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    Lezzet-i Şark

    4.7 (17 reviews)
    ModerateTurkish, Kebab
    Open 8:30 am - 10:00 pm

    Lezzet-i Şark Photos

    LEZZET-I ŞARK ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Lezzet-i Şark

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    esther h.

    This is the only restaurant that we visited more than once during our stay in Istanbul. The lamb soup, beef soup, kebab, and the cheese dessert were all yummy! On our third day in Istanbul the weather took a sharp turn and it was cold rainy and stormy. The lamb soup really hit the spot. Beef soup and lamb soup actually share the same soup base just different type of meat. They serve leafy green (arugula), lemon wedges, and pita bread on the side. And they accept Apple Pay! Highly recommended!

    Delicious and hearty lamb soup!
    Jennifer H.

    This place is so great we came here twice during our trip to Istanbul! Our first time was for breakfast. We came early and didn't realize their full menu wasn't available yet. We got the lamb soup, which was so savory, rich, and thick. They provide bread and leafy greens as the perfect companions for the hearty soup. I'll have to say this soup was probably one of my favorite meals when visiting Istanbul. The second time we came here was for lunch the day we left Istanbul. I ordered the Urfa kebab, and my friend ordered the kunefe dessert. The kebab was delicious and had a spicy kick. Each time, the service was super fast and friendly. Highly recommend this place if you are close to the Spice Bazaar.

    12 TL for 4 of these yummy golden delights (Icli Kotfe)
    Ryan M.

    This place is located in the Spice market. I decided to stop in because i saw a picture of one of the things that i wanted to try while in Turkey; Icli Kofte, ground bulgar wheat stuffed with spiced meat and deep fried. Anything fried has to be good right? I didn't know how to pronounce it so i just pointed to the picture. there were 4 of them for 12 TL ($6 US) They looked delicious; crispy deep golden brown color shell. Inside was soft tender and packed with spices but not chili pepper hot. Very delicious and my favorite thing to eat on the whole trip. You can find them all over istanbul in sit down type restaurants not so much the bufe shops which are more like take out places. Rule of thumb for tipping, if its a sit down type place, and they give you bread with your meal then you should probably leave 10% (if they don't add the 5% service charge), if they add the 5% service charge then you don't need to tip. If they don't give you bread and its more of a finger food on the go type thing then no need either.

    Inside
    Bob M.

    What a find! Yes, a "Hole in the Wall" place outside the Egyptian Bazaar/Spice Market. It was Outstanding. We highly recommend the "Kunefe" a Cheese dessert covered with Pistachios that they are making at the front of this restaurant. Not to be missed. Everything here is Delicious

    Fresh Künefe with turkish tea.
    William L.

    Had their künefe with turkish tea. Oh so wonderful. It's all freshly made and eating here in the midst of the spice Bazaar busyness is one kind of experience!

    Sheep tongue and cheek soup, and an order of Icli kofte.

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    10 months ago

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    13 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Loved the food. Unlike the U.S. all their meat is always fresh and never frozen. Always cooked to perfection.

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    7 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    7 years ago

    The food was very good and service was fast. You have to try their dessert- the kunefe, it's a must!! My family and I loved it!

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    10 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    14 years ago

    Loved this joint. Funky, and very good, and friendly. Sweet folks too. Ask for their recommendations.

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    Lezzet-i Şark Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Lezzet-i Şark

    Beef soup and lamb soup actually share the same soup base just different type of meat.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Şehzade Cağ Kebap

    Şehzade Cağ Kebap

    4.4(92 reviews)
    0.6 kmHobyar, Hoca Paşa Mh.
    ₺₺

    On a culinary tour in Istanbul, Turkey with Culinary Backstreets and Milk Street. They guided us…read morethrough the markets, gave us historical highlights and fed us at all levels from fine dining, food stall and street vendors. All of the places have been vetted by our guides as they share a personal connection with the very friendly vendors. Sehzade Cag Kebap was hands down, the best lamb kabobs I've ever had. The staff here are rock stars, smiling, engaging with patrons and welcoming everyone to stick your head into the kitchen and view the succulent wheel of lamb meat. Your sense heighten as you sit and get ready to eat one of the best lamb dishes I've ever had. This feeling was shared with several members of our tour. Language could of been an issue here, but the smiling and friendly staff watched intensely as we inhaled their delicious entree. Their condiments were onions, red pepper paste, pomegranate molasses, tomatoes and plenty of homemade bread. They allow the star, "savory lamb meat" to be featured and not be buried by the accutramonts. It is a truely stunning dish and voted #9 in the world for best kabob. If you are in the market of the Old City, please look up Sehzade Cag Kebap, your taste buds will thank you. To the amazing team, excited about their talented skills, thank you for this incredible meal. Great quality food, we will return!

    You know a restaurant is good when their menu is simple and they only specialize in one thing- cag…read morekebab. We came on a weekday evening for dinner and found a line already forming around 6PM. Despite the crowd, there was a quick turnaround, and we were able to get seated quickly after only 10 minutes of waiting. We ordered the cag kebab wrap, soup of the day (lentil soup), and a side of salad. The kebab was nicely seasoned, with each bite delivering a rich, savory flavor. I also loved all the Turkish lentil soups and this one was no exception- it's tangy, savory and extremely comforting to drink on a cold night.

    Photos
    Şehzade Cağ Kebap - The kebab spit.

    The kebab spit.

    Şehzade Cağ Kebap - Cag Kebab

    Cag Kebab

    Şehzade Cağ Kebap

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    Sultan Mehmet - Lady making fresh pies and bread

    Sultan Mehmet

    3.8(9 reviews)
    1.2 kmAlemdar, Cankurtaran Mh., Cankurtaran
    ₺₺

    We were looking around in the area (close to the Sultanahmet Square) for a restaurant to dine at…read more There's plenty on this street, we checked out menu-s and prices and we settled on Sultan Mehmet because of their menu - specialized in traditional Turkish food, smaller menu - not a hodgepodge podge of pasta, chicken schnitzel and local dishes. Prices are more reasonable, the decor is cute, modern, with a traditional take. It does help to see the lady making pies and baking pita bread from the outside window and a prep bar full of fresh ingredients- meats prepared for kebabs, fresh vegetables and mezze-s. It was never crowded, but they had just enough customers around to have a lively atmosphere. We sat at a lower table where you can sit on pillows on the floor for a genuine experience. We didn't know we had to take our shoes off upon entering the area and got a tad scolded, we weren't trying to be disrespectful. After a day of walking and exploring it was nice to take them off and sit comfortably on pillows. Staff is nice, some speak English, I also learnt a few basic words and expressions and it helped communication. We got fresh squeezed Pomegranate juice (they don't serve alcohol here), shared a mixed filling pie (minced beef, spinach, feta cheese) which was warm, delicious, made on the spot by the lady and also shared a beef kebab portion. Plenty of food, fresh, full of flavors, nicely cooked. We finished with a traditional Apple tea inspired by our French next table neighbors. We enjoyed the restaurant, the food, the comfort, the coziness so much that we came here for dinner the next 2 nights - don't laugh! We were eager to try other dishes we notices people around us ordered. Also it was close enough to our hotel. Next night we got their mezze-s - you have to try the platter, even veggies you might not like/love on the platter you will finish, they taste so good, nicely marinated and infused with various herbs. Don't love mushrooms, but how they prepared them, with dill on top, they were amazing! We got a bit swindled in getting the big Kofta kebab platter, but boy it was sooo good, that we ended up finish it since we shared everything! They also got us some fresh pita bread just made by the lady next to us! We tried their mixed juice of fresh squeezed orange and pomegranate, pretty good! Our third was had a simpler menu - feta cheese pie and chicken kebab, smaller portion. We liked the waiter we had that nice the best, nice, chatty, he recommended us a Turkish soda which was fun to try, their version of Sprite. Service is not fast, but attentive and we wanted a slower pace to take it all in. They accept credit cards as well! Nice atmosphere, fresh traditional food, great respite after a day of exploring. It was nice to sit on the comfy pillows, watch the street life, the food they were making, neighbor people from various countries, all in for the Turkish dinner experience!

    They messed up our order about 4 times, bringing out completely different things that we never…read moreordered. First off, we sat for 20 minutes before anyone came up to us and we ordered 2 plates of urfa (no spicy) kebabs and a chicken shish kebab all of them with normal rice (the only one who really spoke English said they had rice but it would take about 10 minutes to make which we agreed to). The first round of dishes they brought to us was an urfa kebab and chicken wings; 1 right : 1 wrong. 10 minutes later the brought us 2 plates of kebab and we took what they told us was an urfa kebab, it was not but we kept it anyways because it didn't matter; 1 right : 3 wrong. Finally, after a total of us sitting there for over 40 minutes, our final and correct dish came. The overall service was very slow and very disorganized. We had to repeat our order multiple times to the guy who could speak English. The food was good but the overall service doesn't make it worth it since we spent an hour and a half at this place. A thing to note to anyone who wants to visit because of the floor tables, don't. We went during the summer when it was pretty hot and in order to sit at the floor tables you have to take your shoes off so after a while the place starts to smell of feet. Overall, if I ever went back to Turkey I would skip this place in favor for something else nearby. Okay food but bad service and a not so pleasant foot smell.

    Photos
    Sultan Mehmet - Inside

    Inside

    Sultan Mehmet - Prep bar

    Prep bar

    Sultan Mehmet - Apple tea, great!

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    Apple tea, great!

    Dürümzade - Delicious Adana Kebab. Moist and flavorful meat with a crispy wrap.

    Dürümzade

    4.6(128 reviews)
    2.1 kmKamer Hatun, Hüseyinağa Mh., Kalyoncu Kulluk, Beyoğlu

    One of our favorite meals in Istanbul. The meat was so juicy and flavorful in both the spicy adana…read moreand the chicken. And mixed perfectly with the onions, tomatoes, and cilantro. A wrap is not too large; most of us ordered seconds. Prices were als9 fantastic. Limited indoor and outdoor seating, but we were able to be seated easily Wednesday evening.

    Mega hyped because of the Anthony Bourdain connection. I've been in Istanbul for over a month, and…read moreevery time I have visited the place has been completely packed with tourists. Many of the reviews mention the good service, but my experience has been a little different. The main guy who greets and helps everyone when they arrive seems completely over the whole thing. I can understand why, though. They still have an enormous amount of tourist business because of the Bourdain connection, and people seem to come here almost as a pilgrimage. I'm staying nearby and have visited several times because of all the hype, and the experience has been pretty much the same every time. The person in charge does not seem particularly concerned about whether you wait to order or not. If it is the afternoon, he will sometimes toss you a menu, walk away, and mumble something about waiting for a table. One time, I arrived about 15 minutes before closing and noticed that there was a table available. I was told they were closing soon and that the last orders, with about 10 kebabs already cooking on the grill, were for someone else. That was basically it. No option was offered to take anything to go either. There is certainly nothing wrong with closing when you are ready to close, but after becoming accustomed to the incredibly friendly and welcoming service at so many local kebab restaurants in Istanbul, the lack of enthusiasm here was surprising. In a strange way, it is almost refreshing. They seem to have so much business that they really could not care less whether you eat there or not. The food itself is very good, but honestly, it isn't significantly better than some of the other places nearby. There are several restaurants in the area serving fantastic Adana kebab, with more seating and much warmer service. Overall, glad I tried it because of the Bourdain connection, but for me, the hype is much bigger than the experience.

    Photos
    Dürümzade
    Dürümzade
    Dürümzade - The Durumzade best Food in Istanbul cooked over coals.

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    The Durumzade best Food in Istanbul cooked over coals.

    Lezzet-i Şark - turkish - Updated September 2026

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