Hamdi Restaurant - Eminönü — Restaurant in Fatih

As a travel industry professional I have been dining at this restaurant for the last 30 years, with my own will and as my choice because of the awesome pistachio lamb kebab and at least as impressive baklava (( şöbiyet ( shobiyet) should also be ordered, this is the one with clotted cream in it)) A small lahmacun, icli kofte ( kibbe) , gavurdagi ( infidel's mountain) salad are also among musts. The last 30 years as if they were serving a set meal these are all I have been ordering. In the evening some of the baklava or the other version I mentioned above May finish so while booking your table you may also ask a plate of these to be put aside for you and they're baklava is seriously among the finest in Istanbul. It's can only be this good at places where they don't have baklava left over to the following day as it gets soggy by up to 7% daily if not consumed on the day of the making.

I never worried for any of the other kabobs on the menu, exception, eggplant kebab on the other hand, had been on off among my other choices. At almost any other restaurant the venue excels in some of the dishes they serve some are okay some are mediocre: Their veggie starters are just fine and some good eggplant with yogurt sauce or pepper paste based sauce selections are available but one should save his or her appetite for the particular ones I mentioned above.

For the Whole 30 years I've been visiting this restaurant they had clean tablecloth without an exception. As a travel industry professional Imostly did not have a slow service problem, but I order everything at the very beginning but ask them to be served not altogether with small breaks in between. Yes sometimes the service can be slow and getting the attention of the same Waiters that had been serving you can be a bit difficult during which time getting help from another waiter had been available. This is not a fast food restaurant so people come here possibly to spend about 1 hour for a meal but a quick visit with a single kebab and the baklava within half an hour to 40 minutes can be done I'm telling this because I read some reviews complaining on the slow service also some complaints from Dirty tables, and I think this is rather unfare to say so. Because they changed the tablecloth right after each client. As a glad long-term customer I felt in charge to provide my perspective and advice as well. Hint: on the ground floor the service is much faster it is like their fast food cafeteria, and you may just order a baklava on the ground...

Not sure where to start here. After reading many reviews this has to be one of the worst restaurant experiences I have ever had. I wouldn't be leaving a One Star but I have to. Having booked well in advance and communicating via e-mail earlier in the day all appeared to be good. We arrived 10 minutes before our booking. The downstairs concierge service was fine. It all went wrong when we got out of the lift. We stood there and were ignored. Another family arrived who were immediately shown to a table whilst we stood there. A waiter finally arrived and we were shown to our table. No eye contact or chat. The table was actually in a very good spot. We were then handed Russian menus with which we called over the waiter to change and again obviously not happy. I attempted to order drinks and the waiter walked off. Finally returned and wanted to take our order. We asked for our drinks and a few minutes. He then returned with one of the drinks and again asked us for our order. Luckily we understood a little about the starters. We ordered. Still no drink for my wife. We then got olives but no bread which had been brought to other tables pre-starter. Still no second drink. Starters arrived with bread, we started to eat our starters and within minutes they appeared with our mains. Finally the drink arrived. We told them to take the mains away. When they returned with the mains after our starters mine was cold, my wife's had been on a warmer so much so it marked the table cloth. Obviously not freshly made again. Plates were taken away, no chat about desert so we asked for the bill. I was told they had removed the service charge (really nice of them). I asked for the manager but to no avail. We paid and left. Again the concierge team in the ground floor were friendly and professional. Ruined out Saturday evening and after e-mailing them later they offered me a table again. Not a chance. Give...

I recently dined at Hamdi Restaurant, which has long been known for its delicious kebabs and a variety of Turkish cold and hot appetizers. However, I must say that my recent visit was a letdown. The prices have dramatically increased, and the quality of the food has gone downhill.

İçli köfte that we ordered was not so tasty. Lahmacun was brought warm, more on the cold side. It was obvious that they reheated. 110TL with insufficient meat on lahmacun is a total rip-off. We also ordered muammara which was dominated by tomato paste. We also ordered kebab dürüm. The size and the taste of the meat in it was so poor.

To start, the hot appetizers were served cold, which was disappointing. Additionally, all the orders arrived at the table simultaneously, creating a rushed and chaotic dining experience. The service, in general, was quite poor. The personnel was not friendly. I believe Hamdi is hiring unprofessional waiters nowadays. The restaurant is just focusing on the profit. This is not a right policy for such historic and prestigious restaurant. I also noticed there was not enough personnel to run the place.

As for the taste, it was rather ordinary, far from the exceptional flavors I had come to expect from Hamdi. This visit was a huge disappointment, and I can't help but feel that the restaurant has lost some of its former glory. I hope they can address these issues and return to their previous high standards. Otherwise, it will stay as tourist trap just because its breathtaking Golden Horn views.

Overall score 3.4/5 for an authentic...