i promised to write them a review and yes, they deserve a good one.
i was visiting istanbul with friends on a vacation and one day after visiting topkapi palace, we found this place for lunch following recommended my our cab driver. we knew it was well rated on the website but were still surprised since it truly beat our expectations. the food was delicious of course. we ordered a salad, several kebabs, a sea bass and a traditional osman stew which i sadly cannot remember the exact name, which all turned out tasty and that comment came from the 5 of us, all regarding ourselves foodies.
but restaurant went beyond food. people there were interesting and friendly, which made us feel like eating in a friend's house instead of dining near a tourist site. the waiter taking our orders really blended well with us, when we were waiting for our starters, talking about our visit in istanbul, our travel plans, and even the latest iphone 6 one of us was carrying, making us feel comfortable in welcome surroundings. we had jokes like old friends, not customers siting to be served and waiters standing to cater our needs. it was a delightful lunch but the last positive surprise came when we were offered desserts and teas on the house upon asking for bills, which they joked about as "from an imaginary friend". little things as they were, we were all pleased.
nice food and better people, that's why we recommended it to another group of friends travelling in turkey a couple of days later and decide to eat here again on our next journey to istanbul,. it deserves a 5 rating as our best dining experience in turkey.