggies ratio was really off. After a few bites, my stomach started churning and threw in the towel. When I opened up the box, I saw a veggie pide with tomatoes and bell peppers and scant spinach, did I get it mixed up? Bbut after looking at other Yelp pics, the spinach pide look the same. I would skip the spinach pide and save room for the Sampler! Excited to come back for some Cigar Borek with some hummus, baba ganoush, and garlicky feta spinach cheese goodness!

    Istanbul Blue Platter
    Grace W.

    After reading the reviews my friends and I had high hopes. First- decor is outdated and feels antiquated. The servers were nice but service was extremely slow - took over twenty minutes to get drinks and we had to ask for ice four times because the water was not cold . The app and meals took a long time to come out and had we not asked we would never have gotten our check. We were there almost two hours. My friend's whisky sour was made incorrectly with cheap booze and tasted awful and it looked like the server had no idea how to make it and was googling it. The sampler platter was decent until my friend ate a wiry piece of grayish/silver hair from the chef. She is very nice and didn't complain to anyone while she was there. The chef did not have a hairnet at all and she could see him in the kitchen. The yogurt chicken was ok, the pieces of bread were too soggy, wish I had ordered rice instead. My other friends had the beef kabobs, and ground lamb/beef with rice and yogurt and it was fine but nothing special. Prices are on the high end for average quality at best. Even a side of fries was over $7. And to top it off a guy sitting at one of the tables went out to smoke through the back door and left it open and wafts of smoke were coming in. Clearly it was someone who works there or the owner. He just helped himself to beer and food and was at the back talking with the servers. It is disgusting to have smoke coming in while dining. We will not be coming back here.

    Imam Bayildi which is an eggplant appetizer that's delicious. This is a cold dish with meat but nicely prepared.
    Patrick C.

    We enjoyed a pleaser afternoon lunch with the family at this quaint restaurant. The owner was pleasant and came to talk to us to ensure we enjoyed our meal. I'm curious where they get they lamb because it was awesome. The meat was so tender and tasty. I also liked the Iskenderun Kebab which had crunchy pita chips and yogurt under the delicious meat dish. We'll definitely go back.

    Excellent meals and service. Thanks to chef & owner Mr Ismet, everything was great! Excited to be back as soon as possible!

    amira B.

    Here is my second time at Istanbul blue.I love this place.The food is so good. Starters Entrees and deserts are so yummy.Adana Kabab and Kasandibi are my favorite.After trying many Turkish restaurants in the area I can say Istanbul blue is the best.Thank you chef Ismat.

    Kunefe Turkish national dessert
    Iris F.

    Wonderful food, wonderful ambiance and great service and staff. Fantastic evening. We'll be back

    Inside dining
    Tom S.

    We were in the mood to try something different. I have only had Turkish food a several times. We decided to give Instanbul Blue visit. This place has received quite few good reviews on yelp. It is a small resturant in a stripmall. The resturant is small and cozy. There were not a lot of customers there when we arrived. We sat at the front by the window against the wall. Very cozy and quiet. The resturant is very nice and clean. I will say the waiter was there when we needed him to be. He let us have space and time to enjoy the meal. I wanted to try the Instanbul blue mix drink but unfortuanlly they ran out of what was needed to make the drink. We also ordered ice tea but unfortuanlly there were out of tea as well. There is a nice selection of offerings on the menu. For appitizers we ordered the Lentil soup and the Instanbul Blue Platter which consisted of a combination of appetizers: 3 cigara boreks, 3 yaprak, dolmas, hummus, feta cheese & falafel. The Lentil soup is rich but flavorful not overly spiced. The waiter also brought our a loaf of bread. I ending up dunking the bread in soup. That could be a meal in it self. Very satisfing. I envjoyed everything on Instanbul Blue Platter. I am not a big flafel person but these were quite tasty. The main course we had the Fresh Mediterranian Branzini Fish (whole fish). This came with rice or vegtable skewers. We ended up getting the vegtable skewers and a side salad. We love Banzini fish and this was amazing. The spices were just right. Fish was cooked perfectly. We also had the Instanblue Mixed Grill. This was a combination of grilled specialties of beef shish kebob, chicken kebob, lamb chops & doner, served with rices. Every piece of meat on this platter was cooked perfectly, very juicy, well seasoned. I ended up ordering the Doner Kebob / Shwarma togo for lunch the next day. For dessert we had the Baklava with pistachio. Very delicious and not to sweet. Overall this resturant did not disappoint. Food was very delicios. Service was great. There is a large shared parking lot. I can see it being full at times there was quite a bit a traffic there. Overall a solid 4 stars. I will definitly be back.

    Baba ghanoush

    See all

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Amazing Turkish food. We had the cheese pide and Adana kebab. Will definitely go again!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Adalberto T.
    13
    219
    278

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Turkish food centrally located in Vienna. The masukaa is amazing. Cute upstairs seating

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Iris F.
    0
    12
    15

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Tom S.
    4
    191
    4562

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of ML F.
    46
    27
    37

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    7 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Ismet G.

    Ismet G.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kapil C.
    229
    9
    72

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of MS P.

    MS P.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Delicious food. Great friendly service. Takes you straight to Turkey. Owner/chef is super nice

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of NIkky G.
    0
    163
    85

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 9

    Istanbul Blue Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Istanbul Blue

    Are there vegetarian options?

    Yes. There are many eggplant based dishes on the menu, hummus, etc. The lentil soup, in particular, is an amazing experience. I would go to Istanbul Blue just for the lentil soup. There are obviously many meat based dishes, too-- like kabobs and… Read more

    Is there a Happy Hour special here?

    yes every Wednesday between 12-16.00 PM We offer 20%OFF in our kabobs

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    You might also consider

    Agora Tysons - Grilled Chicken** Lamb Chops* **

    Agora Tysons

    4.2(617 reviews)
    3.7 mi
    $$

    Dined here last night and absolutely loved the vibes. We were able to walk in on a Saturday night…read moreat 5:30pm (despite there being no online reservations available). We ordered: - the honeydew mocktail (this was so good, I haven't had a mocktail that I enjoyed so much in a long time now) - the assortment of dips (delicious and paired so well with the bread) - a side of toum (this is an essential for me at any restaurant) - the ottoman rice (my family's favorite) - brussel sprouts - cauliflower (our server's favorite) - Adana kepab - the small lamb shoulder dish (really good) - branzino (sooo good and cooked perfectly) - pistachio soufflé (like a chocolate lava cake but with pistachio inside--soooo fab) We absolutely loved everything that we ordered and the bread that they served the food with. The service was so attentive. The vibes were really nice and not overly fancy. My family and I thought it was one of the best Turkish/middle eastern meals we've had in a while (and we thought this was much better than Zaytinya). Overall I cannot wait to return.

    Came here to meet a friend for happy hour/dinner. Unfortunately she was running a bit late so we…read moremissed happy hour foods but I got myself a drink while waiting for her at the bar- which wasn't the most comfortable set up (slightly cramped) but bearable. I got the Thyme to Bloom and it was good! We got the Mucver, Hummus, and Grilled Chicken. The Mucver texture wasn't my favorite but the sauce it came out with was yummy. Hummus and grilled chicken were good- not the best I've had but decent. The vibe was nice and I liked the decor. I'd come back to try their happy hour!

    Photos
    Agora Tysons - Agora Tysons Mediterranean Restaurant at Tysons Corner, Virginia

    Agora Tysons Mediterranean Restaurant at Tysons Corner, Virginia

    Agora Tysons - Lamb Chop

    Lamb Chop

    Agora Tysons - Sorbet

    See all

    Sorbet

    Shamshiry - Persian salad bowl

    Shamshiry

    3.8(1.3k reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$

    I heard a lot about ShamShiry before going for an early dinner with a friend. The first thing one…read morenotices is the absolutely excellent service--friendly, quick, and professional. Second, the portions of absolutely authentic Persian food are HUGE. Hummus may not sound exciting, but it's the best around. And the saffron ice cream for desert was out of this world. I can't wait to go back.

    My sister had recommended this spot to me because she knew I enjoyed Persian kebab, and when I had…read morea chance to be near today I stopped in. First, I didn't realize it was a sit down and order restaurant, I was used to short order. I was quickly seared and within a couple minutes one server had brought me water as well as fresh tandoori bread and a delicious spicy green sauce to go with it. A second server appeared quickly to take my order. I explained I was used to short order, and all I wanted was their version of chicken and steak (not ground beef.) The waiter explained how he'd do the combo on the menu and off he went. Having looked at the menu, I feared this might be an expensive option, and it was. But a few minutes later I was presented with a platter of delicious looking steak, chicken, rice, onions, tomato, and event a char-roasted jalapeño. It was enough food for my wife and I have had for dinner between us, so the price was well justified. Every thing was delicious. At the end of the meal, I asked if I could order another tandoori bread, and get a small to-go container of the green spicy spread to bring home for wife to try. They brought me both a generous helping of bread and the sauce, and charged me for neither. This service, combined with a delicious meal that, while expensive, will end up being three meals, means this is definitely a spot I plan to go back to as well as recommend.

    Photos
    Shamshiry - Spacious light dining room

    Spacious light dining room

    Shamshiry - Chelo kebab shamshiry

    Chelo kebab shamshiry

    Shamshiry - Salmon

    See all

    Salmon

    Istanbul Blue - mediterranean - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...