This is a neighborhood gem. The bread is incredible. The lamb shank and seafood salad were highlights. The patio is well shaded and very pleasant in summer. Huge portions left us plenty to take home. read more

today I made an order at 1:00 p.m. Waited 3 hours and got cold food. Call them and she made a 10% discount. it's not very professional. I do not recommend this restaurant. read more

Cafe Istanbul - Doner - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

nice outdoor patio opening onto division street. pretty full on the weekend, but the wait is not too long we got Mujver (zucchini pancake, almost like a falafel type of food) as our appetizer, a bit salty, but still pretty good we really like the pide with sucuk (the flat bread with sausage), almost like a thin crust pizza the braised lamb shank is the best, very tender lamb and tasteful read more

Cafe Istanbul - Pide on the left, Braised Lamb Shank on the right - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We had a lovely experience. The food was amazing, the service very good. Overall, we'd love to go back. Highly recommended!

3.5 stars Nice little Turkish café located in lovely Wicker Park. And when I say little, I'm not kidding. The space is definitely cozy and intimate. I'm guessing they can fit around 40? Tables might be a little too close for comfort, but you deal with it cause you're here for authentic cooking. I couldn't believe my ears with the date unfolding next to us, haha..free entertainment! (It's tight). My Turkish friend swore by this place and also said we had to try their cag 'dza' kebab since it's from the Eastern region of Turkey and somewhat rare to find. We came here on a Sunday around 5:30ish and I suggest you come early too, if you want a table that is. There's a parking lot next to the restaurant but not a whole lot of spaces available as many are reserved for the liquor store next door. Luckily, we snagged a spot. You may also want to make reservations as larger parties and some "reserved" signs on tables were noticed. After some back and forth about whether or not we had reservations (I called on our way but was told to just walk in) we were seated. Our server was the only female there and was very nice and helpful with the menu. She was the only one I noticed taking orders and was hopping from table to table..The other guys working were delivering orders and I'm not sure they spoke English well as we had a few language barriers, but all was good and they were very nice as well. We each started with the White Linen cocktail. Strong. Loved the cucumber essence. Drinks were well made. Complimentary Turkish bread basket and carrot horseradish dip were both great. Bread was toasted. You could definitely taste the horseradish in the spread but it wasn't overpowering at all. We asked our waitress what she recommended for appetizers. I noticed calamari on the menu but figured we could get that anywhere. Then I saw what looked like the fried zucchini on the table next to us. It all sounded delicious..She recommended the grilled calamari and said seasoning was different so we got that and the Mujver (fried zucchini pancakes). Apps arrived timely. Nothing stood out as different with their calamari. It was basically grilled and served with a cilantro based sauce. While Mujver is described as a pancake it doesn't resemble one. Very fluffy almost like a large fritter but not crispy. Good enough flavor but we didn't taste any feta or anything remarkable. You'll want the yogurt sauce it comes with. I'd pass on both of these and get the Lahmacun or Su Boregi or Hummus (so creamy). Entrees took the most time and rarely were we checked on. Space was filling up quickly. We decided to order another drink and flagged one of the waiter's down. Plates finally arrive and the Cag is quite a looker. 3 hefty skewers covered with flatbread & basmati rice. So much meat, you could share this. Nicely charred with good flavor. Thick pieces of tender stacked lamb. Also served with yogurt sauce (you'll want this too). Islim Sarmasi (braised lamb shoulder wrapped in eggplant) with basmati was nicely presented. I expected to cut into a piece of lamb but found chunks instead. The eggplant was incredibly tender. Meat reminded me of the Cag. The red sauce was very mild and pleasant. I feel like I'd have to come back again and try other dishes. We liked the Cag the most. I've had many kebabs, but this was different in a good way. Everything we had was enjoyable, but maybe I was expecting more exotic flavors. Some kind of 'punch'. More savory. We left satisfied with leftovers. Prices are fair. Get the Cag. read more

See all

Cafe Istanbul is amazing. The food is hot and tasty. They brought lots of bread and special dip at first that is wonderful the Adana kebob had lots of flavor but not to spicy. The waiter staff was very helpful and prompt. I will come back here when I return Cafe Istanbul is amazing. The food is hot and tasty. They brought lots of bread and special dip at first that is wonderful the Adana kebob had lots of flavor but not to spicy. The waiter staff was very helpful and prompt. I will come back here when I return read more

I was very impressed by Cafe Istanbul. This establishment has changed several times and I think they finally nailed it with Cafe Istanbul. When we sat they gave us complimentary bread with an eggplant/onion dip that was delicious. The bread was so soft on the inside, and crispy on the outside. Nice and toasty, tasted great with the dip and u can add olive oil if u like. Definitely a good start. From yelp i saw that the portions were fair so I didnt want to over order since it was just me and mum. My apps were: grilled calamari: good. a lil bitter from the char but cooked well with good flavor 3/5. Would try something else next time. onion soup: what i could describe to be very similar to french onion soup. They nailed it. Flavorful and delicious. Only $6 so worth it. Entree: Iskander: now this is were i was blown.I LOVED this dish. We split this and added a side of pilaf rice. The lamb was cooked on a crouton cut bread in brown butter, tomato, pepperlike sauce and it was so flavorful! With what we ordered and the complimentary starter we were full and had leftover iskander to eat for dinner. Service was great throughout and all that for only $40 was worth it. Im glad I stopped by. Will definitely return to try other dishes. read more

See all

Great food, the rotating free app is always such a perk and delicious. Service is nice and we're obsessed with the Cag Kebab and the eggplant/garlic dip but everything's delicious. read more

I continue to love cafe istanbul after all these years. It's a rare gem: lovely and detailed service, a beautiful space, delicious food items, and all at a fairly reasonable price all things considered. It truly hits above its weight. Great for any occasion, whether special or a typical night out. That's part of what makes it special and so lovely. read more

Fantastic experience! Great Food, Good Service, Clean and Attractive Dining Room. Best Hummus I've ever tasted... we'll be back for sure! read more

I'm not sure where all the positive reviews are coming from. I came to this establishment because of their high rating in the area and I was very disappointed. First I was serviced a glass of water with lipstick on it. from the start I was afraid to eat there. If they don't do a good job washing their cups, how does the silverware get sanitized. I proceeded to order various dishes and cant say anything was "great". Things were fine, very bland, not real flavors. I might have ordered the wrong assortment, but I am sad to say, I wont be returning. Stars earned are for service. The gentleman serving us was very kind, and prompt bringing things quickly. He even offered to change our plated between appetizers and main course. read more

Everytime I came here I had a great experience. I enjoy their food, their place and also their service. They have delicious food and great service. Their Braided Lamb Shank was the best. It's one of my favorite foods on their menu. The Lamb was cooked well. The meat was soft. The flavor was intense. It was yummy and savory. It was perfect if you pair it with some rice. I can't get enough of it. It was a little bit expensive but worth the price. After I ate these I called the waiter again and ordered takeout. And my mom loves it. She said it was delicious and she wanted to know how it was cooked. So if you came here I would recommend this for you. Try to order and taste it. You will love this. read more

So authentic! The patlican salatasi, pide, and iskender are some of my favorites! And the staff are so kind. I see them running from table to table and they never lose their cool. They are very helpful and I can tell they want the business to stay successful. read more

Cafe Istanbul - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We have passed by this restaurant so many times and always said we wanted to try it. When we finally did we were disappointed we didn't try it sooner! The food was delicious and the portions were very big. We were surprised at how good the price was for everything we got also. read more

I will keep this simple. For a table of two the check arrives with an 18% service charge/tip. Always check your bill. Do NOT tip on top of a tip. read more

This place is so lovely. Staff and food both. They said they don't have a specific name for the complimentary dip (garlic, carrots, horseradish mash) with bread but it's the most delicious thing I've tasted in a long time. We got the pide (think cheese filled long pizza) which was so delicious also. We got the cag kabob (lamb on skewer) entree, also yum! Good for bigger parties so you can try everything on menu. Can't wait to go back! read more

Cafe Istanbul - Pide with Turkish sausage. - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First of all, apologizes for the mess in the table! I had a guest to try out some Turkish food. Absolutely we loved the food, very flavorful and authentic. I'm glad that they have some vegetarian and seafood options. The kazandibi with its presentation is just on the top! Doesn't go without saying that we had such great service from Ferhat. The whole staff was fast and attentive. Definitely will come back (Ohh yes, don't forget tip your server accordingly) read more

Cafe Istanbul - Imam Bayeldi Doner - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

horrible service! waited 30 minutes after being seated to finally have someone come by our table for a drink order. Every step of the meal was delayed by poor service. When I received the bill, I signed the receipt and there was a suggested tip of either 18, 20 or 22% I began to fill it in but the bill seemed a bit high so I double checked and there was already an added 18% surcharge and a 3% surcharge for credit card users. suggesting an 18% tip after already applying an 18% tip? very tacky. I wonder how many people they trick into tipping twice? read more

Food was delicious!! We had practically every app on the menu and shared the mixed grill. Loved the Turkish coffee, a must have! Definitely recommend! read more

Cafe Istanbul - Chef's Mix Grill - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great place, the food is very good here! Generous portions, friendly and attentive staff. We lucked out and dined in almost entirely by ourselves in the restaurant (this was middle of a Wednesday afternoon in February and 16 degrees out and snowy so understandably it was a slower day for the restaurant). They provide complimentary fresh bread with an eggplant and veggie mixture to put on the bread. Super tasty. I started with a soup of the day, a mushroom soup, delicious. Plus the fried calamari. Wasn't blown away but it was solid with a good sauce. Had the lamb kifta wrap. It was flavorful, though a little dry and I thought the ratio of meat to veggies could've been better. But still good overall. The fries were food. I like the ambiance of the place and once covid is better, they have a neat looking small bar that could be fun to sit at. Kudos to the staff. Hardworking, professional, and attentive. All wore masks, it all felt as safe as one could hope for. Try their food!! Had a Turkish coffee, that was good as well. read more

I dashed into Chicago at nightfall with a group of hungry and picky eaters. Seconds after checking into the AirBnB, a summer thunderstorm ensued, and I realized that I didn't want to take a gaggle of girls out to scrounge up supper. To the internet! Remembering that we'd passed them earlier, I called Cafe Istanbul -- yikes!! -- 20 minutes from kitchen close. To the calm voice on the line, I breathlessly embarrassed myself ordering with very bad Turkish pronunciation over the phone. Grabbing my raincoat, I ran between the raindrops with my adult daughter to the restaurant. We were met and offered cool glasses of water, and shortly two gigantic bags of food were nestled in our arms. This food's comforting aroma put a smile on my face, and I could not wait to taste. Amazing cuisine. All of the eaters ate and ate and ate, and the leftovers were a great lunch another day of our visit to Chicago. Awesome people, delicious food, and a wonderful memory. read more

I'll be honest, I expected more. small portions which is amazing for turkish food. The dishes are tasty but very specific. I'm not sure I'll come here again. read more

See all

I went to Cafe Istanbul a few months ago with my cousin. I enjoyed the experience. It's a pretty casual, but it's right on Division St near the heart of Wicker Park. They give you fresh bread with an eggplant dip that I really enjoyed. This started off the dinner on a high note. For dinner, we got the chicken kebab and the whole fish. Both dishes were pretty good. Neither a must order, but the fish came out wrapped in salt, and on fire which was a cool experience. read more

Tzaziki sauce is excellent, lemony with herbs and thinly shredded cucumber. It accompanies the mujver (Enjoyed thezucchini fritter appetizer served with arugula and some pickled veggies), very good and the grilled kefte kabob (okay, good seasoning, interesting flavor which I could not place, maybe it was the lamb); accompanied by excellent rice with small chick peas and some shredded cabbage. Lavash was doughy and oily. Complimentary roasted eggplant, pepper and onion starter served with hot bread (very good bread). First visit, great service, reasonable prices. Free small parking lot a plus! I'll try the lamb or doner next time for a true test. read more

First time trying out this place and we were wowed by each plate. The appetizers, bread and carrot dip and our entrees were amazingly delicious. Service was top notch as well. Everyone works quickly and they keep things nice and clean for every table! Looking forward to eating here again! read more

Cafe Istanbul - Chef's Mix Grill - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Good lentil soup, dishes can come out spicy. Service was rough but probably because it was a Sunday afternoon. Family oriented and Covid conscious friendly. Open format so you can even eat outside. Also VERY vegetarian friendly which is a huge plus (: read more

This is my favorite turkish restaurant The food is soooo delicious Fabulous service read more

Cafe Istanbul - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

The best Turkish spot I've been to in Chicago. I walked in around 3pm when it was empty. I was immediately served with what tasted like an zucchini and carrot dip with bread. The dip was a bit too mustardy for my taste but was still good. I ordered the Iskender which is a big plate, came out in about 5 minutes! It was a huge portion, melted butter on top and delicious yogurt on the side. I have family in Turkey and this was very similar- almost identical to real Turkish iskender. Good meat quality and tasty red sauce over soft bread. At the end of my meal I asked for hot tea and the waitress treated me to free dessert: kazandibi. Which was deliciously sweet and caramely. It was a better than expected experience! read more

See all

Our second time after 5 months visiting from Colorado and this please did not disappoint again. Very friendly owner Mustafa. Delicious meals. Turkish tea and "Kazan dibi" dessert was a pleasant end to our evening here at Cafe İstanbul. Family friendly! read more

See all

Very good Turkish food. Large chunks of beef and lamb in the kebabs were subtly spiced and cooked medium rare as requested. The grilled calamari is a menu star, with arugula, avocado, and red onions rounding out the excellent flavor. The accompaniments: basmati rice, fresh bread, dipping sauces, and free dessert were filling and tasty. Both carry out experiences required a bit of a wait. But watching the crowd and wait staff keeps you occupied. read more

Fantastic restaurant. Sat outside and they had a heater on a chilly evening and the staff was very considerate to ensure it was a great experience temperature wise and for all the food. Ordered the Chefs Mixed Grill and all of the meat/seafood tasted fresh and perfectly seasoned. Highly recommend cafe Istanbul to anyone seeking strong service and tasty food. read more

Cafe Istanbul - Chef's Mix Grill - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Had a really great experience.Had them bookmarked for a long time.A friend of mine who is from Turkey recommended them.Glad I stopped in.Food was DELICIOUS!!!! Had the braised lamb wrapped in eggplant and kazandibi for dessert.Both were on point.Service was excellent.They are located in Humboldt Park which is a really cool,hip area these days.This would be a great choice. read more

Cafe Istanbul - Braised lamb shoulder.DELICIOUS!!! - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

The worst experience ever. We had a 6:45 reservation. We arrived at 6:48. There was a massive line to the door. I stood for a while and then went inside. No one even came to us. Some busy servers were running around I finally got one's attention to let them know we were there. The entire restaurant was packed, and the server said we would get a table cleaned up for you because they were leaving soon (pointing at a table). At the same time, we are standing and watching someone clean the table; the hostess who is working as a server gets people from the bar and sits them down on that table. Another group with 7 pm reservations gets set down before us, and I am like, what is going on? At this point, it was 7:20. My husband and his friend went to a nearby restaurant to see if they could seat us. My question is, if you don't have space, why did you take so many reservations, or why did you take walks in? The worst is when I told the hostess about this, she didn't even apologize and walked away. I had to find other servers to ask what was going on. They kept telling us to talk to her, who just kept ignoring us. This wasn't our first time there, and the hostess, who they said her name was Ana, was very mean, rude, and unwelcoming. She didn't even apologize to us once or say a word. She just turn around and walked away. Does she hate Indians that much? Because every time, I have left above 20% tips to the servers since I work in the service industry. Would you do this if it was someone of other race? While we brown people stood there two times groups of white people set down. We were never set down or updated on what was going on. So we left the place. Even though the food is good we will never return here. Oh and they set a group down whose reservations were at 7. And ignored us. read more

Cafe Istanbul - Busy small restaurant. - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We've been coming here for a few years now, and without a doubt, it's the greatest Turkish restaurant in the city center. We could smell the kebabs and watch the kitchen crew prepare the food because the kitchen was open. The chef prepares and presents the food as though it were served in a hotel restaurant. I like the complementary bread and appetizer service and the attentive service. read more

Fresh food, good service, and enjoyable outdoor seating. Great portions for the price and good range of options. Looking forward to coming back! read more

Cafe Istanbul - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A little pricey, but fully worth it because the food is excellent & the portions are HUGE! Would recommend

I love Mediterranean food and this place hits high on my list! Great service , however a bit crowded. Super tender spare rib... fall off the bone goodness... and halal! read more

Cafe Istanbul - Spare rib... Omg! So good! - Turkish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great food and friendly staff. Cag kebab and lahmacun must have.We were at Sunday brunch everthing was tasty. read more

See all

Love this place .. food is great. Prices are decent. Staff are professional. I recommend it

I have lived in the neighborhood for years and have only come here tonight. Best thing I could have done. They practiced social distancing protocols and spaced everyone apart. Tatiana was a friendly and attentive server who made us feel warm and welcome. They started us off with complimentary turkish tea, warm bread, and a delicious, creamy garlic dip. We ordered lamb and veal dishes. One of the best turkish restaurants I have been tobin Chicago and the flavors do not disappoint. I will definitely come back again. read more

See all