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...

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.

Don't be fooled by the entrance or the dark steep stairwell! The food is fresh, authentic, and…read moreamazing and the owner is incredibly friendly. I suggest sitting at the very top of the building and enjoying the views!! Oh and the cats are so cute and friendly :)

Closed in March of 2024. Walked a long way and nothing left of the place. Probably…read morepermanently closed

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

Everything I ate here was utterly delicious and unique. The staff was lovely and so helpful. Their…read morerecommendation of what to order was spot on. I'm already craving a second visit.

Galata Kitchen is not a doner grill and it doesn't open onto a busy street with a big outdoor…read morepatio. After two days having some great meals in Istanbul of that type, we looked for something different. Not far from Galata Tower, GK is on a side street with little foot traffic. It has a big modern sign back off the street and one of the operators saw us hesitating where to enter and waved us in from the front entrance. Inside it has whimsical and funny decorations and serious books mounted on the wall, but is not atmospheric, more like a diner. BUT the food is displayed in a case, hot and cold entrees separated, so you can see what you are ordering. You pick what you want and they assemble your choices on a plate and bring it to the table. Hot entrees included chicken bites in a tomato sauce and chicken with onions, lamb stew and beef and plenty of salad and vegetable choices in the cold display case. The group of men running the place that night were low key but personable, answering our questions about food items and Turkish literature. Service was prompt but understated and helpful. Our group of four had a great time and the menu is diverse enough that everyone found choices that pleased them. But remember, we came in expecting something very good other than doner kebap and were not disappointed!

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!

Great place for vegan meal in maslak. Very cozy place. Food…read moreis great and yummy, service is good. Highly recommend if you are looking for a vegan restaurant in the area.

From the owner: Istanbul's new %100 plant-based and healty restaurant. Mostly organic food, buddha bowls and…read moresmoothies.

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!