A slightly strange experience - coming all the way to Turkey, yet eating in a Swiss restaurant…read more The decor of the restaurant and hotel is modern European (dark wood and subdued lighting) and the location is next to a main highway in a business / residential area, so you could be anywhere in the developing world. All that said, the food is good as is the local Turkish wine, but I really wished we had got a taxi and gone somewhere a bit more authentically local.

This was a good restaurant and I was not disappointed with my experience here…read more The food was very good and the service was friendly and attentive. They were very flexible since they allowed all 7 of us to use 7 different credit cards to pay for the group meal, which was very helpful. We ordered a couple of bottles of red wine and they arrived slightly chilled, which was perfect for those hot evenings in the summer. I'd recommend this restaurant if you're in the area.

We ended up in Bej after planning to stop by Lokanta Maya for dinner without a reservation (on a…read moreMonday night) and learning there were no tables available. Desperate to avoid the row of tourist traps along the water, we asked the staff at Lokanta Maya if they could point us in the direction of another good restaurant in the area, and that's how we found Bej. The ambiance here is upscale/ classy/ trendy, but not stuffy. There was a huge display of gorgeous fresh flowers greeting us when we walked in, and we managed to snag the only unreserved table in the place. The menu offered a good selection of food, all slightly interesting twists on classic meals. The three of us split a bottle of wine from a moderate sized wine list, and started off with a couple of appetizers. There was a slightly spicy chicken dish we ordered that was delicious. For a main course I ordered the baked goat cheese, which was described as being served with beets and arugula. Perhaps the description in Turkish was more accurate, but I was depending on the English version of the menu, being a foreigner and all. When my meal arrived it was actually mostly a large bowl or salad, with a largish sized baked goat cheese on top. The flavor was great, and it was warm and creamy. The beets were difficult to find, but were eventually discovered hiding at the bottom of my bowl. While it wasn't the most delicious flavor combination, it was still really good, and I enjoyed the meal. We finished things off with a selection of ice creams: Rose, lavender, and chocolate. This was the perfect ending to a meal, and the unique flavors were a definite treat for the taste buds. Don't skip the chocolate because it is typical though- it paired wonderfully with the other flavors and really made them even more enjoyable. Another cool discovery at this place is back behind the bar area, there is actually a little shop which is open during the day. It is filled with cool items (from paper, prints, home decor items) that all have a unique and slightly funky flair. Much better for potential souvenir shopping than your typical tourist traps.

This is a place to drink Raki not talk politics, as I was told. Seriously, there is a rule not to…read moretalk politics here. Raki is too serious a drink and the mix of that and political emotions can be an explosive mix. Ask the server there about this unwritten rule (if you can get someone to translate for you). A small quaint place off the tourist beat. I found this on a tour with the fantastic guide by the name if Katerina. Check out the Culinary Backstreets Tour of Istanbul.

This place is to die for. Promise…read more This was our very first non-airport meal in Istanbul and we loved it. We went in here after walking up and down the little restaurant street twice. Since all the waiters will be trying to cajole you into their restaurant, you need to walk with a determined look on your face while casually letting your eyes survey in your peripheral vision. When we got to the end of the street, my friend and I turned to each other and surprisingly both said "the one with all the world flags hung up inside?" "Done." So we walked back down the street with the same determined look in our eye, avoiding all the charming waiters except the one for this restaurant. We got seated at the very top, where we got a nice view of the street. We had two appetizers and one entree each: the sarma, caviar, coban salad and a kebab dinner. I can't say enough good things about the sarmas. Nothing I have ever tasted before in any Turkish restaurant in the US compares. At all. Needless to say, we wiped all our little plates clean and were satisfied until the next morning, when we ventured out for a pastry shop breakfast.

Excellent food! Incredible view! Good service. It's right next to bosphorus so there is nothing…read morebetween you and one of the best scenes of istanbul. It's a real elegant place. No hairy rich contractor bellies, dipped in raki (Rakıya bandırılmış kıllı müteahhit göbeği) . Places by the bosphorus are filled with them, not here. So it's the ideal place for a romantic evening They have awesome fresh tapas. But usually turkish dishes, and tapas' derived from mezes.

This is fabulous!! The view is spectacular and the food and service delightful! I highly recommend.read more

- Service quality: Excellent - Starters: Excellent…read more- Fish: Excellent (Follow waiter's advice. You will enjoy for sure) - Price: Very high You will enjoy serenity and sea food if you go there for lunch. I was about to plan coming at least on a weekly basis with my family until I have seen the check (btw, we did not consume alcohol). I may think of going there again, but the frequency would be once a year, maybe?

After a very long cab ride from the center of Istanbul (based on a recommendation), we were…read moredisappointed that the amazing view wasn't much of a view at all from the bright restaurant after dark. The restaurant was mostly empty and they seemed reluctant to seat us without a reservation. Our bottle of wine was tolerable and the fish dishes were basic. The service was friendly and attentive, but I can't say it was worth it.

Oh how I love this cafe. This was the first place I ate in Istanbul and now 3 weeks later after…read morehaving been all over both the asian side and the european side, I still think this is the best breakfast in Istanbul. Their Khavalti plate is the biggest, best, most wonderful thing ever. I haven't had another one quite as good anywhere I've gone. And their outdoor seating on this cute little street is so perfect. It's just adorable and the service is so friendly. I think I left a part of my heart here.

Finding this place is easy enough. The problems start when you're stranding in front of the door…read moreand realise that you really have removed yourself from the tourist hot spots. No English in sight anywhere. First issue is how do I get in. Well, if there is a key in the door then just enter. It's looks more like a private home then a restaurant. But it's alright. You haven't by mistake entered the home of a Turkish family. Don't mind the gigglish girls inside, just find yourself a table. Next issue. The menu. There are a few pictures, but otherwise knowing a few Turkish words will be helpful at this point. If you don't, then point (your waiter has a very very limited English vocabulary, but he is more than willing to help) and hope someone in the restaurant can help you a bit along the way. Expect the food to be Turkish breasfast with limited spices, but an otherwise very nice selection of primarily Turkish produce.

Food 4.5/5.0 Service 3.0/5.0…read moreValue 3.5/5.0 Decor 3.0/5.0 Overall 4.5/5.0 Went to the smaller location across the street a few doors down, which is less formal. Food was fantastic, especially the lahmacun and the içli köfte. Definitely worth coming by.

This is hands down one of the best restaurants I've been to: the quality of the food was superb,…read morethe ambiance was beautiful, and the waitstaff were very professional and warm. I highly recommend this place, you won't regret it!

Lovely late-afternoon lunch. Recommend!…read more First, the menu is in both Turkish and English, which is helpful for tourists like me. Second, free WiFi with the password in the menu. Third, the space is quiet, with soft music, and tastefully decorated. Fourth, and most important, the food was very good. We shared the 4-piece Bruschetta, the cheese platter, and a soup of the day (yogurt and wheat). All were tasty. If you like *really* strong, motor oil-grade coffee, get the Turkish; otherwise, the filtered will be more typical to American tastes. They were so busy during the day that they ran out of desserts by the time we arrived, which is too bad - I bet were great too.

A nice relaxing pit stop after visiting the Modern Art museum and walking under the rain…read more Cute eclectic little café where I ordered a "soupe du jour" with lentils and a nice chunk of bread. Ended with a warm cup of winter tea, reading a French manga found in the little library of the café. Definitely recommend!