Don't waste your money! Terrible food, lovely ambience and decent Turkish wine. We had lamb…read moreshank - bitter taste from dumping too much cinnamon, chicken roll, tasteless and served with old vegetables. So many good places to go it's a crying shame this beautiful place doesn't do decent food.

The Husband and I ate at this lovely restaurant our last night in Istanbul and I must say, it was a…read morenice change of pace from the rather tourist-minded places that surround it. First, the ambiance is amazingly romantic. The candlelight and live music play off the stone walls magically. I loved how this place used to be a cistern! So historical! Although we walked right in without a reservation, keep in mind I visited during the off season when tourists were few and far between. I can see this place being quite popular during the spring time so make a reservation for your peace of mind. The food, like I mentioned, was not the usual kofte or kebabs offered at other restaurants. My husband ordered the lamb and raved about it, saying it was the best lamb he had during our trip. I concur because I begged for a bite. It fell off the bone and was incredibly tender. Yum! Because I have some digestive issues that were causing my intestines to flare and be mean, I stuck with the soup of the day. For celery soup, it was great! I know, it's sad when all you can eat is soup on vacation. Having severe IBS is no fun. For a romantic dinner on a quiet street, go here! The ambiance alone is worth it. Enjoy!

We moved yesterday to the Crowne Plaza Hotel - Old City and the restaurant choices in the…read moreneighborhood are far more limited than in our previous neighborhood. We wanted to eat somewhere other than the hotel's cafe or restaurants. This was recommended by the Crowne Plaza desk staff because it was a short walk away. We walked over and were taken in hand by what Alan started calling in Athens a "roper", who ropes you into his restaurant. He led us through the corridors to the restaurant and arranged for us to be seated at a table for two. The building the restaurant is contained in is historic and beautiful, made of stone and brick and illuminated by colorful Turkish glass lanterns. I gather from the website that there's a large dining space and that there's a belly dancing show. We ate in the courtyard which was open to the sky. It was very pleasant, although it was hard not to have our meal spoiled by the surrounding smokers. We were brought a huge, warm flatbread w/ a mixture of butter and cheese to spread on it. I asked the waiter what the bread was called and he replied, "lavosh". I was astonished because I've seen lavosh at home and it's nothing like this. There's a big difference between packaged and hot off the grill. We perused the menu and decided on a starter of esme, a cold eggplant dish we've had and enjoyed at Bosporus in Walnut Creek. We ordered water to drink. Alan ordered a chopped meat kebob which came w/ rice, French fries, a roasted tomato and one of those treacherously unpredictable peppers Alan had tried at Meat House. I ordered chicken chops, which looked like a couple of chicken leg quarters w/ the thighs deboned. They had the same accompanying sides. The esme was so salty we couldn't finish half of it. Even the lavosh couldn't make it palatable. Alan's kebab was delicious and so were my.chicken chops. The tomato and rice were good and the fries were underdone and could have used some of the salt from the esme. Neither of us risked the peppers. The restaurant was busy and service was a little slow, but friendly. The food was definitely not the best we have had in Turkey and the proximity of the smokers made for an unpleasant dining experience. It may be a short walk, but we won't be back. We'll find something else tomorrow night,

Fair prices, delicious meals and inly friendly workers with a peaceful atmosphere facing the…read moreBosphorus' view. I love it. I recommend you to adorn your meal with a fresh and sweet orange juice. Note that this is an open air site so you would feel more comfortable here in summer days.

Set to me means quality, as in consistency. If they serve a meze, cold or hot, there is a purpose…read moreand taste behind it. Their fish selection is always seasonal and honest. Any fish restaurant on the Bosphorus does require a level of acquiantance and mastery to get the best value for your buck. Istanbul is an expensive city and increasingly so. With fish restaurants, sky is the limit when it comes to the check. That is not the case with Set, even with the notoriously expensive liquor, i.e. raki prices in Turkey. I trust and recommend.

Never a dissappointment, always good food, quick service…read more Reservation is a must though.

Highly recommend this restaurant! Located overlooking the Bosphorus this restaurant doesn't look…read moremuch different from the others including the barker outside touting the menu and offering a discount if you just come inside. We were given a generous basket of bread for the table and ordered the fried mussels as an appetizer. These arrived hot with a garlicky hummus dip and were very fresh and tasty. A much better option than calamari. The sea bass and sea bream we ordered came as a whole fish and tasted as if it were alive when we ordered it. If you want anything else you would have to order a side as the fish came only with lemon and a few bits of shredded lettuce. When the bill came it did not reflect the promised discount of two L off the fish entrees but after a short discussion with the barker, the bill was revised.

The food was okay. Not great, but not terrible. The first roll in the bread basket was hard as a…read morerock, but the rest were okay. The fried mussels tasted more like fried than mussels, but the tomato-cucumber salad was fresh and good. We had the bonito and fluke-kebabs, which were both decent, especially with some lemon juice on them, but it would have been nice to have some sauce or yogurt to go with them. Service was quick and professional.

Yosun is the first restaurant on your left after you get off the ferry in Anadolu Kavağı. We were…read morepromptly greeted and seated at a table right on the water. Unfortunately several of the items we wanted were not available, but we selected several dishes and they were all excellent. Definitely order the "midye tava," which are deep fried mussels. I'm not usually a fan of mussels, but these were perfect--tender, with a light and flaky batter. We also got a kebab of fluke and peppers. The fluke was moist and tender--and the nice thing is that it was a fillet--no picking bones out of the fish. We also tried the pickled tuna (delicious) and their eggplant salad--which was not our favorite (it could have used a bit more seasoning or more of a roasted flavor), but it was fresh and delicious. Other patrons got enormous platters of fried fish which also looked good. I think it's hard to go wrong here.

Had a 3 hour dinner at this amazing restaurant last week...here are my thoughts:…read more Ambiance is nothing special in terms of decor, but the restaurant is large and open which makes conversation easy. They can easily accommodate large parties. Service seems fine although nobody speaks English so definitely go with locals like we did who can facilitate ordering. Food is absolutely delicious. Our hosts ordered everything - and I mean everything. I highly recommend the grilled squid, the shrimp, tomato salad, turbot, cornbread, pickles, and the complimentary bread of course was fantastic. The eggplant was a miss for me (avoid). We also had lots of desserts and fruit as well. The watermelon was amazing but I can't comment on any of the other desserts as I didn't partake. I have no idea what the prices are like as I didn't pay for anything but I hear this place is really expensive. Definitely go with locals who speak the language to avoid any issues. Bottom line: I'll definitely return!