Astra Balik Fish House — Restaurant in Beyoğlu

We decided to try this establishment after walking by repeatedly and being approached to come in to dine. Obviously the greeter told us we would be well looked after. This translates to they will try to persuade you to agree to buying lots of over priced food.

The server tried to recommend as starters us each had 3 large prawns plus octopus and other items. Each prawn was over 10euros. So for starters we were looking at about 150 euros before even considering main courses..The main courses of fish are sold by the kilo however he wouldn't tell us approximately how much a fish weighed. When I raised about the prices to him he tried to brush me off and ignore me.

We did actually decide to stay and just sample starters. We didn't actually receive all the food we ordered and the staff by then were obviously unhappy with us. While dining we witnessed other people come in but after reading the prices on the menu elect to leave without ordering.

The food we had was actually well cooked though not that much. Our bill for 3 starters, a salad, 2 beers and a coke was just over 2000 lira.

If you think of dining here I would first suggest you look closely at the reviews. The establishment has a 4.5 rating which is high. However I like to look at who is leaving the 5 star reviews. In my opinion it seems that there is an awful lot of people who have only left 1-3 reviews giving them such a high rating. Read into this what you will.

Happy...

I went with a friend, and order a octopus, on the menu that they show us was 230 Turkish lira, on the picture of the octopus plate (was 6 small pieces), when the bill coming they charge 230 Turkish lira to each piece of octopus (it’s absolutely insane the price)! On the top of it they charge you the service charge, and city tax (first time in more than 50 different countries that I have been, I heard that the restaurant charge city tax on food) never 👎 ever heard about the restaurants to charge a city tax on food! Service was nice till you order, after the order you have to starting asking, the orange juices coming after the meal, even that we have asked 3 times before the meal arrived for the drinks that we have ordered! Everyone that stop and decide to go to this place, just be very careful, they are cheaters on the prices… It’s a scam… In total the 4 pieces that came (not even 6 like the picture that they have on the menu), cost more than 1000 Turkish Lira with service charge and city tax that they charged us, on the menu says 230 Turkish lira! So in total 4 pieces of octopus, 1 chicken pot, 2 orange juices, 1 water they charge us almost 1.900,00...

Beware: Tourist Scam Alert

During our recent visit, we experienced firsthand how this restaurant preys on unsuspecting tourists. As we strolled down the street, we were approached by extremely friendly staff who insisted we try their "best" offerings. They showed us the menu and prices, but it quickly became clear that this was a scam.

Once inside, the restaurant's lack of cleanliness was noticeable. The quality and quantity of the food were incredibly poor. Every dish we received was cold and when asked to reheat them, we had to make the request twice before anything was done. Even the bread was served cold, and when we requested it to be warm, the staff responded with frustration.

The customer service was abysmal. Portions were small and not worth the inflated prices. Even after reheating, the food was tasteless and disappointing. This was our first and will definitely be our last visit. When we complained about the food's temperature and quality, they offered a free tea and dessert, but even these were subpar.

Save your money and avoid the hassle; this place is not worth your time. We certainly wouldn’t recommend...