Ararat Terrace Restaurant & Rooftop — Restaurant in Fatih

DO NOT GO TO THIS RESTAURANT. THEY ARE DISHONEST THIEVES! I feel compelled to write reviews unless the experience was particularly good or particularly bad. This one was very much bad!!!

First issue: The owners made it very unclear that the terrace, the on main selling point for the restaurant, was closed. we did not find out until we were at the restaurant wwe sat inside on the floor below.The view of the Blue Mosque from inside through an open terrace door was ok but would have been much better from several rooftop terraces in the area. When I asked then why they did mention this in response to my reservation request (i noted that the terrace was the main selling point)...they just shrugged. I should have left right then and there, but my wife was tired from walking around the city, so we decided to stay.

Second issue we got swindled (robbed) on price. They kept pictures of their menu orders at the front of the menu with no prices. Having looked carefully at the menu of several other similar restaurants I was comfortable that the price of the 4 jumbo shrimps was in the 1,000 Lire range. and a roasted sea bass was between 750-950 Turkish Lire. My wife got to chatting and I did not look at the prices at the back and this was a HUGE mistake on my part...especially for a very experienced traveller such as myself...They charged us 2,600 lire for 4 jumbo shrimps and 4,000 Lire for a sea bass with a small square of store bought salmon. these are prices you would pay in central London and New York City at Michelin star rated establishments...not in a small local run tavern style restaurant in Istanbul After a very uncomfortable discussion in which they got very confrontational, and pointed to hand written, difficult to read prices at the very back of the menu , it was clear, through my own fault, that I had been badly ripped off! I priced the same meal in 4 other restaurants on the way home an none of them charged any more than half of what I was charged at Ararat.

As I said this ultimately on me, but BUYER BEWARE, that this operation is crooked and I would go nowhere near it....if other places are full and you want to sit on the terrace (make sure the terrace is actually open first). order nothing until you have reviewed and are very clear on the prices of...

Didn’t even get as far as eating. We arrived at 11pm, close to closing time. We checked if we could still be served. The cook Boran (or something) advised us the kitchen was closing but we could be served if we were quick to order. He was polite and jovial. Our kid had a McDonald’s burger with him half ate, maybe a few bites left. We were told this is okay and were asked to go upstairs to the terrace. We went the further flight up to the terrace and we were told the kitchen is closed. We mentioned that they had said downsatirs we could order if we were quick. We were given a menu with a nudge of order quickly again. We had already started to order. My 8 year old son resumed his burger and the staff who looked like he was only 12-15 years old looked disgustingly at him and asked ‘what is this’. We told him of the conversation downstairs. He said this couldn’t be consumed at his restaurant and asked us to leave. He was extremely rude. We left and I asked to speak with the initial chap. The initial chap came out, reminded calm and then the intervening 12 year old lad came behind and interrupted the conversation he wasn’t even invited to informing us firstly that the cook couldn’t speak English (we were communicating okay) and then that he is the manager (not that I asked or was bothered by this point). I reminded him I wasn’t talking to him but he wanted to assert his power trip. Again he asked us to leave, I did so whilst telling him he was rude and he told me I was rude. Glad I didn’t eat here after that ordeal. Went to Turgut teras around the corner. They were more friendly and welcoming and didn’t mind the McDonald’s burger although my son had lost his...

This place is a scam like almost all other restaurants downtown. They all have the same printed menu and they’re all overpriced. Trap for tourists, really. This one was particularly despicable, because they l tricked us with the price in the menu, by the end we paid more than the first stipulated price. The waiter, Sergio, was always very cheeky, feeding the seagulls near the table (which we found disgusting) to have them near us and “offering” us baklavas and tea and even mentioning that no tip was needed by the time the bill came. The thing is we paid that and more, a total rip off. Cool view tho.. Response to owner: It’s very rich that you had the gall to respond, given that you run a literal tourist trap. You don’t need to walk a lot in Istambul to see them scattered all over the place, boosted scores and the same printed menu. It’s almost hilarious how all this restaurants have a 4.9 score. You’re truly a dishonest bunch, I know that it’s customary to give free tea and a baklava, I only mentioned that we ended up paying that in your little scam and you even had the nerve to mention not including the tip. I mean, that would truly be the icing on the cake, if you ask me. I know I’m not getting a refund, stop trying to save face. Now be my guess and find a better business to run, because this one is truly spent. Still,...