A MUST TRY. As an American, I have been SO impressed with food here in Turkey and if you are in the…read morearea, this restaurant is an absolute MUST-TRY if you're looking for great food. I had some of THEE BEST chicken kebab I've ever had in this country here. The beef kebab was also tender and flavorful. You cannot go wrong with any of these! The service was quick and prompt, and the servers were great at making recommendations. I came here in the winter so we sat indoors which felt a bit cramped however, there is also outdoor seating during the nicer weather months. If I'm ever back here in Istanbul, I would definitely come back. And if you're reading this, you NEED to try the Old Ottoman!

This was my first night in Istanbul and I eased tired from traveling from cappadocia earlier in the…read moreday. This restaurant was close to my hotel and had great reviews on Yelp. When I arrived there was only one other customer inside. The restaurant decor was cute and I very comfortable. The staff were friendly and welcoming. This spot was a bit pricey just like most of the restaurants in this touristy area. I had certain Turkish entrees i wanted to try during my vacation. I ordered the Iskender kebab which is beef and pita bread covered with tomato sauce with yogurt on the side. I ordered a side salad to go with it. The dish was very delicious as you can tell in one of my pics. I chatted with some of the staff about life in Istanbul. I was offered some complimentary pomegranate tea before I left and it hit the spot. This is definitely a place to check out when you're in the area.

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.

We had a variety of different foods. They were all very delicious. You can get good pizza, good…read moreTurkish food, good fish. Also, the service was great. The staff was really friendly.

It was great! This is my second time here and still yummy food and everything! The atmosphere was…read moreawesome, service is still good! The rice pudding was nice and so was the kannafeh. The turkish coffee and çai were also yummy. Kadi was also very nice.

The restaurant did not high pressure us as we were walking by unlike so many restaurants. The staff…read morewas very professional and the food was superb.

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!

From the owner: Müşkülpesent, İkinci Yeni'lerden ilham alan İkinci Yeni Lokanta.read more

After a morning spent exploring the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia, our hungry family was thrilled to…read morefind this restaurant a stone's throw away from these iconic landmarks. The menu is minimalistic but makes up for its simplicity in the flavor it brings. Service is very fast and as with all things in Istanbul, very courteous. We tried the Izgara kofte and the Lamb Shish Kebap, a side of Corba (lentil soup), seasonal salad, some pickled peppers and a round of Ayran to wash it all down. And wrapped up the meal with the Semolina Halwa and Baked Rice Pudding to share. Delicious. Highly recommend!!

The menu is 1 page long The only mains they have a Kofte-No Flavor soup-Too much flour and the only…read more(Decent things are that the fries are normal as the sutlach)

This was my local kebap place when I stayed in Istanbul. It's a nice under the radar local…read morerestaurant that's been here over 20 years. They have a full menu of kebap, pide and lahmacun all at very reasonable prices. My favorite dish was the doner with rice and I also really liked their Iskender kebap. They don't speak much English but were always very friendly.

Great place to try authentic Turkish cuisine. They have a huge variety of dishes, and thanks to the…read morecafeteria-style presentation, we were able to point to different dishes and try all kinds of things that we normally wouldn't have tried since we didn't know what they were or what they looked like. We also bumped into a local woman outside who told us what her favorite items at the restaurant were. My favorite dish was definitely the meat topped with the pomegranate seeds and the oblong falafel-looking thing shown in the first picture. I wasn't a fan of the intestines. I also wasn't a fan of the Turkish pizza with lamb, though I felt the lamb all throughout my time in Istanbul was a bit too gamey for my taste. Overall, I think this is an excellent place to get a taste of what Turkish cuisine has to offer--we came here towards the end of our trip but I think coming here at the beginning would have been a better choice, so that we could know what kinds of dishes to seek out during the rest of our time at Turkey!

We went because of the good reviews, but our experience wasn't that pleasant. The service was very…read moregood and the ambiance was fine -- casual and normal -- but the food and the overall Turkish experience were not what we expected. The portion was small, most of the dish was cold (if it's meant to be served that way, it's not to my liking; and if it was supposed to be hot, then it definitely wasn't). The flavor could be much better -- it was quite bland. If you like that type of food, then it might be for you, but it wasn't the best Turkish food. I wouldn't return.

Really descent food with lots of options. Portions were on par and didn't leave still hungry or…read moreoverly full. Beer was super cold !!

Although Faros Kebap isn't as authentic as other restaurants within the area, the food here was…read moredelicious! Coming from a vegetarian, I was appreciative of the fact that they had so many options for me - I really enjoyed the hummus, falafel, fries and pide. Had a super filling meal for quite the reasonable price.

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. The main guy who greets and helps everyone when they arrive seems completely over the whole thing. I can understand why, though. They still have an enormous amount of tourist business because of the Bourdain connection, and people seem to come here almost as a pilgrimage. I'm staying nearby and have visited several times because of all the hype, and the experience has been pretty much the same every time. The person in charge does not seem particularly concerned about whether you wait to order or not. If it is the afternoon, he will sometimes toss you a menu, walk away, and mumble something about waiting for a table. One time, I arrived about 15 minutes before closing and noticed that there was a table available. I was told they were closing soon and that the last orders, with about 10 kebabs already cooking on the grill, were for someone else. That was basically it. No option was offered to take anything to go either. There is certainly nothing wrong with closing when you are ready to close, but after becoming accustomed to the incredibly friendly and welcoming service at so many local kebab restaurants in Istanbul, the lack of enthusiasm here was surprising. In a strange way, it is almost refreshing. They seem to have so much business that they really could not care less whether you eat there or not. 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 fantastic Adana kebab, with more seating and much warmer service. Overall, glad I tried it because of the Bourdain connection, but for me, the hype is much bigger than the experience.