Cook Me Eat Me — Restaurant in Beyoğlu

We have booked a table for 3 and after all those great reviews and Instagram posts I was sure our dinning experience will be amazing. I was even making plans In my had to book a Gastromafia dinner for our friends , who would be delighted by an interesting experience ….. BUT our promising evening was spoiled from the start by the unwelcome chef’s attitude. We have arrived 10 min prior to our booking time, we knocked and greeted nicely and we were asked to wait outside for our time, even though the restaurant was empty and we could have been seated . The chef was waiting for the bread to be taken from the oven. Ok, I said to myself, let’s give it another chance. While waiting outside I realized that the Unwelcome messages were actually hanging right at the entrance : No unauthorized photos ( even if we were photographed all evening by them), No enter without reservation , no kids, no parfume etc.. The menu is complex and promising, but the atmosphere was quite tense during all the evening. Chef didn’t bother too much with welcoming attitude, always in a hurry to manage beside her orders , to clean and serve and wash at same time ( which I find very difficult and unproductive. IMHO, instead of having someone making all night photos for Inatagram, I would rather hire a waitress/helper to not be so stressed. We felt during all the evening that every request would bother our chef’s timing, which again brought unpleasant feeling. I am commenting on food at the end, because as everyone knows the food taste depends 50% on service and atmosphere. Anyway, I wouldn’t be honest, if I wouldn’t mention that most of the dishes were tasty and well combined. At the beginning we received the foccacia with some black garlic and herb seasoned butter - the foccacia wasn’t the best I know, too oily and didn’t get a good raise, but it was freshly backed and it worked well with the very nice butter. For entree we have ordered 3 different varieties and tasted from each other: The so called cheesecake with smoked yoghurt and salmon was ok, but too creamy for my buds. The stuffed eggplant was tasty to my husband. The artichoke- wasn’t so good, it was left in the plate. The hot starter - was the highlight of my evening, the tarte with Camembert cheese and peaches was great. It was great also to get a sorbet for cleaning the taste buds before the main dish. For main we have ordered 3 different types again: The lamb ribs for our friend - very chewy, the lamb smell was very present and the garnish was poor. The beef Welington - I got the edge of it, so it wasn’t comme il faut, it was overcooked and dry. The seabas for my husband was good,the fish itself didn’t have much flavor, but the veggies underneath were nice. Dessert- we had 1 Pavlova - I am not a big fan, but it was nicely done. The crème brûlée- it was watery, too sweet and it didn’t have a nice crispy cover. So , both of us, we shared it to my husband to not offend the chef. I must mention even if the restaurant has only 2 varieties of wine, we have ordered a White pinnot Griggio and it seemed to be very well combined with all the meals. I hope my sincere review helps chef to improve and be better in what she...

My recent dining experience at this place was nothing short of extraordinary. The chef’s table experience provided a unique, personalized touch that made our evening memorable. Chef Arzu, who is also the mastermind behind the restaurant, was a phenomenal host. Her warmth and hospitality added to the already delightful atmosphere.

The food was exceptional, with each dish showcasing a blend of flavors that was both innovative and comforting. The ambiance of the restaurant exuded a cozy and heartfelt charm, making us feel at home. It’s worth noting that Arzu handles everything from cooking to serving and hosting. Her dedication is admirable, and it’s understandable that she encourages guests to check the website for details. This helps streamline the experience since she single-handedly manages the restaurant, making it a bit challenging to repeat the same information.

Other diners have mentioned that Arzu requests guests to refer to the website for information, as it’s tough for her to manage every role from chef to waiter to host. This approach ensures guests have all the details they need, while allowing Arzu to focus on providing an exceptional culinary experience.

In summary, restaurant offers a unique chef’s table experience that combines delicious cuisine with heartfelt hospitality. Chef Arzu’s dedication to her craft and her guests is truly commendable. Highly recommended for those seeking a meal that’s prepared and served with love...

We’ve had a wonderful time at chef Arzu’s tiny restaurant. If you want to get away from Istanbul’s busy streets and eat affordable home cooked meal, this place is for you. It’s located on a steep quiet street with only a few tables inside. Make sure you call or WhatsApp the chef in advance to make a booking, she goes daily to the market and makes enough food for the reservations of the day. Everything was fresh and tasted incredible. You can tell she puts a lot of work in making sure her guests feel at home and their bellies are happy. For the appetizers of the night there were two things to chose from, a baked eggplant stuffed with veggies and beet tabouleh. Both were incredible and we had to order an extra eggplant with our main courses. For the main courses we had a choice between beef stroganoff with mashed potatoes and Uzbek rice pilaf with lamb. Both dishes were incredibly tasty as well, the meat just melted right in your mouth and the choice or rice in the pilaf made it very light and fluffy. We finished our dinner off with a freshly baked honey cake and baked quince with aromatic spices topped off with vanilla ice cream. We’ve also had two glasses of wine, tea and homemade lemonade and the whole bill for 4 was only around $60 USD. Can’t recommend this place enough. Please support this small business ran by an incredibly...