Pandeli Restaurant — Restaurant in Fatih

Very nice but not sure it's deserving of the cost. It's definitely a white napkin, upscale place located in/above the Spice Bazaar. I actually had a tough time finding it at first because the entrance is truly tucked away hidden unless you know where to look for it. There is a long staircase up to the restaurant. It feels very historic and old - honestly an experience just dining there even without considering the food.

The service is fine. I'm sure it would have been better if there hadn't been a language barrier as there was most places I went in Istanbul. The waiters were dressed up which made me feel a bit self conscious about my choice of clothes (sweatpants lol) but it is what it is.

I ordered tzatziki and the lamb with eggplant. Main dishes are around 300 lira and starters around 80 lira. Obviously not expensive by American standards but definitely pricey for Turkey. What was odd to me was that all of my food came out at the same time about 3 minutes after I ordered it. Obviously the tzatziki I expected would have been pre-made but I was a bit surprised that the lamb/eggplant didn't take longer to prepare given the caliber of the restaurant. Nonetheless it was delicious and I was given a massive (too big) bread basket to soak up the juices.

Overall a good meal. Maybe not worth the hype, but still...

Dining at Pandeli is less a meal and more a brush with history. Perched above the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, in the very room where Atatürk himself once dined, this Michelin-recognized restaurant marries tradition with quiet refinement.

We began with a smoked tuna fillet—delicate, rich, and just assertive enough to wake the palate—followed by pan-fried zucchini blossoms, crisp on the outside and almost ethereal within. For our main, we shared lamb over rice: tender, aromatic, and deeply satisfying without leaning into excess. Dessert was a study in contrasts: a classic sütlaç, comforting in its simplicity, alongside tavuk göğsü—the famed chicken breast pudding—creamy and strangely elegant, more silk than novelty.

Service throughout was warm, attentive, and easy to engage with—never stiff, always genuine. The staff embody the kind of hospitality that makes Michelin recognition feel inevitable.

What makes Pandeli extraordinary is not only its food—consistently delicious and fairly priced compared to its global Michelin peers—but its ability to hold the line between accessibility and excellence. For travelers, it’s a win-win: the rare chance to taste history, authenticity, and craft without the inflated price tag so often tied to a...

I had gone to this restaurant hearing great reviews and being told it was a must see place. It was an almost heartbreaking dissappointment. It seems to be living off of it's former glory and thus I highly question it's michelin guide recomendation status.

We arrived very much off peak times (3pm). And were able to get seated right away (albeit at a shared table with a group of French tourists). Barely a few minutes after ordering we got bread and our beverage order and in a few minutes after that the main course. There was no way that it was freshly made considering we both ordered lamb. It must have been either semi prepped and reheated, made in advance and just plated upon order... the amount of meat was very meager and the taste rather dissappointingly bland. The waiters were very plentiful and eager to clear your spot (no consideration for whether or not I might have liked to finish the bread but it was taken away as soon as I finished my main plate)

I will still say that they are very responsive to telephone inquiries and the location is fantastic, the blue tiled ambiance really nice and history is interesting. But overall I would not...