Look Out Zagat's, Thingorjus eats Turkey
Jul 30th, 2005, 05:38 PM
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Look Out Zagat's, Thingorjus eats Turkey
The Istanbul restaurant review by Thingorjus
DIVAN
By far, the best meal we had in Istanbul was at Divan in the Divan Hotel in Taksim. The restaurant has an interesting décor with a banquette that wraps around the room decorated with bright throw pillows and kilims that give it an updated Ottoman look. Oddly, there is a piano player situated behind a baby grand in the corner hammering out tunes like “New York, New York” and “Yellow Rose of Texas,” catering to all the westerners in the room. This I could have done without.
The wine list is limited in appeal, as imported wines tend to be astronomically priced (in all Istanbul restaurants). Therefore, we tried to stick to Turkish wines that were affordable. As a result, we almost always ended up ordering the Dolmus white. The wine tasted very similar to a Yellowtail Chardonnay.
For my main entrée at Divan, I chose rack of lamb, which was perfectly cooked at medium rare. It came with side of rice, potatoes, and a grilled tomato, again an updated take on a traditional Turkish lamb kebab. (Kebabs in Turkey almost always come with both rice and potatoes, and a grilled tomato and peppers.)
My mother and Keith ordered beef tenderloin, which was served with mushrooms layered over a base of mashed potatoes. They said it was absolutely delicious.
For an appetizer, we had a mixed mezes platter, which was a traditional melange of eggplant salad, goat cheese, sardines, haricot beans in olive oil, and a tomato paste that tasted like a cross between salsa and gazpacho. It was very good. The bread, as all the bread we had in Turkey, was warm and fresh. They take their bread very seriously in Turkey, so much so that they rival the French. We were too filled to have dessert. However, Divan has a patisserie and we came back the next morning for cappuccino and croissants—fantastic! Dinner for two with wine, about 92 Lira.
YESIL EV
Our second best meal in Istanbul was at Yesil Ev (Green House) in Sultanahmet. It is located across the street from the Four Seasons Hotel. The restaurant is situated in an outside garden that is absolutely magical. Even if you had a bad meal here, just the atmosphere alone would make up for it. The fairy lights, trickling fountain, and view of Saint Sophia all lit up in the dark were ethereal.
Again, we chose the familiar Dolmus white wine. We started off with a mixed mezes platter. This meze platter was different from the appetizer we had at Divan in that the portions were much larger. Thankfully, there were four of us sharing or otherwise we would not have been able to eat our entrees. Again, the meze platter was a mix of eggplant salad, a potato salad, the Turkish “gazpacho,” cheese, and artichoke hearts. This mezes was better than the mezes at Divan.
For dinner, I chose a grilled swordfish. It was NOT good. It was dry, as it was prepared like a traditional kebab on a skewer with lemon—TOO MUCH LEMON! I thought I was eating a plate of Lemon Pledge!
Keith had lamb, which he said was a little dry, but not bad. My mother had veal Parmesan (yes, you can even get this in Turkey), which she LOVED. Muffy had some sort of beef dish, which she pushed around on her plate. (For the sake of my restaurant reviews, I will leave Muffy out. She barely eats anything, but prefers to smoke heavily and talk a lot. When you ask how she likes her food, she typically replies, “What food?” You can get away with this if one of your cousins is the Mayflower Madam.)
Mother and Keith devoured chocolate profiteroles, whilst I had the cheese plate. Both were divine. If it weren’t for my swordfish, everything at Yesil Ev would have been a success. However, two out of three ain’t bad—so don’t be sad! Dinner for two with wine, 135 Lira
AGORA
Agora is one of the restaurants in the Hyatt Hotel in Taksim. Of all the restaurants we ate at, this place had the best wine list with many good Turkish wines. We tried an Anatolian white that was fabulous, however expensive (55 YTL). By the way, you can dine inside or out on the patio near the pool.
I had a hamburger (it was my last night in Istanbul and I just had to have one) with fries and a side of eggplant salad (the best eggplant salad I had in Turkey). My mother had spaghetti Bolognese, which she adored, as the pasta was al dente, not overcooked. Keith had sea bass, which I tasted and thought very nice indeed. Dinner for two with wine should run you about 60 Lira, if you get an inexpensive wine)
RAMI
Rami is in Sultanahmet, across from the Blue Mosque and next door to the famous Mavi Ev Hotel. The food here was very good, from appetizer to desert. However, I did not care for the atmosphere—a dining area that was only twice as big as my bathroom, but that held 15 tables! We were literally elbow to elbow with the other diners. The restaurant was booked solid because of the fantastic view of the Blue Mosque at night with a fireworks display. We were lucky that we had a table with the best view, right at the edge of the rooftop. Others were pushing to get near our table, whilst other diners were complaining loudly (an American couple) that their view wasn’t good enough. This spoiled the evening for me.
The bread at Rami was the best we had in Istanbul, with a pita-like bread that was addictive. For an appetizer Keith and I shared fried calamari. My mother had some sort of salad that was crisp and green. Both were very good. For dinner, I had eggplant with pureed spinach and potatoes. The quality of the food was excellent. My mother had a casserole of shrimp, tomatoes, and cheese. This was her favourite shrimp casserole in Turkey, as she would try a few others on the island of Buyukada. (I can’t remember what Keith had, but he really liked it.) This restaurant would have been our top choice in Istanbul if it weren’t for the surroundings. Another thing about Rami—they don’t take credit cards. Cash only. Dinner for two with wine, about 95 TYL.
OPTIMIST’S CAFÉ
Right across from the Hippodrome is the Optimist’s Café. I must say that the owner/waiter was one of the nicest people we met in Istanbul. The food here is simple, but I wouldn’t say cheap. Dinner for two with wine should run about 60 TYL.
Best bets: fried calamari, spaghetti carbonara, mixed kebab. Good cappuccino.
OZSUT
By far, this is THE BEST CAFÉ IN ALL OF TURKEY!!!!! We had the best tiramisu of our lives here, as well as fantastic cappuccino. Even Muffy asked for seconds. They also have a banana chocolate eclair that is to die for. My mother asked the staff if they would please open a shop in the US. On Istiklal Caddesi in Beyoglu.
LEBIDERYA
This is a good place to hang out and have drinks late-night. Fun, sophisticated, artsy crowd. (One of the patrons had a fake Louis Vuitton messenger bag with graffiti—FAKE BUT TRUE. I thought that was a hoot.) Tunel, Beyoglu.
MORI ORTAKOY
Snooty club on the Bosphorus. There were people here that tried to throw some attitude at us. Unfortunately for them, we’re from Philly. Muffy burned at least three carpet heiresses with her cigarette and told a Turkish businessman, “You call that a yacht??? Were I come from, we call that a flotation device.” Muffy ended up falling into the Bosphorus, thanks to 10 Sake cocktails. Luckily, she was on the swim team at Choate.
DIVAN
By far, the best meal we had in Istanbul was at Divan in the Divan Hotel in Taksim. The restaurant has an interesting décor with a banquette that wraps around the room decorated with bright throw pillows and kilims that give it an updated Ottoman look. Oddly, there is a piano player situated behind a baby grand in the corner hammering out tunes like “New York, New York” and “Yellow Rose of Texas,” catering to all the westerners in the room. This I could have done without.
The wine list is limited in appeal, as imported wines tend to be astronomically priced (in all Istanbul restaurants). Therefore, we tried to stick to Turkish wines that were affordable. As a result, we almost always ended up ordering the Dolmus white. The wine tasted very similar to a Yellowtail Chardonnay.
For my main entrée at Divan, I chose rack of lamb, which was perfectly cooked at medium rare. It came with side of rice, potatoes, and a grilled tomato, again an updated take on a traditional Turkish lamb kebab. (Kebabs in Turkey almost always come with both rice and potatoes, and a grilled tomato and peppers.)
My mother and Keith ordered beef tenderloin, which was served with mushrooms layered over a base of mashed potatoes. They said it was absolutely delicious.
For an appetizer, we had a mixed mezes platter, which was a traditional melange of eggplant salad, goat cheese, sardines, haricot beans in olive oil, and a tomato paste that tasted like a cross between salsa and gazpacho. It was very good. The bread, as all the bread we had in Turkey, was warm and fresh. They take their bread very seriously in Turkey, so much so that they rival the French. We were too filled to have dessert. However, Divan has a patisserie and we came back the next morning for cappuccino and croissants—fantastic! Dinner for two with wine, about 92 Lira.
YESIL EV
Our second best meal in Istanbul was at Yesil Ev (Green House) in Sultanahmet. It is located across the street from the Four Seasons Hotel. The restaurant is situated in an outside garden that is absolutely magical. Even if you had a bad meal here, just the atmosphere alone would make up for it. The fairy lights, trickling fountain, and view of Saint Sophia all lit up in the dark were ethereal.
Again, we chose the familiar Dolmus white wine. We started off with a mixed mezes platter. This meze platter was different from the appetizer we had at Divan in that the portions were much larger. Thankfully, there were four of us sharing or otherwise we would not have been able to eat our entrees. Again, the meze platter was a mix of eggplant salad, a potato salad, the Turkish “gazpacho,” cheese, and artichoke hearts. This mezes was better than the mezes at Divan.
For dinner, I chose a grilled swordfish. It was NOT good. It was dry, as it was prepared like a traditional kebab on a skewer with lemon—TOO MUCH LEMON! I thought I was eating a plate of Lemon Pledge!
Keith had lamb, which he said was a little dry, but not bad. My mother had veal Parmesan (yes, you can even get this in Turkey), which she LOVED. Muffy had some sort of beef dish, which she pushed around on her plate. (For the sake of my restaurant reviews, I will leave Muffy out. She barely eats anything, but prefers to smoke heavily and talk a lot. When you ask how she likes her food, she typically replies, “What food?” You can get away with this if one of your cousins is the Mayflower Madam.)
Mother and Keith devoured chocolate profiteroles, whilst I had the cheese plate. Both were divine. If it weren’t for my swordfish, everything at Yesil Ev would have been a success. However, two out of three ain’t bad—so don’t be sad! Dinner for two with wine, 135 Lira
AGORA
Agora is one of the restaurants in the Hyatt Hotel in Taksim. Of all the restaurants we ate at, this place had the best wine list with many good Turkish wines. We tried an Anatolian white that was fabulous, however expensive (55 YTL). By the way, you can dine inside or out on the patio near the pool.
I had a hamburger (it was my last night in Istanbul and I just had to have one) with fries and a side of eggplant salad (the best eggplant salad I had in Turkey). My mother had spaghetti Bolognese, which she adored, as the pasta was al dente, not overcooked. Keith had sea bass, which I tasted and thought very nice indeed. Dinner for two with wine should run you about 60 Lira, if you get an inexpensive wine)
RAMI
Rami is in Sultanahmet, across from the Blue Mosque and next door to the famous Mavi Ev Hotel. The food here was very good, from appetizer to desert. However, I did not care for the atmosphere—a dining area that was only twice as big as my bathroom, but that held 15 tables! We were literally elbow to elbow with the other diners. The restaurant was booked solid because of the fantastic view of the Blue Mosque at night with a fireworks display. We were lucky that we had a table with the best view, right at the edge of the rooftop. Others were pushing to get near our table, whilst other diners were complaining loudly (an American couple) that their view wasn’t good enough. This spoiled the evening for me.
The bread at Rami was the best we had in Istanbul, with a pita-like bread that was addictive. For an appetizer Keith and I shared fried calamari. My mother had some sort of salad that was crisp and green. Both were very good. For dinner, I had eggplant with pureed spinach and potatoes. The quality of the food was excellent. My mother had a casserole of shrimp, tomatoes, and cheese. This was her favourite shrimp casserole in Turkey, as she would try a few others on the island of Buyukada. (I can’t remember what Keith had, but he really liked it.) This restaurant would have been our top choice in Istanbul if it weren’t for the surroundings. Another thing about Rami—they don’t take credit cards. Cash only. Dinner for two with wine, about 95 TYL.
OPTIMIST’S CAFÉ
Right across from the Hippodrome is the Optimist’s Café. I must say that the owner/waiter was one of the nicest people we met in Istanbul. The food here is simple, but I wouldn’t say cheap. Dinner for two with wine should run about 60 TYL.
Best bets: fried calamari, spaghetti carbonara, mixed kebab. Good cappuccino.
OZSUT
By far, this is THE BEST CAFÉ IN ALL OF TURKEY!!!!! We had the best tiramisu of our lives here, as well as fantastic cappuccino. Even Muffy asked for seconds. They also have a banana chocolate eclair that is to die for. My mother asked the staff if they would please open a shop in the US. On Istiklal Caddesi in Beyoglu.
LEBIDERYA
This is a good place to hang out and have drinks late-night. Fun, sophisticated, artsy crowd. (One of the patrons had a fake Louis Vuitton messenger bag with graffiti—FAKE BUT TRUE. I thought that was a hoot.) Tunel, Beyoglu.
MORI ORTAKOY
Snooty club on the Bosphorus. There were people here that tried to throw some attitude at us. Unfortunately for them, we’re from Philly. Muffy burned at least three carpet heiresses with her cigarette and told a Turkish businessman, “You call that a yacht??? Were I come from, we call that a flotation device.” Muffy ended up falling into the Bosphorus, thanks to 10 Sake cocktails. Luckily, she was on the swim team at Choate.
Jul 31st, 2005, 06:05 AM
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Thanks for the tinkle...er, I mean tickle. The scene at Mori Ortakoy put me in stitches. I agree, when one has a taste for a hamburger, one must have a hamburger. So happy to read someone with flair and style writing about their food experience, a rare thing here at Fodor's. Welcome back, dear. You were missed by many of us, excluding Lynn, of course. She was busy scolding mothers who let their children breast feed and poop at the same table. In your honor and absence, I called a few Fodorites "daft" on an innocent thread that went south. It got deleted. I hope you're planning to share other trip highlights.
Jul 31st, 2005, 08:01 AM
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Daft is IN but never be Naff 
John darlin, I absolutely loved the descriptions of all the meals and Muffy and darlin mama with her pasta and veal parm.
Someone has to keep these posts topped for my return to Fodors, in the distant future, when I can catch up on all of your shinanigans.
Scarlett
John darlin, I absolutely loved the descriptions of all the meals and Muffy and darlin mama with her pasta and veal parm.
Someone has to keep these posts topped for my return to Fodors, in the distant future, when I can catch up on all of your shinanigans.
Scarlett
Jul 31st, 2005, 01:34 PM
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This was just my restaurant review of Istanbul. I will post more about our stay in Istanbul and our three days on the island of Buyukada.
Massagediva, we only had a guide for the mosaic museum at Chora. However, you can find guides everywhere in Istanbul at the big sites. They just wander around and ask you if you need a guide. There are also guides for hire at the ticket office of Topkapi Palace.
Massagediva, we only had a guide for the mosaic museum at Chora. However, you can find guides everywhere in Istanbul at the big sites. They just wander around and ask you if you need a guide. There are also guides for hire at the ticket office of Topkapi Palace.
Aug 1st, 2005, 05:26 AM
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I'm chuckling about both posts. I've jotted down the crack about the boat for my future use. Hope Muffy doesn't mind the theft.
It seems that a while back while you were in the planning stages, there was little information available to you about Turkey. Well? Your post solved that issue! Sounds as though you had fun.
I do enjoy wise guys...and wise cracks.
It seems that a while back while you were in the planning stages, there was little information available to you about Turkey. Well? Your post solved that issue! Sounds as though you had fun.
I do enjoy wise guys...and wise cracks.
Aug 1st, 2005, 07:38 AM
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Fantastic!
I especially enjoyed Muffy 'pushing the food around her plate' which I must admit have been guilty of from time to time... the pianist's lack of playing 'local notes', I have observed that in my travels as well, TG, what is the deal with that? If I want to hear the Yellow Rose, by God, I will go to Texas... The plate of Lemon Pledge, so sorry for you, but that had me laughing over my morning Earl Grey... Lastly, tell Mother that if she longs for spaghetti Bolognese a little closer to home, I would consider it an honor to take her to my fav local spot that has Rigatoni Bolognese to melt her heart.
Well done, Tiff
I especially enjoyed Muffy 'pushing the food around her plate' which I must admit have been guilty of from time to time... the pianist's lack of playing 'local notes', I have observed that in my travels as well, TG, what is the deal with that? If I want to hear the Yellow Rose, by God, I will go to Texas... The plate of Lemon Pledge, so sorry for you, but that had me laughing over my morning Earl Grey... Lastly, tell Mother that if she longs for spaghetti Bolognese a little closer to home, I would consider it an honor to take her to my fav local spot that has Rigatoni Bolognese to melt her heart.
Well done, Tiff
Aug 1st, 2005, 08:01 AM
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John, nice to read your reviews on restaurants in Istanbul. I don't recall ours in much detail now, but overall we weren't hugely impressed with our dining experiences there - likely that we simply didn't choose well though we were there for 5 nights so we did eat at quite a few places.
I don't know that we'll be going back anytime soon, too many other places much much higher on the wish list but were I to do so, your reviews would be handy indeed.
I don't know that we'll be going back anytime soon, too many other places much much higher on the wish list but were I to do so, your reviews would be handy indeed.
Aug 3rd, 2005, 08:57 AM
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Texas, wait till I relate the story of Muffy AND my husband, Keith, getting into a fight with a carpet salesman. Then there is the screaming match between Muffy and the horse and buggy driver on Buyukada. 
