Beautiful location ! It's a little hidden which was great in my book. The food was terrific and great portions! We ordered about 4 appetizers and what was the Turkish version of a pizza. Yes, we were very full. This restaurant was on the Scioto river (small). We were greeted warmly and the service was fantastic. We chose to eat outdoors. Amazingly WE were not eaten by mosquitos. .....this was during the Memorial weekend. So the weather was beautiful. read more

Good consistency meal every time you order. But the do not accommodate nearly any changes/substitutions. I have tried 4 times to get the sultan's delight with grilled vegetables instead of meat and every time been told no. even offered to pay more, still no. But pricing is reasonable and service is good. watch out for the hot tea it is overwhelming strong especially if your used to Persian or english tea read more

The atmosphere at this location is divine, especially when able to use the patio & take in the view. The staff is attentive & warm. The food is healthy, delicious & moderately priced. I could drink my weight in their tea. read more

Cafe Istanbul - Turkish Near Me - Dublin, Ohio

I love the food of Café Istanbul at Riverside in Dublin. Had been there 4 times. Always good experiences with the exception of last Friday August 6. We had reservations and everything was looking great but our appetizer came very fast without the bread that came later and at 10min into the appetizers, our entrees came in. Waitress was kind of rude. I asked please not to rush us. In summary, we had to eat appetizer and entrées in 60min. Café Istanbul must have a new management these days. read more

Beautiful views, excellent food and service! The hummus and chicken kabobs are always a hit with our family.

Cafe Istanbul is a work lunch staple. They has one of the best lunch specials. For 11.95 you can get an appetizer, entree, and a dessert. They are all full portions as well. You get many choices for the lunch special. I had the filler of tilapia, which was cooked to perfection. You get free bread and dipping oil for the table. Parking isn't an issue, they have plenty of spots. The restaurant is on the river so you get a beautiful view of the Olentangy River. The only reason why I did not give 5 stars is because my Turkish coffee had coffee sludge at the bottom. I am not sure if it's instant coffee but it was good until then. read more

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Amazing food, better view. Do it! Liver appetizer cubes are mouth watering. The bread and DIPPING SAUCE are orgasmic. Just sit down and enjoy. read more

First visit today. Nice view overlooking the Scioto river. My wife and I both enjoyed our choices for lunch. Will definitely be back to explore the menu. Staff was very attentive. Very tasty food! read more

Ok, I'm so sad about this experience because everything was absolutely incredible about Cafe Istanbul EXCEPT for the reason I went there in the first place - the Kunafa. Before that, let's unpack the rest. One of the most amazing things was the reception. The extremely friendly and courteous young lady at the hostess stand actually greeted me. She didn't say how many or are there more, being I was a party of one, she said, "Welcome, thank you for coming." I actually didn't know what to say! The restaurant is on the river, so there is an amazing view from almost every seat. It was so peaceful to sit, enjoying amazing food, watching the river, wildlife, and greenery. I got the baba ganoush, because I always get baba ganoush, and it was divine. Awesome, smoky flavor and great consistency. 10 out of 10. Also had the Turkish Tea and would also recommend. It wasn't too strong. When I've had it in the past, it was usually really strong and almost overly bitter. Not here. Great tea - would recommend. I'm also a lover of lamb kabobs, so of course the shish kebab was ordered. I don't ever remember having a better kabob in my life. It was utterly delicious and cooked to perfection. What blew me away about it was the tenderness of the lamb. You literally almost didn't need a knife it was so tender and succulent. It's worth an 11 out of 10 and almost worth a 3 hour trip just to have that. And then - the only disappointment of the evening. It was an exceptionally massive disappointment because I went to Cafe Istanbul specifically for Kunafa. I even called ahead and asked if they had it. I love, love, love a good Kunafa and I was SO looking forward to it. All I can say is that it was an utter disappointment. So much so that I didn't even finish it and caused me to drop my rating to a 4-star for an otherwise 5-star experience. There was hardly any cheese and the it was over-saturated with simple syrup. Plus it was delivered like a flattened out portobello mushroom - not appealing at all. Would I go here again? Absolutely!! But if you're looking for a good Kunafa, look elsewhere. read more

Wow! How is it possible i've lived on this side of town for so long and have just now eaten at this location? I had a fantastic lunch here today. The food and service were perfect, and the view of the river makes for a great dining experience. This is a beautiful restaurant with great food and service, and I am only disappointed that today is my first visit. read more

A little on the pricy side but sooo yummy! Their bread is much better than the typical pita served in most Mediterranean restaurants. The appetizer sampler is THE BEST! read more

Our waiter was not kind at all (which is so sad). The service was slow as well. Overall just didn't feel very welcomed and have had way better Moussaka. Also-- have to email for a reservation read more

I like Mediterranean food so Cafe Istanbul is a favorite. It has a nice patio where you can sit and see the Scioto River. The food is quite affordable for being in such a nice location. It's casual dining but don't look like a bum since it's nice looking inside. There are lots of good healthy choices on the menu. I have tried the baba ghannouch, falafel, and hummus. It's mostly standard Mediterranean fare. The first thing brought out is the bread. It's some of the best bread we've ever had in a restaurant. That's no joke, that's serious. It comes with an olive oil dipping sauce. The baba ghannouch is the best appetizer. It's about $6 or $7 for most of the appetizers and sandwiches. The falafel is best in a pita. It's fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. The hummus was also okay but was not close to the best. It has an appetizer sampler that comes with many of the appetizers on the menu. This includes the baba ghannouch, enze, grape leaves, hummus, and tabbouli. It can serve about 3 or 5, and is about $18. There are many kebab entrees, most of which are at least $15 or $20. It also has a great alcohol selection. The beers include several imports. It also has some good red wine. This goes well with a hearty kebab and rice item. I would recommend Cafe Istanbul to anyone who likes Mediterranean food. It won't bust your wallet either. This is one of the best restaurants in the Dublin or the Northwest area and is much cheaper too. read more

Cafe Istanbul - Falafel - Turkish Near Me - Dublin, Ohio

Too small of parking lot!!!! We had a reservation for 715 last night but couldn't find any parking. Customers were even parking on Riverside Drive!!! . We tried to call twice to let them know we wouldn't be coming because we can't find parking. We couldn't get a hold of them. Totally ruined our vibe as we we were trying to go somewhere that had its own parking lot for an easy evening. Because it was a Saturday night all of the restaurants at bridge park were full. We ended up going to Anna's restaurant. It's a Greek place off of hard road which was good. Cafe Istanbul should either have more parking available for customers or not take as many reservations, knowing I have a smaller parking lot!!! read more

I'll start with the positives- great views of the river with a good ambience, service was good. Food was decent, not amazing but not bad either. Negatives- yelp has a free Turkish coffee offer if you check in here, which the restaurant refused to honor! It's just a coffee and when your entrees are so pricey and you're paying so much for the food I would say that's poor PR on their part! Gratuity for party of 6 was included plus check suggested addtl tips which is a little deceiving for people who don't realize tip is included. Not sure if I'll go back, was a little taken back that they refused to honor my Yelp free Turkish coffee! read more

Another wonderful experience!! Greeted with a smile by Anita, hostess. Our server. Asim, was so friendly, helpful and attentive to all our needs. Started with appetizer sampler platter. Tried vegatable and meat moussaka, salmon (to die for), and chicken delight. Baklava and rice pudding for dessert. The new patio is wonderful. All I can say is wow....you need to experience Cafe Istanbul. read more

Cafe Istanbul - Dinner tonight!! So many wonderful flavors - Turkish Near Me - Dublin, Ohio

Coming in, my partner and I were initially sat near the kitchen and not the window. The table near the window sat six, but an individual in management came up and insisted we take the nice view/seat near the window. They adjusted tables and chairs to accommodate our smaller party. So kind and welcoming. The staff is knowledgeable and welcoming. The food is delicious and flavorful. Doner kebab melted in my mouth and the lamahcun is always a winner. Portions are huge and complimentary bread and dip fills you up - come with an empty stomach! Amazing! read more

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Best food and service in Dublin! I highly recommend Cafe Istanbul. Locals tip ... Sit in the patio!

We had a group of 9 kids and 7 adults and the restaurant was very accommodating! Our waiter was super patient and quick! Our food came out reasonably quickly and was delicious! My favorite was the steak kebabs! They were prepared excellently. Full of flavor and tender. The kids all loved the bread and oil dip. I was also surprised by how delicious the rice was! I think it had butter in it? My friend ordered the salmon salad, amongst other dishes, but didn't have time to eat it... she took it home with her and didn't eat it until the next day. She said it was really good and not dry at all. I thought it looked dry in person, but I guess I was wrong! The Drink Theatre bourbon drink my friend got looked super fun! It came with popcorn in it. He said it was tasty and really different. The waiter even brought a cup full of popcorn for the kids after they saw my friend's drink and wanted some. We sat outside on the patio in a corner and had plenty of space around us. It was nice so the kids had room to move around without bothering other guests. The Köfte was pretty good too! It was my first time trying it. I would definitely eat it again. The pepperoni pide is their Turkish version of pizza and it was so yummy! Def order this! read more

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Fine dining with a decent view of the river. Tender lamb and tasty rice and veggies. We also had what I think was a sort of tahini sauce, my friend just asked for the "white sauce" on the side. So good!! read more

Cafe Istanbul - Lamb - Turkish Near Me - Dublin, Ohio

This review is a little late as we went months ago (winter/early spring) but better late than never, right? We were meeting another couple out for dinner and they recommended meeting here. I'll admit, it wasn't somewhere I probably would've tried on my own, but I'm really glad we did! I was surprised when we walked inside and it was roomy and had live music playing. We were seated in the bar area, which was empty when we arrived but by time we left there were a ton of people! We had some hummus as an appetizer and my husband said it was some of the best he's ever had! Everyone at our table got something different for dinner, and I apologize that I can't remember what, but they did say it was very good! I had the Doner Kebab (Turkish-Style Gyro) and it was delicious!! I thoroughly enjoyed it - all the flavors were wonderful. Unfortunately for us, once they got busy, it was so loud inside that it was hard to talk. We were also by the door to the patio which people used to go smoke. We spent the last half of our time there absolutely frozen. The patio/deck overlooks the water so I'm sure in the summertime that's probably pretty nice. All in all, it was a good experience and the food was pretty good. I'm glad we tried it. read more

Absolutely delicious. The complimentary bread with oil is very good. I had the whole fish which was fantastic with crispy skin. Server was very friendly. Seemed to be following COVID protocol. Highly recommend. read more

Wonderful and varied food. Great service with super staff. Love the rollups. But then again could just live off the appetizers.

Indifferent service ,food lightly seasoned nothing jumped out as special. Biggest gripe was offered paper menu as I was scanning the QR code menu posted on the table. I accepted the paper menu and based my choices from it. The bill arrived. All three of the items on the bill had incorrect prices compared to the menu. Was told I should have consulted the online menu for correct pricing. No apologies or concern. Will not recommend nor ever return. read more

LOVE this place! Extremely good. I've never had one bad thing here. The appetizers ( especially the hummus) are amazing! The kebabs. I recommend ordering family style because you'll want to try everything! The Apple tea is great and for desert the rice pudding is to die for! The baklava is good also. Love to come here! read more

I just happened across this new location of Cafe Istanbul on my way to the driving range yesterday. I've never been to either of the other locations before, so it was a first all around for me. The location is pretty freaking far out of the way unless you already live up north, in Dublin, etc. The building itself is really nice. Apparently it was a Mexican restaurant during its last life. It sits right on the banks of the Scioto River, and you can see the river from the dining room windows, which are huge floor to ceiling windows. So the structure gets an A. They didn't build it, but they had a mind to use it, and remodel it. All very nicely too. But the service, whoa. It could use some work. First of all, the hostess, there is just no polite way to say this, was dumb as a doorbell. My friend and I walked in and asked "how long have you been here?" She responded, confusedly, "3 hours." We continued "How's the food?" "I don't know, I just started." "Oh, so you've never eaten here before?" "Oh yeah, I have, when it was a Mexican restaurant." When we walked around a bit to check out the place, she asked, "are you lost?" She did this in all seriousness. And so it went. Then it took at least five minutes for anyone to come over and take our drink orders. We had been golfing, so we needed to wash our hands, but both wanted to wait until we'd ordered drinks. So there we are with our dirty hands. Waiting. And waiting. Maybe the hostess never told anyone, seems likely, or maybe they just weren't on point. An older gentleman finally came over and took our drinks so we went to wash up. Oh, also, this was around sunset and they didn't have the blinds pulled at all so the sun was just beating on everyone's faces. I had to move it was so bright. (Addendum: I don't know how I forgot to mention it, but my fork, neatly wrapped in my napkin of course, was covered with someone's leftover greens. Had to send it back. Then I found some smaller food leftovers on my water glass.) So far this was a one or two star experience, but then the bread came. And nearly us as well. Damn, that bread was good! I do not jest when I say that we both considered it the highlight of the meal. It was perfect. Toasty, warm, crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside. It was served with this red oil that had a very, very good flavor. For dinner, I had the vegetable grill. It is a testament to the bread that I considered it the highlight, because the entree deserves its own praise. Again, a delightful sauce complimented the perfectly grilled veggies nicely. They were juicy, succulent, and devoured quickly; very appetizing and delicious. Service continued to be slow. Our checks took forever to arrive and forever to cash out. In fact, the star of the service was the busboy, who was plenty attentive and brought us MOAR BREADZ before we left. Delish. Awarded three stars for the busser, the ambiance, and the food. Would be less otherwise. read more

Cafe Istanbul - exterior front - Turkish Near Me - Dublin, Ohio

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I feel guilty. There are two different Turkish restaurants in the Northwest quadrant and I love them both. It makes choosing between them hard as they are both equally excellent restaurants. This restaurant is located along the Scioto river on Riverside Drive. It offers scenic view atop the river and has a large outside patio for warmer days. The interior has been updated with newer track lighting, flowing drapes, plants and white linen table cloths. Last night, the fireplace was lite adding to the whole ambiance. Do you like red wines? I highly recommend the Kavaklidere Select. I don't like a really dry wine or one with a lot of tannins. This one has become my favorite! This Turkish wine is very smooth with lots of flavor. Experiment! Try something new. I have been quite pleased. Last night, I tried one of their hot appetizers, Sigara Borek. It's warm, flaky phyllo filled with melted feta cheese and herbs. It was wonderful! They bring a serving of warm, crunchy bread served with a wonderful oil with spices and red pepper. I'm addicted to it! I think I could eat this all night! I have found the oil dip to be a bit salty at times. My favorite menu item has been the Iskender Kebab. If you have trouble expressing the menu item, the staff have always been quite fun with helping to teach you how to pronounce the items. This entrée has Doner Kebab (Turkish syle gyro) over toasted garlic crouton like bread and topped with a mild tomato sauce. It is served with an ample side of a mild homemade yogurt, a toasted tomato quarter and slice of green pepper. I've tried many other menu items and have enjoyed them all equally, but this has become my favorite. As for the service, everyone has always made my feel at home. Servers have been very responsive, friendly and quite helpful with making menu selections. This is a locally owned business which is another reason I like to visit here. The owner shook my hand as I was leaving, thanks us for our patronage and asked about our dining experience. Definitely one of my favorite places to visit. read more

Cafe Istanbul - Turkish Near Me - Dublin, Ohio

Went in for lunch on wednesday this past week. Nice restaurant very pretty. Terrible service server did not check on us after giving us the food We had to walk to the front to ask for a check after 30 minutes ordered the chicken kebab and chicken adnan Bland. Food was okay probably for a different audience with less flavor demanding taste buds 65$ for 2 dishes and a view I left without tipping because of lack of service and was charged 85$ on my card instead of 65$ shown at the restaurant. 10/10 would not go back or reccomend Called the restaurant for a refund or explanation and was only called back hours after posting this review. The owner incentivized me with a refund for taking down the review but they didnt even refund my extra charge. Mr hummus grill or panini opa down the street are way better options for similar cuisine. Would never go back even if they paid me to My friends said they had had a similar experience in the past. When i called the owner tried to blame it on the Employee but i own a restaurant as well and employees do not enter the tips at the end of the night its the manager/owner that does read more

Granted, this was my first stop upon moving to Columbus, OH, and my first taste of Mediterranean. Since, I have had many more Mediterranean foods, and I've come to Love it! This place, unfortunately, left me a weak impression. What I mean is the dish I was served was absolutely distasteful. Don't get their falafel. I was surprised because I was told that is one of their most basic dishes; how could it taste so aweful? Dry, tasteless, cold, and sort of rough/crumby.. I also had their calamari, which was pretty good, their apple tea, and chicken vegetable soup. Nothing impressed me.. I did, however, absolutely keel over a special treat! You must try their Kazandibi: A milk custard dessert rolled in cinnamon (I think) decorating a small pool of grape sauce. I don't know how to describe it, exactly, but give it a try! If you're willing to pay a higher price, I am sure you can afford better food, but for what I had that night, I was quite disappointed. I am disappointed even after having tried various other Mediterranean foods in Columbus, Kansas City, as well as Chicago. read more

First of all, what a gorgeous restaurant Café Istanbul is! The inside is beautiful and the view of the Scioto River is so romantic during nights or winter especially. Decorated with pure class and elegance, the interior of Café Istanbul is worth visiting alone, but the food was equally impressive in my opinion. I've never experienced Turkish food before so I was quite excited to try it out, and the menu full of different kebob choices made it nice and simple for an amateur like me to order. We started with an order of the hummus (so creamy and delicious!) and the Sigara Borek (tart and unique), and the free bread and oil was unlike any other I've had before. A great start for sure. For our meals I ordered one chicken and one lamb kebob, and my husband ordered the swordfish kebobs. My lamb was a little too well done on the ends, but the pieces cooked properly were great. My favorite, though, was the chicken kebob: the special sauce and seasoning on this grilled chicken was fantastic! The plates were beautiful, brightly colored and super fresh looking, which is always appealing. I did think my husbands swordfish was also a tad overcooked, but again the seasoning was very tasty. A little expensive but definitely a fun experience, especially if you're like me and just starting to try new things for the first time. In terms of service, our waiter was very quiet but extremely friendly which we liked a lot, but they did get a little loud in the kitchen. Also, the woman serving our bread and filling our glasses was very grumpy looking and never said a word to us, which made us a bit uncomfortable at times. Overall, it wasn't 100% perfect but the food was very good and the view was amazing so I would definitely go back again and recommend it to all! read more

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Beautiful restaurant, smiling staff amazing food. This will make your day, it's a must visit place if you want to repair your mood read more

Cafe Istanbul - Turkish Near Me - Dublin, Ohio

I'm so happy to have this in Dublin! Five star view, service, and food selection & execution. If you like to eat a little bit of a lot of things, bring a friend and order the appetizer plate. Then order an entree, a dessert and Turkish coffee or tea. What a gem! read more

Cafe Istanbul - The small appetizer plate. - Turkish Near Me - Dublin, Ohio

Went here for our anniversary, and overall, it was a nice date night spot. I thought some of the dish was lacking in spice/flavor (side veggies, rice) but the lamb kabob was spot on. Lovely location on the river and nice patio, but I just felt they could have done a little more with ambiance. Lower the lights, maybe change the music, make it a little more ethnic to match the cultural cuisine. I think it would add to the dining experience. But great waiter, very kind. Not sure if I'd come back, but worth a visit for those with curious minds! :) read more

Went on the last night of Restaurant week Jan 2019. What a great deal 20 dollars for an amazing 3 course meals. Their baklava is the best in the city in my opinion. The salad was healthy and tasty. My main dish was very tasty eggplant mousakka. Will definitely be back here soon. Even the oil for dipping your bread is tasty. read more

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Beautiful locale. Disappointing food. Cafeteria quality vegetables and rice. Meat in lamb shish Kebob and steak kebob over cooked. Dining companions didn't finish meals. Just didn't look good. Reserved a nice table for a special evening but was seated in the middle of the room. Just disappointed in seating and embarrassed over food quality. Also lamb shank was not available tho it was a weekend. Overpriced and mediocre. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in the summer. The outdoor patio is pleasant and covered. Food and service here are always good. I love the kebabs! read more

This is a great place for a delicious and elegant dining experience. The menu offers a wide variety of dishes, I especially favor the kebab dishes especially the shish kebab. Also love the babaganoush and the complimentary bread and oil. Also love the desserts and cocktails. Service used to be more attentive but lately is not as great due to the rush. read more

My loyalty has always been to Lavash but I was blown away by the entrees here. Finally made reservations and brought my German mother in law who flew in for the holidays from Hamburg. She said it was the best Turkish food she has experienced. If you are on the fence at all go for 3 course lunch special under $12 and be amazed. read more

Cafe Istanbul - Mixed grill sampler - Turkish Near Me - Dublin, Ohio

Food: nothing to write home about. Overall decent Turkish/middle easter fare that is very forgettable. Service is another story. Front of house was not friendly at all and claimed not to find my reservation although I am pretty sure he took it an hour earlier. Also there were many many open tables so there was really no point I. Playing games. Service was extremely slow, food took 50 + mins to be served despite the place being not that busy.... Don't waste your money and especially your time there... read more

Definitely one of my favorites. Never a long wait, best patio in the city, and yummiest drinks. This is also the place I get certain types of meat I don't usually like. I hate liver but crave the sautéed liver cubes (appetizer)...trust me. Try them. I also get the lamb with yogurt. Usually I detest the game-iness of lamb. It's completely awesome. I would give it 10 stars if I could. If you like Mediterranean food, come here. read more

Cafe Istanbul - My lunch today...lamb stew with okra, sautéed liver appetizer, hummus - Turkish Near Me - Dublin, Ohio