Yildizlar restaurant — Restaurant in Istanbul

Be extremely careful with this restaurant — it’s a tourist trap working in cooperation with certain hotels to rip off visitors. While the staff may seem friendly, it’s all just an act to make you feel comfortable while they overcharge you.

I was charged 3,000 TL for basic main courses. The food was cold and of poor quality — absolutely not worth the price.

This is a scam, plain and simple. Avoid this place at all costs, and be especially cautious if your hotel recommends it — they’re likely getting a commission for sending you there.

I hope the Turkish authorities take action to stop these deceptive practices. Such behavior ruins the reputation of Turkey as a tourist destination and damages the trust of genuine visitors.

Stay alert and protect yourself from scams like this.

My second reply on your message First of all, I challenge you to publish the bill so that the relevant Turkish authorities can verify the prices you charge your customers and whether they comply with official guidelines.

I would also like to point out that transportation was supposed to be free, as we were informed by the hotel, and that it would be provided by the restaurant. So how can you justify adding 2,000 Turkish lira to the bill for transportation from a hotel located only 5 kilometers away from your restaurant?

Such actions push tourists to leave Turkey in favor of safer destinations where the rule of law is clear and where policies protect visitors from being exploited by scammers.

Behaviors like this harm Turkey’s tourism sector. My advice to the Turkish tourism authorities is to investigate this matter and impose strict and severe penalties on anyone who attempts to scam or exploit tourists in Turkey, in order to protect the higher interests of the...

Warning – Tourist Trap! Stay Away!

Be extremely careful. This restaurant is a tourist trap working together with hotels to rip off visitors. They seem friendly, but it’s all a show to get as much money from you as possible.

They brought me to the restaurant from the hotel, weighed the seafood in front of me like it’s some kind of honest experience — but in the end I paid 6,700 TL for a simple mixed plate of fish and a horrible salad. The shrimp were dry, overcooked, and flavorless, and the fish had no salt, no pepper, completely tasteless. The salad was disgusting — spoiled tomatoes and a bad smell.

They don’t tell you the prices clearly, and later they add hidden taxes or service charges (15%+), and when you question it, they say it's written somewhere in small print.

It’s a scam, plain and simple. Don’t trust this place, and be careful with hotels that suggest it — they likely get a commission for sending...

It does help the restaurants to pay in cash as their inflation is really high. However, we were almost run out of cash and staff were very aggressive about it even though the restaurant allows credit card. It scared us. They were also manipulative about making you order more expansive version of the food you wanted. I wouldn’t recommend this place because my family had a bad experience with the aggressive waitors, but if you do go I suggest you have a very clear communication. Dont take anything you did not ask for, including water bottle and tea that may seem complimentary. I feel bad for the high inflation and these restaurants are enforcing this, but it is bad for their long term business as this is...