Everytime I come here, this place gets better and better. I absolutely love the curry chicken…read moreplate. Their pasta dishes are great as well. Oh, and dessert is good too.

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!

Found this gem of a place on Happy Cow after spending a few days in Istanbul. Turkey is a pretty…read moremeat heavy culture, but you can seek out some good veggies places. This is one of them. It is a little hole in the wall place, but they serve up a traditional flavorful dish a bit like seitan basically. You can get it in a wrap and if you are staying somewhere can take a box home for fairly cheap. Also be sure to check out nearby Parsifal. This is a simple sit down affordable place that is 100 percent vegetarian and has many vegan options. The menu labels what is vegetarian and what is vegan making ordering easy.

Zencefil which means "ginger" in English is located Istiklal street area and it is one of the few…read morevegetarian restaurants in Istanbul. I have been going to Zencefil for years but last time I was there was about 4-5 years ago. The restaurants has been keeping its style, quality for many years. Even the menu looks like the same except for a few new dishes depending on the season. There are several kinds of vegetable quiches such as eggplant, spinach, etc. The nice think is that before the meal they serve butter mixed with herbs accompanied with bread. There were two kinds of bread; with corn flour and whole wheat. However, the bread could be better, I didn't like the whole wheat bread. I can make batter breads and I am wondering why they do not make their own bread adding different kinds of herbs and vegetables. Although it is a vegetarian restaurant, there one or two chicken dishes on the menu. Since there wasn't so much change on the menu for years, I have already tried most dishes which were OK. I mean the tastes are nice, not heavenly but you know that all of them are healthy. This time I had warm served Aegean stew made of artichokes, faba beans and black-eyed beans. It was so light and tasty, I really like it. I had homemade ginger ale for a drink but frankly saying I didn't like it maybe because I am used to Canadian dry or other brands. But I recommend its lemonade with ginger. I hope they add more experimental vegetable recipes on the menu next time. At the end of the meal they always serve coriander and some dry herb to refreshen the breath which I really like. Lastly, the ambiance is nice, bright, colorful and the place is mostly full of young people and tourists during lunch hours. The service is not bad but I wish they smile more...

Super cute spot we found just roaming around on a rainy day…read more Everything was fresh and service was fast.

From the owner: En iyi malzemelerle hazırladık, evde yapılmış gibi günlük taze ve özenle. Tost / Kase / Salata /…read moreKahve

It's a 7/10 place and definitely not go out of your way or go the next day again kinda place. It's…read morecute, seemingly family run, tight space but efficient with outdoor seating also. Adana kababs were decent, Urfa didn't have much flavor for me. I just had the most wonderful Adana kababs in Adiyaman and was expecting Istanbul to top or atleast match that but it didn't. Atleast not this spot. And it's $450/kabab. People seem to like this place as 5 star but honestly I wouldn't give it more than 3.5. You decide for yourself.

This is a small family run restaurant with excellent kebabs and durum. The meal begins with a free…read moreplate if warm oily toasted pita and garlicky hummus or vegetables. The Adana durum is made with crunchy pita wrapped around ground meat, spices and vegetables served with a few seared peppers and tomatoes. it's a good value, too. Somewhere I saw someone say it was overpriced. No way.

Good place for a meal! Bit touristy, but food is good. They open till late so it's a good place to…read moregrab a meal. We ordered ayran (cold, savory yogurt drink), babel special, and a mixed meze plate so we could try as much food as possible.

It was fine not great. There was a lot of salad with some of the mains which was nice. My issue…read moremight be that I prefer the seasonings in North African or Lebanese versions of similar dishes. Beer list is mediocre and

Great food, great ambiance and the service is top notch!!!…read more We've been there several time during this trip and plan to go back again before we leave. Don't miss experiencing this gem while in Istambul.

Quality mixed meat platter. The side grilled veggies and the yogurt dipping enhanced the flavor of…read morethe platter. Loved hearty fresh salad paired with sweet seafood such as salmon cubes, shrimps, squids. Relaxing background jazz and a appropriate service.

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!

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 lived up to their reviews. We split the penne pasta and the seabass with mushroom wheat…read morerisotto & veggies. The pasta was good, but the seabass was spectacular.

I came here for dinner during my trip to Istanbul since I had walked past it many times. The staff…read morewere nice and attentive. I sat out in the garden, which had heating since it was a chilly night. I ordered their beef durum wrap. It was just okay. The wrap had too much sauce/liquid, making it a mess to eat and making the wrap soggy. The meat inside was also really tough. I left most of the wrap. Overall, the service was excellent, but the food could be better.