Neptun Balik — Restaurant in Istanbul

We came to this restaurant based on the good reviews and as soon as the waiter realised we weren't there to spend a fortune on fish the service declined very quickly and there were mystery charges on the menu beyond a ten per cent service charge or a water charge. To begin with we were offered baklava and tea as 'gifts'. These never materialised until I asked for some tea specifically. The chicken was tasty,my partners fish was tasty, but my chips were under cooked. The 6 euro orange juice tasted like it was made with overripened oranges. All of this we could have been fine with as we aren't too fussy but that was until bill came along. Aside from the usual water charge there was an additional charge called 'percentage ' of several hundred which was much higher than any service charge would be and we haven't seen this charge in any other restaurant in turkey.

The waiter was clearly, through his demeaner, annoyed we didn't make a big order of fish.

The bill came to about 70 euros for a small fish with no sides aside from a tomato, grilled chicken and undercooked chips with some rice, one orange juice, one beer and water and some overpriced shelled mussels.

Comparatively, we spent 75 euros at our hotels rooftop restaurant overlooking galata bridge for a bottle of wine,lamb dinner with multiple sides and two starters, service included and well deserved of its michelin guide status.

Tourist trap unless...

Basically you're coming to this restaurant for the view (which was why we were there in the first place, our mistake). The prices are beyond outrageous, and it was the worst meal I've had in all of Istanbul. The server really pushed us to order a "two-for-one" fish dinner and even brought out a tray of fish and kept encouraging us to order. No, thank you! Especially after seeing that the fish he was pushing didn't have a price tag on it on the menu. We ordered off the main menu with plates for one despite his heavy prodding.

All for the better -- the (bland, tasteless) fish we had didn't come with any sides and everything cost us a fortune. For two people we paid over $100 USD; in comparison, at every other restaurant we've eaten at during our trip, the bill didn't top $60, and that was with alcoholic drinks. You'll also get harassed by random folks walking the bridge to buy stuff you don't want or need, from roses to snacks to random gadgets. It was an awful experience.

Also, while we didn't think to check this, if you pop over to Tripadvisor, other patrons of this establishment reported food poisoning from this restaurant. We didn't think to check this (again, our mistake), but there are also reports of higher price markups compared to menu pricing. There are better -- and less scummy -- places to eat in Istanbul...

Initially gave a good review because I was impressed with the view and food, but after reading the other reviews I realised I was swindled mercilessly. A lot of places I've been to tried to scam me and didn't succeed. I have to say these guys are really talented at it. They have a different menu they show to foreigners with prices 3-4 times higher than what the items on the menu are actually worth and they charge for the water which they give you without asking. Not to mention that they include a "service tax" in the bill without telling you. For two people the bill came to more than 12 000 lira which is outrageous for what we ordered (more than restaurants with michelin stars across Istanbul). Not to mention they work with local taxi drivers who act super friendly with you while lying that the restaurant is owned by a really close friend of theirs. After we paid the taxi driver took us to the airbnb and didn't want to leave us alone until I gave him 60 euros, which was double the fare from the airport to the place we were staying. I have to appreciate the hustle but I'd be a lot happier to still have €360 euros in my wallet and not overpriced fish in my stomach. Avoid at all costs and warn other travelers who are used to London/New York prices and can be tricked into paying loads of money in moments of tiredness and...