MARMARA BALIK — Restaurant in Istanbul

The best thing about this restaurant is the view, and that’s the end. We were brought to eat here by a tour guide that took us on a day trip from the airport. My wife is vegetarian so there were only few options for her to eat. Our server greeted us and brought us menus, then he brought a tray with all the appetizer plates wrapped neatly so that we can choose from. I’m sure this is only for display and they bring you a fresh plate. We choose two appetizers the yogurt dip and eggplant dip. Our server brought us bottled water that we didn’t order, a basket of bread and the two dips, he also brought us an olive dip or paste that we didn’t order but he mentioned that it came with the meal. Our server later brought us a tray of fresh fish for us to choose from so that they can cook for us. They had different ways of cooking it. I din’t have the time to wait for the fish to be cooked, cooking it with Saul would take 45 minutes so I got a plate of shrimp. This is normal time if you are cooking fresh fish so there is no complaint. Our server asked me how many shrimps would I eat and I said 6 . The shrimp had the head on and a good size what we would call for 21/25 or 16/20 max per lbs . Anyhow my wife also ordered Potato Croquette, and a coffee . They were paying attention to us, not in a bad way but we were also the only table. My only concern is the total price for the meal ( two drinks, two appetizers, potatoes and the shrimp and the total came up to almost $185. The shrimp price was almost $20 per a single shrimp. I’m totally aware that they are paying premium price for their location and the food cost could be high but I have been traveling for decades and have been to so many countries but I have never paid that much for so little food especially that I don’t think that it qualifies as a high end restaurant . I would admit that I didn’t ask for the price of shrimp , but other menu prices didn’t suggest that the shrimp would be $20 a piece. Me and my wife agreed that even if the prices were lower it isn’t something that we would go back for. The fish looked good but expect to pay $150 for a whole dorado. They also charged us just for sitting at the...

Extremely Unprofessional – Always Check Your Bill!

During our visit to Istanbul, we decided to have lunch at a restaurant recommended by a taxi driver. After mentioning that we were hungry, he gave us a flyer for a restaurant and suggested taking us there. We agreed, and the ride ended in front of the restaurant (he didn’t wait for us or act as our guide).

The restaurant looked pleasant, so we ordered lunch. The prices were already high, and an additional 15% tax and "service charge" were added on top.

While we were eating, the taxi driver entered the restaurant, sat at another table, and ordered his meal. When we asked for the bill, we noticed that it included not only our food but also his meal. The staff told us that the taxi driver claimed we were "friends" and that we would pay for his lunch. By the time we realized this, he had already left, so we couldn’t verify whether he had actually said that or if the restaurant was trying to scam us.

We refused to pay for his meal, as what they did made absolutely no sense. A professional restaurant should always confirm with customers before adding someone else’s order to their bill.

With this review, we want to warn people to always check the bill before paying. The prices are way too high for the quality of the food, and this kind of behavior from the restaurant is extremely unprofessional.

We wouldn’t recommend this...

Beware; they scam tourists.

This place was recommended to me by a taxi driver who brought us here and told us that he's a friend of the owner. I see a lot of comments here from people who were brought here by different taxi drivers since it seems like they have a network of people ripping off tourists. I got here with my wife and as soon as we wanted to order, they brought some wrapped appetizers which we ended up ordering fried calamari. Then to my surprise they brought a plate full of different fishes and seafood (not on the menu). We ordered one lobster and a fish grouper with a cheap bottle of wine. I was never concerned about money given that I know that seafood is not cheap, however besides the food being very average at best my biggest surprise was when I got a $900 bill for two people. I was expecting to pay maybe $200-$400. I live in Miami, one of the most expensive cities in the world, and I don't think there is a restaurant where two people would cost $900. Even if I were to pay $300 for each plate, it still doesn't add up. Also, the restaurant was quite empty which makes me believe that many of the reviews are probably fake. It is quite sad and disgusting at the same that they would do this to people who spend they hard earned money to visit their country. Please STAY AWAY...