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.

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!

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.

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.

Very nice place. The staff was friendly and the fish was cooked perfectly. And the prices were more…read morethan reasonable. I would recommend this place to anyone traveling to Istanbul. I also thought the location was great.

This is a fun local seafood restaurant if you want to get away from the tourists and try some real…read moreTurkish seafood. The staff is extremely friendly and the prices are half what they are in Sultanahmet. It's not far from the metro. Try the Hamsi!

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!

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

While we were staying in a hotel down the street, my wife and I were wanting to find a restaurant…read morewith a menu that included the local fare, but also had received some praise for dishes that were not native to Turkey. We had seen this place while walking back to our hotel, and decided to go to try. We are so glad that we did. While the sign outside read "Beso," the menu, and other signs read "Byzantion" so I'm thinking the first is a shortened form of the second. And it is inside the Glorious Hotel. There's any rate, we ventured in, and soon found ourselves seated in a white table, cloth, covered dining room, with a table, right by the window. We were a little early for the dinner crowd, but a long day of touring had left us hungry early. The menu was, as expected, filled with variety. While my wife opted for the Mediterranean chicken shish, I had spotted penne Arrabiata on the menu, and that is a personal favorite. I gave it a try, and was not disappointed. my wife's chicken was excellent as well. The service was first-rate, and the ambience was very enjoyable. The friendliness of the staff was not unusual for Turkey, but was greatly appreciated. If you are looking for a meal away from your hotel, or just a chance to enjoy some thing beyond Mediterranean cuisine, I would highly recommend this establishment.

First time in Istanbul, and words cannot describe the hospitality of this restaurant. Made…read morereservations online and arrived to Beso earlier with welcoming arms from the owner. Greeted nicely and in front of the restaurant. Fantastic recommendations of food menus and the quality of food is and delicious. The owner and his staff were able to cater to our taste buds and ask the right questions. They also offered tastings of wine pairings to ensure it met our taste and expectations. We ordered the fish platter, the meat platter (specially catered to us) and a fresh shepherds salad. The portions are generous and we enjoyed every bite of it! To end our dinner, they offered us apple tea and baklava, which was a perfect sweet ending. To add to it, this restaurant also offers hooka/shisha so it was perfect on a nice outdoors seating to our evening. They prepared a special flavour which was watermelon and grape and it was perfect. Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant for any tourists that want an authentic Turkish cuisine. Thank you for making our tummy's full and ending our last night is Istanbul on a sweet note.

Hunger. Once again. As me and my old friend the appetite were just roaming the side streets of the…read morenow upcoming area of Karaköy I saw a sign leading to a small fish restaurant. Oh Destiny! The place itself is cute: It's under new mangement for three months time now, so the ambience and decoration has changed. Many interesting nautical pieces can be admired here that are all part of the owner's private collection. Quite good! But anyway, I was there for the food. Since I knew before what I wanted (bonito), I didn't even check the menu. I wouldn't have needed to anyway as the senior owner was very helpful about my side dish and stuff. (If you are not sure about what to choose, let me assure you he will be glad to recommend something. He speaks four languages, so there shall be no problem at all.) To cut a long story short: I loved it. Everything. The fresh fish (grilled slowly on a proper charcoal barbecue), the nice side order, the hospitality itself, the extreme politeness, the friendly chat and the whole positive feeling about the restaurant. I can only advise every fish lover to go there. It'll be worth it. Oh, and before I forget, they have three further floors from the restaurant on the ground floor. Perfect for your private party or a simple get-together. Just talk to the guys; they will be happy to be of assistance. Hunger + I once more say thanks for everything, Istiridye Balık Restaurant. We'll be back :)

We absolutely loved our dinner experience- from the wine selection to the appetizers to our main…read moredish! Our lively waiter, Remzi gave us a background on all the fish, helped us choose the perfect preparation and fish so that we could try something we hadn't eaten before. We went with the John Dory, fried (lightly) and served with an amazing butter, soy and garlic sauce that was an amazing addition. Their dolmas reminded me of my grandmother, and the vintage Sauvignon Blanc was a perfect pairing for the meal. We even had a few guest appearances from the kittens.

We had a wonderful time on a temperate October evening. We sat in the tented area which was very…read morepleasant. The staff were very friendly and attentive. They were able to answer our questions about the menu. The eggplant appetizers which were tasty. We had the blue fish, which our tour guide had recommended earlier that day. It was a good choice for a tasty white fish. We requested the fig dessert but the fruit was already out of season. We opted for the dried apricot version, which I enjoyed though my partner found it too sweet.