I LOVE this spot. The views, the food, the service, the music .. I love it!…read more This is where I was first introduced to adjika, a tasty pepper sauce that is served with their table bread, which is also delicious. I had to grab some at a local market. I highly recommend the chicken kabobs, juicy and well seasoned. Also enjoyed the margaritas, stiff and not overly sweet. Staff is pleasant and attentive. The views are unmatched in the evening. Make your reservation in advance to secure your sunset table. The inside is nice and classy but I simply adore the open air views from the roof. The birds really set off the skyline and you can see several of the mosques around. Not SUPER expensive but it is in the higher end price wise compared to their surrounding competition -- 100% worth it in my book. I will definitely go again on my next visit. Glad I could introduce it to a friend this go round. The only thing I disliked about this place is the "dining dome" as I called it. A portion of the roof now offers seating in a large plastic dome. The dome is scratched up and obstructs the view of the city but does protect diners from the wind. I was not a fan of this dome. I'm sure it's something someone saw on the internet and implemented .. I hope they get rid of it, it's super unnecessary. Otherwise -- LOVE!

Beautiful views, nice restaurant, huge menu. Had some really good mezze and shared the turkish…read moreravioli that we hadn't seen elsewhere and were like dim sum. The views, food, and service make for an unforgettable experience.

Best chill spot in Istanbul with great shisha, ambience and service!! Make sure to say hello to…read moreErhan. He is the heart and soul of the place!

This place is fucking amazing. It was a quiet summer afternoon and after doing all of the touristy…read morenecessities, my girl and I were looking for a place to wind down and chill with some hookah and bevs. This place is relatively nearby the touristy stuff, which is convenient. We had just finished circling around the grand bazaar about 1500 times and this place was a mere 5-10 min walk. The decor is really funky and unique. There's an indoor portion and an outdoor portion, mostly situated in a balcony-like structure. There are very colorful cushions and equally colorful tables to match the surrounding adornment. Service was amazing. We were seated immediately and started on drinks and hookah in no time. Our server came and checked on us frequently but not frequently enough to make it annoying. This place was perfect for insta snaps and we took quite a few of them. Thankfully, our garb was unintentionally flamboyant and we fit right in. The drinks were good, both from the eclectic cocktail menu as well as the classics like screw drivers. We dipped our toe into quite a few different drink categories that night because the service was good and the hookah was kept fresh. We stayed there long enough to become hungry and ordered the meze sampler. I don't remember details besides this being very good. By the end of our evening our crisp and fresh insta photos became rachit and grungy snap stories by the end of the night. The hospitality was overt, they didn't mind us literally taking up residence basically for about 6 hours and offered us blankets once the weather became chilly and rainy. Long story short this place is a must visit on a trip to istanbul

Thank you, Yelp, for steering two jet-lagged tourists to House of Medusa for dinner after a long…read moreday of travel. Our hotel was near the Basilica Cistern, so this restaurant was close as well, and easy to find. Yelpers had raved about the Stewed Chicken with Almonds and Cream and they were NOT incorrect -- it is DELICIOUS! Finally had to stop eating because I was full -- but that sauce makes you want to just keep eating and eating! We also got the Meatballs Stuffed with Bulgur, and a Shepherd's Salad dressed with pomegranite juice. Service was friendly, and the ambience cozy. Hope you'll give it a try when visiting Istanbul!

Outdoor patio with soft bossa nova playing in the background. Spotty wifi, which would kill it for…read moreme if i were doing some heavy duty tourist research. I ordered a beer (of course), and an open faced sandwich which came with fries. I was pleasantly surprised with that addition. Eat quickly before the cold air cools your food down. I was full, but left feeling that the meal was overpriced. Of course it's so close to all the attractions, but so was the cafe I went to down the street last night and I felt like I got some legit Turkish food there for a great deal. The service here doesn't compel me to come back either...if you do find yourself at Medusa, it's not so bad. But it's not great either.

I came with a tour group and the menu was set for us, so that may have made it different from the…read moreregular experience. But wow, was it wonderful! Everything was so flavorful and satisfying. High marks for the lentil soup and the lamb and chicken kebab. And the baklava was just dreamy. Just fantastic!

This place it's a little hard to find but trust me it's worth it. It's truly a hidden gem. It's…read morelocated at the on of the ends of the Artesanal Market outside the Blue Mosque. Staff is very attentive and helpful with recommendations. The food it's truly the most authentic I was able to find in a touristy place. it's really tasty and fresh. They have outdoor sitting area is nice. Their desserts are amazing. At first looks like a small place but it quite big.

If you ever visit Istanbul , you must visit reina which has different restaurants inside and…read morebecomes a night club at midnight. Amazing view , right on Bosphorus. And make sure that you choose blue topaz for amazing mezes and delicious seafood.

Excellent view of the water and bridge, upscale, food is great, ambient is fantastic! There are…read moreusually two seatings, one at 7:30-10:00pm, the other the after 10:00pm. People dress up for this place, good looking people around, there are groups as well as romantic partners. The appetizers are well presented and taste delicious, the grilled sea bass is perfect! The lightings and decorations are great, a lovely dock you can view the bridge and the lights of the bridge. Overall, it's a great experience of the evening going to the night...

After finishing an incredible experience at the attached hammam, we had a wonderful dinner at the…read morerestaurant- ambiance was romantic and upscale, waitstaff was friendly and helpful, and the food was amazing and delicious! Portions are just right and cooked to perfection! We were even amuse bouched and comped dessert with another course midway through added for free. Very talented chef- lamb dinner was cooked to perfection and really wanted to lick the mushroom gravy off the plate when no one was looking lol. The little pistachio tartlets for dessert were divine. Wine was reasonably priced. Definitely stop by when in Istanbul!

I made a reservation for dinner at 8PM at Lokanta 1741 to celebrate my fiancé's birthday a little…read moreearly during his last night in Istanbul. Located adjacent to a well known hamam called Cağaloğlu, this restaurant is very well centered near Sultanahmet and has a very fancy/nice/historic feel. The space feels so open, rustic, and romantic, with many candles, lights, wooden elements, and greenery. This is probably one of the most beautiful restaurants I've ever been to. There is a garden area downstairs which has some skylights on the ceiling so you get lots of natural light-- it feels quiet and intimate. The upper level is the patio which is open to the air, and is nestled in the middle of large rock buildings which transport you back in time. This restaurant doesn't need a grandiose view of the Istanbul skyline since the space is already so beautiful! Our waiter was incredibly nice and attentive to our table. He offered us a menu of cocktails and then let us know there is a wine cellar we could visit so that someone there could help us pick a wine which I had not yet seen at a restaurant before. We opted to get a white Turkish wine for the table which was delicious. They offer a tasting menu that is similar to US prices that looked abundant but we chose to order just a few dishes a la carte to suit our appetite level. We tried: - Amuse bouche: they started us off with delicious crackers with cheese and fig jam, paired with a tangy and salty olive soup. Very unique but delicious combo! - Pistachio- cheese spread "Cunda": delicious! Creamy, nutty, with a subtle aged flavor from some type of cheese that was delicious. It had a nice texture from some crispy garlic bread crumble on top. Super good. Does not come with bread so you might have to order on the side. - Bakalyaro ceviche: amazing! I have high standards for ceviche but the flavor for this was insane. There may have been a little hint of coconut there, also the creaminess of the labne was amazing. Very high quality fish but I'm a bigger fan of larger cut pieces for ceviche, this was more like a tartare. - Moutabal: I think my favorite of the apps: smoky, creamy, rich eggplant dip. They plated it inside a roasted eggplant which was beautiful and also delicious. Best eggplant dip I had during this trip! Again, no bread included so you can order on the side. - Palate cleanser: we were surprised but they brought out a strawberry sorbet as a palate cleanser. Mildly sweet, refreshing, perfect. Really helped reset us for the next course. - One side grilled sea bass: generous portion size, and extremely well cooked! The bass had a crispy crust that made noise even when cutting through it with a knife. Very tender and flavorful flesh. Came in a mashed potato "soup" that was a nice addition to make the dish more substantial. - Kakavya fish stew: amazing flavor! I am not sure how they cook this but it had acidic elements from the tomato, sweetness from caramelized onions, and an umami/smoky/ briny flavor from the verjuice. Looks small but it's very rich and filling. The fish is tender and tastes fresh. - Beef cheeks: tender beef cheeks in a bed of mashed potatoes. Very complex spices! This was good but not my favorite dish although my fiancé loved it. - Desserts: we tried 3 of them and all were a hit! The crispy pastry with pistachio was a table favorite since it was nutty, creamy and only subtly sweet. The chocolate Markiz was crispy but had creamy ganache on top and had a very nice chocolate flavor. My personal favorite was the tahini tart since it was perfectly sweet, creamy, had nutty hints of sesame, and came with lemon ice cream! At the end of the meal, the women at the table got a gift bag with some products from the hamam which I thought was very intelligent marketing. This is definitely a pricier meal in Istanbul. You can truly get amazing food in many other places in the city at a more reasonable price but I think the service here and the ambiance are top notch and justify the price for a more special occasion. We loved every dish and can understand why this is on the Michelin guide. We hung out at the restaurant until around 11pm and no one tried to kick us out. I appreciated the excellent service and the uniquely magical ambiance! Highly recommend for a special celebration.

You really need to dine here if you're in the old city. It is very small; so make a reservation…read more It is a family owned restaurant with the dining room on the middle floor of their house. All the food is home cooked by the owner, who is an artist. She has decorated the room with her art and even made the furniture. The food is amazing! You'd better love cats and dogs because they are part of the experience. Our best dining experience so far in Istanbul.

This was the highlight of my trip to Istanbul. Being served homemade food by the amazing chef and…read morecafe owner off a handwritten menu--whatever she made that day--surrounded by art and rescue animals....do not miss out!!

First of all I want to thank Arif, Vittorio, and Aziz for making myself and my fiancé feel so…read morewelcomed and for being the greatest Turks we have met on our trip. The food at dafne was outstanding. When Arif came up to us when we were walking down the street, he had told us if it was great but not very great, it would be free. Well it was VERY GREAT. From the lentil to the kofte. Everything had such an amazing flavor. I never have tasted such tender and flavorful chicken kabob before. There was not one thing we had that wasn't good. We went there 6 times in 3 days. The service was top notch. When we were just walking by after a long day of site seeing, we would stop by and say hello, and they would always invite us in for tea. Just an amazing experience. Would recommend to anyone traveling to this part of Istanbul. Well sure be back next year. Defne Herkese çok teşekkür ederim!

After telling the owner about my recent engagement to my fiance, he promised us great food and…read moresurprises. Well we met halfway. The Turkish cuisine was tender and savory, but we couldn't have been more ignored than a pair of lepers on the street. Only until the end of the meal were we first asked by the server how it tasted. And the owner made rounds and grand gestures to everyone around-- but not us. At one point the restaurant invited a trio of musicians to entertain all customers, but it was so tacky when they went around asking for tips upon leaving. After we coyly asked the owner where these mysterious 'surprises' were did he have two drinks delivered to us on the house. This place would have gotten a higher rating without the empty promises; so would I come again? Defne-tly not!