GRACE Rooftop Restaurant — Restaurant in Fatih

We visited GRACE Rooftop on August 7, 2025, at 2:00 PM. The views are undeniably stunning and the atmosphere was promising. Unfortunately, the experience was overshadowed by two incidents — the more surprising being that after my initial review, our waitress looked up my Instagram and sent me a direct message making an inappropriate comment about my girlfriend’s appearance. I had not said anything negative about her specifically in the review, so this kind of follow-up was unprofessional and left a poor final impression. The handling of a hair-in-food incident below was disappointing at first but management’s swift action in removing an unprofessional employee after the fact shows they do take guest concerns seriously.

The other issue happened during our visit. My girlfriend found a long strand of hair embedded deep in her spaghetti bolognese, which appeared as though it could have been cooked in rather than a surface contaminant. If it had been lying on top, I would have assumed it was hers. It ended up being an unfortunate situation where both sides thought it belonged to the other. When we brought it to the attention of the manager, the initial response was more defensive, suggesting it could have “flown in,” than empathetic, but he did apologize and offered to replace the dish. While another dish was offered, it would have meant a 10 to 15 minute wait, leaving me eating alone, so we decided to share mine instead. I think despite them taking accountability, the excuse itself gave me an odd feeling. I appreciate them trying to offer to make it again or something else but we were both served simultaneously and decided to share instead of having my girlfriend wait while I ate.

Initially, only the cost of that dish was removed, with tax still left on the bill, but after further discussion the tax was also removed. I felt this was fair, since even with a replacement she would have been left waiting and watching me eat. I do appreciate that when I later spoke with the manager, he was polite and professional.

Bottom line: great views, good food, and polite staff overall, but the handling of our particular incident and the follow-up from a staff member after the fact left something to be desired. With a bit more willingness to err on the guest’s side and maintain professional boundaries, I probably would have left a full five-star review and a large tip. I flew private into Turkey, so claiming that I said it was too expensive was a bit surprising, and I didn’t only list negative things in the initial review - “food was decent, view was stunning, ambience felt promising”. Only the situation left more to be desired other than being messaged on IG. 1 star due to the way the situation was handled, and from being harassed by an employee online. However again, their responsiveness and care handling that situation regarding an employee messaging me ironically proved how great this...

I felt obligated to tell the world about my friends and I's recent decision to spend an evening at Istanbul's Grace Rooftop Restaurant. This rooftop oasis provided us with an outstanding combination of stunning views, fantastic cocktails, and a relaxing shisha session. Even though we didn't eat there, the general atmosphere and service nonetheless call for a thorough assessment.

We were enthralled by the expansive views provided by Grace Rooftop Restaurant as soon as we entered. We were given expansive views of Istanbul's famous skyline, featuring buildings like the Bosphorus Bridge and the Hagia Sophia, from our perch high above the bustling metropolis. As the sun went down, the city changed into a mesmerising tapestry of sparkling lights, which only served to enhance the romantic ambiance.

Our evening was nothing short of extraordinary thanks to the attentive and friendly personnel at Grace Rooftop Restaurant. We were given a thorough menu, along with a long list of cocktail and shisha flavours, as we took our seats. We were glad to see that the menu catered to a variety of tastes and preferences by offering both traditional and creative creations.

We started our evening by trying a few of the restaurant's specialty drinks. Each drink was expertly made, and it had distinctive flavour characteristics that made us want more. Each sip demonstrated the bartenders' expertise in their field and their enthusiasm for concocting outstanding drinks. The cocktails' taste was just as amazing as their gorgeous appearance.

As the evening drew on, we made the excellent decision to partake in a shisha session. The shisha flavours available at Grace Rooftop Restaurant ranged from conventional fruit-based flavours to more unique selections. We chose a mixture of mint and grape since it was pleasant and reviving to smoke. The crew kept our shisha well-maintained all night long, periodically switching out the coals and making sure it was the ideal temperature for a satisfying smoke.

Even though we didn't eat there, we were still impressed by the sophisticated plating and tantalising fragrances of the food being served to the next tables. We could tell that each piece was carefully and meticulously made, and the menu appeared to be a combination of regional and international food. We made a commitment to go back for food in the future despite our obvious envy of the diners seated around us.

Our experience at Grace Rooftop Restaurant was simply remarkable, to sum it up. A fantastic night out in Istanbul was made possible by the combination of breath-taking views, beautifully created cocktails, and a top-notch shisha experience. Although we are unable to remark on the meal, the atmosphere and service convinced us that a repeat trip is necessary. Grace Rooftop Restaurant is a must-visit location for a distinctive and unforgettable experience if you find yourself...

This restaurant with amazing views of Istanbul and great potential is absolutely spoilt by dishonest practices and bad food. We booked this as our last nice meal in Istanbul and I was particularly looking forward to the beef rib. To my great surprise it was the first thing that arrived at our table and had clearly been cooked at least a day before. It was not nice at all, very rubbery and dry. My son had a steak which we ordered to be medium cooked, but it arrived well done and not very tasty. The seafood and vegetarian pasta dishes as well as the starters were good, so perhaps this restaurant just cannot cook beef properly in which case they should take it off the menu.

The main problem however and why I am giving it the lowest rating of one star is the extremely dishonest practice of adding 10% "Tax" to the 8000TL bill, as other reviewers have mentioned. It is in fact not a tax but a service charge, but when I asked the waiter about it he just said "oh this is the tax, you know". So what they are doing here is scamming their customers, completely unnecessarily as the prices are high enough already and we would have voluntarily left a 10% tip, despite the bad food, as the service was generally good and attentive. It may well be possible that it mentions this service charge on the menu somewhere, but it is not a Tax and it is not compulsory!

To whoever is responsible for this dishonest practice, please rename the item on the bill from "Tax" to "Service charge", so that it is truthful but ideally remove it altogether and leave it up to the customers...