Ayasofya kebap house — Restaurant in Fatih

Chronology of fraud by the male waiter and the restaurant owner. Please read until the end.

Restaurant Name: Ayasofya Kebab House (on Google) or Ayasofya Kebab Salonu (on the menu).

The main business is cheating foreign tourists, not selling food. Be careful.

March 25, 2025, as a tourist, I happened to see this restaurant which had many positive reviews (but later after I was cheated and blackmailed by certain people in this restaurant: a local male waiter who I suspect worked with the owner, I realized that this restaurant was very quiet, and even though there were visitors at that time, it seemed they were friends of the owner). Well, from here, after I was cheated, I realized that high reviews must have been given by friends of the owner or waiter of the restaurant.

By Allah, By God, I am not lying or slandering. I am just a foreign tourist, I do not own any restaurant.

The incident happened on March 25, 2025, I was interested in trying to eat here.

1. It turned out that the price we saw in other buyers' reviews (of course they were their friends) was 165 Lira, but in the restaurant menu it was 450 Lira.

2. The food was really bad, far from expectations, I suspect that most of the people who gave positive reviews were their friends. It was very far compared to the price.

3. I was asked what I wanted to pay with, I said with a card. The waiter brought the EDC device to the table, then inserted my card. Then I entered the PIN. This is where the biggest fraud occurred. FIRST he said it failed, because my tourist did not understand the language on his EDC device. Even though the paper did not come out (later I realized that he deliberately inserted the remaining paper that would not be enough to print again). The SECOND time, he also said it failed. The paper did not come out.

I was confused, maybe I entered the wrong PIN. Then I tried twice more with a different PIN, and it also failed. Because I had failed many times, I paid in cash for 600 Lira with an additional tip of 50 Lira, making it more than 650 Lira.

After leaving, I tried to check my bank application, IT TURNED OUT TWICE the transaction was successful which meant the funds were deducted 2 times by 600 Lira. I protested, but they (both of them), insisted on making all sorts of excuses. And said they were about to close.

That means for (expensive) food that should be more than 600 Lira, they robbed me 3x600 Lira = more than 1800 Lira!!!

I came alone.

Please GOOGLE does not delete my review, if requested by the restaurant owner. Google can contact me so I can show proof of banking transactions. I have contacted my bank, and they stated that the money has been received by them 2 times.

Hopefully those who have time to read my review, are safe from this restaurant fraud.

Those who do not read, please never pay with a card. Pay in cash. Try not to eat in this area, maybe they have a similar style of looking for illicit money. Their targets are foreign tourists who do not understand their language.

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April 14, 2025. Responding to the objection from the owner of this naughty restaurant.

The card issuing bank that I use is the largest bank in Indonesia (Bank Mandiri).

The perpetrator is a waiter at the restaurant, his photo has also been posted by the restaurant owner. I will resend the photo.

I also posted proof of the card deduction...

We came here based on good google reviews, but were dissapointed because of cheap scams made by this restaurant.

We saw in a menu a big sparkling water and asked for it, but they told us they only have a small one. Then after a minute they brought us a glass filled with sparkling water with no bottle in sight. They probably filled it from big bottle before bringing it to us.

Worst thing is that at the end they charged us with 10% extra in the bill where they stated it as "tax" but when we asked about it they said it's a service fee. It's important to say that nobody mentioned this before we ordered food and drinks.

Food was ok, but nothing that would justify such high rating even without the scams part.

Hopefully people will see this and other similar reviews that point out the same "tax" scam and avoid...

Ayasofya Kebap House pleasantly surprised us with its affordability and location. Situated right next to the iconic Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, it's part of a street bustling with dining options. Despite the prime location, this restaurant offers an affordable dining choice for travellers.

The service at Ayasofya Kebap House was commendably swift, allowing us to enjoy our meal without unnecessary delays. The food, too, exceeded our expectations, with flavourful dishes that satisfied our taste buds.

Being so conveniently located near one of Istanbul's most famous landmarks, it's easy to assume that prices might be high, but Ayasofya Kebap House offers a more budget-friendly alternative. This makes it an excellent option for travellers who want to enjoy a tasty meal without...