Kosem is probably my favorite restaurant in all of Turkey. Stumbled in here on what has got to be…read moreone of the happiest accidents of my life. The service is great and the food is better. I ate there twice during my stay in Istanbul and desperately wish I could go back for 100 return visits. Both times I went to Kosem, I ordered lamb pita. It's exceptionally fresh tasting and isn't heavy at all. On my second trip, a friend and I shared the pita along with grilled chicken. The chicken was delectable. I'll be spending the next couple of decades attempting to replicate the seasoning they used. I also ordered a bowl of lentil soup that I loved. Kosem is really, really awesome and also VERY cheap. If you're at the Grand Bazaar it's worth your time to walk the couple of extra blocks and check it out. You won't be sorry!

It's surely a place for locals and I didn't get to try what I really wanted. But the soup was damn…read moregood and the people inside looked like they have been doing this for a long time. Wish I could have tried the pizza from the bad ass looking fire oven you had.

I did a walking tour of Istanbul. Lunch was included. We stopped at Semazen…read more There was so much to see that I didn't check in on Yelp at many restaurants. Through some investigation, I figured out the name of this restaurant. We all were looking forward to resting our feet and having lunch. I ordered the kofte lunch, with fries, rice, and veggies. I also got Turkish tea. Our meals came with desserts. The kofte was tasty and perfect. I wish that there were more fries and veggies. Otherwise, the meal was yummy. I fell in love with Turkish tea in Istanbul. The tea was perfect. The sweets were yummy, too. It wasn't overly sweet. The washrooms are upstairs. This restaurant may not be the best for folks who require accessibility access. The various glass lamps hanging from the ceiling are beautiful. I'm glad that we stopped here for lunch. I had a great time. (103)

I don't think yelp is as widely used in Turkey as it is in the US, so finding reviews on Yelp has…read morebeen a little challenging :) ... This was our first meal in Istanbul and it did not disappoint. We got the mixed platter, testi kebab and a side of yogurt dip (delicious!). Testi kebab : lots of showmanship, ok flavor, I'd skip it unless you want a cool video. Mixed platter : chicken (kebabs and wings) were very nicely seasoned and had good char. I recommend getting those. The beef in Turkey in general has a weird funk that I did not care for so I was keen on getting anything with beef all that much. What really struck me was how good the lamb was. No funky smell, wonderful char and well seasoned (just good amount of salt, nothing complicated). I could polish off as entire plate of those lamb chops myself.

It was a week into the Turkey trip before we found this little gem. I was sorta tired of the…read moremeatball, hummus, yogurt offerings that we were seeing - but we WERE in Sulthanamet, so that is to be expected. Antiochland is in Fatih - This place doesn't seem to be "on the map" yet. I can't figure out why. It's got GREAT food and AWESOME service. You can get traditional Turkish cuisine, as well as a ton of Mediterranean dishes. We opted for pasta dishes that were VERY well prepared. The cheese plate here was what made me come back for more (we ate there twice while in Istanbul). The ambiance is very intimate. There are a few small tables that line the sidewalk outside (where we chose to sit) and the atmosphere was great. It's on a quiet street with beautiful views down toward Sulthanamet. It was very relaxing. Inside, there are a handful of tables - mostly set as two tops, but they can accomodate larger parties (that we witnessed) very well. The service was superb. The gentleman who waited on us the first night was very kind and gave good suggestions on the menu items (even said "you might like this instead..." when I chose something - I have a lot of respect for wait staff when they do that). he didn't rush us and was there when we needed ANYthing. The second night, he pulled our table from the guy who initially sat us because he didn't see us come in. I was glad for that. The only thing that keeps them outta the 5-Star category is the desserts. Lots of room for improvement here. Wonderful dinner, wonderful atmosphere, fairly priced.

Very delicious chicken kabobs! Such good meat and good fun experience overall. Our server was…read morefun, amusing and super helpful! What a great experience with a dinner in the old city

After shopping for hours around the bazaar, my boyfriend and I were ready to get off our feet and…read morehave some dinner. We saw Hamdi Kofte and decided to go in. We were greeted by a gentleman who recommended that we go upstairs. He said that we'd get a better view of the area as we dined. We sat down and decided on what we wanted to eat. I went with kofte and meatballs, with veggies and rice. The meat was tender and flavourful in both the kofte and meatballs. A student intern that I worked with years ago recommended that I get the meatballs. I am so glad that I did. It was excellent Turkish food. If you are in the area and want to take photos of the beautiful skyline along with eating delicious food, come here. (110)

Excellent service! Excellent food! One of the shop owners inside the Spice Bazaar recommended Hamdi…read moreto my boyfriend and I and I had heard about before, so this reinforced to me that it was a restaurant we should try! Then, later on we took a guided tour and our guide recommended Hamdi as well, so it's known for being a good place (even if there are tourists). We went for two kebabs: the pistachio kebab for me and the yogurt kebab for the boyfriend. We also tried the fried meatball and the "Turkish pizza." The meatball was delicious, but the pizza was skippable for me. The yogurt kebab was amazingly tasty. The combination of tangy yogurt with warm meat is usually a success and this was a great embodiment. My pistachio kebab was interesting, but I didn't love it. It was beautiful because of the bright green pistachios, but I found it to be a bit dry. Although, it's worth a try since it's a more unique offering. Service was friendly and spoke English. Also, they have great views of the Bosphorus from the top floor, or it's always nice to dine outside.

This place was a little tough to find. We wandered around the bazaar until we realized the entrance…read moreis tucked away to the left right after security at one of the entrances. We stopped by on a Saturday morning and were seated immediately. The food was pretty good. Expensive by Turkish standards but very reasonable by American standards. The bread basket they gave us was huge. Atmosphere was classy and more upscale but it is a Michelin bib gourmand restaurant after all.

Must visit.. cool tiles. But eat elsewhere. Food is overrated and the service is very poor. Very…read moreexpensive.

We went to Istanbul a few weeks ago. We stumbled upon this restaurant, a few steps from our hotel…read morein the Sultanahmet district. The food didn't disappoint. My family had lamb kebabs, meze platter and I had grilled fish. Everything we had was delicious. We enjoyed dipping our warm pita bread with the different things on the meze platter---baba ganoush, hummus, yogurt, etc. The fish was fresh and good with a sprinkling of lemon. We sat outdoors which was perfect---cool and great for people watching. Service is quick, friendly and engaging. There's like mini fire shows going on at other tables. It was a great start to our Istanbul vacation.

So, we picked this restaurant mainly because it was right next to our hotel…read more Overall, it was pretty nice-nothing too surprising, but we weren't disappointed. The hosts were super warm and welcoming, and the atmosphere was cozy. The food was decent-just okay, not amazing or anything, but totally reasonable. l'd probably give it around a 3.5 out of 5, not quite a 4, but definitely not a bad spot!

Amazingly delicious. No scamming on the prices. They are clearly marked…read more Only thing is they will charge a cover charge for dine in, as most places in Europe. But the food is good. The different kinds of appys were fresh and authentic. Humus was excellent. Service quick and efficient. Servers Took the time to explain the menu. Place very rustic and filled with history. They have a loyal following. Locals eat there too. Prices may be little higher than some Places, but presentation can't be beat. Cheers! Happy eating!

Delicious and authentic food at this small restaurant. The service is amazing as well, great…read morepeople. Reasonable prices. Highly recommend!

Olive is an amazing restaurant. The first thing that stood out to me was the views. There's a great…read moreview of the city as well as some of the beautiful masjids of Istanbul. I appreciated the level of hospitality and kindness we received from our server. He took the time to figure out which items my mom and I could have since we avoid gluten due to celiac disease. He even went back to the kitchen to ensure that they would avoid cross contamination. The food was amazing. I'd recommend trying as many meats and desserts as you can. I loved the kebabs. The vegetables and pickles that came with the kebabs were a great addition. Turkish sweets are delicious so I definitely enjoyed the desserts we had as well. I'd 100% recommend visiting checking out Olive if you want to try some very nicely prepared Turkish cuisine.

Loved the food, service and the views from this place. Best of all conveniently located.read more