Had a 3 hour dinner at this amazing restaurant last week...here are my thoughts:…read more Ambiance is nothing special in terms of decor, but the restaurant is large and open which makes conversation easy. They can easily accommodate large parties. Service seems fine although nobody speaks English so definitely go with locals like we did who can facilitate ordering. Food is absolutely delicious. Our hosts ordered everything - and I mean everything. I highly recommend the grilled squid, the shrimp, tomato salad, turbot, cornbread, pickles, and the complimentary bread of course was fantastic. The eggplant was a miss for me (avoid). We also had lots of desserts and fruit as well. The watermelon was amazing but I can't comment on any of the other desserts as I didn't partake. I have no idea what the prices are like as I didn't pay for anything but I hear this place is really expensive. Definitely go with locals who speak the language to avoid any issues. Bottom line: I'll definitely return!

Very good service and good... Location is unique, with a…read moreview of both the Bosphosrus and Blacksea...

The food was okay. Not great, but not terrible. The first roll in the bread basket was hard as a…read morerock, but the rest were okay. The fried mussels tasted more like fried than mussels, but the tomato-cucumber salad was fresh and good. We had the bonito and fluke-kebabs, which were both decent, especially with some lemon juice on them, but it would have been nice to have some sauce or yogurt to go with them. Service was quick and professional.

Yosun is the first restaurant on your left after you get off the ferry in Anadolu Kavağı. We were…read morepromptly greeted and seated at a table right on the water. Unfortunately several of the items we wanted were not available, but we selected several dishes and they were all excellent. Definitely order the "midye tava," which are deep fried mussels. I'm not usually a fan of mussels, but these were perfect--tender, with a light and flaky batter. We also got a kebab of fluke and peppers. The fluke was moist and tender--and the nice thing is that it was a fillet--no picking bones out of the fish. We also tried the pickled tuna (delicious) and their eggplant salad--which was not our favorite (it could have used a bit more seasoning or more of a roasted flavor), but it was fresh and delicious. Other patrons got enormous platters of fried fish which also looked good. I think it's hard to go wrong here.

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.

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.

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!