Rakofoli Restaurant — Restaurant in Beyoğlu

Update: since the restaurant admin is in denial of what really happened, let me clarify. We were seated first and there were other guests around us. Everyone acted in a civilized manner until the two people arrived who were so loud that we had to say something because they were right next to us. Note, we complained about how LOUD they were. They could talk on the phone at a normal volume but they were almost yelling. Other guests were just talking normally. There is a difference between talking normally and being loud. Those people didn't have empathy for us or any other guests. Instead of correcting the people who lack manners, you moved us although we weren't the ones raising our voices. Your excuse was "they don't speak English". Now you're blaming us for not having empathy? Hiw about you didn't have empathy when we asked nicely and they didn't have empathy or respect to others. Your job is not only to cook food. It is to ensure that all the customers are comfortable and act in a civilized manner (which includes speaking at normal volume). At the price that we paid, we expect good experience and ambiance. I had a better experience at a corner doner shop than your restaurant! You failed at basic customer service and are reluctant to admit it because in your opinion being loud and rude is OK. But speaking up about it is not ok. Your attempt to put all the blame on us instead of being apologetic just made my memories of your country a little sadder. Learn the basics of customer service please. Train your staff. We had never experienced a more upsetting situation in any establishment in Turkey than in your restaurant. And your response lacking sympathy or apology made it worse. The positives: food was top notch and so was the view. The price is on the higher end and doesn't reflect on the atmosphere or service. Sadly, our experience was tarnished by two Spanish tourists who sat next to us and were extremely loud while teleconferenceing on their phone. We flagged this to the staff but they didn't even attempt to correct that behavior. Instead, we had to move to the other end of the restaurant (although we weren't the ones causing issues). The staff should have asked those guests to lower their volume as it was creating discomfort to other guests. It ruined our experience especially that it was our last night...

This visit to istanbul taught me not to always trust this app when it comes to lots of things, restaurants included. This restaurant is one example; it is extremely overrated to say the least. The food was decent but just like almost any other restaurant we went to in istanbul (we keep ordering the same thing unfortunately, but at least that enables us to properly compare) so nothing really worth it. The restaurant itself is highly situated, giving a good sea view, but it it very cramped. No different sections for smokers and non smokers, so if a smoking group is next to the terrace and you don't like smoking, chances are you're not going to enjoy the view. The entrance to the restaurant is very sketchy, to the point that we thought about turning back halfway. The service was only OK, the waitresse was kind of nice, but there is lots of room for improvement in my opinion. Moreover, I don't think this is a good choice for a muslim family, especially a conservative one.

In short, lots of better options are out there to...

Highly recommended restaurant in the heart of Istanbul with gorgeous view of galata bridge On the roof top with lift view of spice bazaar Hagia Sophia new emionu mosque and ofcourse golden horn while you are here you can enjoy the most beautiful view of the city This is the one you were searching as a Turkish local restaurant with the most beautiful Turkish music They serve lavas bread Turkish Nan bread fresh and very warm you can see they just cook it for you while you have your orders indoor and outdoor seating options local drinks and imported drinks options as well the most beautiful options here is they cook your kebabs in front of you as years years ago how Turkish people use to do make sure you visit this place I had mixed meme plate lahmacun local pizza and pumpkin desser in the end with Turkish tea recommended you all make sure...