Matbah Restaurant

Some of the best food I had in Istanbul. Try the chicken and eggplant, bulgur wheat, chestnut appetizer, and papaya desert. You won't be disappointed no matter what you get, but it is pretty pricey. You get what you pay for!

This is a legit joint. The food was really good, we had fish croquettes for starters, sailor's pie and goose kebab and steak for mains. The sailor's pie was fantastic. The honey we had was huge - even though our waiter told us it was just regular honey. They also make a lot of effort to make sure the food is historically accurate from different Ottoman periods if you like that. The only downside is the price. Very steep.

The atmosphere in this restaurant is wonderful. As soon as we sat down, we were served the best pomegranate juice I have ever had. That's all I wanted to drink for the rest of my meal :) The food was delicious and the service was absolutely wonderful. My boyfriend and I continue to talk about how much we loved our experience here. Highly recommended!

A nice little place outside Topkapi Palace serving typical Turkish recipes, some dating back to the 16th century. I tried the eggplant seasoned with cinnamon and cardamom, and the seasonal salad, both were good.

As you would expect from the name of the restaurant, it was very good dining. Half of the restaurant is an open air terrace which is a beautiful setting to complement the service and food. We had fresh squeezed pomegranate juice to start and then they came with a nice flatbread with red peppers, walnuts and green olive sauce. We shared a starter called the sailor roll which was 7 cheeses in a meat patty and fried deliciously. My husband had the stewed chicken and mushrooms and I had the stuffed meat, rice and pine nuts which was very different and delicious. A very nice evening.

I had this meal on my last night in Istanbul and had traditional Turkish food. The place was not particularly busy. The restaurant is on the roof terrace of a hotel and has a memorable design despite the bad weather. The location is great, next to Hagia Sofia. Recommended.