3.5 stars Katie B…read more said to post the first review of 2013. So here it is...6,860 miles from SoCal. This place is well known by locals and is tucked away down a side street off of the busy Istiklal Ave. (the Oxford St. of Istanbul.) No one would say this isn't a good place. Some may add it's gotten too popular with the influx of tourists (like us) and there are other places to eat at. I think the truth is that is this a place for drinking with some food, rather than food first. Our experience was good, after all we did get the local booze - Raki (first and last time.) But, there were two noticable improvements needed: the service slipped once the German and Dutch tourists arrived for dinner; the prices were U.S. prices - $50 for two of us and we just had a few small plates and some fresh fish. My later reviews will hopefully show some more local and reasonably priced eateries (if I can remember them.) If the servers get it together they will bring you a selection of plates to choose from. We went to the counter to choose our dishes: - Selection of small plates TRY 10+9+9 (beans, vegetables etc.) - Mixed grill TRY 28 - Grilled bluefish (3 medium fishes with heads and bones) TRY25 - Raki liquor TRY 8 We skipped the biology lab experiment dish of the day: lamb's brain. That was our only "Indiana Jones" story here even though I wanted to go to take pics of sheep's heads and eyeballs :) Total bill was TRY 91 = $51. Plus a tip of 10%. Like I said U.S. prices. It was a good start to the trip, but we started watching our pocket after that as we were expecting a more Lonely Planet budget for this leg of the trip. After all, London was next!

A local told me: The best mezes from the ottoman period with agean style mezesThis place is in TOP…read moreTEN for all over the world.but they have to drinkvery small but they got unbelivable food. It wasn't an earth-stopping experience, but this small, popular-with-locals back-alley restaurant was quite good. Friendly, popular, loud, and with some tables in the bust alley. Specialises in cuisine from the Black Sea, and there's lots of fish (and raki) on offer. It can get very busy.

My family and I went here during a visit to Turkey and I don't know if it was because we were…read moreforeigners, but the service was top tier. I think Turkey is just on another level of treatment in terms of hospitality. Plus, food was amazing. Everything was delicious and healthy and the workers were extremely friendly and warm. Highly recommend if you're looking for a bit more upscale in the area!

I ate at this traditional Turkish restaurant when I went to Istanbul for work…read more There were about 40 of us in a long dining table and the service was pleasing and quick given that there were a lot of us and they had to take care of their other customers. Once seated, appetizers came right away: hummus, bread, pide, olives, and aubergine. For the main entree, there was this fall of the bone chicken with rice. It was a flashy eventful entrance for the chickens. They took out a cart that had three covered plates, lit it up, and then took down the covers. I couldn't really see because I was a bit far. But was it was quite a show! Then WALA. There was chicken inside. This chicken. I don't know how they made it, I'm guess it's salted-baked chicken but it was the softest and most fall of the bone chicken I've eaten. We also got the A Meter Pasa Kebab. Meter stick kebab is the dish to order. You won't be disappointed. Everyone in my table was quite entertained. To be frank, it was my first time seeing a kebab this long. The meat was tender, crunchy, and juicy. It's fall of the bone yummy too! The bread at the bottom of the meat seeped up all the juice which made it 10x tastier. For deserts, I had Kunefe, a traditional Turkish dessert made-up of cheese and drizzled with syrup, and Turkish tea. It tasted a bit tangy due to the orange blossom added to the syrup. Overall, I highly recommend this place! I am a fan. I'm definitely eating here again when I go back to Istanbul.

The food was delicious and our order prepared very fast. I highly recommend this place!read more

Recommended to me by a relative, we took the ferry from Basilktas to kadikoy on the Asian side…read more.. then a 20 minutes taxi ride to the this seaside resturant facing the Marina. We had to book a head of time for a table overlooking the marina. The resturant has an amazing atmosphere. I will not talk about the food, I will just show you the picture I took ;)

This was a great experience! I was a little worried about what to expect when I walked in and it…read moredidn't appear anyone spoke English. Then when they did not offer me a menu I really thought I was in trouble, but the staff was very friendly and tried very hard to help us understand what was being offered. Every dish they brought out was delicious! I wasn't sure what they were bringing, but I just surrendered and enjoyed every minute of it. It was all traditional Mediterranean and I really enjoyed the lamb kabobs and the Dolmas (stuffed grape leaves). I highly recommend for anyone adventurous that is looking for a local experience!

Great little bar with live modern Turkish music, inexpensive beers and great staff! Highly…read morerecommended!

This is a nice place that is beautifully decorated with cool chandeliers, paintings, and many…read moredifferent artistic artifacts. This place is open basically all night long. You can get things from soup to full meals. Every time I have come here, I end up picking one for the delicious soups. If you get hungry late at night I recommend this place.

Gece ickiden sonra gidilmesi sart olan bir mekan servis harikaread more

I stopped by Sait İskender in İstinye with my family and had a really good experience. I ordered…read morethe İskender Etibol, and it was exactly what I was hoping for--tender, juicy, and full of flavor. I asked for a little extra melted butter on top (the way I like it), and it came out perfect without feeling too heavy. Service was warm and attentive without being over the top. Furkan, our server, took great care of us throughout the meal and checked in just enough to make sure everything was right. The whole place has a comfortable, welcoming vibe, and it's consistently reliable whenever we visit. Overall, a solid spot if you're craving İskender. I'd happily come back.

Location is amazing, food is not bad, but service is very slow. But I enjoyed this place. Very coolread more

I liked the atmosphere and the pizza! Although you face the crowded street while you are sitting…read moreoutside but it is cool. And I think it was expensive, a pizza + a small bottle of coca cola + one teapot was 32 TL. (or maybe I'm not familiar with prices in Istanbul yet!)