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    Istanbul Blue

    4.1 (348 reviews)
    ModerateMediterranean

    Istanbul Blue Photos

    Business Info

    ISTANBUL BLUE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Istanbul Blue

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    Tasty cigars are crisp and light
    Nancy R.

    Istanbul Blue is one of those neighborhood spots that we need to think of visiting more often.  It is calm and clean and the parking is easy.  Service is pleasant and prompt and, of course, the food is tasty.  We especially enjoyed the lamb shank which had plenty of very tender meat in a delicious sauce.  It is moments like these that make us even more grateful when a restaurant has great bread to dip in!

    Marjan W.

    Visited a few weeks ago for an early dinner with my parents. This is conveniently located near Vienna and Oakton with easy parking. I loved the blue decor inside, it made for a beautiful atmosphere. We started with the Istanbul blue mixed platter as an appetizer. This was delicious, however, the bread to accompany it took some time to come out and when it came out, it was a little charred. I didn't have an issue with this but my mom requested different bread. I wish the bread was ready before we finished half the appetizer, especially because the restaurant wasn't too busy. The falafel and the cigari borek were excellent. Falafel is usually hit or miss because I've had it back in the Middle East so many times but this was very well done. We also got the Lahmacun which was delicious but my mom wished it was less charred/burnt. I didn't mind the crispyness. We got two Pides, the cheese one was my favorite. The star of the show was definitely the mixed grill, which came with rice and Cacik (yogurt dip) which was so fresh. The doner was excellent but the lamb was my favorite. Lamb is also hit or miss for me as I don't like when it tastes gamey but this was so well done. Overall, service was good but a little slower but that just may be because it's European/Middle Eastern. I will definitely be back as the food was excellent!

    Falafel, dense and dry
    Aarti B.

    Delicious authentic Turkish food bursting with flavor! Definitely get the Istanbul Blue sampler! Great mom and pop restaurant with excellent service that really goes the extra mile. Istanbul Blue sampler (5/5) - Fun way to dapple into the appetizers and try the dips. The crispy Cigars Borek phyllo pastry was the stand-out, filled with soft cheese that paired so well with the dips - hummus, baba ganoush, and garlicky feta spinach cheese. The nice staff easily accommodated my request to swap out the dolma grape leaves for the baba ganoush - glad I asked! The complementary bread is quite dense and filling, not as fluffy as I expected. It's better warmed up (if you get delivery or take-out). I wasn't a big fan of the falafel, it was very dense and dry to the bone. I would love to swap it out for another cigar borek! There was plenty of leftover dip for the next meal! Spinach Pide (1/5) - Not a fan of the pide, it was too cheesy and did NOT matched the photo depicted on the menu which had a lot more spinach and much less cheese. The cheese to veggies ratio was really off. After a few bites, my stomach started churning and threw in the towel. When I opened up the box, I saw a veggie pide with tomatoes and bell peppers and scant spinach, did I get it mixed up? Bbut after looking at other Yelp pics, the spinach pide look the same. I would skip the spinach pide and save room for the Sampler! Excited to come back for some Cigar Borek with some hummus, baba ganoush, and garlicky feta spinach cheese goodness!

    Kofte Kebab

    A messed up reservation at Carnegie Diner led 6 of us to need another place for brunch. We walked across the parking lot and Istanbul Blue quickly accommodated us. I was planning on coming back here and this visit was as good as the first - so a lucky mix up. I had the yummy Kofte Kebab - a very generous portion, a glass of very good Anatolian wine, and Kunefe for desert. Our waitress was personable and deftly handed separate checks. The relaxed atmosphere allowed us to linger and talk. Great experience. Next time I won't wait so long.

    Istanbul Blue Platter was so very delicious!
    Linda B.

    It was our first time here and it was so delicious with great service! We started off with some nice, strong Turkish coffee which was delicious! We ordered the lahmacun appetizer which was phenomenal with amazing flavor! My friend ordered the Istanbul Blue mixed grill which consisted of grilled beef and chicken, lamb chops, and doner kebab and served with rice for his entree and it was so delicious. I ordered the chicken yogurt which consisted of two grilled skewers of chicken marinated with olive oil, tomato, and pepper which was served on a bed of bread chunks, tomato, and yogurt sauce. It was very good, but the yogurt sauce made the bread extremely soggy, hence the four stars versus five. We then got the baklava dessert to split which was excellent! We will most definitely go back, but I will order a different entree for sure. We would definitely recommend this restaurant!

    Istanbul Blue Platter
    Grace W.

    After reading the reviews my friends and I had high hopes. First- decor is outdated and feels antiquated. The servers were nice but service was extremely slow - took over twenty minutes to get drinks and we had to ask for ice four times because the water was not cold . The app and meals took a long time to come out and had we not asked we would never have gotten our check. We were there almost two hours. My friend's whisky sour was made incorrectly with cheap booze and tasted awful and it looked like the server had no idea how to make it and was googling it. The sampler platter was decent until my friend ate a wiry piece of grayish/silver hair from the chef. She is very nice and didn't complain to anyone while she was there. The chef did not have a hairnet at all and she could see him in the kitchen. The yogurt chicken was ok, the pieces of bread were too soggy, wish I had ordered rice instead. My other friends had the beef kabobs, and ground lamb/beef with rice and yogurt and it was fine but nothing special. Prices are on the high end for average quality at best. Even a side of fries was over $7. And to top it off a guy sitting at one of the tables went out to smoke through the back door and left it open and wafts of smoke were coming in. Clearly it was someone who works there or the owner. He just helped himself to beer and food and was at the back talking with the servers. It is disgusting to have smoke coming in while dining. We will not be coming back here.

    Imam Bayildi which is an eggplant appetizer that's delicious. This is a cold dish with meat but nicely prepared.
    Patrick C.

    We enjoyed a pleaser afternoon lunch with the family at this quaint restaurant. The owner was pleasant and came to talk to us to ensure we enjoyed our meal. I'm curious where they get they lamb because it was awesome. The meat was so tender and tasty. I also liked the Iskenderun Kebab which had crunchy pita chips and yogurt under the delicious meat dish. We'll definitely go back.

    Excellent meals and service. Thanks to chef & owner Mr Ismet, everything was great! Excited to be back as soon as possible!

    amira B.

    Here is my second time at Istanbul blue.I love this place.The food is so good. Starters Entrees and deserts are so yummy.Adana Kabab and Kasandibi are my favorite.After trying many Turkish restaurants in the area I can say Istanbul blue is the best.Thank you chef Ismat.

    Inside dining
    Tom S.

    We were in the mood to try something different. I have only had Turkish food a several times. We decided to give Instanbul Blue visit. This place has received quite few good reviews on yelp. It is a small resturant in a stripmall. The resturant is small and cozy. There were not a lot of customers there when we arrived. We sat at the front by the window against the wall. Very cozy and quiet. The resturant is very nice and clean. I will say the waiter was there when we needed him to be. He let us have space and time to enjoy the meal. I wanted to try the Instanbul blue mix drink but unfortuanlly they ran out of what was needed to make the drink. We also ordered ice tea but unfortuanlly there were out of tea as well. There is a nice selection of offerings on the menu. For appitizers we ordered the Lentil soup and the Instanbul Blue Platter which consisted of a combination of appetizers: 3 cigara boreks, 3 yaprak, dolmas, hummus, feta cheese & falafel. The Lentil soup is rich but flavorful not overly spiced. The waiter also brought our a loaf of bread. I ending up dunking the bread in soup. That could be a meal in it self. Very satisfing. I envjoyed everything on Instanbul Blue Platter. I am not a big flafel person but these were quite tasty. The main course we had the Fresh Mediterranian Branzini Fish (whole fish). This came with rice or vegtable skewers. We ended up getting the vegtable skewers and a side salad. We love Banzini fish and this was amazing. The spices were just right. Fish was cooked perfectly. We also had the Instanblue Mixed Grill. This was a combination of grilled specialties of beef shish kebob, chicken kebob, lamb chops & doner, served with rices. Every piece of meat on this platter was cooked perfectly, very juicy, well seasoned. I ended up ordering the Doner Kebob / Shwarma togo for lunch the next day. For dessert we had the Baklava with pistachio. Very delicious and not to sweet. Overall this resturant did not disappoint. Food was very delicios. Service was great. There is a large shared parking lot. I can see it being full at times there was quite a bit a traffic there. Overall a solid 4 stars. I will definitly be back.

    Kunefe Turkish national dessert
    Iris F.

    Wonderful food, wonderful ambiance and great service and staff. Fantastic evening. We'll be back

    Baba ghanoush
    Tulshi P.

    I very much enjoyed their baba ghanoush but the falafel wraps were just okay. The falafel was very dry and overall not very appetizing, so i would give this a 3. But an extra star for their great service. Due to an error on their part when making the wraps, they made it up with some baklava and Turkish tea.

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    1 year ago

    Amazing Turkish food. We had the cheese pide and Adana kebab. Will definitely go again!

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    2 years ago

    Turkish food centrally located in Vienna. The masukaa is amazing. Cute upstairs seating

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    7 years ago

    Business owner information

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    Ismet G.

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    2 years ago

    Delicious food. Great friendly service. Takes you straight to Turkey. Owner/chef is super nice

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    8 years ago

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    Page 1 of 9

    Istanbul Blue Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Istanbul Blue

    Are there vegetarian options?

    Yes. There are many eggplant based dishes on the menu, hummus, etc. The lentil soup, in particular, is an amazing experience. I would go to Istanbul Blue just for the lentil soup. There are obviously many meat based dishes, too-- like kabobs and… 

    Is there a Happy Hour special here?

    yes every Wednesday between 12-16.00 PM We offer 20%OFF in our kabobs

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    You might also consider

    Nostos

    Nostos

    4.2
    (633 reviews)
    3.0 mi
    $$$

    I had a date here for dinner and I really enjoyed myself. As soon as we walked in we were…read moreimmediately greeted by the friendly host. We did not make a reservation but fortunately, were were able to sit at a high top table near the bar. Then our waitress came over and explained the menu and suggested some drinks. She was very knowledgeable about the menu. For drinks we ordered a cucumber tequila drink and a rum cocktail. The cucumber cocktail was refreshing and wasn't too strong. The rum cocktail was a bit bitter and we were not able to drink so we ordered the cucumber drink instead. For our entrees we ordered the Paidakia which was lamb chops with asparagus and potatoes. We also ordered Arni Youvetsi which was the lamb shank braised with wine tomato sauce over orzo. The lamb chops were cooked to perfection as I ordered them medium well. The asparagus and potatoes were well seasoned and very tender and flavorful. The lamb shank was delicious as the meat fell off the bone. It was both very tender and flavorful. The orzo was cooked to perfection and the wine sauce complemented the lamb shank quite well. Overall, it was a great experience. I always enjoy Greek food and Nostos was no exception. I will return soon to try some other entrees. If you are in the area, I recommend stopping by. Cheers!

    We went in for dinner and shared a few items…read more We started with the calf liver. It was just ok, it had a nice char but was lacking flavor. It would have been nice with a lot more lemon juice. We also got the octopus. I was too hungry and forgot to take a picture. This was actually pretty good. It also comes with a bean puree. The lamb shank is served with orzo. Since I'm gluten free, the waitress let me substitute for a side of spinash rice, which was very tasty. The lamb was also very good, fell off the bone.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Nostos
    Trio of yummy dips

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    Trio of yummy dips
    Joon

    Joon

    4.3
    (621 reviews)
    3.0 mi
    $$$
    Private events
    Large group friendly

    Fantastic service, cute little elegant ambience, loved the velvet upholstery and interior decor…read more Complimentary valet was deff a plus. Came here with a friend for my bday brunch. They brought out complimentary little cakes with candles, super cute. We did the a la carte entree option, I ordered lamb potato hash which was delish. Deff would come back! Pro tip: If you're using Waze, it may not take you right to the restaurant entrance! I ended up driving right past it and looped around just to be able to find it.

    Retail parking on the other side of Tiffany's. No patio today but they seated us next to the window…read moreand it was nice and bright. Not too many diners on a Sunday during lunch time, surprisingly. Quick and attentive service, and the food came out in good time. The coffee was really good - loved the cinnamon and cardamom and I substituted oat milk. Would try to get it a little less sweet next time but overall good. French toast was different but really good. I didn't like the whipped (cheese? Cream?) that much--too lemony for me. But the toast was yummy. Texture is different but good. Very moist. Liked the nuts. The lamb and potatoes were really good. Great flavor. Big portions. Lamb was super tender and juicy. Potatoes soft and well seasoned. I got a side of toum and it was sooooo garlicky but great. Overall really liked it and would recommend.

    Photos
    Joon
    7 Sin Nowruz 2025
    7 Sin Nowruz 2025
    Haleem Bademjoon

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    Haleem Bademjoon
    Agora Tysons

    Agora Tysons

    4.2
    (624 reviews)
    3.7 mi
    $$

    Agora was an outstanding dining experience from start to finish. Every dish we ordered was…read morebeautifully presented and tasted just as incredible as it looked. The mezze sampler offered a fantastic variety of fresh flavors, the watermelon and feta appetizer was refreshing and unique, and the cocktails were both creative and expertly crafted. Even the warm pita served with the dips was fresh and delicious. The atmosphere was inviting, upscale without feeling pretentious, and perfect for a relaxing meal. The service was attentive, friendly, and helped make the evening even more enjoyable. The only negative was that the restaurant didn't carry cash on hand to make change when people wanted change for a cash tip.

    Agora is one of my favorite spots in Tysons when I'm in the mood for tapas. The food is…read moreconsistently very good, the ambiance is warm and inviting, and the décor gives the restaurant a unique feel that's perfect for a date night or dinner with friends. The staff has always been friendly and attentive. On this visit, we ordered the appetizer sampler, lamb chops, and the Adana kabab. Everything was excellent. The appetizer sampler is a great way to start the meal, the lamb chops were cooked perfectly, and the Adana kabab was flavorful and well seasoned. My only disappointment came at the end of the meal. We were planning to order dessert, but the kitchen had already closed. It would have been nice if our server had stopped by a few minutes earlier to let us know the kitchen was about to close and ask if we wanted to order anything else. That small bit of communication would have made the experience even better. Overall, this is still a great restaurant with delicious food, excellent service, and a beautiful atmosphere. Just keep in mind that the kitchen may close earlier than you expect, so if you're thinking about dessert or another course, order it before the kitchen shuts down.

    Photos
    Turkish Tea
    Turkish Tea
    Fresh pita
    Fresh pita
    Purple Kelebek cocktail

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    Purple Kelebek cocktail

    Istanbul Blue - mediterranean - Updated July 2026

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