Esnaf — Restaurant in San Carlos

AH-MAZING!!! Talk about deliciousness. What a wonderful new find for San Carlos. The space is intimate, has a slight elegance to it and it feels so cozy when seated inside. It is so tasteful and represents the Turkish culture subtly but beautifully in the entry way and through the meals showcased. The staff are so friendly and make sure you’re well taken care of while giving you the time to enjoy your meal at your leisure and not feel rushed. We loved every item we had from the complimentary bread served as we were seated to the warm cup of lentil soup and dumpling appetizer that were so delicious on top of a pillow of thick creamy yogurt, followed by our traditional pide that tasted like a dish we had at a market in Istanbul to the steak skewer meat that melted in your mouth with the rice and fresh salad. We can’t recommend this spot enough. I can’t wait to go back with family to relive our visit to Turkey many years ago. This spot is a winner if you’re up to trying...

Great experience ….. lovely ambience, amazing food and warm hospitality! It’s located conveniently on San Carlos Avenue and with a lot of parking around.

We ordered the Meze Trio and the combination is mind blowing with the special cheese meze. It came paired with a freshly baked bread, soft, puffy and yummy. Next we got the salmon flat bread which was another genius creation with smoked salmon, cheese and flatbread. The chicken Kabab platter was the entree that came with well done kebabs, bursting with flavor and just melted in my mouth ! Lastly we ordered pistachio gelato and Katmer for dessert. Though they were independently ordered we realized they went absolutely phenomenal with each other and I’d strongly suggest pairing them together.

The hospitality of the staff is warm and the interior is decorated nicely with Turkish painted glassware on the wall. There is also outdoor seating and the roadside is a pretty sight out there while eating. Highly recommended...

amazing experience and lovely staff!!

the restaurant has many options for all kinds of diets. as a gluten-free and vegetarian person, I would highly recommend trying their delicious salads (my fav was Esnaf so far!) and hummus app. (really yum!)

general recommendations:

for vegans: hummus, esnaf, coban and roka salad.

for vegetarians: mushroom, spinach pide. ( it is a boat shaped turkish pizza and it is a “must try”)

and my friends’ recs:

they had lahana sarmasi and manti for appt. as a main dish they shared kebap trio which comes with small lahmacun, rice and a side of salad. I could say all the trios are worthy to try.

deserts: pistachio gelato is just so different and delicious. if you are a fan of halvas, or willing to try new tastes, you should give it a try.

one more thing I liked about the restaurant is they make everything out of scratch :)

def we would...