Cafe Istanbul

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1. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on February 28, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   This place is a gem. Food is fresh and served properly . Nice room , very cozy, outdoor dining available seasonally. Chef /owner is hands on seeing to every detail.

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2. K

   Kenny

   Chicago

   37 reviews

   5.0

   37 reviews

   Dined on February 18, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience4

   Nice broad selection of Mediterranean dishes— Turkish, Italian, etc. Reasonable (for US restaurants) wine list. Excellent service.

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3. EM

   EarlM

   Chicago

   12 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   12 reviews

   Dined on February 1, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience3

   Great food and excellent service. Explored a variety of Turkish and Mediterranean food and it was all very well prepared and tasty.

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4. CJ

   ChristopherJ

   St. Louis

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on January 23, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Outstanding spot and atmosphere. A must for all!! Food incredible!!! Atmosphere and staff are wonderful! Luiz and Ivan were terrific. They have live guitar music on Thursday's.

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5. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Milwaukee

   1 review

   vip
   3.0

   1 review

   Dined on January 21, 2023

   overall3food4service3ambience3

   Difficult to find parking lot

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6. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on January 20, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Went here to try something new and because I’m a huge fan of Turkish coffee. I was hesitant at first because we wanted a nice night out and the building’s exterior was a bit dated, but that completely changed when we walked in. The food was incredible - big portion sizes and it was really well made - the staff was extremely gracious and friendly (even giving us dessert on the house at the end of our meal!!), and the atmosphere was great. Cannot recommended this place enough, great people great food, great atmosphere. We really had a wonderful time. Definitely will be coming back if not for the impeccable service, then for that flawless Turkish coffee! Thanks guys!

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7. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   New York Area

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on January 14, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Best Turkish food in Chicago, never disappoints . Lahmacun is our favorite here, but all of the menu is also great :)

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8. FD

   FatenD

   Chicago

   7 reviews

   5.0

   7 reviews

   Dined on January 12, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Fantastic food and great service.

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9. l

   lynda

   Tokyo

   4 reviews

   3.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on January 1, 2023

   overall3food3service4ambience3

   Had a new year's eve dinner here based on the Opentable recommendation. We missed Turkish food because we have been to Istanbul and found the food to be really delicious there. So we went to cafe Istanbul, food was great but not as much variety of mezze plates, overall still was really good. Although we had better lamb shanks elsewhere. We had hoped to find some Turkish wine that we found surprisingly wonderful but they don't have them.

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10. FC

    FlorenceC

    Milwaukee

    16 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on December 17, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Very warm and hospitable service with recommendations on drinks and food. Set in trendy Division St, the restaurant is in a great locale to bars, shops, and highway. Outstanding hummus and leek soup! Short ribs with polenta amazing! Good price point and significant servings! ❤️❤️❤️

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11. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Palm Springs

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on December 9, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Meal was delicious. I have lived in Turkey for over seven years and know and love Turkish cuisine. This was about the best I have had in the United States. We ordered the Shepherd salad and the kuzu sis (grilled lamb) for me while my partner had the salmon dish. Both were excellent. portions were more than ample. we shared a delicious baklava for dessert. Service was attentive, and highly professional. We will be back.

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12. B

    Brandi

    Chicago

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 8, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Wonderful experience and delicious food. Will definitely be back.

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13. RS

    RhodaS

    Chicago

    12 reviews

    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on December 6, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Wonderful food, wonderful Turkish wines, wonderful service, and a perfect night! We never felt rushed, and saw other tables enjoying a leisurely night, also. Can’t wait to bring more friends to eat this delicious food!

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14. A

    Aycso

    Chicago

    51 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    51 reviews

    Dined on November 15, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Excellent food and warm friendly service make Cafe Istanbul a restaurant we will visit again. Space is rather tight and that is the only drawback. Anyone looking for well prepared, flavorful food should make Cafe Istanbul a regular lunch or dinner stop. Highly recommended.

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15. TD

    TahaD

    Chicago

    7 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on November 15, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great food, great service. If you miss Turkish food, you should definitely go!

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16. EB

    EddyB

    Chicago

    8 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on November 10, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    This is one of my go to restaurants in Chicago. If you like Mediterranean food it is off the charts. Seafood and meats some of the best in the city. Salads and appetizers are incredibly fresh. All bread made in house. In My opinion a incredible value and prices are very reasonable

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17. S

    Sandy

    Chicago

    60 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    60 reviews

    Dined on October 29, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Love this place ! Love the food . Nice to have heaters for outside so we can bring our dog .

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18. CG

    ChicagoGirl

    Chicago

    3 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on October 29, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    We were the only non-Turkish people there. My husband and I were in Turkey earlier this year and thought this place did justice to the wonderful experience we had there. The apps were wonderful as was the lamb. And it’s a very nice environment in which to enjoy a meal. We recommend it!

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19. F

    Foodie

    Chicago

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on October 17, 2022

    overall5food5service3ambience5

    We went for dinner a second time at Istanbul Cafe to celebrate a milestone birthday and the food was just as good as the first time we ate there. It was a weeknight so not many diners. The ambience is good and food is just amazing. The service was a bit slow. Apart from that we love this place for kebabs. Excellent place to celebrate a birthday or a date night or family night. We will definitely be back again!!

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20. F

    Foodie

    Chicago

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on October 15, 2022

    overall4food5service4ambience3

    I wish I could have given it a five star across-the-board. However, the tables are really packed, and the noise level is high. The food is absolutely wonderful, however. I was disappointed that the bar is not really full service. I asked for two different mixed drinks, and I was told that the waitress did not know how to make them, and there was no bartender. Except for that, the service was very nice. We will definitely go back because the food is so wonderful. Hopefully, they will be a bartender there so I can order a mixed drink.

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21. TB

    TamarB

    Chicago

    11 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on October 14, 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    A friend and I met for lunch. They have good salad options. We shared the hummus appetizer. The restaurant was quiet, and the food we had was good. It’s a reliable, neighborhood spot. I don’t know what the vibe is like at dinner.

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22. DC

    DrewChicago

    Chicago

    87 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    87 reviews

    Dined on October 12, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    This is my second time. My friends and I loved this place. Two of us had the lamb shank. One the chicken kebab and one the onion kebab. Our starters we’re several zucchini and eggplant appetizers. Big portions and excellent flavors. I lived in Istanbul for over 10 years and this really brought me “home”.

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23. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Las Vegas

    2 reviews

    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on October 6, 2022

    overall1food5service1ambience2

    The worst experience ever. We had a 6:45 reservation. We arrived at 6:48. There was a massive line to the door. I stood for a while and then went inside. No one even came to us. Some busy servers were running around. I finally got one’s attention to let them know we were there. The entire restaurant was packed, and the server said we would get a table cleaned up for you because they were leaving soon. At the same time, we are standing and watching someone clean the table; the hostess who is working as a server gets people from the bar and sits them down. Another group with 7 pm reservations gets set down before us, and I am like, what is going on? At this point, it was 7:20. My husband and his friend went to a nearby restaurant to see if they could seat us. My question is, if you don’t have space, why did you take so many reservations, or why did you take walks in? The worst is when I told the hostess about this, she didn’t even apologize and walked away. I had to find other servers to ask what was going on. They kept telling us to talk to her, who just kept ignoring us. This wasn’t our first time there, and the hostess, who they said her name was Ana, was very mean, rude, and unwelcoming. She didn’t even apologize to us once or say a word. She just around and walked away. Does she hate Indians that much? Because every time, I have left above 20% tips to the servers since I work in the service industry. Would you do this if it was someone of other race? While we brown people stood there two times groups of white people set down. We were never set down or updated on what was going on. So we left the place. Even though the food is good we will never return here. Oh and they set a group down whose reservations were at 7. And ignored us.

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24. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Phoenix

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 30, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    It was great for anytime dinning and nice enough for special occasions. I definitely recommend this restaurant, we really enjoyed ourselves. The Birthday custard style cake was delicious!

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25. TK

    ThomasK

    Chicago

    13 reviews

    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on September 10, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Food was fresh I'm not prepared well, and simply delicious.

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26. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Chicago

    10 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on September 3, 2022

    overall3food2service3ambience3

    Went there to celebrate my birthday. When we initially arrived the hostess seemed upset to seat us outside, although there was space to seat us there. One of the servers told her he would make a table for us, thank goodness for him. Once seated outside our waitress was wonderful, she was very friendly and offered suggestions. The food, it was ok. My husband who is never picky didn’t care for the lamb he ordered. He felt it was over cooked. My chicken kebabs were salty. To play devils advocate, my husband and I love Mediterranean, Middle eastern food, which is why we had higher expectations for the place. The food was overpriced as well. We don’t mind spending as much as we did if at least the food and overall service wowed us. However, the Turkish wine and the Baklava was tasty. Will I go back? No, it was a one and done for me. Should you try this place? Sure, you may have a different experience than we did.

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27. G

    Grace

    Chicago

    46 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    46 reviews

    Dined on August 26, 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    Attentive service. Interesting variety of dishes. Flavorful lentil soup and lamb wrapped in eggplant. Delicious bread and carrot spread.

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28. DC

    DrewChicago

    Chicago

    87 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    87 reviews

    Dined on August 23, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Birthday lunch with friends in the patio. I lived in Turkey for over 10 years and this menu is very authentic. Great service. We will return.

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29. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 7, 2022

    overall4food5service4ambience4

    Great patio experience :) huge servings!!

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30. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Chicago

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 7, 2022

    overall1food2service1ambience1

    Sat inside and the air conditioner was not functioning well. Sat next to the window and a lots of fly around us. Service poor and the food was cold. I will never come back again

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31. A

    Anonymous

    Chicago

    7 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on July 29, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    We’ve been to Cafe Istanbul at least 10 times and we leave super satisfied and happy every single time. There’s simply nothing better on a sunny day than sitting out on their patio with a bottle of wine a table full of delicious breads, salads and grilled meats. Everything is cooked and seasoned to perfection, it’s really no surprise this landmark has been there for 40 years. The service is great and they made my mother’s birthday a special and memorable meal. Just good vibes all around.

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32. JD

    JDFGems

    Chicago

    10 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on July 16, 2022

    overall4food5service3ambience4

    The food here is outstanding. The onion kebab is one of the best dishes I’ve eaten in quite a while! My husband loves the doner kebab, he says it’s like a warm hug of flavor and I have to agree. The service can be a bit spotty, but the food makes up for it tenfold. In the past I’ve have had a few issues getting food delivered from here, so I prefer to dine in and enjoy it if the occasion arises. Prices skew a bit higher than I would expect, but the quality of the food is worth it.

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33. A

    Alona

    Chicago

    34 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    34 reviews

    Dined on May 22, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Tasty food, good selection and fair value. Everyone is still raving how great this restaurant is. We’ll be back.

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34. P

    Pete

    Chicago

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Always a great meal!

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35. C

    Cchicago

    Chicago

    73 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    73 reviews

    Dined on May 7, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    We had not been to cafe Istanbul and we really enjoyed everything. The food was excellent and plentiful. The bread especially was delish. Our server was recently immigrated here from Ukraine and was excellent. It was a delightful evening and I can’t wait to go back.

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36. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Chicago

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 17, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Staff is tentative, food is VERY delicious, ambiance is good, a consistent favorite.

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37. P

    Pete

    Chicago

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on March 17, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    I’ve never had a bad experience here. We went for my fiancee’s birthday and they surprised us with dessert which was very nice. Make sure to get the manti, it’s one of the most unique dishes I’ve had anywhere. Absolutely delicious.

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38. TR

    TRoo

    Chicago

    19 reviews

    5.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on March 6, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    The food is always sooo good and sooo fresh! We love it! Can't wait to go back!

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39. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Detroit

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 6, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Everything was great!

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40. G

    Ginny

    Chicago

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on February 20, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    This is by far my favorite restaurant! Anything you order is packed with flavor. I love the pide, the lentil soup (best I’ve ever had in my life) and has created the love of Turkish coffee for me. Truly amazing. I will come back for all of my special occasions!

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