Eleos Restaurant — Restaurant in Beyoğlu

Visited in July 2025. Turkey 🇹🇷 Istanbul.

Perched atop a charming rooftop in Istanbul, Eleos Restaurant captivates with its stunning terrace, offering a front-row seat to the city’s vibrant charm.

FOOD:

Eleos specializes in seafood, with an array of meze and appetizers showcasing the bounty of the sea. We sampled a variety of dishes, starting with pan-fried shrimp in oil. While the presentation was appealing, the shrimp tasted more boiled than seared, lacking the bold flavor we’d hoped for, though the accompanying mushrooms were a delightful standout. The local delicacy of mussels with rice, however, fell flat; the rice overwhelmed the subtle mussel flavor, and we’ve tasted more memorable renditions elsewhere. The grilled mackerel was a highlight, lightly seasoned with spices and marinade, boasting a tender, bone-free texture that made it both flavorful and satisfying. The grilled shrimp, while slightly dry, were redeemed by a flawless creamy butter sauce infused with spices, which balanced the dish beautifully.

SERVICE:

The service was top-notch, with attentive waitstaff who spoke excellent English, ensuring a seamless dining experience. A thoughtful touch came in the form of a complimentary appetizer—crispy breaded zucchini—that added a warm note to the meal.

VERDICT:

Eleos is well worth a visit, particularly at sunset when the terrace’s atmosphere truly shines. The seafood offerings are generally well-executed, though some dishes miss the mark. With stellar service and a breathtaking setting, it’s a solid choice for a memorable evening in Istanbul, especially if you’re craving coastal cuisine...

I'm usually quite laid back and don't bother to review restaurants unless they are really good or really bad, but I couldn't stop myself from sharing my experience with Eleos as this one turned out to be one of my worst.

In short, the moment you sit down, a guy with a large tray of tapa samples show up beside you and expects you to order an unlimited number of dishes without properly explaining what they are. Even if you ask for clarification, you can't hear a word that they are saying due to loud ambient music. Expect to pay 15-20 liras for each of those little dishes, so they add up pretty quickly. If you don't order a lot of them, your server will immediately label you as a cheap skate. Then dont be surprised if he goes behind the counter and bad mouths you with his co-worker. Probably, it is a pressure tactic to make you order more. If you don't feel like ordering a full or half bottle of raki with your food, this further pisses your server off.

You then move on to your main course. None of the items listed under the "main courses" section in the menu do show prices and the descriptions are no where near helpful as they simply read something like "seabass with eggplants". There are probably a thousand different versions as to how this dish can be prepared. So you naturally ask for clarification. He says it is half sea bass from black sea (similar to mackerel in size) served with eggplant. Duh! Oh...and it is 120 liras.

If you think all this hassle is worth it because of the spectacular views, think twice because you dont get to see much at night when...

I had high hopes for this place because it was highly recommended by multiple travel sights. However, upon arrival there seemed to be an arrogance among the staff. We tried to brush it off as them being busy, but as the meal progressed more issues arose.

When asked what to drink we said what are your non alcoholic options and we’re given a very limited list. I decided to stick to water my husband ordered a lemonade. We also placed our order at this time. We started with taziki and bread. The taziki was average, nothing special. During appetizers the waiter brought us over shots on the house. Although the thought was nice we had already mentioned no alcohol so it was frustrating.

Moving on the fried squid and Mediterranean salad (for 2) was brought out. The fried squid was good but not worth the price. The salad was more cheese than salad. I couldn’t even eat it because everything including the lettuce tasted like straight cheese. We ended up only eating half the salad, most of which was eaten by my husband. While forcing down the appetizers the house brought a warmed lobster dip. This was pretty good, but not really my thing.

The sea bass came out and was very tasty but honestly not worth the cost. Additionally they forgot to bring my husbands lemonade out until we were already halfway done with our main course. I have to say overall I was disappointed by the staff and food and will not be returning. Be weary, if you don’t drink alcohol or dress up you may not receive quality service.

P.s. their kitchen stops serving food at 10:30pm although the are...