great restaurant. i had the banana push and Mousekka (spelling) which is similar to an eggplant lasagna but really good. fresh bread was also served which i presume is made in house. i was there for a late lunch and they weren't so busy which might explain the lower than expected quality of service which is the reason for no 5 star. read more

Located looking over the Scioto River, the Cafe Istanbul features amazing food which you can enjoy either inside the dining area or theirvery attractive outside patio with beautiful flower plantings. I chose the interior dining area which has large ceiling to floor windows and offers a unobstructed view of river. I arrived around 3 pm for diner. There were some customers already dining but for the most part the Cafe Istanbul was empty. I was able to get window seating. They have a full bar which is separate from the dining area. I just had water with a twist of lemon. The Zaatar was brought out quickly with Pide (a type of flat pieta bread which was very flavorful. My chose of entree was the Lamb Saute ($22), cubes of lamb sauteed with tomatoes, onions, garlic, red and green peppers served on a bed of rice. The portion size was large andvery tasty. It certainly filled me me up. It took about 20 minutes to arrive as the entries are made to order. My water glass was refilled twice and the overall service was attentive and professional. The menu is large with a sizable selection of deserts such as baklava with pistachios and moussaka. Parking is conveniently available next to the restaurant. I have found Turkish cuisine to be very flavorable and Cafe Istanbul has a great chef. Show less read more

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We had the family dinner food and it was just great. Service was great. Ambiance was ok.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Columbus, and judging by the line out the door every time I go it's a lot of people's favorite restaurant! Try everything, it is all good, friendly staff and one of the best patios in town! read more

The dining room is casual rustic with many tables affording a nice view of the river. They have a lounge and outdoor seating with heating. The menu is pretty broad for a middle eastern restaurant with many of the expected items plus some special meals that look intriguing. I had the lamb chops which were very good and served at the requested temperature. My wife got the village salad (Shepard) which I also tried. This was seasoned perfectly and very fresh. My son had the lamb wrap and was very happy. The service was very friendly but like many places these days stretched a little thin. They made up for that by being very gracious and helpful when at the table. Definitely a place we want to return to. read more

The food is delicious and the waiter can help you with recommendations if necessary. They are very kind and professional. The view is beautiful with a scenic view from the tree tops overlooking the Scioto river. The location is close to Bridgepark which is modern community with shops, bars and a hotel with a rooftop lounge. It's a great place for long walks too. read more

Cafe Istanbul - The scioto river - Turkish Near Me - Dublin, Ohio

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The ambience was really nice and spacious. Interior decors suite the vibe of the whole place. Food was excellent! Everything we ordered tasted so good plus it comes in huge servings. They also have a complimentary bread with oil dip. That alone will start filling you up. Service was just okay for me. It took a while for the server to come back to us to get our orders. But all in all, it was still a great experience. read more

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Every year I make reservations for Cafe Istanbul for my birthday (Christmas Eve) for my family and I. Previously, I would visit the Easton location which was how I initially realized how amazing Cafe Istanbul is, but Easton has gotten a bit out of the way from where I live so I go to the Dublin location now. BOTH are amazing, but this review is for the Dublin location. The 4 of us were sat in a closed off "outside" seating area, which looked brand new and fancy (don't remember it being there in 2019 or 2020). They start off by serving their complimentary fresh Turkish pita bread with their dipping oil which I believe consists of sun-dried tomatoes and a variety of different spices. I would absolutely take this stuff home with me, it's amazing. Did I mention it's complimentary? The 614 Columbus cocktail caught my eye off the bar menu. The ingredients were all local and sounded like they would mix together well, but I absolutely couldn't stand the taste. I'm by no means a picky drinker, and I always try to venture out experiencing different cocktails. However, the 614 Columbus tasted like what I imagine cleaning supplies would taste like... Not sure if it was mixed disproportionately by the bartender or it's actually supposed to taste the way it did, but I had to return it and the waiter took it off the tab thankfully correcting the one-time mishap out of all the times I've been here. For starters, we ALWAYS order the $8 Babaganoush off the cold-starter section (smoked eggplant purée flavored with tahini, olive oil, and garlic) with more pita bread (WAY better than hummus, trust me!), and decided to try the $9 Sigara Borek off the hot-starter section (hot flaky phyllo pastries filled with feta cheese, fresh basil, dill, and parsley). Both appetizers are delicious, but the Babaganoush is by far the best starter especially for 4 people! We were practically full at this point from the appetizers, until our main meals arrived. I ordered the $30 Mixed Grill Kebab which comes with half portions of Chicken, Doner, Shish, and Adana Kebabs, with rice pilaf and vegetables. This is the perfect meal to sample a variety of meats that Cafe Istanbul has to offer. Def check out my picture. It tasted just as good later that day! My table also ordered the following: - $23 Swordfish Kebab (marinated cubes of char-grilled swordfish, served with mixed green salad and rice pilaf). Swordfish is like the ocean's steak. Amazing taste, and literally melted in your mouth. - $19 Chicken Sauté (cubes of chicken sautéed with tomatoes, onions, garlic, red, green peppers, and serviced with rice. Can confirm tasted amazing! - $20 Chicken Kebab (chicken cubes marinated in homemade sauce and char-grilled over open flame), which I know is delicious because it's included in the Mixed Grill Kebab. By the end, everyone tapped out of dessert but it was my birthday so I had to go 1 more round. I ordered the $5.95 Keskul (almond pudding with walnuts and cream), and I wasn't really sure what to expect but this was really creamy and sweet. Not a heavy dessert, but the portion is big enough to split between 2 people. Cafe Istanbul continues to be where I take my family on my special day, highly recommend it to everyone! Even if you are a picky eater, there is something on the menu for everyone! read more

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I've been here 4 times with no review!?! Shame on me! This place is so delicious, everything is homemade, don't hesitate to go. There's something for everyone on the menu; inside of the restaurant is very clean and kept every time I go. Their patio is absolutely beautiful any time of year. I went for dinner this time with my husband he got the sober kebab and I ordered a Greek salad and appetizer of grape leafs. His food looked so good and went down before I was able to get a second look. The Greek salad I had was huge, they definitely have larger portions which is great. The grape leafs mmmm the grape leafs! So tasty and juicy! Bigger than you would think and about 5 came with the appetizer I believe. All in all, I love this place and will continue to go there. read more

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Had the family style. It is fun and delicious. It is a lot of food for 3 adults and 2 kids. Hopefully next time we can get a table by the window. read more

My husband and I enjoyed a delicious lunch here today. We were seated next to the window, overlooking the river. The ambience of the restaurant is lovely. We are going to come back in the evening some time. The food was beautifully prepared, fresh and delicious. My husband had the grilled whole sea bass and I had the mixed grill kebab. Both of our meals were absolutely delicious. Everything was fresh, beautifully seasons and well prepared. The veggies served with the kebabs were fantastic! Gorgeous vibrant flavors from the veg with just a bit of warm spices and a kiss of cinnamon. Delicious. We had the Kazandibi for dessert. Oh. my. goodness. It's a custard with grape sauce, whipped cream and a tiny dusting of cinnamon. Not too sweet and the texture and flavors were amazing. This was a great experience. We will be back again soon!! read more

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The food was good. Our waiter was subpar. He brought us a cup of hot Turkish coffee, without warning us how hot it was. I will not be returning, my tongue and the roof of my mouth still hurts. read more

I was overall quite happy with our meal on Friday in the patio. The patio is wonderful, lots of seating (and it was bustling actually) and views of the sky, river and trees surrounding the restaurant, and a covered open air rooftop which reminds me of meals in Istanbul years ago. We had several dishes and the best ones were the grilled swordfish and the weekend lamb shank (which is a very generous portion of meat). The jasmine rice, and the bagel looking bread that comes out at the beginning of the meal, are delicious. We liked the zucchini pancakes (quite fluffy) and the tabuli (salty but again generous in portion) too. The main knock was a 30 minute delay to be seated at our reserved table, but this might be understandable given the Friday night hustle and bustle. I think we also need to sample other specialty items to get a better feel for the variety and quality that this restaurant offers. Overall this is a very nice place to eat and would look forward to my next visit. read more

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Food was ok. Nothing to run back for. Staff was efficient and friendly If you like this type of foot give it a try read more

Good food, large portion. Really bad service. Our waiter has been in a hurry all the time and he has no intention to talk to us. Not even a word! I am really surprised how bad the service could be for a restaurant with such a high rating. read more

The flavors here can satisfy a wide variety of palates. You start off with their complimentary bread and dip. Their bread is always tasty and goes nicely with their tomato in oil dip. You can fill up on this before the meal, so I usually don't have a whole one. We tried the gyro pide for the first time. The bread for the pide was nice and thin and had cheese and gyro meat (lamb and beef). It also came with a tomato-based dipping sauce. I thought the gyro meat was a bit too salty. For our meal, I ordered the family plate for 3-5 for $110. We were a table of 5 and it was plenty of food and even had to box the rest as we had also ordered the pide and could not finish. The family plate also comes with the appetizer sampler, which includes: hummus, baba ghanoush, pinto beans, eggplant sauté, labneh, tabouleh, grape leave wraps, and a few others. My favorite was the eggplant and veggie sauté, pinto beans, and hummus. The family plate was a nice presentation. It is a dome of bread over a layer of mixed grilled meats (lamb, beef, doner, chicken kebabs) on a layer of white rice. It is cooked in the oven together and then the server cuts it open at the table for you. The meats were all tasty, was surprised the lamb had no smell. Was a little disappointed in the plain rice though. It could have been a flavorful lemon rice and I think there should be a house sauce option to the meal as I don't like my meat dry with rice. I feel a nice sauce ties everything together. FYI: tried the Turkish coffee and it is super strong! It still tasted bitter with medium amount of sugar. I would stick to the tea. read more

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Food - very good Nice atmosphere Service terrible! Server was nearly invisible. Got asked about a drink refill only as we were paying our bill. Appetizers dishes left on table after meal served. No one checked on us until it was time to pay the check. Place was fairly busy but not so busy to ignore a customer. read more

I took my wife to Cafe Istanbul after the Dublin Arts Council free outdoor concert at Scioto Park. We had reservations for 7:00, and arrived at 6:45. We waited in the bar for maybe ten minutes. The guy that seated us apologized for the wait and being short-staffed, but that's just par for the course in the Covid-19 world. That said, other than a glass of wine arriving a few minutes after my wife's cocktail, the service was flawless. Short-staffed, maybe, but the ones who were there were moving in a very quick and organized manner. The restaurant was packed full, but they had everything covered. We specifically asked for outside seating when making the reservation, and we were happy to be seated at a nice table right in the middle patio. This may be one of the nicest patios in Central Ohio. It's big and overlooks the river, and there is a full retractable roof and heaters. The place had a lively but polite buzz, and our waiter was very attentive and friendly. The menu is standard Turkish fare, but with a good number of seafood offerings. My wife had grilled shrimp, and she was very happy. I had two kebobs - chicken and beef - and enjoyed my meal as well. The cocktails looked interesting and my wife hade the "Phone Booth London" and we both liked it. I had a nice red from the adequate wine list. We also had the stuffed grape leaves and falafel appetizers. The grape leaves were good, and the falafel was excellent! Then for dessert we shared the baklava which was fantastic. Just over $100 before the tip, and worth it. We will be back soon. read more

Seated, no one spoke to us for ten minutes. Multiple servers and staff walked right by us helping the other seven or eight tables that were seated. The staff certainly saw us, but chose not to help repeatedly. Good place to eat, but this was kind of ridiculous. My first one star review unfortunately. read more

Cafe Istanbul - Turkish Near Me - Dublin, Ohio

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Came in for a Friday date night, had a reservation and were sat right away on the patio. They had plenty of heaters but we should've asked to sit inside for an ambiance factor. With that said the food and drink were great. Kebab was cooked perfect. Drink was refreshing. read more

Cafe Istanbul - Shirk kebab - Turkish Near Me - Dublin, Ohio

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So underwhelmed and frustrated. Arrived on a Wednesday a little after 6pm didn't leave until 7:45pm Almost here for 2 hours and the service was bad, bad. Totally get the restaurant industry is being hit hard, but at the end of the day when we sit at a place for 2 hours and you only refilled our Waters once there needs to be more attention to detail. We ordered Cocktails as well and we're only asked 1 time if we wanted another drink. The Food. Per the waitress I quote: "We don't season our Food" Well clearly dear. Aladdin's beats this place No questions asked. Cafe Istanbul straight up served us plain Green beans, Carrots, and uncle Ben's white rice. All straight from the freezer section of your local grocery store. The meat was okay. But my G/F and I ordered Kebab combo's and we were just super underwhelmed. No bell peppers, no tomatoes, no cucumbers, no onions...we were served plain Green beans and carrots with our meal. They also forgot the yogurt sauce for my G/F there went another 5 mins. (The meat here was decent, it certainly wasn't horrible, but not good enough to offset the pleothra of issues.) We ordered Hummus as an appetizer (extremely bland and no Pita bread) Long wait times / little attention from staff. Unseasoned Frozen section style sides. This place was straight trassshhh. Maybe Wales whooping Turkey today had something to do with it. To be blunt I saw about the same effort in the game as I did here. We politely asked for a to go box and check within 4 minutes of being served our meal. Still took 10 minutes to leave. Our waitress asked what was wrong; and I said hey I don't want to make this a big deal but it's been a long wait and this food is pretty bland and plain and I advised her to look at my plate and then she said "We don't season our food here" (Do I laugh or cry here??) Meal was $80.00. We got off cheap b.c we will never be returning again. Sweet patio and automatic door I guess. Goodbye and see you never. P.s. to those that love this place, I hope when you sleep tonight you can't get comfortable. P.s.s actually to those that love this place, keep coming, less traffic at the other restaurants that value flavor and put effort into their food. read more

Cafe Istanbul - Plain Jane and bland brand. "We don't season our food" - Cafe Istanbul Employee - Turkish Near Me - Dublin, Ohio

The food is overall meh for me. We ordered mixed grill kebab. Only the lamb on that dish was good. The chicken was not well-seasoned. The doner and shish kabobs were not that bad, just not for me nor my husband. The vegetable side dishes were under-seasoned and the rice was both mushy and undercooked (I don't know how you achieve that but some parts were too soft while other parts were crunchy). I also got the lamb sauté, which wasn't for me either. The baba ghanoush wasn't that bad, it just didn't look that appetizing. They were also stingy on the bread. The overall location and the set-up was great given that it's overlooking the river in Dublin but the ambience wasn't so good. The place was loud even if it wasn't busy. There's a mixture of dishes clanging in the kitchen, random music, kitchen crew yelling in Spanish, plus a server pushing a cart full of dishes and clanging those dishes around us the entire time we were there. The food isn't that cheap either. I'm sadly disappointed and do not look forward to be back soon read more

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Fabulous food and service. Beautiful restaurant with a great view. Highly recommend! First time and now I will be a regular.

Great food and atmosphere! We really enjoy the outdoor seating. My family and I love this place ! read more

Let's start with the location because omg the patio seating is phenomenal. You get a beautiful view of the river and the patio is covered so you won't get beaten down by the sun or eaten alive by bugs. All of the waitstaff from the hostess to busboys were courteous, polite, and welcoming. Now for the food, the calamari was decent it could have used a few more minutes in the fryer though. Their bread and dipping sauce is super yummy. My little ones tried the chicken and steak kabobs and they loved it so much they asked for seconds! Both meats were seasoned to perfection and had that amazing Mediterranean flavor. My husband tried the swordfish kebab which wasn't as good as good as the chicken or steak. It lacked some spice and the portion was too small for him to be full. I tried the lamb sauté which also lacked some seasoning and flavor. Stronger spices would have taken it to the next level and made this dish spectacular. I would definitely recommend trying this restaurant and ordering one of the kebabs. read more

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Food was amazing. Warm and cozy environment. Service was great! I would highly recommend. Will certainly be returning

Food is 5 stars, but the service is super slow. Waited for 40 minutes for the food to be put on the table

Excellent food and service. Great atmosphere! As a delivery driver, I don't recommend picking up orders on a Friday or Saturday evening because they are so wonderful that they are too busy on these nights and the wait times for delivery orders are kind of outrageous. BUT as a customer, highly recommend! read more

This place has by far the BEST APPETIZER in Columbus! The beef liver appetizer is by far and away #1 it's delicious,plentiful and always warm. If you're a liver fan of any type foi gras, chicken, beef and pate you MUST have these. Thank you Cafe Istanbul. The only regret I have is we forgot to other delicious baklava!!! We just might call them again lol. Ok we just ordered 4 pieces of it! read more

Love Cafe Istanbul! I think their patio is one of the best in the area during the summer and fall. Right along the river and beautiful flower boxes alongside each table. The food has always been great and the bread and sauce they bring out at the beginning is phenomenal. The Shepherds salad is sooooo refreshing- we get one to split every time. Several times when we have gone there has been a live violinist. Service is always pretty good. read more

Loved the decor inside and the view from our floor to ceiling window that overlooked the river. If it had been cooler outside, the patio looked divine. I had the Iskender kebab and would absolutely make a return trip for it. The doner meat was tender and the tomato sauce perfectly seasoned. The yogurt dip that accompanied it really put it over the top. Looking forward to coming back on a cooler day to have the Turkish tea. read more

Cafe Istanbul - Iskender Kebab - Turkish Near Me - Dublin, Ohio

We've been here twice within the past month or so and both times were delicious. We really enjoyed the warm bread with dipping oil and the hummus did not disappoint. The rice served with our kebab meats was flavorful and my husband loved the whole fish dish. Don't miss the Turkish coffee at the end of your meal. You also can't beat the patio outside. We were there for live music and it got chilly as it got dark; but they closed the roof panels and cranked up the space heaters and we were cozy indeed. We will be back! read more

Cafe Istanbul - Yummy bread and dip! We are currently waiting for our entrees. The apps and cold beers are excellent so far! - Turkish Near Me - Dublin, Ohio

the best turkish food. awesome service and atmosphere. the notes of turkish culture is amazing read more

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Constantly good fresh food with great service and wide variety of menu items mostly Mediterranean

It's been a great experience for the authentic Turkish food without traveling abroad here at Cafe Istanbul we had a family plate which has lamb chops, shish kebabs, iskender kebap，chicken kebab，beef kebab，Doner/Turkish Gyro Lamb, piled on juicy rice The vegetable plate is wonderful too. read more

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Absolute perfection. Food, restaurant, service The hummus is probably the best I've ever had. Tabule too. Perfectly prepared, elevated ,original twists - I'll be back! read more

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Met a friend for dinner, server was vigilant, drinks took awhile lamb kabobs and chicken kabobs were superb as always . Totally recommend read more

Cafe Istanbul - Turkish Near Me - Dublin, Ohio

I am not generally an ethnic food lover. I like simple food without a lot of spice. So, I wasn't eager to try Cafe Istanbul when a group of seven of us went to lunch. I was pleasantly surprised with the whole experience. Beginning with the ambiance, upscale yet comfortable, settled among trees with an up-close view of the river, and ending with the check which was surprisingly reasonable. Between those two points were an attentive and patient Turkish server who explained the menu to us, a delicious basket of bread with seasoned oil, and an amazingly flavorful chicken and vegetable entree. I will be back! read more

Beautiful ambience and amazing food! We ordered the group platter. The portions are very generous and there was a lot leftover. The appetizer platter came with babaganoush, grape leaves, pepper dip, hummus,yogurt, beans. The complimentary homemade bread and tomato dipping oil is amazing. I was full after the appetizer and bread. The meal platter with shish kabob, chicken, lamb shanks, gyro meat over a huge bed of rice pilaf. The food was delicious, flavorful and the service was excellent. read more

Lovely environment. Food was amazing. Service was fantastic. We were sat by the window unfortunately since it was evening time we couldn't see the river. Restaurant is decorated beautifully. read more

Cafe Istanbul - Drinks ! - Turkish Near Me - Dublin, Ohio