Albura Kathisma — Restaurant in Fatih

I dined here at the recommendation of my boyfriend who had visited this restaurant in January 2019. My first experience here was wonderful. I was served by Manager A and I had a chicken dish he recommended, which was so delicious. I could tell a lot of care goes into the food, and from my observation of the staff, I felt a lot of care also goes into the cleanliness and ambience of the place. So I came back again the next day, for my last dinner in Istanbul.

Manager A wasn't around, so a server took my order. Once again the food was delicious, and I decided next time I come back to Istanbul, I'm definitely eating here again. Manager B recognized me from yesterday (we had briefly chatted), and stopped by my table to make sure I was doing okay, and brought a complimentary tea for me after my meal. Everything was perfect.

Then Manager C stopped by to chat - normal stuff like where I'm from, how do I like Istanbul, and from the conversation I talked about my boyfriend having recommended this restaurant. When I told Manager C I was leaving the next day, he invited me to come back later at night around 11pm, to smoke hookah and drink with him. I declined, thinking this was a little strange, and said I had to pack. It was around 7pm, so he said that I can go back and pack first, then come back at 11pm to hang out with him here.

Then he asked a server to bring two teas, one for him and one for me, and he put his tea cup on my table, when I hadn't invited him to join me or accepted his invitation to hang out that night. He didn't sit, but continued making his rounds, then when he came back, he asked what I was thinking. I was messaging my boyfriend, so I said that's what I was doing.

Then he said, "Maybe it's time to change boyfriend, yeah?" Well, that was my cue to get the hell out of there.

After I told my boyfriend, he updated his original Google review, and stated that all the good food in the world can't replace safety and respect for customers. My boyfriend...

I went to this restaurant on my first evening in Istanbul. I was a young French woman in her twenties travelling alone, so I asked for a table for one person. The meal went very well, apart from the owner of the restaurant (about 40-50 years old) who was sometimes a little insistent and intrusive during the meal. Out of politeness I smiled at what he said. At the end of the meal he became much more insistent! Sentences full of innuendo, he took my hands to stroke them (even though I'd told him I didn't like it) and wanted to touch my hair. At the same time he offered me glasses of alcohol (paid for by the house) which I refused for a long time as I had already drunk during my meal, then I accepted at his insistence. In the end I had to claim an emergency to get out of the situation and I went home alone, too drunk to realise that I was being harassed. Of course, during the evening he had asked me for my phone number. I had to block him the next day because he kept sending me messages. I don't know what kind of boss-client relationship this is, but I find it very inappropriate, especially towards a young woman.

Apart from that, the food was delicious and the waiter (other than the boss, of course) was very helpful and very kind, never making an inappropriate gesture.

I'm writing this review to warn women who would like to dine alone in this restaurant to be very careful about the behaviour of the owner. Otherwise, for couples, families and groups, I imagine that the welcome should...

Fabulous little restaurant (or two!). We actually chose this restaurant in the first place because it was the first place that allowed us to view their menu in peace, without being hounded. And what a good decision it was!

This is actually two restaurants owned by the same people. One much more bistro style (Albura Bistro) - outdoor type seating, and one which feels more like a proper ‘restaurant’ - albura kathisma! We tended to choose the bistro side so we could pester the resident cat!

Either way, the service, atmosphere and food is just brilliant. Highly recommend the seafood wok and the baklava - we even came back the next day just for desserts!

The staff are all very friendly, and the resident cat - Madame Sylvester is lovely too (we wish you luck on your weight loss journey Madame!).

There is a service charge added to cover staff wages, but from our experience this week this is common across most/all restaurants in Istanbul. They may change the name (subsidy, tax, etc) but it’s all for the same thing and has occurred in every restaurant we’ve visited since arriving. It’s making sure we understand the prices of the actual food whilst staff still get paid.

So, all considered this is definitely a spot worth visiting whilst you’re here (you’ll almost...