A must-try for tourists! The food is absolutely delicious, with a menu offering traditional Turkish dishes. The ambiance is modern yet maintains a relaxed, upscale vibe, making it perfect for both casual outings and special occasions. They are famous for their mezes, and I highly recommend the levrek marin and fava. For mains, the hunkar begendi is amazing! The service is fast, friendly, and attentive, adding to the overall great experience. It's a classic if you're in Istanbul. Also, it's in of the best area to hang, tons to see around. Highly recommended! read more

I was excited to try this place but found the food to be just okay. Maybe I picked the wrong items? I am not sure. We ordered the grilled artichokes, pickles, potato croquettes, and beef tenderloin. The artichokes were my favourite - so delicious! Everything else was alright. It was all cooked well and seemed fresh but I found the price to be a bit expensive for what it was. I've had better meals for much cheaper in Istanbul. One thing I didn't like was a 50 lira charge per person for cover? And our water was not free. On top of that, a 10% service charge. Not really happy about being charged cover and a service charge but it is what it is. Service was good and our food came very quickly. read more

See all

We were incredibly disappointed by our dining experience from head-to-toe tonight. We were told this would be heavily focused on seafood so we thought those would be the best dishes to choose from for our mezze. From the "spicy" shrimp which was very light on heat, heavy on oil, overcooked to the point of chewy, to the completely flavorless grilled squid, to our overdressed salad- not off to a great start. The stuffed mussels were lovely and stuffed like dolmas (same rice flavor palate), but another miss with the overcooked octopus that was almost inedible it was so chewy. My husband had the lamb chops which he said were just "ok". We left unsatisfied and unhappy to have wasted a meal on a very short trip. read more

Lovely spot for seafood walking distance from the water, I really enjoyed their mezze and grilled options-- highlights were the grilled baby artichokes and taramasalata which paired perfectly with their crusty bread. Staff were very friendly and had a laidback ambience. Reservations are generally necessary, though I was lucky to snag the last few seats at the bar as a walk in on a weekday. read more

See all

Stopped in here for lunch. Saw it recommended by Michelin guide's bib gourmand list. Prices were indeed reasonable (about 100 lira for drinks, 60-80 lira for mezze, 150-200 lira for large plates). I enjoyed the food and atmosphere. Service was good - attentive but not overwhelming. I got the rocket salad to start and it was bigger and better than expected. I then ordered the tzatziki and manti, both of which were excellent. Portions were filling for the price. For drinks, I had raki and it was brought out in the traditional fashion with water and ice. It was affordable (125 lira for a double). Overall I would definitely revisit, for sure a bit pricy compared to street food and kebab houses but I felt that the value was on par with what I paid. They also have free decent wifi which was a nice bonus. Was able to get some work done at lunch. read more

See all

Yemekler çok lezzetli.Esnaf kültürü ile modern yemekler iyi şekilde harmanlanmış.Memnun kaldım.

Family operated since 2000 Karaköy Lokantası is located on the ground floor of Novotel Istanbul Bosphorus, their Bib Gourmand status suggesting good Food at a bargain price though service at lunch is lacking. Featuring a tiled interior and terrace, plus a rotating selection of Mezze, it is at lunch that the Restaurant takes on traditional plates in limited format - the Tzatziki offered without accompaniment save for room-temperature Wheat Bread lacking both flavor and freshness. Designed as a "workers' cafeteria," though the crowd is mostly men in suits, Entrees include basic Chicken in Tomato Sauce or Grilled Lamb Meatballs versus competent Hünkar Beğendi and Lamb Dumplings topped in fragrant Yogurt. read more

See all

I have been going to this restaurant for more than 10 years. It has recently moved to a new location next to the Novotel. The food is wonderful and service is elegant. Excellent selection of meze , Both hot and cold, as well as a smaller list of main courses. On my most recent visit, we tried the incredible avocado plate, peppers, spinach, borek, liver and lamb chops. Everything except the lamb chops was excellent. We did send deliver back because it was cold but they quickly replaced it. It tells you something about this place when the drink menu is four times longer than the food menu. Order a bottle of raki or wine and settle in. One disappointment. The old restaurant had wonderful Turkish tiles on the wall. The new place, although clearly much smarter looking, somehow lacks the old world charm. For those who knew the old place, you will be a little bit saddened but this does not take away from the overall experience. read more

This is a good quality restaurant for turkish lunch. The menu changes daily and you never know what they will offer. Good quality food. I can not eat oil and they made a small tomato and cucumber salad. The staff is awesome and the service is quick because of the limited menu. Everything is prepared in advance so not much wait. read more

See all

Things I love about this place: food is delicious, try their walnut fig creamy dessert! I've been to this place three or four times and their food is always fantastic! Things I don't like: they will bring you bread and olive oil without asking and then charge you for that; they will bring you hot tap water and then charge you for that Btw there is a Michelin star restaurant with a rooftop in the same building. Most of the time you can get there without a reservation. read more

Nice restaurant, although the Mezes were much nicer than the mains and I would recommend ordering from the wide selection of those on offer. Herbal tea and cocktails were nice accompaniments to the meal. read more

See all

Loved the food. But we booked for a table if 7 people and they made us order tasting menus - then they served everything family style. The food overall was delicious but not as great as we expected given the reviews. The place is lovely with a nice atmosphere. It is expensive considering how they serve -- etc. read more

This was one of the most elegant restaurants we've been to in Turkey. The inside is beautiful and the outdoor eating is surrounded by greenery. I ordered the liver and it was served in 3 very thin slices and sautéed and seasoned. My fiancé ordered the chicken with rice. The chicken rice dish was very basic - shredded chicken over a plate of white rice. I ordered yogurt soup with lentil and noodles. Unfortunately I thought this was a cold soup item and it was a hot soup. After explaining to the waiter I didn't want a hot soup he removed it from the table. I was still charged for the soup on my bill. That was a surprise. Minus one star for charging me for an item I didn't want or eat. The food was good but the portions are small. My favorite was the cold appetizer of yogurt with onions and garlic. It was a nice moderately priced lunch in a beautiful setting. They charge a 10% service charge on the bill. read more

See all

It's mentioned by almost any article about Karaköy as a place to dine. You need dinner reservations like 5 days in advance to have a table. So I was really excited to have a lunch seating. Living up to expectations was the Sheep's liver - best I've ever had period. Even more amazing, it had Zero after taste. It was like consuming foie gras only better. Since foie gras has a hint of gaminess and this one had none. The Red mullet was fine. It's just that I had better fish from plenty of other places. Considering all the reviews we've read talking about the seafood we were disappointed to see this solitary choice. Perplexing in the fact we're next to the Bosporus and relatively close to the Sea. read more

See all

We came here because it was recommended by a local but it felt rather touristy and trendy for sure. The food was very good but the service was subpar and the menu prices are on the more expensive side. They forgot some of our orders and were over all a little slow. After dining out at a number of restaurants in Istanbul during our trip I definitely felt like there are plenty of other spots where you get more value for your money. read more

Karaköy Lokantası - Turkish Near Me - Istanbul, 34

Wow! I heard Turkish food was fresh and delicious but this place is over the top when it comes to dining on farm to table locally grown and made fresh starters and entrees! Of course most food in Turkey is not processed but fresh farm to table and basically organic without necessarily be certified. We had great homemade toasted rye upon which we spread fresh yogurt with spicy eggplant, fava paste ( really yummy), and a spicy walnut paste. We also had fresh salad and tabouleh made with fresh pomegranate and Chilean Sea bass in a spiced yogurt sauce. We order grilled octopus and fried zucchini, both of which were cooked to perfection. Get a reservation for this place- they are a local favorite! The decor is beautiful with teal and black tiled walls and adorable sconces lighting the room and a very charming spiral staircase leading to the upstairs dining room. I had a glass of Chardonnay that was very crisp and light- no oaky buttery flavor at all. Very yummy experience for all my senses! read more

See all

Everything was wonderful except allowing a man to smoke a nasty sweet smelling pipe just outside the open dining room with the smell driving people away from close tables. Also another had a stinky cigar. Both should be banned from the patio. read more

We didn't have a reservation on a Monday night at 6 pm but got one of the last few open tables. The service was great, very professional and patient (we were waiting for a third for a bit), and they could describe everything in English very well. We left a box of desserts we'd gotten down the street here when we finished dinner and came back about 30 minutes later; they had out box safely stashed at the server's station. They don't have Wi-Fi here. They have a display downstairs of all the cold mezes and that was really helpful for us. 80 TL before tips for three mezes, one starter, one glass of wine. We also got charged for the water and the bread. See my photos for more details. The Grilled Octopus in the hot starters was the most amazing dish! Overall, very high quality food, but quite pricey. Wish I'd come at lunch, I was looking forward to the Hunkar Beyendi, which is only a lunchtime dish. read more

See all

I enjoyed my meal here. I started off with grilled octopus, which was the highlight of the meal. It was crisped to perfection--the best piece of octopus I've ever eaten. Next, I had a main of veal cheek, which reminded me of pot roast. Good, tasty comfort food. I didn't want dessert and instead thought I would double-back and try more grilled seafood, so I added a grilled squid as my final dish. I think the octopus set the bar impossibly high; the grilled squid seemed unremarkable by comparison. I would also commend this restaurant for a pleasant atmosphere and good service. read more

See all

Do NOT GO HERE. I don't know how this restaurant is on every prestigious must-eat list, it was truly terrible. Service was terrible - the woman who was our runner was very nice and helpful, but our actual waiter was surly and curt and honestly never bothered coming back to the table till we'd get up to ask where the starters were - the hot starters which were all fish and take no time to cook took 30 minutes to arrive, and also only with us asking where they were after 20 minutes of nothing and no contact from the waiter - note that there were only two other tables in the restaurant at the time! More importantly, the food was almost entirely awful awful awful - the only thing that was edible were zucchini fries with some Greek yogurt and fennel(but then they don't mention there's fennel in the dip so my sister, who is nauseated by fennel couldn't eat it). There was a weird chickpea, onion and potato dip which was very sweet? The seafood was poorly prepared - rubbery octopus with suction cups still inside the tentacle and rubbery calamari tubes. WORST OF ALL - the fish was not fresh at all - actually smelled old - like the prawns, octopus and squid were very fishy when fresh seafood should just smell like the sea. My family lives in a coastal city so we've had access to fresh seafood forever - this was NOT fresh. When I asked for the bill after the terrible starters, they pre-emptively added on a tip for 3 people - since when do you add on a tip for a table of 3 and also the waiter was rude and the crap starters took half an hour to arrive. Honestly, we would have tipped anyway out of courtesy, but the fact that they added it on was cus they knew the service was atrocious. This place is the worst - there's also disgusting dirt on the streets - which you can see while you're trying to eat and one of the waiters was still sweeping dirty water off the sidewalk when we got there - if you open at 6pm you don't start cleaning up the sidewalk as people arrive. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in the city in terms of quality of food. Everything we ordered there was spectacular. We didn't order main course and ate mezes for the most part. The octopus and Mellon with cheese are musts. read more

See all

Just a short walk north from the Galata Bridge near the waterfront is a charming little restaurant that has proven to have perhaps the best (and most consistent) food I have had in my three visits to Istanbul over this last year. The mezzes have all been very tasty: the humus, the tabbouleh and most especially the eggplant rolled with tomatoes and onion. The last item was just exquisite. The Turks do amazing things with eggplant and squash, food items I don't normally gravitate to. Here do try their fried squash (mucver). For meat dishes, I'm fond of their meat stuffed cabbage dish and their veal stew. Getting a table for dinner is a challenge here and on several visits I've had to settle for lunch, which is very pleasant and even more reasonably priced than their alsready moderate dinner prices (my lunch bill for one came to TL 35, my dinner bill came to TL 55) These included lovely desserts, quince with cream and dried figs with cream. Both delicious. Go, but do plan ahead and get reservations. read more

What a wonderful experience. We've been in Turkey for just over a week and, while we've had some wonderful meals, we've been searching for an authentic, contemporary Turkish meal. Without question, we got it at Karakoy Lokantasi. They've been in business for around 15 years and I expect them to be in business for another 15, if not 50! The service was patient and kind. They weren't phased that we speak very little Turkish and were gracious all the way through. I tipped a bit extra for the service. It was worth it. I think you'll find yourself doing the same. The kitchen was awesome. The lamb ribs (chops in the USA), my favorite dish of all time, were heavenly. My wife's favorite dish is grilled octopus and the fresh, tender grilled octopus was excellent. The artichoke hearts were outstanding too, as was the Cacik. In short, the food was amazing. We had our hotel call ahead on a Friday afternoon and got a Friday night 8pm reservation and we're glad we did because the place was full up. Please go to this wonderful restaurant! You won't regret it for a second!! read more

See all

Worth it to go for the beautiful atmosphere and tilework alone. Sit by the window and find yourself getting a crush on whoever is gazing at you across the table. Just be careful because this restaurant makes everything and everyone seem so delicious they may as well put romance on the menu. read more

This is the place for Meze! You should come here and order from the great variety of turkish Meze (starters). It's a delight! The Restaurant is located in one of the hip (currently) districts of Istanbul Karaköy. So if you'd like to come in the evening - especially on weekend - reservation is a must. Many locals come here - which is an additional sign that the quality is good. I ate Liver (ciger), karaköy salad, hummus and fried zuccini - all really good and delicious! Paired with a Raki - a perfect combination. Try it by yourself - i can absolutely recommend it! And - if you still got room for a dessert - my hint don't order here (even though I'm sure theirs is also good) go to Gülloglu located nearby - have a coffee, tea and Baklava and make the best possible out of your evening in Karaköy! Enjoy! read more

See all

Nice looking restaurant, but service was bad and food was mediocre. They prepared the driest sea bass I've ever had in my life.

It is one of the most-known restaurants in Karakoy district. They serve very delicious cold / hot starters (meze) and a seasonal assortment of fresh fish. They have a very wide range of alcoholic beverages, which is not common in these days. They usually get a lot of attraction even in the weekdays so it is highly recommended to make reservation. It is easy to access by any means of transport and there is a big car park nearby. read more

See all

Such tasty and satisfying food, very nice atmosphere, very good service, reasonable price - I'm absolutely, 100% a fan of Karaköy Lokantası. Karakoy area has been transforming and many new places have opened recently and Karakoy Lokantasi is one of the best ones. It is very easy to reach the place even from Anatolian or European part. Karakoy is on the ferry and tram route and if you want to come by your own car, the parking lot is very close to the restaurant. There are two saloons at upstairs and downstairs with an outside seating area but still reservation is required. The interior walls of the saloons are cladded with shiny blue tiles which reflect a traditional ambience with the metal stair. I appreciate that the mosaic floor tiles were preserved since most people try to get rid of these very nice ancient material while renovating the spaces. There are many options for cold dishes (meze) and it is not easy to decide what to choose. We listened to our waitress and all the food we tried were extremely fresh and tasty. We went for humus, tabbouleh, meshed faba beans, purslane with yoghurt, meshed eggplant for cold dishes accompanied with RAKI of course. Then, for hot we had mucver (fried meshed squash) which is absolutely recommended. It tasted like my mum's mucver which I couldn't reach the exact consistency; different type of crispy squash served with natural yoghurt; liver slices with fresh cut onions; grilled octopus; shrimp at casserole accompanied with RAKI of course. Then, unfortunately we were too full to continue with main dishes which sounded extremely delicious but there were no room for them. However we couldn't skip the desert and we ordered quince with cream, fig desert with cream, gummy pudding which were too good. My favorites were figs with walnut and quince. Next time I am dying to try chocolate souffle. We decided to come again as soon possible. read more

See all

My friend and I were at the Galata Tower early one morning and we decided to have lunch here. I had it bookmarked based on recommendations and I am so glad we managed a meal here. We arrived just as they were opening for lunch, and were seated in the middle of the dining room. It was definitely on the more upscale side. At this point, I can't remember exactly what we ordered...I believe we ordered the two eggplant dishes, the sunchokes, and my friend ordered a soup. The sunchokes were just okay, but everything else was spectacular. The turks manage to make vegetables that I'm normally ambivalent about completely amazing. Service was not the best, but not bad enough to detract from the experience. Highly recommend for anyone visiting for a nicer, yet delicious meal! read more

This review is for their lunch menu which I have eaten more than 200 times. (yep, two hundred). The only thing I do not like there is the tripe soup (I love tripe soup but not theirs). That's it. You can pretty much eat anything on the menu and I doubt you will be disappointed. Probably the best place in Istanbul to eat authentic Turkish dishes. They may not have many choices like Çiya but to me their dishes taste better than Çiya. I have eaten dinner (meyhane actually) there once and I was not as impressed but I should give them another chance for dinner. However, that night I have eaten the best keşkül ever in my life. My wife and mom agreed on that too:) read more

Pasta in eggplant sauce was amazing. My husband ordered chickpea casserole with meat. It was paired with tomato rice. He loved it. He also ordered half portion of eggplant with meatballs which was delicious. We ordered tomato, cucumber and green pepper salad with our food. Wiped out all the dishes clean. Servers were friendly and great service. read more

We got a recommendation for this place online. We didn't know what to expect, but this place was awesome. We didn't have reservations, but the hostess, Seçil put our name down... Call ahead for RSVP. Once seated, she proceeded to take us through a journey or Turkish Mezze... It was amazing. She is truly an asset to this place. read more

Went there for lunch with friends. Overall experience is very good, it is a very comfortable, cozy, clean, local restaurant with a true Turkish feeling and friendly waiters. It was recommended by a local. Lunch food was great, we did not have an issue to get in (2pm Wednesday) although did not have a reservation and were 7 people. All salads have 3 options - small, medium and large. If you take a large one it is more than enough for 2 people. Tables are standing close to each other so I assume it gets noisy at night. There were a lot of Turkish people around in the restaurant, it is always a great sign to see the locals in. Definitely would like to come back again! Perhaps for dinner next time. read more

Fantastic all the way around. A friend in Florence Italy made reservations for me saying it was sometimes tough to get a table and I could not contact them (for whatever reason ) from Seattle. Arrived, sat, ordered a taste of almost everything, and of course some Raki too! Delicious and I would go back in a second if/when I'm there again! read more

This restaurant was recommended by our Lonely Planet Istanbul guide and we tried to get a table for two on a Thursday night around 8:30pm to no avail - turned away at the door because we didn't have a reservation! Undeterred, we came back the following night with a 9:00pm reservation which got us in. That said, showing up at 9:00pm even with a reservation means you probably won't get seated until 9:20pm (which happened to us and a couple of other parties who were waiting). In any case, it's worth the wait! Karaköy Lokantası is pretty well-known in the area, and rightfully so. The menu presents an interesting, somewhat traditional bill of Turkish fare with an interesting wine list to go with it. My sister and I enjoyed a few dishes selected from the menu - standouts included the grilled octopus, mixed Turkish salad, sigara boregi and köfte, all presented with flair and in very generous portions. We chose an interesting Sauvignon Blanc from a region just west of Istanbul which was new and unique to us. The restaurant itself is beautiful - a bright, tiled, two-level space thronging with hip groups of young locals sharing bottles of Raki and whiling the night away. Service here is super friendly, but slow to the point of frustration. That seems the norm in Istanbul, so just be patient and take in the fun scene while you wait! One of the more memorable meals we had in Istanbul and with good reason! read more

Too noisy! I like the interior design but it is not enough. A few food is good only. Service was very bad and disappointing. I would never go to this place for a dinner again. Lunch time is much better. read more

Must go restaurant in Istanbul. I wish I try all the mezes from there. Amazing and delicious!

Phenomenal. I love the fish restaurant/meyhane hang on the coast, but this is the perfect place to get that taste in Istanbul. Definitely make a reservation well in advance. The meze is great, I really like their calamari, and the greens are so fresh. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu, but my favorite was the cow cheeks....truly memorable. read more

Karaköy Lokantası - Fried calamari - Turkish Near Me - Istanbul, 34

See all

Simple, tasty and traditional food at a very reasonable price. Not sure how historic the building is but the interior decoration makes it well worth a visit. Liked the radiators! read more

Had a very enjoyable dinner here while in Istanbul. We enjoyed a variety of mezzes and seafood dishes, but the standout by far was the grilled octopus - it was charred and seasoned well, and perfectly tender. We also took the opportunity to try some raki; it was definitely an acquired taste and we ended up switching to wine (they have a pretty interesting selection) for the rest of their meal. Service was attentive and friendly - our server spoke English well and was happy to recommend some dishes and answer our questions. The restaurant itself is rather charming, with teal tiling and a spiral staircase leading to the second floor. It also seems to be quite popular with locals, as the place was packed the night we went. read more