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We were with our guide for the day and he took us to this wonderful spot! The food was fantastic, the service was spot on and we thoroughly enjoyed meeting Chef who happened to be dining in the restaurant that afternoon. There are plenty of wonderful choices of dishes for your pleasure. The environment is relaxed and casual nothing fancy but clean, fresh and delicious! We enjoyed and would go back for sure!
This meal reminded me that, even in a world that often feels weary, there are still small and good things worth cherishing. The flavors were rich and satisfying; perhaps a 7.6 out of 10 by measure, yet far greater in meaning. I would encourage you to try the spinach dip and hummus; they are simple, yet essential. The service, though not effortless for English speakers, carried with it patience and understanding. For this, I am grateful. It is in such moments of kindness, however small, that one can see glimpses of hope for humanity. I sat upstairs in a corner where the echo was noticeable, and though it disturbed the atmosphere somewhat, it did not lessen the fullness of the experience. Today, I find myself thankful for two things: the nourishment I received from this meal, and the grace given through Jesus Christ, who bore my sins. May you too find joy in this food, perhaps even more deeply than I did.
Visited Çiya Sofrası as it is a restaurant featured on the World's 50 Best discovery list and as the 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.
One of our favorite places to eat in Istanbul. There are plenty of choices to choose from. You pick what you like from behind the counter. The food tastes really good and the staff is friendly and helpful as well. It also has one of the strongest AC in Istanbul which is so rare. Most shops here don't have AC and it can get really hot in the summer
I went to Kadıköy with my family during our trip to Istanbul and we heard we had to get lunch at this popular spot so we walked in without a reservation for lunch around 12:30pm. The place has plenty of seating: outdoors, indoors (two levels) so we were able to get a seat right away outside. We got some menus and water to drink. This place is super cool since it has entrees that you can order a la carte but also they have a buffet style with very healthy, traditional dishes from different regions of Turkey that you can also try (you get both menus to browse and can also stand up to go towards the station and see if something catches your eye!). We opted to get something from the set menu. For food we tried: - lahmacun: amazing! The quality of the dough was top notch. Perfect bake with a nice crispy edge but fluffy interior. The lamb and beef mix was so well seasoned with so many spices that were balanced by the sweet acidity of tomatoes and a squeeze of citrus lemon. Very good to share if you just want to try a little. - chicken shish: tender, juicy, well seasoned. Came over a bed of pita that soaked up some of the chicken flavor and juices. Generous portion! Very fresh ingredients and felt very healthy. Comes with some grilled veggies on the side. - pistachio kebab: this was my favorite dish that I tried here since I felt that it was so unique! Tender and juicy ground beef and lamb with spices and with chopped pistachios incorporated into the mix. The flavor and textures of this dish were unreal! I would come back just for this. The umami of the meats and the nutty sweetness of the pistachios was to die for. This came with a thinner unleavened bread that was super stretchy and soft. Loved it! - shepherd salad: simple, fresh, delicious mix of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and olive oil. - candied tomato and walnut: for dessert we tried some of their candied items that came with some creamy kaymak (cream) for balance. We all agreed the walnut was the superior one since the tomato was a little too sweet for us. Very good! - kunefe: probably my favorite Turkish dessert that I have during the trip. The combination of kadayif or shredded dough gave it a light but crispy texture that satisfyingly disintegrates in your mouth. The creamy murky salty cheese really balances the sweet syrup. Topped with some nuts, this is amazing! Highly recommend. Overall, I loved this place! I wish we had tried items from their buffet since they seem so unique and you can objectively find good kebab in several places in Turkey. What makes this place special is that they offer dishes from other regions that you cannot easily find in Istanbul. Next time I return I will definitely try some of those instead. A point for which I gave it 4 stars and not 5 was that the service was a little slow- we may have been placed in a very hidden corner in the busy restaurant since someone gave us menus and we were not really acknowledged for about 35 minutes until a manager noticed. He was very kind and helped get our orders sorted. Usually I would not mind a wait but, when you are a tourist with a packed schedule, you do not always have the luxury of time. I look forward to coming back in the future and trying more of their more regional dishes from the buffet and definitely getting another kunefe!
We had come here with high expectations, which were then tempered after having read a few, very recent Google reviews. If you're looking for a nice homely meal, Ciya is a great place. However, we found the food mediocre at best and a touch overpriced for what it is. We started off with some cold appetizers / meze, which were priced by the weight. The employee wasted no time in scooping generous portions onto our plate (hahaha). The meze was just okay, nothing spectacular. The salads were quite a miss, the grape leaves forgettable, and the muhamara and eggplant yogurt average. We ordered a lamb vegetable stew which was tasty but quite expensive for such a small portion. It was hot and homely, and was served with a rice pilaf. Only after did we realize we were charged 80 lira for such a small portion of rice! My boyfriend chatted with the server, whose argument for charging us was that we ate the rice we were served (my boyfriend's response was that he'd eat anything served to him) - and eventually got it waived. We also ordered a chicken shish from the Ciya Kebab place next door. It was tasty but the green pepper is super spicy!! Beware. We died and had to gulp down copious amounts of water. We ended with a kunefe, but were sadly disappointed. The kunefe was fine, honestly, but it just paled against the most amazing kunefe we had ate yesterday at Kapi Karaköy. The dessert was far too sweet and the pastry was not as crisp as we'd like. That said, it had a super rich butter flavour. Overall, the meal was adequate but overpriced given its portions and quality.
Really excellent food but the service left a bit to be desired all things considered. I was seated immediately at a table outside and ordered a couple items - one of the salads to start and then one of the lamb meat dishes. I asked the server which he recommended and he basically just shrugged so I ordered at random. The English menu was very confusing in terms of what each dish was and how it differed. For example it would say "lamb kebab - 300 lira" and then "chicken with yogurt - 140 lira" so I'm like clearly the lamb is a heartier and fuller dish but I don't understand exactly how. With that said, the dish I ended up with (again, no idea) was delicious and the pita I was given was a nice complement to soak up the delicious juices of the meat. The vegetables were roasted to perfection. I liked the salad I got as well but it wasn't anything special. There was further confusion when I got the check as there was a note on the menu about service being included but I didn't see it on the check so I had to ask to see if I should leave a tip. Overall not the best experience from a diner's perspective but the food was great.
Incredible meal on the Asian side of Istanbul! We enjoyed kebabs and the Anatolian dishes served at this establishment. Seated outdoors in the middle of summer, you get the vibes of this part of town. Service was prompt and efficient. Would come again.
I really didn't plan to come here initially because I have a feeling that all these hyped restaurants would disappoint me but I was in the neighborhood with some hungry friends and figured might as well give it a try. I ordered the spicy lamb kebab and the skewered kebab (with veal on tail fat). Honestly they are not bad per se but they are not better than the other places I've tried. The main problem is that they are really expensive about 20% more than other places. I did like the spicy lamb kebab but it's weird when the description says it's a mixture of lamb and beef. The veal one is a slight letdown because it needs more fat. Not sure what tail fat means but I wish each piece is interleaved with more fat. The service however is not very good. Somehow no one smiled and they seemed like they don't care whether you eat there. The place is in a street crowded with a lot of restaurants and there are some outdoor seating and more indoor seatings. I think the hype gave more more expectation than typical restaurants and because the food is below expectation I'll give it 3 instead of 4.
LOVED LOVED LOVED this restaurant! The restaurant was featured on chefs table and I can totally understand why! We were looking for a light meal and this restaurant has a Mezze bar! We got some dolmas, bulger balls, and dips! Everything was actually amazing! My favorite were the dolmas, they were perfectly seasoned and well cooked! They also have a hot food menu that you can order from and next time I come to Istanbul, I would come here for a bigger meal
We got seated at the upstairs area on the corner with a beautiful view. Staff was very friendly. Service was very quick. Ordered the appetizers that consisted of hummus, tzatziki, and eggplant sauce and other things as well. Absolutely delicious. The hummus was outstanding. Ordered the yoghurt kebab. This was a meat kebab on top of a bed of shredded pieces of bread with yogurt sauce. Very very tasty. Ate the whole thing clean. Also for dessert we had complimentary tea, and pumpkin slice. Very delicious as well. Highly recommend this place
One of the best restaurants we had in our trip to Istanbul. The kabobs were so juicy and delicious. The flavors were truly amazing. This place was featured on chefs table for good reason.
4 months ago
Great place to try authentic Turkish cuisine. They have a huge variety of dishes, and thanks to the cafeteria-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! read more
We went because of the good reviews, but our experience wasn't that pleasant. The service was very good and the ambiance was fine -- casual and normal -- but the food and the overall Turkish experience were not what we expected. The portion was small, most of the dish was cold (if it's meant to be served that way, it's not to my liking; and if it was supposed to be hot, then it definitely wasn't). The flavor could be much better -- it was quite bland. If you like that type of food, then it might be for you, but it wasn't the best Turkish food. I wouldn't return. read more
1 year ago
We were with our guide for the day and he took us to this wonderful spot! The food was fantastic, the service was spot on and we thoroughly enjoyed meeting Chef who happened to be dining in the restaurant that afternoon. There are plenty of wonderful choices of dishes for your pleasure. The environment is relaxed and casual nothing fancy but clean, fresh and delicious! We enjoyed and would go back for sure! read more
1 year ago
This meal reminded me that, even in a world that often feels weary, there are still small and good things worth cherishing. The flavors were rich and satisfying; perhaps a 7.6 out of 10 by measure, yet far greater in meaning. I would encourage you to try the spinach dip and hummus; they are simple, yet essential. The service, though not effortless for English speakers, carried with it patience and understanding. For this, I am grateful. It is in such moments of kindness, however small, that one can see glimpses of hope for humanity. I sat upstairs in a corner where the echo was noticeable, and though it disturbed the atmosphere somewhat, it did not lessen the fullness of the experience. Today, I find myself thankful for two things: the nourishment I received from this meal, and the grace given through Jesus Christ, who bore my sins. May you too find joy in this food, perhaps even more deeply than I did. read more
2 years ago
Visited Çiya Sofrası as it is a restaurant featured on the World's 50 Best discovery list and as the 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. read more
5 months ago
1 year ago
One of our favorite places to eat in Istanbul. There are plenty of choices to choose from. You pick what you like from behind the counter. The food tastes really good and the staff is friendly and helpful as well. It also has one of the strongest AC in Istanbul which is so rare. Most shops here don't have AC and it can get really hot in the summer read more
2 years ago
I went to Kadıköy with my family during our trip to Istanbul and we heard we had to get lunch at this popular spot so we walked in without a reservation for lunch around 12:30pm. The place has plenty of seating: outdoors, indoors (two levels) so we were able to get a seat right away outside. We got some menus and water to drink. This place is super cool since it has entrees that you can order a la carte but also they have a buffet style with very healthy, traditional dishes from different regions of Turkey that you can also try (you get both menus to browse and can also stand up to go towards the station and see if something catches your eye!). We opted to get something from the set menu. For food we tried: - lahmacun: amazing! The quality of the dough was top notch. Perfect bake with a nice crispy edge but fluffy interior. The lamb and beef mix was so well seasoned with so many spices that were balanced by the sweet acidity of tomatoes and a squeeze of citrus lemon. Very good to share if you just want to try a little. - chicken shish: tender, juicy, well seasoned. Came over a bed of pita that soaked up some of the chicken flavor and juices. Generous portion! Very fresh ingredients and felt very healthy. Comes with some grilled veggies on the side. - pistachio kebab: this was my favorite dish that I tried here since I felt that it was so unique! Tender and juicy ground beef and lamb with spices and with chopped pistachios incorporated into the mix. The flavor and textures of this dish were unreal! I would come back just for this. The umami of the meats and the nutty sweetness of the pistachios was to die for. This came with a thinner unleavened bread that was super stretchy and soft. Loved it! - shepherd salad: simple, fresh, delicious mix of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and olive oil. - candied tomato and walnut: for dessert we tried some of their candied items that came with some creamy kaymak (cream) for balance. We all agreed the walnut was the superior one since the tomato was a little too sweet for us. Very good! - kunefe: probably my favorite Turkish dessert that I have during the trip. The combination of kadayif or shredded dough gave it a light but crispy texture that satisfyingly disintegrates in your mouth. The creamy murky salty cheese really balances the sweet syrup. Topped with some nuts, this is amazing! Highly recommend. Overall, I loved this place! I wish we had tried items from their buffet since they seem so unique and you can objectively find good kebab in several places in Turkey. What makes this place special is that they offer dishes from other regions that you cannot easily find in Istanbul. Next time I return I will definitely try some of those instead. A point for which I gave it 4 stars and not 5 was that the service was a little slow- we may have been placed in a very hidden corner in the busy restaurant since someone gave us menus and we were not really acknowledged for about 35 minutes until a manager noticed. He was very kind and helped get our orders sorted. Usually I would not mind a wait but, when you are a tourist with a packed schedule, you do not always have the luxury of time. I look forward to coming back in the future and trying more of their more regional dishes from the buffet and definitely getting another kunefe! read more
We had come here with high expectations, which were then tempered after having read a few, very recent Google reviews. If you're looking for a nice homely meal, Ciya is a great place. However, we found the food mediocre at best and a touch overpriced for what it is. We started off with some cold appetizers / meze, which were priced by the weight. The employee wasted no time in scooping generous portions onto our plate (hahaha). The meze was just okay, nothing spectacular. The salads were quite a miss, the grape leaves forgettable, and the muhamara and eggplant yogurt average. We ordered a lamb vegetable stew which was tasty but quite expensive for such a small portion. It was hot and homely, and was served with a rice pilaf. Only after did we realize we were charged 80 lira for such a small portion of rice! My boyfriend chatted with the server, whose argument for charging us was that we ate the rice we were served (my boyfriend's response was that he'd eat anything served to him) - and eventually got it waived. We also ordered a chicken shish from the Ciya Kebab place next door. It was tasty but the green pepper is super spicy!! Beware. We died and had to gulp down copious amounts of water. We ended with a kunefe, but were sadly disappointed. The kunefe was fine, honestly, but it just paled against the most amazing kunefe we had ate yesterday at Kapi Karaköy. The dessert was far too sweet and the pastry was not as crisp as we'd like. That said, it had a super rich butter flavour. Overall, the meal was adequate but overpriced given its portions and quality. read more
Really excellent food but the service left a bit to be desired all things considered. I was seated immediately at a table outside and ordered a couple items - one of the salads to start and then one of the lamb meat dishes. I asked the server which he recommended and he basically just shrugged so I ordered at random. The English menu was very confusing in terms of what each dish was and how it differed. For example it would say "lamb kebab - 300 lira" and then "chicken with yogurt - 140 lira" so I'm like clearly the lamb is a heartier and fuller dish but I don't understand exactly how. With that said, the dish I ended up with (again, no idea) was delicious and the pita I was given was a nice complement to soak up the delicious juices of the meat. The vegetables were roasted to perfection. I liked the salad I got as well but it wasn't anything special. There was further confusion when I got the check as there was a note on the menu about service being included but I didn't see it on the check so I had to ask to see if I should leave a tip. Overall not the best experience from a diner's perspective but the food was great. read more
1 year ago
Incredible meal on the Asian side of Istanbul! We enjoyed kebabs and the Anatolian dishes served at this establishment. Seated outdoors in the middle of summer, you get the vibes of this part of town. Service was prompt and efficient. Would come again. read more
I really didn't plan to come here initially because I have a feeling that all these hyped restaurants would disappoint me but I was in the neighborhood with some hungry friends and figured might as well give it a try. I ordered the spicy lamb kebab and the skewered kebab (with veal on tail fat). Honestly they are not bad per se but they are not better than the other places I've tried. The main problem is that they are really expensive about 20% more than other places. I did like the spicy lamb kebab but it's weird when the description says it's a mixture of lamb and beef. The veal one is a slight letdown because it needs more fat. Not sure what tail fat means but I wish each piece is interleaved with more fat. The service however is not very good. Somehow no one smiled and they seemed like they don't care whether you eat there. The place is in a street crowded with a lot of restaurants and there are some outdoor seating and more indoor seatings. I think the hype gave more more expectation than typical restaurants and because the food is below expectation I'll give it 3 instead of 4. read more
LOVED LOVED LOVED this restaurant! The restaurant was featured on chefs table and I can totally understand why! We were looking for a light meal and this restaurant has a Mezze bar! We got some dolmas, bulger balls, and dips! Everything was actually amazing! My favorite were the dolmas, they were perfectly seasoned and well cooked! They also have a hot food menu that you can order from and next time I come to Istanbul, I would come here for a bigger meal read more
2 years ago
We got seated at the upstairs area on the corner with a beautiful view. Staff was very friendly. Service was very quick. Ordered the appetizers that consisted of hummus, tzatziki, and eggplant sauce and other things as well. Absolutely delicious. The hummus was outstanding. Ordered the yoghurt kebab. This was a meat kebab on top of a bed of shredded pieces of bread with yogurt sauce. Very very tasty. Ate the whole thing clean. Also for dessert we had complimentary tea, and pumpkin slice. Very delicious as well. Highly recommend this place read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
Found this place b/c I saw it on Chef's Table on Netflix...it was certainly one of the better turkish food stops during my trip to istanbul, but not amazing. The ride to this place is not bad but the ride back to western side of istanbul was horrible. The taxi's dont pick u up unless u are willing to be 'off' the meter or pay a set rate. (I'm not penalizing a star for that...food for me was just, 4 stars) read more
Oh, yes indeed. DO come to eat here. Our group of 21 was seated quickly and a number of wait staff were very quick to start bringing out platters of goodies. The meals were served "family style," and there were SO MANY plates to choose from that just sampling each one was enough to really fill your belly. The spicing was very nice; the aromas and the furnishings all added to the experience. Yes indeed. Do come to eat here. read more
2 years ago
If you want to get a taste of local cuisine, this is the place. The food was delicious and full of flavor, and the service was fast. read more
2 years ago
i went here multiple times during my visit to istanbul and it's one of my favourite restaurants in the city. the food is top tier and the service and ambiance is excellent as well. i'd go back here whenever im back in this city read more
What can one say about the world renoun restaurant featured in Netflix and many magazines any countries? It's even included in some of the food tours of Istanbul. The restaurant has three sections. There's a meze bar on the front right, there's a hot food buffet on the front left, both sold by weight, and there's a full menu to order from. We did the mezze bar, and ordered from the menu for entrees and desserts, and ended up with eggplant, or as the locals say aubergine, four different ways. I don't even like eggplant, but this chef is amazing. Best hummus in Istanbul, and easily the best food. Beef stew with quince was a winner as well, it was all amazing. read more
If there's a good reason for visitors to Istanbul to journey over to the Asian side of the city, it's to check out Ciya Sofrası, located on a pedestrian street in the bustling district of Kadıköy, filled with restaurants, fish markets, and other stores! The food here is inspired by recipes collected from home cooks (by its famous chef Musa Dagdeviren), and the menu always changes, depending on what's available and in season! The restaurant has two parts--on the left of the entrance are a huge variety of ready-made hot dishes, and on the right is a mezze bar that's self-service (you just weigh your plate when finished). But on top of the amazing, amazing food, I have to emphasize just how great the service was as well! As we entered the restaurant, one of the servers offered to help us right away, and took us to the display of food to explain what everything was! She even helped us to order half portions of dishes so we could try more things! And wow.. what a meal this was. First, the mezze--I definitely got a bit of everything they had to offer, but some of the standouts to me were the bulgur flavored with pomegranate molasses, the hummus (which had a very distinctive sesame flavor), the broad beans, and the greens in yogurt sauce--everything was just so flavorful (and vegetarian to boot!). In fact, I would've been completely happy just making a meal out of all the different mezze dishes! But how could we resist trying the hot dishes as well? On the server's recommendation, we started with the artichoke topped with veal shank and the "cherry kebab"--ground beef meatballs stewed with cherries! Both of these dishes reflected seasonal ingredients and were absolutely delicious. I also loved the dried eggplant and pepper stuffed with a ground beef mixture and served with yogurt--the dried vegetables (not typically used for dolma) definitely added such a distinctive texture to the dish! But my favorite of the hot dishes were definitely the vegetables--we got a plate with four of the vegetable dishes they had on the day of our visit: green beans, nettles, zucchini, and another "greens from thorny plants." This was simply delightful--every dish was again so flavorful, and you could really taste and appreciate the freshness of the ingredients, which is what this restaurant is all about! read more
I had a great meal here -- my first visit to the Asian side of the city. There are several affiliated restaurants on this street -- this is the most formal/upscale of them, but they all look very good. Definitely try some of the more adventurous or regional dishes here. I especially liked everything containing pomegranate. read more
This place was featured in Netflix series chef's table and I have had it on my list for years but every time I'm in Istanbul, I never make it there but I am very glad I did make it this time and the food was incredibly fresh unique and delicious. The mezzes here are very high quality and authentic with amazing variety. My absolute favorite item and must try is the lahmuajun, the meat version or the vegetarian version both are incredibly perfect with texture, taste, color and super thing. read more
2 years ago
We stumbled upon this place without realizing that not only was it featured in Netflix' Chef's Table series, my brother and his partner told us about the place wen they visited Istanbul months before. We had lunch and thought it was a good meal but nothing really spectacular to merit a Netflix feature. read more
Arguably my best meal in Istanbul. They don't speak much English, but all the dishes are displayed so you can just point to the one that looked interesting. Fortunately there was one guy that spoke English good enough to explain what the dishes are. These are dishes I've never seen anywhere else before, making it a real delight! On a nice day, definitely sit outside so you can people watch. Although if you're unlucky, you might be seated next to a person who's smoking. This restaurant was recommended by many people and I'm glad I chose wisely and decided to eat here on for the one meal that I had on the Asian side of Istanbul. read more
7 years ago
I love exploring food, and when we were in Istanbul this last time, I read about this place in a magazine. My mother-in-law cooks very delicious traditional Turkish food so it's a challenge to eat out something different other than fast food. This is a place where they serve Anatolian food which is very different than Turkish food, even though they use the same ingredients and base foods. We had the lamb stuffed artichoke, the rooster, and another vegetable dish. The rooster was a sort of esme or hummus like dish which was different but a bit bland compared to all the other dishes we had. We were left hungry so we ordered a kabob with pistachios that was amazing. The vegetarian lahmacun also was a bit bland but I am comparing to traditional meat lahmacun. Just get the real thing. read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
We decided to have our first meal experience in Turkey at this restaurant and it was good. We were staying on the European side so to get here we had to take the tram and then connect to underwater metro line. It wasn't difficult to get here but definitely it's not a place we would have considered coming to multiple times mainly because it's still a bit of a hassle to get here from Sultanahmet. They have two restaurants named Çiya across from each other as well as Çiya kebab. Not sure how similar or different the two main Çiya restaurants are from each other since we didn't visit the other one. We got to know this restaurant as most other guests after watching the Netflix series Chef's Table and just as others mentioned I think we expected more but overall it was a good experience. We were in Turkey during Ramadan which is a busy time for restaurants in the evening. We specifically had asked our hotel to call the restaurant to check whether or not we needed reservations for dinner and we were told they did not take reservations for small parties. This was definitely incorrect (not sure who's mistake it was) since the restaurant host asked us for our reservation as we walked in the door and we almost didn't get to sit for dinner as they were at full capacity. Luckily they were able to pull one of the two tables from a party of only two people who didn't need all of that space. The couple who was so gracious to give up the extra table also helped us decipher the menu which was only in Turkish. Everything after that small (but critical snafu) turned out great. We started off with some cold mezes which you choose and serve yourself at the counter. They weigh the plate and charge you accordingly. The stuffed grape leaves were absolutely delicious and probably the best we had in Turkey. In terms of hot food we had the stew of cubed lamb with creamed collards (?or some sort of green), the stuffed intestines and the adana with eggplant. All of the dishes were so good but my favorite was the definitely the lamb stew. The intestines were different and kind of an acquired taste but very flavorful. We wanted kibbeh but they ran out right before we could get our order in, definitely a popular item. Lastly we had a mini lahmacun which was meh. The ayran was home made and also the best we tasted in Istanbul. For dessert we had the baklava and some other green triangular dessert, both less than memorable. The baklava didn't taste fresh and the green dessert had a cheesy taste that was off putting. We also got to try their home made herb sherbet which was light, refreshing and not too sweet. During Ramadan you may ask for pide (a bread reportedly baked only during this religious holiday) instead of their regular bread. Service was attentive and fairly quick despite being so busy for dinner. Prices were reasonable. read more
2 years ago
At the urging of a friend who'd fallen in love with this place on a trip to Istanbul, I took the ferry across the Bosphorus to check it out. The place is large with comfortable spacing for the tables, and the portions also generous. I had a dish of turnips, beef, cream and spices that was over cooked to the point of losing its flavors, but the presentation was beautiful. I had much better luck with an enormous beef and pistachio kebap, which came with copious fresh herbs, the onion salad and flat lavash style bread, and grilled tomatoes. There is also a grain cooked with tomatoes that I have seen numerous places which I find bland and mushy, but hey. The kebap was by far my favorite part of the meal; incredibly flavorful and just the right consistency as it's knife chopped, like tartare. Finally, I tried their pumpkin sweet, which is a wedge of pumpkin candies in honey syrup, then drizzled with tahini and ground nuts. The consistency is surprising, crunchy and crystallized outside and gooey like a ramen noodle egg inside. It was also so sweet as to be too intense for me after 1 bite. The tahini was great though and tasted like halvah. Fantastic table service and obvious pride in their restaurants. Enjoy! read more
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