Khorasani stands out even in the midst of tourist-catering restaurant! While it also catered mainly…read moretoward tourists, this restaurant nonetheless makes an excellent meal stop because of its delicious dishes, generous additions, and good service. After a long intercontinental flight, I wanted a quick meal near the Blue Mosque and my prior research pointed me to this restaurant based on past positive reviews. As soon as I sat down and ordered my dish, I was greeted with a small basket of bread with garlic hummus dip. Initially, I suspected that this was a trick to tack on extra charge, but the waiter ensure that it's on the house! I tried the bread with the dip, and loved the softness of the bread and the garlic savory taste of the hummus dip. It was a good start to my first meal in Turkey - and to think that I used to dislike hummus in the US! Then my entree of Adana kebab arrived. Made from finely-grounded lamb meat, the Adana kebab was surprisingly filling and packed with flavors, even though it looked deceptively small-portioned and unremarkable. On the same plate, the included rice pilaf was another delicious surprise with subtle flavors and the salad vegetable was fresh and crisp. For about 30 TL, the dish was a delicious mini feast! When I asked for the bill, the waiter asked if I would like a cup of tea and knowing my suspicious nature, added that it's complimentary. At first I declined but as I was paying my bill, I noticed that everyone - locals and tourists - around me had a tulip-shaped cup of tea and it dawned upon me that tea was an important drink in Turkey (a fact that I verified later in my trip) so I changed my mind and requested for the tea. Even after I paid my bill, the waiter without hesitation brought me the complimentary tea to end my meal. Overall, the total charge was 36 TL, which included water and 10% service. While it's the typical cost of a meal especially in the Sultanhamet area, you certainly would get more food from the same price because of the complimentary bread, hummus, and tea. In addition, the meal here remains one of the best I had in Istanbul and is comparable to the authentic meal I had outside the tourist district, so I definitely recommend dining here when you need a nice sit-down meal in Sultanahmet.

The Khorasani was a restaurant chosen by our guide during our day tour around Istanbul…read more The space felt open and breezy even though we sat inside and I loved that they had air conditioning. I did feel like the salad with chicken I ordered was incredibly meat heavy with very little salad and I didn't love that the bell peppers included aren't listed on the menu, but their hummus was mouthwateringly delicious. The service was prompt and the meal came with gratis baklava and ice cream as well as tea, but I didn't partake since we were walking so much. All in all, it was a good meal but definitely a bit different than expected from the menu.

Not bad for a Döner kebab place. It's a very small place with few tables to sit, but has some more…read moreseats outdoors (on the boardwalk). Their meat döner is tasty, you can have a wrap (dürüm) or pita (pide) or in a bread. You should tell them if you want to add onions in the bread or not when you order. You can also order one and a half portion so you have more meat döner in it. They have Ayran (yogurt drink) and some other soft drinks. Prices are average.

This is a very spacious, casual, sit-down restaurant. I was super looking forward to the döner…read moreplate since this place has so many high reviews on Google. Unfortunately, the meat was a bit cold and rather dry. My friends' fries were also on the cold side. Regardless, they gave us complementary tea and/or coffee which was sweet!

I came here because I really want lamb skewers especially those that has fat on them. Unfortunately…read moreyou cannot just order skewers themselves as you have to order a combo that comes with rice and veggies. Also the fat pieces are too few but my guess is that that's the norm here. I'd prefer to have a way to order just the skewers so I can try different skewers such as the liver one. The owner is attentive and service is good enough. It seems to get plenty of tourists. The place itself is basic enough and food comes quickly. Overall I think it's a decent place for tourists.

On our final night in Istanbul wanted a special meal. This place is incredible. Classy and elegant…read morebut no need to dress up. Gorgeous view. Excellent service from everyone. Was given complimentary baba ganoush and stuffed grape leaves with sour cherries, lavash bread, and pomegranate juice. The appetizers were to die for. I really could have just eaten them. Artichoke hearts, warm roasted eggplant, shepherd's salad all so fresh and beautifully seasoned. Our entrees were minced beef and lamb wrapped in phyllo dough and fried chicken on eggplant. For dessert, baked rice pudding and ice cream. Extensive wine list. Really can't say enough about how interesting and atypical the menu was.

Got the sailor honey roll which is several Turkish cheeses in phyllo dough served with juniper…read morehoney. Tasted great! Also it came with a shot of pomegranate ginger juice and house made baba ganoush. The waiters kept coming to me after eating in hopes I would order a main but I was so stuffed after the Sailor honey roll. Ambience was nice. Just wish I didn't feel pressured to buy more stuff as I was finishing up the Evian water I had to pay for.

Found this spot on Yelp and it did not disappoint. Very delicious food. I had the garlic fries and…read moreburger. Both were above my expectations. I usually don't write reviews but the owner was so helpful and nice that it compelled me to write a review. Highly recommend.

Came here New Year's Eve for fireworks and it was very packed!! The kumpir options are endless, 100…read moreTL was what we paid for a massive portion loaded with many different toppings. Lots of shops and stands nearby too.

I am writing this review a while after I have been here. But for the first time that a foreigner…read morehas kumpir, I know this is the place to go! Our guides took us here not only because of the excellent service, but because they were willing to explain in excruciating detail what the toppings were and which combinations were best. For your first time, don't overload yourself with different toppings. I had the beet topping with corn ketchup and too many other toppings that it overloaded the flavor. Keep it simple! And this location is excellently placed next to the mini bazaar and other great restaurants (most importantly, the water!)

Ok we actually loved this place! There were so many good options for my friend who is vegan and…read moreeverything was absolutely delicious. I left so stuffed and happy. Yes it was a bit pricey, but that's kind of the theme in Istanbul I've found, but the quality of everything made it very worth it. I've been thinking about the marinated garlic and onions for weeks!!

There are two turkish restaurants with nearly identical menus one block apart (around a corner)…read more This is not the good one! This is a factory, and the diner is riding on the assembly line. Service was unfriendly - three different servers and none greeted us, none made eye contact. Within the hour, three glasses fell from a waiter's tray near us, one of them shattering and bouncing up onto a table where people were eating, but no one offered to replace their meals. The food here is mediocre. Nothing memorable. We ordered rice (twice) and the second time were told they were out. Meat had little flavor. They made a drink that was good, and we ordered a second one that was terrible. Bartender shift change, and the second one just made things up (wrong liquor, wrong flavoring). We left it on the table after a sip and instead of taking the charge off the menu, the waiter replaced it with a drink that was marginally better (still the wrong liquor). Go around the corner to Nisantasi Baskose, where the menu is pretty much the same, the food is 3x better, the service 5x better and it's a quieter atmosphere, at the same price.

Very nice staff but was very helpful and even tried to speak English to make me comfortable. The…read morepizza looked good and most importantly tasted great. The environment is nothing special but its clean and plenty of space.