Mivan Restaurant & Cafe — Restaurant in Fatih

We visited here last night and honestly it is worth the hype.

When we saw the reviews we thought "hmmm surely it can't be THAT good", but it was really good. We were very happy with our meal.

First we needed to wait about 15 minutes for a table which was fine as we didn't book in advance. Our table was one of the downstairs outside tables and it was really lovely. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and the table was a good size and very comfortable.

When we ordered we were given 3 plates of starters and some lovely warm, pillowy bread. We particularly enjoyed the salsa which had a gentle heat to it and the pickled red cabbage.

We had their lemonata to drink which was great. If you haven't, definitely try it!

We ordered the lamb shish and the Mivan special. Both were great. The seasoning on the lamb shish was delicious and the Mivan special was comprised of 4 pieces of rolled lamb belly and 1 lamb chop. Absolutely delicious and nicely herbed with some great sides. We were also given extra bread as our original serving did not last long! The Mivan Special was a little more pricey but VERY worth it and the Lamb Shish was slightly more than we have paid previously but there were more pieces of lamb. As other reviews have said, the portions are generous and I think this is reflected in the price.

After we finished we had turkish tea which was also delicious. Unfortunately couldn't fit in dessert!

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal. I will say that we didn't try any of the Italian food options so I cannot comment on how they are. There were a couple of comments saying that this restaurant is a tourist trap and our experience was anything but. Yes, mostly the diners were tourists but this has not impacted the food at all which was fantastic and good value for money.

If there was one thing I would change it would be the location as there are a lot of vehicles driving past. Mostly though this was not too disturbing and would be avoided completely with an inside table.

We feel very lucky that this was our last meal in Istanbul as it really was a great reflection of how the food should be. Don't hesitate to stop...

Fantastic experience. It was our first day in Istanbul, and after a venture around the Grand Bazaar, we were feeling slightly hungry. A quick Google showed this restaurant with a seemingly-impossible 5 stars from 1000 reviews on TripAdvisor. Seeing that it was only a 5 minute walk, we headed over.

We were greeted warmly by the staff and they immediately led us to a table upstairs by the window, with a lovely view of the street below us (and a gorgeous cat sat next to us). Emin was a fantastic host and was incredibly responsive to all our requests.

We ordered a few starters—the garlic bread, the lentil soup, and the hummus—and received all of those incredibly fast, alongside a selection of complimentary dips and pita. The hummus was, in my opinion, the best I have ever had. The pita tasted and felt fresh, and they were quick to bring another basket to the table. Lentil soup was great as well. I have to admit, garlic bread was not my favorite, but that’s a very subjective thing, and I’m not going to knock off points for an opinion that isn’t based on an issue with seasoning, etc.

The main courses were even better. 3 out of 4 of us were vegetarian, but that wasn’t an issue—a full page of vegetarian items on the menu was up for our consideration. We ended up getting the vegetarian lasagna, the grilled vegetables with yogurt, and the chicken casserole. I can confidently say that NONE of us were left unsatisfied. The vegetables in both the lasagna and the yogurt dish were fantastic. The seasoning made the dishes flavorful and well-balanced, and the texture was perfect.

Portion sizes are HUGE, and we all got full fairly fast. When we asked if we could take home the leftovers, they were incredibly accommodating. In their words: if we wanted to take the rest home, that meant we loved it! They packed it up for us really nicely.

Lastly was some tea and Turkish coffee, all on the house. Wonderful finish to a wonderful meal. The total cost was pretty affordable for the amount we ordered. All in all, great experience. Will definitely come back if we...

I’m spending a week right across the street to this marvellous restaurant and I’m literally not able to think of a better place to eat. First things first: The way it looks. Such a nice work of interior design. It’s modern, industrial and very comfortable. The attention to detail is fantastic and they have made a really smart use of space, managing to make comfort and usefulness meet seamlessly.

Second of all: The Food. You guys reading this, listen to me. Listen to me good: Order whatever! Open the menu and order. EVERYTHING is gorgeous! They have vegetarian options as well as meaty ones. I want to make sure you know what to order for breakfast and the word is Çilbir, also called The Sultan’s breakfast. Poached eggs, yogurt, Aleppo pepper, butter and croutons. It will hit your tongue, go up to your brain and your brain will say: give more, now!

At last but -definitely- not least: The Service. There is no flaw on the way they work, nor with the waiters. They are all so gentle, so polite. The food service itself is fast and they allow you to take your time when ordering lot. I mean, they won’t bring all together making your table a mess and the food cold. Unless you ask them to bring everything. I’m terrible with names. And by terrible I mean I forget it 2 seconds after hearing it. That said, the guy who looks after the morning service is an example to be followed for waiters around the world. He is great fun. But again all of them, will make sure your get a spotless experience.

Mivan team, thank you so much! I wish you had a...