If you hit your limit with kebab consumption, come to this place. They have lots of pasta options,…read moreall of which are delicious and decently sized. The restaurant is conveniently located near the tram stop and across from Hafiz Mustafa, just tucked away in the alley. The interior isn't anything fancy, just very practical. Service was good overall, although it was challenging to flag down our server towards the end.

Esmer Chef was such a wonderful find! We went to a coffee shop next door and decided to stop for a…read morelunch at Esmer Chef. We were instantly drawn to all the pasta drying in the window pasta as the chef was making it right in front of everyone. The reviews are mixed but everything exceeded our expectations: despite being super busy, everyone was so attentive and very kind (special thanks to Kadir who was running around like a super man taking an amazing care of everyone). The food was absolutely delicious - super fresh pasta full of flavors. The portions are huge. Coffee was even better than at the special coffee shop next door. I definitely recommend checking out this place!

One of our favorite meals in Istanbul. The meat was so juicy and flavorful in both the spicy adana…read moreand the chicken. And mixed perfectly with the onions, tomatoes, and cilantro. A wrap is not too large; most of us ordered seconds. Prices were als9 fantastic. Limited indoor and outdoor seating, but we were able to be seated easily Wednesday evening.

Mega hyped because of the Anthony Bourdain connection. I've been in Istanbul for over a month, and…read moreevery time I have visited the place has been completely packed with tourists. Many of the reviews mention the good service, but my experience has been a little different. Every time I've visited here, I felt very uncomfortable and I don't find it welcoming. They still have an enormous amount of tourist business because of the Bourdain connection, and people seem to come here almost as a pilgrimage. The food itself is very good, but honestly, it isn't significantly better than some of the other places nearby. There are several restaurants in the area serving good kebap. Overall, glad I tried it because of the Bourdain connection, but for me, the hype is much bigger than the experience.

Istanbul was love not just because of the history and architecture but most importantly for its…read morefood. The sweets and savory both are on point. You can actually go to a hole in the wall and get the best kababs or baklava or halwas every eatery is a sheer joy. So this is one of the best places for a kababfest all over Yelp, YouTube influencers backing that and also the most recommended place on internet based reviews. We chose a non busy time it wasn't that packed. This restaurant is not compact but definitely crowded in the sense that tables are very close to one another. The staff is extremely polite, helpful and friendly. We ordered a little bit of everything including liver. Each item was bursting of flavor and the meat used was top notch quality. Price point isn't bad. Do google the menu with pricing and these change quite often in places like Turkey which is a tourist hub. We paid with credit card no issues. The food came out piping hot and within reasonable grilling time. Definitely recommend this place it's a haven for meat lovers I can't wait to go back this is a solid 5 on 5 for me.

Bread was great. The food was not great but not bad. The atmosphere was good…read more Every thing took long to be ready.

Great place that offers great tasting local food. The price is very cheap and the service is…read moreawesome. The overall store is pretty open and has ample seating. The food was incredible and prepared freah. Absolutely loved it and would love to come back.

Upon walking into the restaurant, you immediately embark upon a open-fire grill. The smoke coming…read morefrom it made me crave the not-yet-ordered grilled meats. For appetizer, my friend and I shared the mezze platter consisting of eight different spreads. It was a great choice because it let us try several different spreads. My favorites are the eggplant spread and the hummus. For grilled meats, we loved both the grilled filet mignon and the grilled chicken skewers. The meats have been aged and seasoned to perfection. It was the best meat we have had in Istanbul. You really can taste the difference between other inferiorly prepared meats. The meats come with grilled flatbread, which was delicious as well. For dessert, I had the best kunefe ever! I was so full at the end of the meal that I almost could not drink their sweet complimentary tea...almost. P.S. Warning: The long pepper that comes with the meats is extremely spicy. Don't say that nobody warned you.

Highly recommend for a traditional Turkish meal that is fresh and clean…read more We started with the mezze platter for two which had an array of different cold dips. Accompanied by fresh baked bread which was mildly crunchy on the outside but light and fluffy inside. Every item was full of wonderful flavors. For the main course we had the Tenderloin which was so soft and tasty.

Finally! I have always wanted to try Salt Bae's burgers, there was no way I was not going to enjoy…read morea delicious meal before I leave. The location is amazing and the style of this restaurant is outdoor seating. My husband and I arrived here and was put on the waiting list. We were seated about 20 minutes later which was pretty quick for a very busy night. I ordered the lokum burger and my husband ordered the nusr_et burger. We shared half of each of our burger and both burgers were delicious! I was truly impressed with the quality of meat. The meat and the flavor was amazing! My favorite was Lokum burger but both were lovely. The burgers came with a handful of fries and that also was delicious. It was seasoned well and it had the perfect amount of crunch. For dessert we ordered the baklava dessert which has vanilla ice cream inside. The server came and did a mini show on inserting the vanilla ice cream inside the baklava which was pretty interesting. The dessert was good and hit the spot. The service here is top-notch. We had a friendly waiter who made sure my husband and I were catered well. I highly recommend to all you Salt Bae fans trust me you will not be disappointed .

Excellent service, clean tables, and delicious food. Also the lovely face of salt bar watching over…read moreyou as you eat. What could be better? My burger and fries were exceptional and the baklava was also incredible. It was buttery with the honey drizzle and even had a layer of ice cream In it. Of course the prices were quite a bit because it's salt bae and it's in an airport but you pay for the experience. I also got the cake shake which was okay.

Tasty, good, cheap pizza slices. Fresh ingredients and good service. A lovely affordable snack if…read moreyou're wandering around the area and don't want to stop for long. Other food on the menu also looked good. Unfortunately, if you want to sit down, you can probably find tastier food in a 5-10 minute walk away.

Great food, no hawkers, nice and relaxing to sit and eat by the street old of the worst of the…read morecrush. Totally recommend although they do not serve alcohol which may not suit some people

THIS PLACE IS A HIDDEN GEM!! Great service and very affordable prices. I needed dinner late at…read morenight, and Ziya Baba hit the spot! The ambiance was nice and quiet too. The lentil soup was perfect, and the chicken kebab was delicious! Seasonings were on point, and it was COOKED PERFECTLY!! The owners are very sweet and make sure you are being taken care of very well. I'm glad I stumbled upon this place--the lovely reviews truly reflect the place!