Great dinner! We had the appetizer sampler, very tasty. We also had the halloumi salad and octopus…read more Both were tasty. We shared the meat sampler for two, loads of meat! Everything was very tasty and cooked perfectly. I'd definitely recommend a stop!

1. The menu for the salad I ordered did not include red peppers, but they were in there (I had to…read morepick them out). The food was fine (we didn't eat much) 2. The service was essentially non-existent. He took our order and it was delivered. Noone ever checked to ask if we were OK and we were right by the front door and 2 of them were outside. Nobody was friendly, just all biz. 3. We ultimately went inside to pay because someone sat at the only table with an ashtray and lit up (right by the entrance which is a bad idea).

While we were staying in a hotel down the street, my wife and I were wanting to find a restaurant…read morewith a menu that included the local fare, but also had received some praise for dishes that were not native to Turkey. We had seen this place while walking back to our hotel, and decided to go to try. We are so glad that we did. While the sign outside read "Beso," the menu, and other signs read "Byzantion" so I'm thinking the first is a shortened form of the second. And it is inside the Glorious Hotel. There's any rate, we ventured in, and soon found ourselves seated in a white table, cloth, covered dining room, with a table, right by the window. We were a little early for the dinner crowd, but a long day of touring had left us hungry early. The menu was, as expected, filled with variety. While my wife opted for the Mediterranean chicken shish, I had spotted penne Arrabiata on the menu, and that is a personal favorite. I gave it a try, and was not disappointed. my wife's chicken was excellent as well. The service was first-rate, and the ambience was very enjoyable. The friendliness of the staff was not unusual for Turkey, but was greatly appreciated. If you are looking for a meal away from your hotel, or just a chance to enjoy some thing beyond Mediterranean cuisine, I would highly recommend this establishment.

First time in Istanbul, and words cannot describe the hospitality of this restaurant. Made…read morereservations online and arrived to Beso earlier with welcoming arms from the owner. Greeted nicely and in front of the restaurant. Fantastic recommendations of food menus and the quality of food is and delicious. The owner and his staff were able to cater to our taste buds and ask the right questions. They also offered tastings of wine pairings to ensure it met our taste and expectations. We ordered the fish platter, the meat platter (specially catered to us) and a fresh shepherds salad. The portions are generous and we enjoyed every bite of it! To end our dinner, they offered us apple tea and baklava, which was a perfect sweet ending. To add to it, this restaurant also offers hooka/shisha so it was perfect on a nice outdoors seating to our evening. They prepared a special flavour which was watermelon and grape and it was perfect. Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant for any tourists that want an authentic Turkish cuisine. Thank you for making our tummy's full and ending our last night is Istanbul on a sweet note.

At first when I walked upstairs to where the Turkish bus boy directed me and seeing only obviously…read moreTurkish looking waiters, I was a bit nervous about this place. I did see the owner (a silver-haired Korean gentleman) upon entering, so I had some hope. We looked through the menu (featured in English and Korean Hangul), and ordered Kimchi jigae (stew) with tofu and pork, and beef bulgogi. I eyed the 3 Korean gentlemen sitting a few tables away from me wondering if they were visiting tourists like us or expat businessmen in the area. As soon as the complementary side dishes came, all doubts disappeared. The kakuteki (diced daikon-radish kimchi pickles) were legit. As far as I can tell, the radish were properly hung-dried first and then marinated in the pickling spicy liquid. The nappa (chinese cabbage) kimchi was properly fermented and marinated...spicy but savory. My beef bulgogi came with fresh, crisp lettuce leafs to wrap in with garlic slices and spicy soybean paste. My husband's kimchi soup was deeply spicy and gut-warming from the first sip. We ate in complete silence, savoring every morsel. We are from Los Angeles where we can get easy access to decent Korean food, but as per my husband who lived in Korea for 3 years noted after our meal: "it was the best Korean meal I've had since I left Korea."

Decent Asian fix after a week in turkey. Food is okay but plenty of Korean tourists eating at this…read moreplace. Level 2 were mainly for tour buses and level 3 were for walk in customers. Had tofu soup and also bibimbap. They were both decent for Turkey I guess.

Istanbul was love not just because of the history and architecture but most importantly for its…read morefood. The sweets and savory both are on point. You can actually go to a hole in the wall and get the best kababs or baklava or halwas every eatery is a sheer joy. So this is one of the best places for a kababfest all over Yelp, YouTube influencers backing that and also the most recommended place on internet based reviews. We chose a non busy time it wasn't that packed. This restaurant is not compact but definitely crowded in the sense that tables are very close to one another. The staff is extremely polite, helpful and friendly. We ordered a little bit of everything including liver. Each item was bursting of flavor and the meat used was top notch quality. Price point isn't bad. Do google the menu with pricing and these change quite often in places like Turkey which is a tourist hub. We paid with credit card no issues. The food came out piping hot and within reasonable grilling time. Definitely recommend this place it's a haven for meat lovers I can't wait to go back this is a solid 5 on 5 for me.

In Istanbul, Turkey on a food tour with Culinary Backstreet. It was a fabulous trip. Our next to…read morefinal night, we were treated to an interactive dining feast at Zubeyir Ocakbasi. This place is preformance art. We were seating at the pit master's table side. The chef is an amazing cog that makes this restaurant thrive with delicious meats. Tonight, we did not order food but were served by the pit master and his favorite creations. We dined on liver skewers with lamb tail fat, grilled garlic, lamb chops, kebobs, grilled onions, spicy breads, grilled peppers, and grilled tomatoes. It was entertaining, warm and completely interactive. The mezzes were also delicious but one has to be cautious not to load up on the salads. I cannot convey just how much fun it was to sit table side tonight. As engaging as the pit master was, his cooking skills are second to none with respect to his grill. If you are headed to Istanbul and looking for a new adventure with scrumptious grilled food, get reservations at Zubeyir Ocakbasi. The environment is engaging, light and just plain fun. I tip my hat to the restaurant, the pit master and to our tour guide for making this evening memorable.

I did a walking tour of Istanbul. Lunch was included. We stopped at Semazen…read more There was so much to see that I didn't check in on Yelp at many restaurants. Through some investigation, I figured out the name of this restaurant. We all were looking forward to resting our feet and having lunch. I ordered the kofte lunch, with fries, rice, and veggies. I also got Turkish tea. Our meals came with desserts. The kofte was tasty and perfect. I wish that there were more fries and veggies. Otherwise, the meal was yummy. I fell in love with Turkish tea in Istanbul. The tea was perfect. The sweets were yummy, too. It wasn't overly sweet. The washrooms are upstairs. This restaurant may not be the best for folks who require accessibility access. The various glass lamps hanging from the ceiling are beautiful. I'm glad that we stopped here for lunch. I had a great time. (103)

I don't think yelp is as widely used in Turkey as it is in the US, so finding reviews on Yelp has…read morebeen a little challenging :) ... This was our first meal in Istanbul and it did not disappoint. We got the mixed platter, testi kebab and a side of yogurt dip (delicious!). Testi kebab : lots of showmanship, ok flavor, I'd skip it unless you want a cool video. Mixed platter : chicken (kebabs and wings) were very nicely seasoned and had good char. I recommend getting those. The beef in Turkey in general has a weird funk that I did not care for so I was keen on getting anything with beef all that much. What really struck me was how good the lamb was. No funky smell, wonderful char and well seasoned (just good amount of salt, nothing complicated). I could polish off as entire plate of those lamb chops myself.

We found this gem by chance near our hotel when searching for a kebab restaurant. It looked like…read morenothing from outside til my wife looked in the door, "It's beautiful inside!". So in we went. They seated us and we found they did not speak English. However some nearby Turkish diner (we found ALL the reviews are in Turkish, a good sign) got up from his group and helped out. The staff walked us over to the display case to select our side dishes and helped us figure it out. When they suggested the mushrooms (giant, that we weren't familiar with) he said they are delicious and said 'come into kitchen' and showed them being sautéd! How's that for being helpful?! Fellow Diner: "You will love them!" Us: "Yes'" (Order the mushrooms! Devine!) Helped us understand how to properly enjoy the small bottle of Raki, and provided us with an exquisite dinner and experience! If you read this review, drop everything and get yourself down there for the Turkish dinner you are looking for. If there are no helpful diners nearby, just let them take care of you, I'm sure you won't regret it, easy on the budget for such a nice experience... Best wishes, fellow diners...

First meal upon arriving to Istanbul. Very trendy, aesthetic restaurant. Designed to look like an…read moreoutdoor patio but is covered (might be able to open up though). Known for their grilled meats, which you can see cooking over the grill through a window peering into the kitchen. Arrived as party of 6 with reservations ahead of time. Local Turkish friends ordered for us so I don't know the exact price point of everything but it's definitely a bit more on the pricier side due to being in a nice neighborhood and its aesthetic. Ordered bottles of wine and a couple people ordered cocktails, which I saw were about $20 USD. Started with mezze, which is brought out to you on a tray. You can select which ones you want. Tzatziki was very fresh and a nice way to balance richer flavors of other dishes like the meat. "Turkish pizza" is a must and comes on a very thin dough that's covered in meat and herbs that you roll up. Kebabs are a necessity and feature a smokey deep flavor due to being cooked over open flame. Cool, hip restaurant that's fun for a "fancier" night out with friends.

DO NOT GO HERE!!…read more Extremely expensive for no apparent reason. The crowd is full of people wanting to show off they can get screwed for paying obnoxious...

Food: We took fish soup, Calamari and Hamsi fish . All tastes not bad . But Hamsi fish little bit…read moremore burn . Calamari is old and hard no taste. Service: Service is very good. They wanted to change the dishes if taste bad. Ambiance: Good and outside setting area and has hitting option.

I got the Sultan's Favorite (Hunkar Begendi), which are beef cubes in a tomato sauce, with roasted…read moreeggplant puree and kashar cheese, which i highly recommend. The beef was fork tender, and all the platters are generous portions. We left very full. Service was friendly and hospitable, and very accommodating to us tourists who didn't speak the language.  The Turkish glass mosaic lamps and chandeliers iconic of the Grand Bazaar lights up this cozy yet elegant venue. If you're in Istanbul and not sure where to eat, this is a solid, reliable pick. Reasonable pricing, fresh, high-quality ingredients, and everything's just so delicious. Great menu of Turkish wines and beers, too.