MachkaI dined alone at Machka lastI dined alone at Machka last weekend and was extremely impressed with the food and the service, which was provided by a young Turk who had sparkly eyes and reminded me of the gracious people I encountered when visiting his country. Happily, the menu extends beyond the typical hummus and kebob offering you find at most Turkish restaurants. I had the grilled octopus salad that I'm going to be craving like mad now. The Branzino was also lovely and, though, I didn't have room for desert, the kitchen sent out a plate of complimentary apricots stuffed with marscapone cheese, covered in pistachios and sitting on a drizzle of pomegranate glaze. Yum! I can't wait to come back and am telling everyone I know about this little gem.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMhad a great timefood and service were great. loved the chocolate desert at the end. Would recommend to anyone looking to try something a little different.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMFlavorful Mediterranean!!!Lentil soup, goat cheese appetizer and fava beans appetizer were especially remarkable. Warm, attentive service. Will be back soon!5/14/2013 12:00:00 AMMachka may have the look ofMachka may have the look of a pub but the food is very much better than that. They have a great chef. Lentil soup was subtly spiced and wonderful. Pistachio crusted goat cheese was a great appetizer and a main course of lamb chops was superlative. Service was caring and the pricing is modest for the quality of the food.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent Service tasty food!I met a friend from out of town staying at the Embarcardero Hyatt. I'm vegan, and the host/server had planned ahead with menu recommendations and a special soup for me. We shared small plates and the vegan kabob. The fava bean/pea salad in smoked paprika vinaigrette was excellent, as was the fatoush salad. I liked the selection of wines by the glass and the service. It's a small place and we were there on a Monday, but everything was tasty and the atmosphere and service were wonderful.4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had reservations at 5:30..showedWe had reservations at 5:30..showed up early, before open. We were still seated and had the place to ourselves. Wonderful food and nice place. They has on old Turkish movie showing, which added to the atmosphere. All the food was fantastic, especially the goat cheese rolled in pistachios. Yummmm4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was superb! Loved theFood was superb! Loved the beautiful chandelier and the black and white Turkish film noir playing at the entryway. Everything we ordered was delicious....reminded us of Istanbul. We will be back. A find!4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food is flavorful andThe food is flavorful and service is attentive. The big drawback is the pub-table/bar stool type seating, which is very uncomfortable! I appreciated the fact that the restaurant called to tell me they could not accommodate my request for seating at the very limited "regular" table space but would not consider Machka again for a business lunch due to the bar stool seats. I will continue to drop in for a casual lunch on occasion because the food is good! I would not recommend Machka for dinner due to the bar stool seating.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was great, wine was great,Food was great, wine was great, and Al makes everything easy for us. Thank you for the memorable night.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMMachka is a "Turkish" delight!The food and service was outstanding. The ambiance was just right for a Friday night out with a friend. Our server was fabulous. He made excellent recommendations for the Mezas -- you MUST try the pistachio encrusted goat cheese, wine (I had the Turkish “Yakut” - it was fabulous), and dessert. I had the Curry Chicken kebabs and my friend had the Adana Kababs. Both were cooked to perfection and delicious. The rice pilaf (of which I'm typically not a fan of), was buttery and flavorful. I could eat a dish of that, all by itself! Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal, and we will be back!3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMA Turkish delightFood was great and owner is very personable. He gave us great recommendations. If you love Turkey you will love this place. Great mezzes to share. If you are not familiar with Turkey it does not matter. They had great kebabs as well served with fries. We will be coming back to try. Save room for dessert. They are made with heart.3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMIt's small and perhaps a bitIt's small and perhaps a bit too quaint especially with a table of 10 phone-gazing hipsters and yuppies talking over each other to get everyone's attention! But our overall experience was quite fun and the food was nearly perfect.3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMThis place is AMAZING. GetThis place is AMAZING. Get the Künefe, shredded filo dough, orange blossom syrup, almond coconut ice cream, it will change your life3/14/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious! Highly recommendDelicious! Highly recommend the phyllo cheese dessert. I'm still fantasizing about it.3/12/2013 12:00:00 AMI will definitely go againMachka has a great urban atmosphere, wonderfully warm and friendly service, and given its financial district address, offers food and wine at a surprisingly reasonable price. It is a great place to meet a friend after work and enjoy a glass of wine and some tasty Mediterranean fare. I will definitely go again.2/22/2013 12:00:00 AMDon't miss this one!Wow! The food was fantastic. I started with the grilled octopus and it was only second to what I had in Mallorca. My wife had the branzino. It was delicious. I had the Adana Kebab which was great as well. We topped it off with kunefe. Fantastic! Gulhany was our waiter. He was very busy but did a great job. Always checking on us. We will definitely return.2/15/2013 12:00:00 AM