Istanbul Grill Restaurant — Restaurant in Amsterdam

Terrible.. BIG TIME. I do not recommend this to anyone who is looking for good food or nice service. The price is definitely not worth the entire experience.

I entered, sat down and the waiter came to take my order, I said “I’d like to have the Adana Kebab with fries instead of rice”. He said “ok you can have it with fries instead of rice”. And then I told him to please get me Kenafa (desert) after I finish my food. Everyone who tasted kenafa before knows it’s terrible when it’s not fresh.

So he comes with my Adana Kebab without the fries, and I asked him where is my fries, he said oooh sorry I’ll get it for you. (The rice was still in my dish) I told him should I wait for the fries or is it going to take long. He said no you can start eating. So I started. Then in the middle of eating they bring me the kenafe, fresh kenafe. I told him no thank you, I am not ready yet. He offered to keep it on the table, I said no I dont like it cold. He wasn’t so happy with it, but took it back anyway.

So I finished eating, and then he came with the kenafe on a white plate (obviously because he heated it in the microwave), and I cannot explain to you how HORRIBLE it was. €7 euoros on that kenafe was a complete waste, I didn’t even have half a bite.

On top of all, I was charged for the fries as an extra order to my original one. (€30 euros gone to waste)

What a waste of time and money!

I could have not written all of this if the service was okay, but nope! No hope for...

To be fair the food is a bit pricy but since is Amsterdam city centrum this is something expected, but overall I feel is worth it, if Mediterranean food is your thing I do recommend it. I am a crazy fan of their Turkish-style rice and they serve my favorite lentil soup; here was the first time I ever had red lentils and found out I love them, and even though I have tried multiple versions in other places, their just have that "something" from my personal point of view.

The chicken is also cooked on point every time I had it, I did not know how chicken could be so soft, till I realized some restaurants just overcook the chicken and then becomes dry.

Even if you already had lunch/dinner and is not rush hour, you should do a stop for coffee or Turkish tea, and get some desserts, I used to do that all the time because I frequent the neighborhood before Corona times. I usually don't like Baklava but I like the way they make theirs, is wet and just the right amount of sweet, so each time I got it offer I couldn't skipped.

I clearly made this review long time ago, but I am updating it now 2024, and I can from my own experience say that is still a nice cozy place and God bless...

I recently visited the Istanbul restaurant and unfortunately, I had an extremely disappointing experience. The service I received was undeniably the worst I have ever encountered in a restaurant. The staff was exceptionally rude and unhelpful when it came to assisting me in navigating the menu.

As a patron, I was hoping to have an enjoyable and memorable dining experience, but instead, I was met with hostility and a complete lack of hospitality. It was clear that the staff did not value their customers or prioritize customer service.

I believe it is crucial for restaurant staff to be welcoming and accommodating, especially when it comes to helping customers explore the menu and understand the different options available. Unfortunately, this was not the case at the Istanbul restaurant.

Overall, I cannot recommend this restaurant to anyone, as my experience was thoroughly unpleasant. I hope that the management takes note of these criticisms and takes steps to improve their service, so that future patrons can enjoy a more positive...