Ernest’s Bar by ÇokÇok Pera — Restaurant in Beyoğlu

I thought the savory dishes were absolutely lovely and impressive in both balance of flavor and presentation. At one point, I even mentioned to a colleague of mine how I was surprised that this place didn’t have at least a Michelin star rating. However, there are some constructive points that I’d like to mention, like the desserts. I have never been given more instructions on how to eat dessert than I was here, and I’ve dined at multiple Michelin star places, and I’ve never had more confusing and conflicting flavors for dessert as I have at this place. The entire savory menu, even for someone who doesn’t like “all things,” I truly enjoyed and appreciated the dishes and the different cuisine than I would normally indulge in. I would recommend the main menu over and over. The dessert menu, I would not recommend. I also would advise on “friendly” banter from service staff because there should be a level of professionalism that is maintained throughout. I just arrived to Istanbul an hour before and had 3/4 of a bottle of wine with dinner over the course of 2.5 hours of dining, and coming off a complete different time zone, and the server told me that I seemed drunk. Not quite the friendly banter you want to engage in with service staff especially when she didn’t ask any questions or personal note like where I was from or what I was visiting for—all of which would have been important since I work with wine. I could see some loose ends that need to be tightened, however, the basis and the foundation seem very strong and very promising for continued...

An amazing restaurant of any type, but surely the best Thai food in Istanbul! We were staying at a nearby hotel and made a last minute choice for Thai. From the moment we stepped in the historic building that had served as the US Consulate when Ernest Hemingway sent his dispatches to the Toronto Star in 1922, we were welcomed as special guests. Mr. Ozkan Karanulut promised to make us an amazing welcome cocktail and he did not disappoint. He seated us in the beautiful hardwood paneled dining room and explained in detail the menu, so we’ll we were already hungry just listening. The food came and it was full of authentic Thai flavors from the chef who had served with the Thai royal family for ten years. Each course complimented the last and a great twist on dessert with tiny sweet potatoes in coconut milk substituting for mango sticky rice. At every level the service was top notch, flavors superb, and atmosphere just perfect for our evening. We have been to many high rated restaurants but this is by far our favorite, and we...

I came here without reservation for the tasting menu. They said they could seat me, but it turned out I only got a seat at the noisy bar area, between tables of people who were there for drinks.

Every item on the 7 course tasting menu was delicious. With the exception of the main course tenderloin, which was EXTREMELY dry and tough, I had to ask them to swap to another main course. I ended up getting the cod and it was so much better.

Unfortunately, I don't believe I got the "normal" tasting menu experience since I came without a reservation and was seated at the bar area. The quality of food and the service doesn't quite justify ~$140 USD (which includes a mandatory 12% service fee).

I wouldn't recommend coming here for food nor drink. I overheard the table next to me that their two drinks (that weren't even filled to the top) turned out to be $68 USD -- because of the service fee they weren't aware of, and the drinks were...