Beyoğlu Ocakbaşı & Restaurant Taksim — Restaurant in Beyoğlu

Food was actually good. We got Chilli Kebab (1 piece for 85 TL), Lamb Chop (3 pieces for 120 TL), Lamb Shish (max. 120 TL), Cacık (30 TL), 2x beer (60 TL each), and 1x Ayran (20 TL). But at the end, the unfriendly old waiter (he tried to sell further smaller dishes than just one Cacık) charged us 550 TL (just hand written without any printed bill). It was at least 55 TL more than we actually ordered. I don't know whether he counted the bottle of water and 3 breads we didn't order, which is absolutely unacceptable. Furthermore he even asked us for extra tip (and my brother gave him 20 TL). We thought the bill included it already as it was much higher than we expected. I mean it's just about few Euros, but so many Turkish restaurants always try to cheat the tourists. I really hate it! We are under stress all the time not to be fooled in this country. This is really a bad impression of Turkey and Turkish...

Definitely tourist trap! Details below:

The food was ok, but not as good as expected. Indoor smoking is allowed, so if you don't like secondhand smoke, you should definitely avoid this place.

However, the most "amazing" part is that when we got the bill, the amount was even 20% more than expected. The guy claimed that they were the fees for the water served without asking and the tax. The brand-new experience for us even though we have been in Istanbul several days already. 😉

Life is hard in turkey at the moment, we can imagine. If they wanted to charge for water and add the tax, it would also be fine with us if they had announced in the beginning.

But honesty is the basic value that a restaurant owner should have. For people who value honesty and want to have good food, you can easily find better places, even in a few minutes' walking...

This Turkish grill restaurant is outstanding—easily one of the best grills I’ve ever had. I ordered the kebab with grilled aubergines, and every bite was fantastic. The charred skin of the tomatoes, green peppers, and aubergines added so much depth, while the inside was perfectly soft and smoky. Absolutely loved it.

For starters, I had the grilled onions, which were incredibly flavorful, and a cold tomato-basil dip with pomegranate molasses—so fresh and delicious. These were served with bazlama, a thick Turkish bread grilled over charcoal, which made it even better. The main dish came with lavash, a thin, smoky flatbread that was just as addictive.

To top it all off, they brought me tea and a moist almond-butter cake so, so, so good. This place is a must-visit for anyone craving real...