A really nice little sandwich shop! I am so happy this opened in Nisantasi. Outdoor seating is a…read moreplus! We talked with the owner who worked in Belgium which explains her thoughtful sandwiches and delicious desserts!

When you're walking around the water in Istanbul, you will be inundated with fish sandwich stalls…read more But which one to go to? It can seem so difficult to choose. Our suggestion? Navigate over the bridge (past the fish stands on the boats), past the fish market where the path then begins to lead to a series of restaurants and small stands, the latter of which were all selling what appeared to be identical fish sandwiches. We walked the entire length, carefully scrutinising each vendor before recognizing the correct stand. While every fish sandwich purveyor may seem to be serving what looks like identical products, Emin Usta's stand was the only one with a line. Along with this line comes Emin, a hulking beast of a man whose singular mission in life appears to be making the most amazing fish sandwich in all of Istanbul. Whereas we observed other vendors haphazardly throwing together a sandwich in under 15 seconds, Emin's attention to detail and pursuit of perfection carries his sandwich to heights others can only hope to attain. In his massive palms a pair of ordinary kitchen tongs transforms into culinary tweezers, which he wields with the precision of a surgeon, ever so delicately plucking each and every minute bone from the thin fillets. This attention to detail is the foundation upon which a remarkable sandwich is built. However, as you might expect, perfection like this comes at a price: if you are in a hurry, this is not the fish sandwich for you. Whether there are 3 or 30 people in his line, Emin remains at an even keel, completely unswayed as he churns out a sandwich or two every 5 minutes. He may also stop for a cigarette in between. While we were patiently waiting our turn to place our order, the gentleman in front noticed us as tourists and explained that he works nearby and that Emin Usta's fish sandwiches are legendary, as they are well-known to be the best among a sea of imitators. He did also give us a one recommendation for ordering: go with a wrap instead of on a roll, which we readily obliged. The end result? This was an incredibly delicious wrap. The fillet of fish was fresh and perfectly grilled, still flaky and moist without the slightest hint of being overcooked. The veggies added crunch and texture while the quick squeeze of lemon brightened everything up. Then, a drizzle of pomegranate syrup, secret sauce and a sprinkle from an unlabeled jar of Turkish spices brought all the flavors together - salty, spicy, sour and sweet. Plus, a bit of time on the grill after everything was put together meant the wrap had a bit of crispiness as well as a bit of smokiness. (TRY 9 = $3.50) When we had been on the other side of Galata Bridge, there were a couple of floating boats churning out fish sandwiches that were incredibly full of tourists (and maybe locals). After having Emin Usta's fish sandwich, we both agreed there was no way they would have been as good. He doesn't work the grill all the time (he has an assistant that works sometimes), so just look for the wet wipes with his face at the stand! If we lived in Istanbul, we would definitely come here regularly.

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.

My favorite Kizilkayalar stand in Istanbul for chicken doner. This location is a cut above the…read morerest. Juicy chicken thinly shaved, tossed in a bold, garlicky yogurt marinade with lemon juice and loads of warm spice wrapped in a delicious handmade pita bread. I have this everyday when in Istanbul. The best sandwich i've ever had. I only wish I can find this in the states...

This place has the legit wet hand burger that reminds me of delicious White Castle back in the…read morestates. I'd recommend adding cheese to it even though it's still delicious without it. Service is not too bad even though it's an order then seat your self type of thing. The place is tiny so if you're in a large group don't bother to eat in.

Not sure why I felt ripped off by the end of the meal, but it cost more than I expected and I ended…read moreup with more food than I'd wanted. The meat itself was pretty solid, but there were no lines when I arrived (just as they opened). Bread was solid, meat was great, but I felt upsold.

I don't speak the language but when I saw a line to order from this spot I figured it must be good!…read moreWe communicated through pointing and all the staff was very helpful! I loved the wrap I had, included tomatoes and onions! I'd go back!

Excellent coffee. Good service. There was a guy smoking under the roofed areaand we complained and…read morethe server kindly asked him to sit closer to the street. We were happy!

Style over substance…read more MOC, as you can also tell from my pictures, is the picture perfect coffee shop. It's what every coffee shop wants to be, hip, inviting, comfortable, friendly, full of people from all walks of life, from the young, to the seasoned, to people with their pets, it's "the" hip meeting point for those who have long forgotten about the cat piss they serve at Starbucks. And this review would've been 5 stars if I only had one quick coffee there and left. I would've said "Yes it's expensive but it's worth it" for their coffee variety is amazing, they even have Australian coffee on the menu. However, everything after that first aeropress, which was quite good, was a let down. The cappuccino I got afterwards was terrible, bad enough for me to send it back after one sip and order a V.60, which thankfully was much better. They still charged me for the cappuccino, which goes to show you the service standards. However the sandwich tops the cake. The veggie sandwich I ordered was blander than sand, even Starbucks doesn't serve sandwiches of this mediocrity. It's a complete rip off at 18 lira. Not even the location can justify that markup. They got the atmosphere down to a T, and it really looks like the quintessential coffee shop, it's a shame that it's such a mixed bag. I was hoping for much, much more. I will recommend the Aerodrip and V.60, but do not expect great service, and I would stay away from the food, I fear the veggie sandwich not being the exception.