After finishing an incredible experience at the attached hammam, we had a wonderful dinner at the…read morerestaurant- ambiance was romantic and upscale, waitstaff was friendly and helpful, and the food was amazing and delicious! Portions are just right and cooked to perfection! We were even amuse bouched and comped dessert with another course midway through added for free. Very talented chef- lamb dinner was cooked to perfection and really wanted to lick the mushroom gravy off the plate when no one was looking lol. The little pistachio tartlets for dessert were divine. Wine was reasonably priced. Definitely stop by when in Istanbul!

I made a reservation for dinner at 8PM at Lokanta 1741 to celebrate my fiancé's birthday a little…read moreearly during his last night in Istanbul. Located adjacent to a well known hamam called Cağaloğlu, this restaurant is very well centered near Sultanahmet and has a very fancy/nice/historic feel. The space feels so open, rustic, and romantic, with many candles, lights, wooden elements, and greenery. This is probably one of the most beautiful restaurants I've ever been to. There is a garden area downstairs which has some skylights on the ceiling so you get lots of natural light-- it feels quiet and intimate. The upper level is the patio which is open to the air, and is nestled in the middle of large rock buildings which transport you back in time. This restaurant doesn't need a grandiose view of the Istanbul skyline since the space is already so beautiful! Our waiter was incredibly nice and attentive to our table. He offered us a menu of cocktails and then let us know there is a wine cellar we could visit so that someone there could help us pick a wine which I had not yet seen at a restaurant before. We opted to get a white Turkish wine for the table which was delicious. They offer a tasting menu that is similar to US prices that looked abundant but we chose to order just a few dishes a la carte to suit our appetite level. We tried: - Amuse bouche: they started us off with delicious crackers with cheese and fig jam, paired with a tangy and salty olive soup. Very unique but delicious combo! - Pistachio- cheese spread "Cunda": delicious! Creamy, nutty, with a subtle aged flavor from some type of cheese that was delicious. It had a nice texture from some crispy garlic bread crumble on top. Super good. Does not come with bread so you might have to order on the side. - Bakalyaro ceviche: amazing! I have high standards for ceviche but the flavor for this was insane. There may have been a little hint of coconut there, also the creaminess of the labne was amazing. Very high quality fish but I'm a bigger fan of larger cut pieces for ceviche, this was more like a tartare. - Moutabal: I think my favorite of the apps: smoky, creamy, rich eggplant dip. They plated it inside a roasted eggplant which was beautiful and also delicious. Best eggplant dip I had during this trip! Again, no bread included so you can order on the side. - Palate cleanser: we were surprised but they brought out a strawberry sorbet as a palate cleanser. Mildly sweet, refreshing, perfect. Really helped reset us for the next course. - One side grilled sea bass: generous portion size, and extremely well cooked! The bass had a crispy crust that made noise even when cutting through it with a knife. Very tender and flavorful flesh. Came in a mashed potato "soup" that was a nice addition to make the dish more substantial. - Kakavya fish stew: amazing flavor! I am not sure how they cook this but it had acidic elements from the tomato, sweetness from caramelized onions, and an umami/smoky/ briny flavor from the verjuice. Looks small but it's very rich and filling. The fish is tender and tastes fresh. - Beef cheeks: tender beef cheeks in a bed of mashed potatoes. Very complex spices! This was good but not my favorite dish although my fiancé loved it. - Desserts: we tried 3 of them and all were a hit! The crispy pastry with pistachio was a table favorite since it was nutty, creamy and only subtly sweet. The chocolate Markiz was crispy but had creamy ganache on top and had a very nice chocolate flavor. My personal favorite was the tahini tart since it was perfectly sweet, creamy, had nutty hints of sesame, and came with lemon ice cream! At the end of the meal, the women at the table got a gift bag with some products from the hamam which I thought was very intelligent marketing. This is definitely a pricier meal in Istanbul. You can truly get amazing food in many other places in the city at a more reasonable price but I think the service here and the ambiance are top notch and justify the price for a more special occasion. We loved every dish and can understand why this is on the Michelin guide. We hung out at the restaurant until around 11pm and no one tried to kick us out. I appreciated the excellent service and the uniquely magical ambiance! Highly recommend for a special celebration.

Beautiful restaurant on a quieter side street leading out of the grand bazaar and just off the main…read morestreet across from the mosques. We stopped in for some Türk Kahvesi and to kill some time while waiting for friends (and unwind from the crazy pushiness that was the bazaar). This was hands down the best Türk Kahvesi şekersiz (Turkish Coffee, No Sugar) we had on our whole trip. We ended up sitting for two hours talking to the - not sure what it's called - the person whose job it is to stand on the sidewalk and invite people in for food? - well- that guy - we talked to him for hours. It was our first day in Istanbul and he gave us advice and directions, tips, etc. We ended up staying for 3 Turkish coffees and some appetizers. These were divine - especially the cheese rolls - the picture looks like eggrolls... but instead of meat or cabbage they were filled with a mild melty cheese with delicate pastry on the outside that all just melted together into our mouths when we took a bite. Was a great recommendation - definitely get an order of these if you stop by. Unfortunately, we did not get the chance to go back for dinner (our friends picked us up and took us out of Old Istanbul toward the Asia side) ... but I really wish I had. With lack of tourism (and even more I'm sure after the attack on Tuesday), these places are suffering for business despite their awesome food and service. I hope they're still around when (not if!) I come back - because they're one of the first stops on my list. :) Plus there's plenty of great shopping nearby both in the bazaar and the less-crazy shops on the side streets - so it's not out of the way.

My wife went to the great Turkish Bath across the Street from Old Galata Cafe, and I had Turkish…read moreCoffee, a great plate of Baba Ghanoush, and a fantastic meal of Kebab, Salad, and fresh, hot bread. I'm spoiled by the great Turkish food I've been served over the years by my Turkish friends, and Old Galata didn't disappoint. It was GREAT. To me, the stand-out part of this experience was the friendly, warm staff who went out of their way to assure that my experience was terrific -- and who assured me that hanging out in their cafe for two hours while my wife was at the Bath was great. They also gave me their wireless password, so I was good to go. My wife finished her Turkish Bath, and then joined me, and the food started all over again, with Tea and dessert and more great conversation. This place is terrific.

My first trip to Istanbul and our hotel reception recommended this restaurant, excellent service,…read moreand the food was delicious I definitely recommend coming here to eat if you're near the blue mosque.

Thank you, Yelp, for steering two jet-lagged tourists to House of Medusa for dinner after a long…read moreday of travel. Our hotel was near the Basilica Cistern, so this restaurant was close as well, and easy to find. Yelpers had raved about the Stewed Chicken with Almonds and Cream and they were NOT incorrect -- it is DELICIOUS! Finally had to stop eating because I was full -- but that sauce makes you want to just keep eating and eating! We also got the Meatballs Stuffed with Bulgur, and a Shepherd's Salad dressed with pomegranite juice. Service was friendly, and the ambience cozy. Hope you'll give it a try when visiting Istanbul!

Upon walking into the restaurant, you immediately embark upon a open-fire grill. The smoke coming…read morefrom it made me crave the not-yet-ordered grilled meats. For appetizer, my friend and I shared the mezze platter consisting of eight different spreads. It was a great choice because it let us try several different spreads. My favorites are the eggplant spread and the hummus. For grilled meats, we loved both the grilled filet mignon and the grilled chicken skewers. The meats have been aged and seasoned to perfection. It was the best meat we have had in Istanbul. You really can taste the difference between other inferiorly prepared meats. The meats come with grilled flatbread, which was delicious as well. For dessert, I had the best kunefe ever! I was so full at the end of the meal that I almost could not drink their sweet complimentary tea...almost. P.S. Warning: The long pepper that comes with the meats is extremely spicy. Don't say that nobody warned you.

Highly recommend for a traditional Turkish meal that is fresh and clean…read more We started with the mezze platter for two which had an array of different cold dips. Accompanied by fresh baked bread which was mildly crunchy on the outside but light and fluffy inside. Every item was full of wonderful flavors. For the main course we had the Tenderloin which was so soft and tasty.

A variety of fish dishes , good service, and clean, nice atmosphere. Highly recommended!read more

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.

This was a great first vacation meal! We got hummus, grape…read moreleaves, an alexander kabob, a raki and a small bottled water. The Alexander kabob was fantastic! The sauce, bread and curd made a brilliant combo and there was also a slice of potato a chili and a tomato. This is the first time I have ever felt like yogurt added anything to a dish. It was so good. The raki was awesome. The waiter insisted I add some water to it and he definitely knew best, it was sharp. And then it turned white! It is an anise liquor, like a jaegermeister, and I was glad I tried it. We ate in the semi outside seating which is always such a highlight in Istanbul. Great ambience and the wait staff and host were really welcoming. They gave us complimentary tea and baklava when we asked for the check and that was also lovely.

The accommodations were wonderful, the service was excellent, and they did everything they could to…read moremake our night incredible. Everything was delicious, and the show was spectacular. Congratulations to the whole team! Cozatmosphere, with pleasant music. Everything was very clean.

Aksaray is a local neighborhood in Istanbul full of lively eateries, and my stop at the family-run…read moreTat Lokantasi was really enjoyable! The name of the game is to just point to the prepared dishes that look good. I tried a delicious green bean and carrot dish, a dish of köfte meatball with potatoes, and kibbeh, a bulgur wheat fritter stuffed with ground meat, dried fruit, and pine nuts! But my favorite was the fasulye, a simple white bean stew in a delicious tomato and meat-based soup. All of these dishes just had layers of flavor and tasted more than the sum of their parts! Everything came at an unbelievable value, and I also found the service to be particularly friendly and hospitable here. The huge dining area is full of people enjoying simple, homemade food, and it's a great place to experience a slice of local life!

We had a variety of different foods. They were all very delicious. You can get good pizza, good…read moreTurkish food, good fish. Also, the service was great. The staff was really friendly.

It was great! This is my second time here and still yummy food and everything! The atmosphere was…read moreawesome, service is still good! The rice pudding was nice and so was the kannafeh. The turkish coffee and çai were also yummy. Kadi was also very nice.