Galata Art Smyrna Restaurant Cafe — Restaurant in Beyoğlu

This makes no sense... Influenced by the high reviews I decided to visit this place. Indeed the place has a funky decor inside, however my review is basis what I ate and what I paid and what happened to me after.

First of all my table was dirty and when I finally insisted that it is clean I was surprised at how poorly this was done. Immediately makes you think about what you are going to eat.

I ordered the meatballs and 2 glasses of ayran. The meatballs were terrible. Too greasy, full of oil, not tasty... Nasty... They were served with some fries, some rice and a very small assortment of green beans (like one bite).

I was shocked at what I ended up paying, more than usd 30 for this... The worst came a few hours later when I woke up at night with chills and fever. While I can't pinpoint this with 100% accuracy to the meal I had here, I was travelling and barely had anything to eat the whole day.

My recommendation is not to go to this place for food but for a drink. I don't trust either the hygiene of this kitchen or the quality of their cooking.

p.s. I can now confirm that I got food poisoning and I am 99% sure I got it from this place. Thank you for ruining my stay...

My husband had „lucky intuition“ to chose this restaurant for our dinner yesterday without having heard anything about it before. A cozy, calm, atmospheric place right around the corner from tourists-crowded Galata main streets. We got a nice table outside and a friendly & helpful young man as a waiter. Even though I was not hungry I could not resist the offerings and took slow-cooked lamb with eggplant puree that was perfectly delicious. My husband had beef and then baklava for desert and he was happy as well (which means a lot as he is a critical connoisseur of beef 😀). We also got to know the chef-brothers who added to the charms of the place with their authenticity and sense of humor. The cafe has a very original decor indoors and in the windows (bordering on good-humored craziness 🤩) and we also enjoyed their (unconventional for Turkey in my experience) choice of music - yesterday night it was Spanish mellow vocal melancholy. I can absolutely recommend the place even at the risk of attracting too big crowd, hoping they will keep their laidback...

Down the hill and around the corner from Galata Tower is this little gem of a place. A gallery, a restaurant, a bar, a magical oasis just a block off the main drag.

Where do I begin? We went every day after we found it. The food is incredible, order anything. Specifically the shrimp in butter. The breakfast on Sundays is one if the best food experiences I have ever had (pictured). Everything is made with absolute care.

Also a bar where a local musician might do a couple songs, or you can just sit and have drinks and a piece of house-made cheesecake.

The place itself is a treasure-trove of installation and art and heart, and not the kind that feels contrived or slapped up…the kind that takes years of consideration to arrive at.

And last, but most, the people. We became friends with Jesse, who took care of us like he’d known us for years. He makes some very excellent cocktails, ask for the Brown Sugar.

If you go to one place in Galata, please make this the one. Tell ‘em Cowboy...