This place was AMAZING. After a very long chill and drink sesh at another establishment in the area, bae and I were hungry and tryna chow down on some turkish grub. This place was in the vicinity and decent according to trip advisor AND open late. The restaurant is gigantic. I'm not an expert on average restaurant sizes in Turkey but this is one of the biggest restaurants I've ever seen. It has like 5 levels and is decorated impeccably. Impeccable as a synonym for weird. We were kindly seated in this, I'm not joking, like library on the roof. I literally took panoramic snapchats with the caption "this is literally where we are eating dinner". We sat on the couch in the library and the food was placed on a coffee-table like structure in front of us. We went with hookah of course, because 6 hours of hookah prior to our arrival was clearly inadequate. The staff were impressively attentive to our coals and came to check up on them every 30 min or so. If you know us, it won't be surprising that we literally ordered the entire menu. We got boreka-like spinach and cheese SPRING ROLLS (wtf?), spinach and cheese pastry thing, hummus (OBVIOUSLY), zucchini fritters, meat-ravioli in a cream sauce, and pita bread (OBVIOUSLY). Everything was absolutely spectacular. We ate way more food than is probably recommended for health/safety reasons but it was worth it. The staff was absolutely incredible with how much attention they gave us. Because we were off in a colony on mars practically, we had no idea that the restaurant had pretty much closed down in the floors below. This abruptly came to my attention when I drunkenly attempted to search for the bathroom. Our waiter additionally went out of his way to flag our cab down on our way out. Amazing hospitality in this place. Anyways, this was honestly one of my best experiences in a restaurant to date. Highly recommend. read more

Good food and service. On the pricier side. Great outdoor ambiance. Make sure to poke your head inside to see all of the lights. It's super cute inside. read more

I can't recommend this restaurant more! The atmosphere is like walking into a Turkish living room. The ceiling is covered in hundreds of Turkish lights, the floor is lined with Turkish carpets, the walls have beautiful calligraphy, and the seating is adorned with palace-like chairs. It feels like you are in a special home and the employees are immediately like family. It is quite big inside with nooks to enjoy a meal or a nice Turkish apple tea or coffee. The food was amazing with clay pot dishes they bring out in a fire and break apart in front of you. Then there is an upstairs garden area with a nook with books lining the walls perfect for smoking shisha. Good food. Great atmosphere. And a wonderful jump into Turkish culture. Put this in your list of restaurants. read more

Such an amazing, filling dinner for under $14 U.S.! Came here after reading the sparse reviews on Yelp and was nevertheless enticed by the pretty lamps and decided to give it a try. I ordered the Turkish meatballs and it came covered in a thin dressing of yoghurt, with sides of fries, rice, salad, and some thin pita bread stuff. That was 26 TL. The beer, a necessity after a long flight, was 10 TL. I had to wait awhile for dinner because there was a big party, but the guy was very nice and kept checking up on me and reassuring me that my food was on its way. I didn't mind much because I wasn't that hungry and I was taking advantage of their free wifi. The place is very close by the main tourist attractions but the price is anything but touristy. Together with the ambiance, the food (and beer heheh) made a great welcome dinner. read more

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Truly enjoyed the freshly made food. We ordered the meatball plate and a Turkish style pizza. Both were super delicious. The owner and waiter were both super friendly and attentive. Sitting outside was enjoyable even though the local cats kept wanting food! read more

In the 1990s I used to stay at the hotel associated with this restaurant, and on my recent visit to the city I found I could not remember its name, so I ended up staying elsewhere nearby, and made a point when I got to town to look for the place. It's no longer owned by the same owners, but the new people have maintained the look, feel and--best of all, judging by the meal we had on our last night in town--the quality of the service and food. The restaurant has cosy and quirky seating on the inside--it's festooned with charming Ottoman-era lamps and antique furniture--as well as comfortable street seating. Everything we ordered--babaganoush, "spicy meze" and herbed yogurt as meze, and spinach pide and a kebab with yogurt, tomatoes and chilliest--was delicious, and among the best meals we had in Turkey. And for us a great additional plus--they have beer and other alcoholic beverages on offer. Pricing is fair for the area, too. A good choice! read more

The food was good and atmosphere was nice. They have an outdoor patio area which is nice and secluded. Prices were a bit more than expected (didn't realize it was part of the hotel so it's priced as you would expect at a hotel restaurant) read more

Amazing food and EXCELLENT staff! Had the mixed grill for 2 and mixed meze platter. Perfect portions for 3 people! Also lots of fun being able to watch the World cup from right outside the cafe while eating :) read more

Kybele Cafe & Restaurant - Cafes Near Me - Istanbul, 34

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Having worked up a hunger approaching ravenousness after touring the city, my friend and I happened upon this hovel cum tea house cafe. Inside, we sat in the anteroom that was cooled by the breeze from the open front doors. Further inside the cafe, stuffed to brimming with chintz chairs and vintage tables, the lamps covering the ceiling heated the tiny place to a veritable swelter. It was quite the little labyrinth however, and we enjoyed taking pictures inside while waiting for our orders. The menu includes a wide array of meat and vegetarian options, as well as pressed juices. Bread is delivered upon ordering drinks that reminds me of the chewy crusty bread my grandmother would buy at the deli in her small Greek community. Completely irresistible. Our soft spoken and helpful waiter brought our plates, and I am hard pressed to remember any coherent thoughts that ensued post-dig in. It was that good. If you find yourself wandering Sultanahmet, hungry and a little weary of catcalls, stop in this lovely little hole in the wall. You won't forget it. read more

This place had amazing vegan options for me & perfectly good food for my partner. The gentleman who convinced us to come in & sit down was so kind - the service was great, the food was great. The decor is fantastic (lamps, cameras, old things in general). I loved everything about this restaurant, we went back again before leaving. I recommend it to everyone traveling to Istanbul. read more

Kybele Cafe & Restaurant - Cafes Near Me - Istanbul, 34

I found this place while walking to the blue Mosque and was intrigued by the pretty colourful lamps. I ordered the spicy meze (which is a spicy tomato dish) and the Turkish meatballs with yogurt. The spicy meze was pretty good however not my style of flavours that I like- but I think that's a personal opinion. The Turkish meatballs with yogurt were really nice. I loved the yogurt on top and dipped the rice and fries in the yogurt. The meatballs were fine however I wish they had more flavour. I'm not an expert in Turkish cuisine but I did enjoy my meal and would eat here again although it wasn't the best meal of my life. The servers were really nice and the one guy speaks English. They have the menus in Turkish and English. And the inside is very charming! Overall I would rate this place a 3.5. read more

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A very nice place. Definitely should be on your list if you are visiting Istanbul. The place is colorful and vibrant! It is very cozy. The baklava is good and the tea is a must. When I was there (late summer) it was not crowded. I would say this place is a hidden gem. The staff is kind of out of it, not very attentive, but they were nice. read more

Kybele Cafe & Restaurant - Cafes Near Me - Istanbul, 34

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We very much enjoyed our meal at the Kybele Cafe -- the food and atmosphere were both amazing. Sit outside in the front or in their terrace. I would definitely revisit next time we are in Istanbul. We had the Honey Chicken Steak and the Chicken Sac Tava - as well as an appetizer, drinks and the dessert sampler. Everything tasted amazing and was under $25 per person! read more

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Went here for lunch and my lunch was the best I've had in Istanbul. My daughter and I shared the excellent hummus and then I had the seafood pastry. Outstanding! My daughter had the club sandwich which was very good. We absolutely loved the atmosphere and location. The service was good and the prices were very reasonable! read more

Kybele Cafe & Restaurant - Yummy hummus - Cafes Near Me - Istanbul, 34

The red walls, the vintage furniture and especially the oriental lamps hanging everywhere from the ceiling make this place something special. Sit down on one of the puffy armchairs or sofas, order a glass of tea, relax and unwind. Should the weather be good - which is quite likely in a city like Istanbul - you should also pay a visit to the small colorful roof terrace. We have just been there during early spring when it was raining. So sitting outside was not really an option. But it has to be a great place for a warm summer night for having a drink or two. read more