updated remarks in june be 2019
am adding this bit after my second visit to this restaurant , nearly five years after the first visit , this time i have downgraded the rating of this place from my original four stars to a two star . the reason ? though i still believe that this place serves some of the most delicious , though over priced , local food , it is the poor quality of service and the impolite behaviour of the staff , which seems to have gone from bad to worst , in these last five years , that has made.me decide not to ever come back. do not recommend dinning here , unless you ok with totally lackluster service and cold food on top of paying them to humiliate you. not recommended.
my original review of 2014
was recommended the place my a local friend , with a shop in the nearby old bazaar , he assured me that he takes all is foreign visitor friends to this place for a taste of true turkish cuisine . he assured me it was among the best and safest restaurant in the sultanahmet area , being very tourist friendly and certainly not a tourist trap .
after deciding to grab a late lunch there , it was a good 30 min walk in the bursting to there seams , old alleyways past the misr market ( the spice bazaar ) to eminönü . the restaurant has a outdoor seating , which unfortunately was full when i arrived there , as were all the multiple floors ( four or five ?) and the rooftop. but again i was warned that is is very popular and a reservation is very highly recommended .after a twenty min wait was finally offered a table on the second floor .
my first impression here ..... every one working here kind off looked down on you , they had this very snooty air about them , it was as if they are doing you a grand favor by condescending to let you eat at there establishment but well the price you have to pay for good food . the next thing was , and am not sure i liked it or not , was the total absence of the typical turkish hard sell ,where you have good natured restaurateurs actually shove a menu in your face as you walk down most tourist streets , trying to nearly physically drag you into there establishments , if anything the folks here were actually try to undersell there offerings , but guess that comes from knowing that you are peddling good stuff and your customer is so aware of it .
now to the food , nice, fresh and clean , started out with two of there ultra thin pizzas , one with a sharp and very likable pomegranate flavor , totally awesome . that was followed by two different kind of kebabs , both delicious and one of them flavored with pistachios , cooked perfect and tasting heavenly , all this washed down with a glass of chilled aryan , the yogurt flavored drink , much like the indian chass .
all in all a real nice meal in somewhat cramped surroundings . but definitely worth the discomfort and the wait .
enjoy