I stumbled upon this restaurant while visiting Kuzguncuk with my mom. We were walking around the area and wanted some lunch, specifically manti, and this place was highly recommended on Google. We were not disappointed! Located on the second story of a building, restaurant is small and feels homey, like you are in someone’s apartment. It literally had a small kitchen than you can see and there is a variety of options to choose from that are all cooked by the owner’s mom. This was surprising since I thought this place only sold mantı. The owner spoke English and he showed us the dishes for the day which included various options for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. You can choose from half portions or full portions. Everything looked amazing and we had a hard time deciding but we ended up trying:

• Beet salad: refreshing, tangy, only very mildly sweet. The herbs in this (dill and parsley) added brightness and freshness. Super good!

• White bean stew/ kuru fasulye: amazing! This surprised me the most. I did not have high expectations but the flavor was insane: umami, earthy, and felt very healthy and filling.

• Stuffed artichokes/ Zeytinyağlı enginar: another amazing dish! The artichoke was tangy and was balanced by the earthy flavor of peas and mild sweetness of the carrots. Beautiful presentation.

• Zucchini fritter/ Mücver: soft and mildly sweet inside, well seasoned. Not oily at all! Super good.

• Stuffed eggplant/ karniyarik: my favorite dish of the day (although all was amazing!) The eggplant was meaty, perfectly cooked and tender. The meat filling was packed with the most delicious flavor that was hearty and comforting. I could have eaten 3 of these. 100/10, I need this recipe.

• Kofte with potatoes: another hit! Perfectly cooked kofte, very low in salt which I appreciated. The potatoes were also cooked perfectly and were not too mushy. Flavors were amazing and the seasoning went very well with the tomato base.

• Mantı: we ordered a portion of mantı as well which the owner made while we ate the rest of our food. Another amazing hit! Super good balance of the tiny dumplings with a little umami kick from the lamb filling, balanced by yogurt, herbs, and a little red pepper oil. I ordered some bread on the side to finish the sauce and it was another 11/10.

This is an authentic, small, and cozy place! I’m so happy we found it during our travels. I would recommend this to anyone. The owner is super friendly and the food is mindblowingly good- tasty, fresh ingredients, homemade. Come here for any meal! Don’t think twice about it, you will not regret it— and make sure to try other dishes besides the manti! Will make it back if I’m ever in Istanbul again.