Istanbul Cafe & Bistro — Restaurant in London

AVOID AVOID AVOID ! GOOGLE PLEASE MAKE 0 STARS POSSIBLE !

The Manager-

Where do I begin.. I came to this restaurant following lots of positive reviews on Google Maps and decided to invite some friends to dine together after work. The first of many red flags was the way the Manager treated a very new waiter. I've never seen such harshness to the point it made me & my friends uncomfortable watching - especially considering how kind and attentive this waiter was.

The waiter took our orders perfectly and not 2 minutes later, we see the Manager storm furiously to our table asking us to clarify our orders again, speaking with such irritation as though we have somewhat inconvenienced his day by being there. We brushed the attitude aside and gave him the benefit of the doubt - perhaps his having a stressed or having a bad day.

I highly doubt now that is the case reading the reviews from others which I can only understand the Manager treats people different based on where you are from as his service was impeccable for the White customers.. I'd let you connect the dots there..

The Food -

Huge disappointment. Nothing special; its edible and that's about it. It felt like a chore trying to finish my plate as their prices are so inflated and wanted to get my money's worth. Like seriously? If you wanna charge high, maybe season your food better and offer a more pleasant dining experience. Just a wild idea from me.

They gave us naan bread as a starter which is standard from most Mediterranean restaurants but no humus. We asked for humus and was charged £8 for a dollop??

We asked for water as 99% of the Drinks menu was alcoholic and the non alcoholic drinks did little to entice us. They completely forgot to bring us water. Since we didn't want to deal with the nasty Manager again, we just got the water bottles we had in our bags and poured it into our empty cups. You couldn't make this up even if you tried!

MORE of the Manager-

After trying to digest as much of the tasteless food as possible and unsuccessfully leaving half of our food because we ran out of bottled water to wash down the food, we asked for the bill. They present us with a service charge which was generous considering our experience. While I still was willing to pay, my dear friend convinced me not to because it made no sense to; we were still hungry and had such an unpleasant time there.

We tell the waiters this, deliberately trying to avoid the Manager but unfortunately they had to consult with him as we didn't want to pay SC. The Manager rushes to our table and ask why do we not want to pay SC. Surprised he wanted to hear genuine feedback, we share an honest account of our experience. Not 5 words come out of my mouth before I'm cut off with a dismissive 'OK'. He then gets the card machine and while i'm waiting for him to set it up, he rudely says 'Can you just pay now' to get my attention. Nasty. Offended but not surprised at this point from this man.

We quickly left after paying to escape this Dining Experience From Hell. If I had to scrap for one good thing to say about this miserable place: the waiters are friendly and kind, and I deeply feel sorry for them such a Manager (And Owner?)...

I ended up at Great Portland Street due to an unanticipated diversion on public transport after what was a rather long journey into and day in London.

Seeing this place just across the road from me and as I like Turkish food, I decided to try it out, a decision that I sadly soon regretted!

The place wasn't busy at the time so I failed to understand the 'very' poor and inattentive service received after being seated. It took a while for the menu card to be brought to me or to be asked what drink I'd like. And inspite of asking the two server girls to talk me through what was on the menu and to recommend a 'lamb' dish, I was left to navigate the menu myself.

I actually found the Turkish server quite dismissive and patronising, possibly 'cos I was eating in on my own and 'less' business ?? ! ?? Whatever the reason I found her 'very' inattentive and dismissive. Tho' I'd just ordered iced water with lemon, it was never ever topped up, even tho' she'd passed my table a few times. Other customers dining in pairs or a group definitely were served better around me.

The food per say when it arrived was nice enough tho' I'd have liked a lot more of a spicy flavour which I'd requested at the start. The '4 of the 5' lamb cubes on my plate were tender and nice enough to have. The side salad also was enjoyed.

However, for the price paid, I have to agree with other reviews here, 'too small and stingy' a portion! I'd have paid a third less for what was served me.

The man who I assume is the Manager who brought me a complimentary Turkish tea and sweet after I'd asked for the bill, 'finally' seemed to extend a sliver of Turkish hospitality that was markedly missing from when I first walked in!

Had to wait 'ages' for the bill .... I mean ages! I did feel others were being served better on account of me dining alone, which just made it a rather acutely less than pleasant dining experience for me!

I left still a tad bit 'hungry' ... so do agree with some of the other reviews on here, 'Small portions, unjustifiably expensive and poor service'.

The man with something of a smile who brought me the Turkish tea ... kinda saved the moment/day and hence gave 2* or it'd just been been a 1* for the service received, when I pretty much felt ignored...

We booked this place as a last minute substitute, for my partners birthday party dinner. Did not know what to expect, never came here before! We had a group of 11 people so the guys reserved nearly half the restaurant for us. Our experience was more like private dinning, in a very authentic Turkish Mediterranean restaurant. The staff are amazing, very polite and efficient. The menu has a great selection, the starters both hot & cold were fantastic. For the mains, we all went for the grilled meats. Every meat dish (we all tried something different!) Was excellent, their lamb sish & chops were so amazingly tender - They even allowed us to customise our mains (not on the menu!!) Fantastic service. Even the house red wine was superb, goes excellently with their grilled dishes. This place is literally a hidden gem in central London! You'll discover both excellent food, service and a true authentic Turkish decor experience. We finished our evening in their outside section, drinking ottoman style Turkish coffee, amazing mint and herbal teas (with complimentary amazing nibbles.) The whole experience was more like being invited into someone's very hospitable home, rather then paying customers in a restaurant. Go and experience for yourself. We all highly recommend. Thank you guys for making our special night out...