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.

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!

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.

Our first food here in Turkey. Welcoming staff. Sweet waiter that took our order very promptly…read more Restaurant appears small from the outside, but actually has a second floor with more seating. Very clean bathrooms were a bonus downstairs also. Food was served quickly with an excellent portion size. I ordered the beef wrap and fries with a Pepsi. It was supposed to have been a small lunch, but was actually very filling. I will say the meat could've used a sauce. Something to cut all the grease that it was covered in. I did try someone else's chicken and it was even more in need of a flavorful sauce. That being said, it is served with ketchup and mayonnaise, which is familiar to us, but not the sauce I had in mind. Overall though, great first stop.

Visited Çiya Sofrası as it is a restaurant featured on the World's 50 Best discovery list and as…read morethe chef was featured on Netflix's Chef's Table. Menu is based on recipes collected from all across Turkey an the menu might vary daily depending on what they have available. The restaurant itself also features 3 locations all adjacent to or across from each other. Party of 7 seated upstairs. There honestly is so much space and seating between all three locations. No reservation as we just walked in. Honestly didn't look at the menu as we had friends who were local and asked if they could just order. What I would recommend though is just get whatever sounds interesting as everything we tried was delicious. The big airy bread and the beets were a must as well as the stuffed intestines. The kebab we ordered was also so good that we got a second one. It's also very large and shareable. In fact, everything should be shared. A lot of desserts to choose from and my favorite was the bitter orange.

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!

I can say it is the best fast food restaurant in Atasehir, running 24/7. The service is quick. The…read morequality vs. Price is really worth it.

A must-try for tourists!…read more The food is absolutely delicious, with a menu offering traditional Turkish dishes. The ambiance is modern yet maintains a relaxed, upscale vibe, making it perfect for both casual outings and special occasions. They are famous for their mezes, and I highly recommend the levrek marin and fava. For mains, the hunkar begendi is amazing! The service is fast, friendly, and attentive, adding to the overall great experience. It's a classic if you're in Istanbul. Also, it's in of the best area to hang, tons to see around. Highly recommended!

I was excited to try this place but found the food to be just okay. Maybe I picked the wrong items?…read moreI am not sure. We ordered the grilled artichokes, pickles, potato croquettes, and beef tenderloin. The artichokes were my favourite - so delicious! Everything else was alright. It was all cooked well and seemed fresh but I found the price to be a bit expensive for what it was. I've had better meals for much cheaper in Istanbul. One thing I didn't like was a 50 lira charge per person for cover? And our water was not free. On top of that, a 10% service charge. Not really happy about being charged cover and a service charge but it is what it is. Service was good and our food came very quickly.

My favorite Kizilkayalar stand in Istanbul for chicken doner. This location is a cut above the…read morerest. Juicy chicken thinly shaved, tossed in a bold, garlicky yogurt marinade with lemon juice and loads of warm spice wrapped in a delicious handmade pita bread. I have this everyday when in Istanbul. The best sandwich i've ever had. I only wish I can find this in the states...

This place has the legit wet hand burger that reminds me of delicious White Castle back in the…read morestates. I'd recommend adding cheese to it even though it's still delicious without it. Service is not too bad even though it's an order then seat your self type of thing. The place is tiny so if you're in a large group don't bother to eat in.

One of the best meals you'll ever have. The chef is inspired and the cuisine devine. Don't be…read morefooled by the casual fun atmosphere or the cute cats that will try to join your party. This place is a major find.

Service was great. The atmosphere was so fun. Not sure what a group there was celebrating but the…read morestaff added to there festivities. I am so glad I found this restaurant on Yelp! I'd definitely come back and recommend this place to anyone looking for a good dinner venue. The food was delicious and very reasonably priced.

Amazingly delicious. No scamming on the prices. They are clearly marked…read more Only thing is they will charge a cover charge for dine in, as most places in Europe. But the food is good. The different kinds of appys were fresh and authentic. Humus was excellent. Service quick and efficient. Servers Took the time to explain the menu. Place very rustic and filled with history. They have a loyal following. Locals eat there too. Prices may be little higher than some Places, but presentation can't be beat. Cheers! Happy eating!

Delicious and authentic food at this small restaurant. The service is amazing as well, great…read morepeople. Reasonable prices. Highly recommend!

If there's one thing I often love above just about anything else, it's finding the origin of a…read morecuisine, especially when it ties to a city or a region. Next to kebabs, turkish delight defines both Istanbul and Turkey on the culinary stage, and Ali Muhittin Haci Bekir is the origin of not only turkish delight, but of gummi snacks as we know them. Haci Bekir opened this exact spot in 1777, and the rest is literally history. Expecting an 18th century vibe with as much history as wonderful product, I was honestly a bit disappointed on both fronts. If you're looking for a historical experience and the best turkish delight you've ever had? I unfortunately can't say that you'll find either at Haci Bekir. Star 1: How were the service and atmosphere? Star 1? Strike 1. Considering this is the origin of turkish delight (as in, in the world), I was expecting a homely and authentic 18th century vibe. How was this stuff invented? How do they even make it? I was hoping to learn these things from staff who knew the history, and was gutted to find an entirely commercialized and bland shop with passive employees. I ordered my turkish delight, paid, and left. That was it. Considering what could have been? This was a huge disappointment. No Star Granted. Star 2: How were the portions relative to the cost? Considering how much the original spot could price gouge? I was pleased. I paid 32 turkish lira at the spice market for a kilo, and only 24 lira here. Both prices are a great deal, but I loved the fact that I wasn't getting ripped off by a place that could have easily done so. Star Granted. Stars 3 and 4: How was the food? I need to start this off by defining what my idea of perfect turkish delight is. A powdered sugar covered gummi bear? No. Turkish delight should be so soft that it requires the powdered sugar for you to even hold it. My turkish delight in the spice market was close to what i've had stateside, but what I had at Haci Bekir was weak. The flavor? mediocre. The consistency? a bit chewy, which is shouldn't be. Overall, this was a pretty disappointing visit. Single Star Granted. Star 5: Would you eat here every day if you could? I have a theory. Turkish delight is a rarity here in the states, so if you're going to serve it? It's got to be the very best. On the contrary, TD is absolute commonplace in Istanbul, so the abundance of it all leads to some down ticks in quality. I was hoping for a real show from the very origin of turkish delight, and I didn't get it with the service, the atmosphere, or the product quality. No Star Granted.

Pretty delicious turkish delights/lokum sold here! My personal favorite was the rose flavored one…read more There are a bunch on display that you can try before you purchase too.

Cafeteria style dining where you grab a tray and pick what you want and they give you small plates…read more There is a lot of options and there's also drinks and dessert. You pay for it at the end of the line and take the tray to a table to sit and eat. It's pretty clean and comfortable. The food options are good if you're looking for something different from shawarma or doners.

This is a little eatery next to a bunch of touristy restaurants, where they holler at you and have…read morepictures on their menu (often with no prices). I was determined to come here because I was so tired of paying for overpriced semi-ok food in the SultanAhmet neighborhood. The shop was attended by a few guys, they would serve, bill and took care the dishes. You "point" at what you'd like, and they would dish it out into a small plates for you. English is not so useful here, but it didn't stop us getting the food nor paying the bill by seeing the numbers on the good old fashioned calculator. Can i just tell you, that I felt so comforted by their warm, wholesome and delicious food. My favorite was the meat & eggplant stew and rice, while my boyfriend really enjoyed the lentil tomato soup with bread. I'm happy to report everything we got was delicious! This shop does close early, so we missed it several times and had to eat at alternative places. Those places were super pricy and the food was meh. If you happen to stay in this area, make sure you find yourself decent places to eat, or just come here to have those guys take care of you!