Istanbul Cafe and Restaurant — Restaurant in Clifton

FAST Review: Food, Ambience, Service, Time

Food: Delicious! The Istanbul salad was pulchritudinous and savory. It was not drizzled, but bathed in olive oil. It would take high up in the salads I have had. Greens with onions, walnuts, beets and mushrooms. We had falafel for appetizers, which was really good. Hummus that accompanied the falafel was excellent. The tahini did not take over the hummus, as most often it does. The Istanbul Mix Grill was delicious, great combo platter. Chicken and lamb kebabs and gyro strips with rice and salad. We also had the Cupra Dorado fish. I loved this one, well cooked, served with potatoes and salad. Loved the Turkish coffee and tea. The desserts were great too. Over all delicious food!

Ambience: Well decorated, spacious and soothing colors that blended well. Only blemish was one part of the ceiling which was broken and pieces can easily fall on an unlucky customer sitting under.

Service: was great as well. She was constantly on check if we were comfortable, if we liked the food, was knowledgeable about the dishes, what the ingredients were and gave her recommendations to try as well. Updated us on status of the food, when it would be coming out.

Time: There was only one family when we went in, so got to sit pretty quickly and even could choose where to sit. We were immediately attended to and the food also came timely. The restaurant got busy after we got in with another four families joining.

Overall a great dining experience. Food is expensive than other places but worth the dining experience.

What I didn't like: They charged 15% gratuity by default, and we were only three of us. I normally give 18-20% but the fact that they automatically took 15% discouraged me and I left it at that.

The bakery section had seating right in front of it. We wanted to buy some sweets to go but having to reach out over people eating discouraged us and we left without buying anything from the...

Date night and we' were in the mood for Turkish cuisine. My GF decided on Istanbul Cafe & Restaurant, a local gem conveniently equipped with ample parking space. The restaurant's interior boasted a charming Turkish flair, enhancing the overall dining experience.

To kick off the evening, I opted for a Turkish coffee, and it turned out to be the best I've had in quite some time. The brew exhibited a remarkable taste, impeccably layered with no discernible harsh notes. Moving on to appetizers, I tried the stuffed grape leaves, which were ok, with the pine nuts providing a distinct flavor and crunchy texture.

For the main course, we ordered the Sac Kavurma and the Cokertme, both featuring lamb. The Sac Kavurma emerged as a standout, possibly the best Turkish dish I've ever savored. The seasoning and flavors were nothing short of perfection and had me picking food off of my GFs plate. In contrast, the Cokertme held its own as a good dish but couldn't quite match the excellence of the Sac Kavurma.

Turning to dessert, we tried the kunefe and pistachio baklava. While the kunefe was good, it had a fault in being excessively sweet, prompting me to suggest offering sugar level options for customers. On the other hand, the baklava fell short, displaying a somewhat stale and dry texture, hinting at extended exposure.

Despite the mixed dessert experience, the overall impression of Istanbul Cafe & Restaurant was highly positive. The outstanding Sac Kavurma alone is reason enough for a return visit. With a slight improvement in the dessert department, this spot has the potential to become a regular dining destination for those seeking an authentic and flavorful Turkish...

I come here all the time but after this not anymore. Let’s start off with the customer service they are always rude and never smile and very dry. Especially the lady that wears the hijab (I never got her name) mind you I said I always come here everything is good except for the customer service. I went a couple of days ago and she was throwing stuff on the table and talking our order like she didn’t want to be there. and we order the labne fried veal Liver, hummus, borak and a mixed grill platter , she never came back to check on our table. I had to get up and find her to ask her for more bread but she didn’t pay attention to me she looked at me finished talking with her co worker then she said what. Anyways after asking her for bread I waited 30 mins to get the bread at this point I had enough. I had to get up out of my seat and look for her again to ask her for the check. On top of all that she put 18% gratuity on 2 ppl. And I asked her why she said it’s automatic but I always come here and the other staff never put it on my because I always tip good . She knows her service is bad that’s why she puts it on customers . Honestly never...