Came here for lunch, and it was really good! My boyfriend and I split the lentil soup and each got a wrap. It was a good amount of food! The lentil soup was creamy and warm, and it was a good portion for just half and order! For our wraps, he got the chicken and I got the meatball. That we're both really tasty! The wrap itself is thin but holds up well, and it made each bite more tasty filling than bread! We both agreed that the chicken was better, but both were awesome. And they were big! Each also came with a nice little salad. Only criticism for the salad is I wish it hadn't been dressed already- a little too much dressing and a little too salty. Overall it was a really solid meal, and I'd be interested in returning for dinner to try some of the other entrees! read more

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The food here was absolutely delicious! My husband and I ordered the zucinni fritters, beyti, lamb chops, and kunefe. We literally ate all of it! No left overs, and this never happens when we eat out. Beyti was my favorite and lamb chops were so juicy and cooked to perfection. Kunefe was sooo delicious!!! read more

Spectacular food. The sultan's delight was even better than when I had it in Turkey! The roaster cauliflower had perfect seasoning and texture (hard to make the vegetable taste good but they did). Can't wait to have Manti (only on special from time to time) read more

Their mousakka and Beyti Kabap is delicious that restaurant exactly deserve that Michelin star

It's often unpleasant to have lunch out, alone, when doing errands. You can be ignored or worse. After the Clement Farmers Market I popped in here for lunch. I was greeted and seated and it was really pleasant and welcoming. Service continued to be gracious and on point. I had two small plates which was way more than I could eat so that tells you portions are very good. Not piggy, not too small, just right for me to have something to take home. The roasted cauliflower like others have said is amaze-balls. The grilled haloumi cheese is delightful. The Haloumi came first and I'm glad it did. I ate nearly all of it. The flavor combo of the grilled cheese, tomatoes, zucchini on top of slivered almonds + olives + tart cherries + frizzee was something I'll try to recreate at home. If you were to share this with a friend you'd both get an equal amount of everything which is thoughtful on their part. For cauliflower is well seasoned with a favorite spice of mine: urfa. I ate half of the cauliflower and took the rest home for tomorrow's breakfast with eggs. They understand when you say "gluten free" and that's always a plus in my world. read more

Overpriced and didn't remind me of the food I had while living in Turkey. I love Turkish food and was looking forward to this restaurant but was not impressed. The cigar borek was doughy, not crisp as it should be, and the flavor was bland. They give you honey and chopped pistachios to go with it, but that's really not typical and found the flavor a bit odd. Their version of chicken shish kabob is covered in a tomato sauce with chick peas which completely erased the nice fresh grilled flavor one expects with shish kabob. No side of rice, veg., or salad came with the meal and again, the prices are really high, especially for Turkish food which is usually quite moderate. We were so disappointed we skipped dessert and had it elsewhere. read more

Food was amazing!!! I had the chicken kebabs, falafel balls and the cheese is absolutely amazing. The food is great but I gave it four starts because the service is not incredible and I'm not sure if it's worth the drive. If you're staying in that neighborhood this is def a good place to dine read more

Came in on a Thursday night for happy hour, so this review is for the happy hour menu only. Selected beers for $4 and selected wines for $6, mezes for $ 7. -Roasted cauliflower with green onion, lemon & urfa pepper: the flavors were not what I expected, kind of reminded me cauliflower tossed in Asian red chili oil -Crispy spiced brussels sprouts with aleppo aioli sauce: BF really liked the aioli that came with this, he used it with other dishes -Mediterranean falafel patties with haydari, persian cucumber, pickled fennel & onions: good flavor and nice and crispy -Zucchini fritters with parsley, mint, feta cheese & yogurt sauce: my favorite for the night, it was crispy on the outside, nice and moist on the inside, and who doesn't love fried vegetables The place was pretty packed for a Thursday night, great service. Nice way to start the night off. I would come back to try the brunch and dinner menu. read more

I was looking for a good restaurant near Laurel Heights and found this wonderful restaurant on Yelp. The Vegetarian Moussaka reviews were great so I ordered it. Best I've eaten in many years! I thought of saving some for another meal but finishing it was irresistible. The service was great too. Now I'm looking for an excuse to travel to SF from Marin and share my new find with friends. read more

Amazing, unpretentious service in a romantic and casual setting. Their fried halloumi is the best I've ever had! Like over the top, in your dreams good. I had the turkish braised beef as an entree (recommended by a lovely staff member) and it was to die for. Rich, smokey, delicious, with a dollop of citrusy yogurt on top to cut the fat. I was in heaven. I also had the milk pudding for dessert and it was like a divine gift from the gods. Smooth and light, with lots of cinnamon and honey. I love Turkish, Mediterranean, Lebanese food, and this was honestly one of the best places I have found in the bay area for that type of cuisine. In fact I think this is officially one of my favorite restaurants in SF. Cannot wait to go back and share this place with friends. read more

Grilled Haloumi Cheese: 3.5 The cherries are a very nice compliment, but I wasn't eager for my next bite of this grilled cheese like I have been previously at other places. Roasted Cauliflower: 2.5 Lemon dip was delicious, but cauliflower was over seasoned for my taste. +1 for the unexpected happy hour prices before 6:30pm, coming in at $8 each read more

Out of this world good. Feels like a restaurant that should be impossible to get into and I got a same day reservation. Hence, I'll be coming here A LOT for the foreseeable future. read more

We ordered take-out from here last night and it was delicious. Good-sized portions and lots of vegetarian options, too. We had the fried feta cheese rolls, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, zucchini fritters, salmon skewer, and veggie moussaka. Most things came with specialty sauces, all of which were clearly labeled with the dish they went with. Such a treat, particularly during Covid-19! read more

This is probably a little biased because the Llama Malbec had me in a happy buzz through dinner. Only helpful tip I have is that the lamb chops were delightfully more moist than the lamb loin kebabs, but you do have to work harder to cut the meat off the bone. Free crackers were good but not great. read more

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I've eaten here many times and have never been disappointed. Really great food and friendly staff! I always look forward to coming for a meal when I'm in the area. read more

Great food and excellent service . All the hosts and hostesses are extremely friendly and nice . The lamb chops are to die for !! Highly recommend it and they also have a great selection of wine read more

I had an incredible meal here. Love not only the atmosphere with its open yet dark, candlelit setting but the hosts, waitresses and staff are super friendly and helpful. The food is flavorful and beautifully plated. We had moussaka, lamb kebab and the tender beef brisket with eggplant purée. The meatballs are juicy and on par. The zucchini fritters are yum! All in all its a great little spot in the Richmond for something a little different than your usual. Treat yourself here! read more

Awesome food. Fantastic and kind staff. We come to this neighborhood from the Marina just for this restaurant. I highly recommend the meatballs and falafel for apps! Thank you guys for your incredible service! read more

Great place and amazing food!!! Best to make a reservation before hand. The service is 5 stars!!!! Ayca thank you for the wonderful service read more

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Good food, but not good enough to warrant the price. The lamb loin kebabs were excellent. Very well prepared. The muhammara and pita was pretty good too (though a little sweet). We were less impressed by the köfte meatballs. That plus a glass of pino (only ok) came to $100. read more

My boyfriend and I were at High Treason down the street and our server recommended coming here for dinner. We shared a bunch of vegetarian appetizers and everything was absolutely amazing! The Muhammara, lentil soup, zucchini fritters, cheese cigars, and cauliflower were my favorite. Service was also excellent. We will definitely be back. read more

Very nice service! I celebrated my birthday there. We were a group of 8 people and everyone loved this place, including my Turkish friends. We had some champaign and Turkish wine that were very good, and of course the food was 5 stars. Will come again. read more

Hands down amazing. I went for my birthday with my family. I could not recommend Kitchen Istanbul more. We had five meze plates(Brussel sprouts, köfte, feta cigars w/pistachios, cauliflower, and halloumi cheese) that really started the night off well. For dinner we had kebabs, moussaka, and lentil soups(hidden gem here). Kunefe (stole the show), and baklava to finish. We can't wait to come back! read more

Great ambiance! Food was absolutely delicious. I ordered the Moussaka and my brother had lamb kebabs. I will definitely be going back soon.

I went to dinner with 2 girlfriends of mine before going to an event in the area later on a Friday night. We ordered the pita and hummus and chickpea appetizers to share, then for our main course the three of us shared two lamb kabob entrees. It was plenty of food for the three of us and we are not shy eaters. I also loved their wine selection. My Malbec was smooth and went really well with the lamb. We did make a reservation and it was quite busy, but the service was pretty good for how busy they were. I would definitely recommend this place for a small group. Larger groups may need to put multiple tables together and make a special reservation but sharing is very doable at this spot. read more

Not bad, but a little pricey for what you get. I order the haloumi dish & it was $12. It was basically a haloumi kebab. My friend had the lentil soup for $6 and it was really small. My daughter had falafel that were a bit dry. The hummus seemed to be a hit, but I didn't try it. read more

Kitchen Istanbul - Haloumi dish - Greek Near Me - San Francisco, California

Everything here is incredible. I wish I took pictures :( The restaurant had a really cute, cosy little vibe too. It would be perfect for going out with friends, or for a date with your honey :) Brussel Sprouts: 5 stars. GET THESE. You will not regret it. Honestly, I think even a picky 5-year-old would love these. They're like french fries, but classier and better. Perfectly crispy and seasoned, and whatever they give you to dip them in (some kind of aioli?) is incredible. Roasted Cauliflower: 4 stars. Did not like as much as the brussel sprouts, but still very good. Salmon kebabs: 4.5 stars. Comes as 2 kebabs. Very fresh. Perfectly seasoned. The chickpea salad and eggplant mash they come on is delicious. Vegetarian moussaka: 5 stars. The texture was great, and it was extremely flavorful. Chopped potatoes and eggplant with an ooey, gooey, cheesy topping :p Yummmmmm Baklava: 5 stars. GET THIS. Omg. I'm still dreaming about it. My family is Greek, so I like to consider myself a baklava connoisseur. You get two pieces of baklava and a scoop of rich, vanilla ice cream with a pistachio crumble. I've never had a piece of baklava so delicious, yet so light. It wasn't overwhelmingly rich or dense like some baklava is; it had the perfect ratio of phyllo layers to nut/honey mixture. I'll probably be back very soon just for the dessert alone! read more

This is my favorite restaurant in San Francisco--and I will try to be concise :). The flavors are amazing and unique and the food is of excellent quality (grass-fed and organic ingredients). I had never had muhammara (red pepper and walnut dip) before trying it at Kitchen Istanbul and now I am addicted and could eat the whole serving of it by the spoon. The roasted cauliflower is in my opinion the best dish, with the perfect, addicting balance of savory, sweet, acidity, and spice. I'm now on a mission to find the urfa pepper that makes their cauliflower so delicious (as well as the grilled lemon). I've tried brussels sprouts at numerous restaurants of different cuisines, but theirs stands apart in with their tender inside and crispy outside paired with the tasty garlicy side aioli. I don't like eggplant, but their chicken guvec entrée changed my mind; I savor the eggplant in their dish although I'd still be reluctant to have eggplant anywhere else. The feta cheese cigars with the honey and pistachios provided a delightful tasting experience. To sum, there is not a dish I've tried at Kitchen Istanbul that I haven't loved. The service is excellent; I have dined at Kitchen Istanbul and ordered take-out multiple times. The ambience is very pleasant. It's nice that when you order a bottle of wine, they provide a decanter. The first time I ordered to-go, I ordered a pot de crème (delicious!!). When I went to pick it up, the person who fulfilled my order said that no one had ordered pot de crème to-go before so it hadn't been prepared in a to-go container. I thought he could transfer it to a plastic container, but instead he kindly gave it to me in the ramekin because he didn't want to mess up the dessert! Embarrassingly, I did not return the ramekin for a long time because I kept forgetting to bring it with me when I visited Kitchen Istanbul, but when I did finally return it they were very nice. I haven't encountered any other restaurants who would give their plating away for the sake of the dish's integrity and customer's experience. If only I could eat their food every day my taste buds would be in heaven. It's a great place to take friends and family who are visiting to have something different and delicious in a nice atmosphere. read more

4 star for foods and 5 stars for service!! The service is most amazing! The waitress and the waiter tonight are both friendly, especially the waitress never stops smiling! Waiter cleared our plates in such a timely manner. :) We ordered falafel, cigar, beyti, and chicken skewer. All excellent! Chicken is very tender and fresh! Cigar is quite yummy. Beyti is just great! Although the foods are not stunning, they are good enough to please my taste bud! Will repeat! read more

Wow, what an amazing place! The restaurant is on a corner lot, so is light and airy with lots of windows and some outdoor seating along the street. The service was great and our waiter was friendly and accommodating. We decided to share a bunch of the Mezze plates and everything was fantastic. The feta cigars were a big surprise. They would have been tasty on their own, but came with a thin honey dipping sauce and crushed pistachios. Amazing! The lentil salad was light and flavorful and the falafels were perfectly cooked and not greasy at all. The Brussels sprouts were ok, but not my favorite. They were so cooked that they seemed unsubstantial and not much of the vegetable portion remained. The desserts were good. Baklava is always a winner and the honey glazed berries over whipped cream were tasty, too. The only downside was the price. Everything was very expensive. If the prices were a little more reasonable, I'd go with five stars. I would go back for the flavors and the service, but only for a special occasion. read more

Great vibe, good options for vegetarians 1. Fried Hallumi cheese - 5/5 2. Feta cigars with honey and pistachio - 5/5 3. Lentil soup - 3/5 (could use a little more spice) 4. Falafel wrap - 4/5 (some more dip would've been perfect since the wrap tends to be a bit dry) 5. Moussaka - 3/5 (Entree was flavorful, though heavy as the other reviewers have suggested) 6. Kunefe - 5/5 First time trying this. It was the perfect combination of mildly salty and sweet flavours read more

Not gonna lie. Didn't fancy myself a Turkish food lover. Still don't. But for this place, I will make an exception. Holy shit do they know what they're doing. They take such pride in their dishes, the service is humble, considerate, and easy to appreciate. The ambiance is great for a date or group dinner. And the food..I'd enjoy this meal behind a dumpster. Phenomenal. This is going to turn into one of my regular go to's. I can feel it.. read more

Went with a friend and we ordered and shared only vegetarian items. Everything was amazing, very fresh and prepared perfectly. We especially loved the black lentil bulgar salad. Also, we ordered a couple different wines "by the glass" and they were also excellent. Service was friendly and very good. Happy to have discovered this place and will definitely return! read more

I live close by and love coming to this spot. I haven't had any item I don't love so far. The appetizers are great for sharing- the zucchini fritters and meatballs are excellent. The prices are very reasonable. The atmosphere here is really lovely, all the waiters I've had have been very friendly, professional and great. I keep coming back! Great wine selection as well. read more

Perfect food - order the whole appetizer list and have a mouth party. Service is so warm and gracious, you'll want to tell your mom to go here. Book a window seat for a super romantic dinner for two. Buon gusto! read more

The food is quite unique and tasty! The best deal is definitely their happy hour menu in which the entrees present themselves like tapas. I personally like the zucchini fritters, dolumas with lamb, and Brussels sprout dishes the best! They take reservations and the employees are really sweet and helpful! The dishes are on the smaller quantity size but very flavorful. read more

Kitchen Istanbul - Left to right: falafel, Turkish coffee, and dolumas - Greek Near Me - San Francisco, California

Casually elegant Turkish food at a reasonable price. The chicken kabobs were enjoyable, as was the salad under them. Would like to try the shrimp and lamb next time. Best was the attentive, professional service. Nicely decorated. Near Green Apple Books. read more

Kitchen Istanbul - Nicely appointed - Greek Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I lived in SF for 12 years and after along absence came back for a visit. I had been checking out many of my old favorite restaurants while in town but Kitchen Istanbul's meal may be my favorite of the trip. We loved the roasted cauliflower, arugula salad, grilled halloumi cheese and the grilled salmon kebabs the best. The flavors of them all were so different but went together beautifully, we ate every morsel. But save room for dessert!! My favorite dish of the whole dinner was the kunefe, our eyeballs were rolling back in our heads it was so good. Everything was very fresh and flavorful, the atmosphere was classy yet casual and the service was friendly and attentive. It was truly a stellar meal throughout. read more

Amazing. I was reluctant to go to this place because i have had my fair share of Turkish food in Houston, but this was quite a treat. It's like traditional with a contemporary fusion. The food and atmosphere was awesome and the wine selection complimented the menu. Despite us hanging a little after closing, the staff was super nice and did not rush our experience. Our server was attentive and did a great job, from the appetizers (lentil soup ) to the dessert (my friend ordered some kind of chocolate mousse) we enjoyed the entire experience. I strongly suggest this restaurant if you are in San Fran and in the mood for something different. read more

Turkish food is my favorite. This place is worth checking out. Everything here is superb. I come here almost every weekend and everytime I come is like coming for the first time. The service is great and the place is very clean. Leyna the waitress was serving us with smile the whole time. We enjoyed the friendliness & grace of Nehot the manager. All my guests were super satisfied of their orders. read more

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