Istanbul Restaurant Reviews Summary

Food Quality

Pros:

• "I must say that the food is really incredibly delicious."
• "Ordered the mix platter for 2 and I did enjoy it."
• "Istanbul Restaurant exceeded our expectations in every way. The food platter for 4+ a teenager was not only delicious but also generously portioned."
• "The food was very well represented and was the tasty was perfect."
• "The food was outstanding, with every dish a masterpiece of flavor and quality."
• "The food tasted fresh and delicious especially the chicken wings."
• "Food was fresh and had a great taste."
• "Authentic Turkish food, great atmosphere, very friendly staff."

Cons:

• "Mixed grill lacks flavour."
• "The chicken/lamb chunks/boti on the other hand was a complete let down, really tough and dry."
• "The food was mediocre, however the liver was very nice."
• "The food is below average and expensive."
• "I oder 1chicke lamb shawarma with rice and 1 kofta with chip's around £23 but its expensive rice was not normal they was fat rice cheap ones and I do like turkeys food but it's wasn't what I expected and also they was food not good and not there the price we pay."
• "Disgusting quality food. No Turkish influence at all."
• "Mix grill for 5. Was alright.. Would give it a 4 out of 5. Was very filling and the chicken was very tender. The only downside was the excessive fat on the meat."
• "Restaurant decoration is good. Rice full of oil and tasteless. Shwarma served raw with hard pieces like stone."

Service

Pros:

• "The manager came to our table every 15 minutes to make sure everything was going well."
• "They take care of every table one by one and it's incredible."
• "We felt warmly welcomed and well-cared for throughout our visit."
• "The staff was incredibly attentive, enhancing our dining experience."
• "Gokay and the rest of the staff ensured we had everything we needed and went above and beyond."
• "Gokay's exceptional service and the delightful dining experience at Istanbul left us thoroughly impressed."
• "The customer service was outstanding, and the food was exactly what I expected."
• "The staff were very friendly and efficient."

Cons:

• "Gave the service 3 stars as there was hardly any service around, once you ordered and received your food, you were just left alone."
• "There were three young female waitresses who lacked direction or supervision."
• "Good atmosphere, good food, good service. They basically keep serving complementary bread and sauces(all so good! I love the spicy one the most!)."
• "Disgusting quality food. No Turkish influence at all. My wife is Turkish and assured me that the food was not cooked by a Turkish Chef."
• "Visited Istanbul restaurant a couple years ago after recovering from Covid but still waiting on my taste to return."
• "The staff inside the restaurant is disrespectful."
• "Terrible, tasteless, bad smelling donner meat. I have never had donner meat that tastes as bad as it was at this place."
• "First visit (on a recommendation) and well worth the trip."

Ambiance and Atmosphere

Pros:

• "Atmosphere was fine - really liked the deco, chairs were very comfy too."
• "Great ambience, service was quick."
• "The atmosphere was the perfect setting for some time with family, creating the perfect setting for a memorable meal."
• "The ambience is great and the service is fantastic."
• "Great taste of food but poor customer service specially table service with the bunch of teenagers are not worthy as no attention what we ask for twice of a same thing but food quality is excellent and fresh."

Cons:

• "Music was a tad loud, would have preferred traditional Turkish music."
• "We ordered our food and after a few moments, were informed that there were no mushrooms and no rice!"
• "Only thing that let them down all the food was served at once. Should have been served in stages, or at-least we should have been given the option."
• "The food was not the same quality to what we have had before at this place. The service has gone down also."

Value for Money

Pros:

• "Portion sizes are large."
• "Reasonable prices."
• "The portion sizes are hearty. The prices are relevant."
• "We were made to feel welcome with complimentary bread and sauces offered while we decided what to eat."

Cons:

• "Grill platter for 2 people is £30, all you get is 2 lamb ribs, 3 wings, 2 kebabs, 2 piece or chicken tika and 2 piece of lamb tika, with onion and veg pieces and underneath is some fat, hard white rice and some cuscus."
• "Disappointed with the service and the quality of the food. Very bland."
• "The second star is only because i think they may have authentic Turkish food know how."