Isabella in Hastings

Nice location, friendly staff. Diet coke and lime cordial served in large wine glasses, no ice! Had to ask twice for a jug of water. I ordered lamb chops, which were nice, but accompanying veg very meagre. My wife had steak but didn't want the chips they came with so asked for extra salad - this didn't seem possible as salad was very small when it arrived. Pitta bread also insufficient. Dessert menu = one option, baklava. All in all, rather disappointing.

This restaurant is now called Ali Ali and the menu is completely different. My partner booked here for our anniversary because they know I like a chicken shish, but it wasn’t even on the menu? We were laughing because everybody on the tables around us seemed to be eating something different and NONE of it was on the menu (unless it was part of the bizarre £75 “Ali Special” which didn’t have an explanation other than “includes lamb, chicken and breads”). We ended up just ordering halloumi (but were brought the halloumi and potatoes), bread, hummus and feta filo rolls. The food was really delicious, but small portions and it must all be pre made as it came in literally three minutes. Our drinks (two diet cokes!) however, took 25 minutes to arrive and my partner’s glass smelled like bleach. We couldn’t see the waitress to ask about the bleach smell. We wanted to order baklava, as the male member of staff was bringing it to random tables of women round the restaurant and it looked delicious, but before we could order the waitress came over with our bill. We must have spent 40 minutes total inside. Lovely decor, lovely food, but needs a menu reshuffle, more attention to detail and better staff.

Such a disappointing night, my family and I came with such good spirits, and we were met with a very rude manager. We had some drinks, with the plan to have food, and we were told to leave unless we ordered food immediately. Also we were sent on a wild goose chase for an ATM, and had to go to a nearby restaurant to pay them instead. This was a very confusing and annoying experience. Would not recommend to anyone who is thinking of having a good time.

Such a rude manager, even the waitress had to apologise! Would not recommend

Had a terrible experience here. Whilst the restaurant was empty some friends and I were just sitting with drinks and enjoying ourselves. The manager rudely came up to us and told us to order food or leave, as they were busy in about 2 hours. All of this, despite being told to order drinks first and then for the waitress not to return to take our food order. We were told we had messed up the tables despite the table lay only being napkins and cutlery. It was extremely bizarre behaviour, which I’ve never experienced before. Will not be visiting again.

Really nice Turkish restaurant/ wine bar, welcoming and a great menu for Turkish delights and drinks. Highly recommended.

Welcoming restaurant/ wine bar, very appetising menu, superb meze and chicken / lamb main courses, really well cooked. Decent wines to accompany it all. Highly recommended!

The manager was very rude to my wife and friends. So we left before even ordering food.

Great menu selection and very tasty. Staff very friendly and accommodating

Great Meal…A Lovely place to eat!!

My first time at this restaurant, we popped in on the off-chance. Food was served quickly (restaurant wasn’t busy though) and lots of it. Salad had a fantastic sauce, lamb chops were very tasty, wine was surprisingly good. Great food, great service, great evening.

We had a fabulous night celebrating my birthday and Ali couldn’t have done more for us!! The hot and cold mezze was delicious and the sigara boreg (feta filo cheese straws) are amazing!! The Turkish wine was divine as well as the expresso cocktail.Kay the new Bar Manager was lovely too. I highly recommend going to Isabella’s and their new bar/restaurant Bella’s too!!

Not the best experience. Meatballs Kofte were bland and felt like they were re-heated. I expected some sauce with it but nothing. Orman Tavuk - Chicken was marinated, looked nice but taste didn't raise to the expectation. Aubergines, Peppers and courgettes were heavy oily. Luckily, it was olive oil, or so it seemed. The service needs improvement. There were two tables to serve (us included) and our bread landed on the other table. More, we were brought another knife to the one we already had at the table. The server noticed but didn't felt like doing anything lol. More, no one came to ask about our meal or suggest a dessert. On the bright side, the place looks and feels lovely. The owner needs to invest into a new menu and raise the service standard. The current one is quite overpriced and lacks freshness and substance.

We stopped by late (9pm) and the owner very generously offered to make us something - kitchens were closed everywhere else but as we had a baby, he welcomed us in. We were super grateful, otherwise we’d have had to make do with McDonald’s! The food was delicious and generously portioned, the decor cosy and the price seemed were decent. We had a lovely chat with him too and found him super friendly. We left Hastings the next day, otherwise we would be happy to go back :)

Ali hat uns kurz vor Ladenschluss noch mit einem 5 Gänge Tapas Menü verzaubert! Was für ein netter Mann! Und das Essen war phantastisch 😊🙌🌿

This is a lovely hidden gem with eclectic decor - mix of local seaside town artefacts and middle eastern vibe - allowing you to admire while sipping on Turkish wine. Great wine and food, and we were given a delicious complimentary burek treat with having our drinks. Warm and attentive service. All tucked in a gorgeous little street just off of Hasting’s sea front.

Very nice, pleasant staff, reasonably priced

Not impressed. Food was all pan fried and nothing special. Service was slow even though we were the only ones. No chef, just a young girl in kitchen. Owner and front of house staff looked like the were fornicating in the kitchen.

Very strange and disappointing. Mediocre food, asked to move half way through meal to accommodate a larger party and then asked to walk down the road to pay at another restaurant as Wi-Fi 'bad'. Asked waitress if everybody was going to have to do this and she said a lot of business in Hastings worked in cash because it was easier??

Had the tapas menu and the food was amazing, great value for money under £10 each, large portions and really tasty, the service was great too, really friendly and happy to chat

My partner and I came to Isabella during Hastings Old Town Week and we had a collection of meze and tapas plates. The service was lovely and the food was incredible!! Would definitely recommend for anyone who wants to have an amazing Turkish meal.

What a shame, having eaten here several times pre civid I was shocked how this place has gone down hill. We won't be back.

Slow service and indifferent waiting staff. The food was ok, and I had to chase up everything. My friend is vegetarian and I an gluten free and we were served a mince dish, which is, in fact, bread with mince on, so no good for either of us. They did take that away with no charge. We got our meal in stages. So my friend was well into her meal when I got mine. I wouldn't hurry back.

Everything was delicious, huge portion sizes, and I love the "Let Ali Feed You" option where they choose what to eat for you

Just writing this review so other people wouldn’t go through what I have been through! The food is frozen food.. the taste is disgusting, it is not Turkish food, it’s not even a food. There was a stoned waitress who would come and speak next to my ear, which was so creepy. On the menu it says hand cut potato but it’s obviously from the freezer. There was a horrible music which people in Turkey stub themselves with it. So if you wanna have horror house experience amazing place! But if you wanna have a proper food and nice dining pls don’t spend your any penny of yours to those scammers!

Bad, tasteless food. First waitress we had appeared to be stoned; with slurred speech and trouble following our order, even when we pointed at items on the menu. She was also bordering on openly hostile at times. TBH, that wouldn't usually bother me too much if the service was even just ok, but it was terrible, from both that first waitress and from some bloke from the kitchen who also dealt with parts of the order (including a couple of complaints about missing items). I have no idea whether he was the chef, the manager or the cleaner, but he was particularly sarcastic and condescending whenever he spoke to us. We were brought some items we hadn't ordered, and one dish we did order was missing the main ingredient. The food was mostly unseasoned and poorly cooked or prepared. Even the humous was flavourless. How does a Turkish restaurant charge £6 for a plate of humous that tastes more bland than anything you'd buy in a supermarket? When we finished, another waitress (who seemed quite cheerful and helpful) cleared away our plates and made the mistake of asking how it had been. We all looked at each other, then at her, then at each other again. One of us broke the silence with "Best not to ask".

The first waitress appeared to be stoned. TBH, I don't mind that. But when she brought a plate of olives out and my partner asked whether there were any picks and napkins, she seemed confused. When my partner asked again about napkins, the waitress snapped "I know what napkins are" and went off. She came back with cutlery and a dish we hadn't we ordered. We pointed this out, and the manager (or just some bloke, not even sure TBH) came out from the kitchen and informed us very condescendingly that the dish was an extra, on the house, and not to panic because our orders would be coming one by one when they were ready. As it turned out, that additional dish, Sigara Boregi, was the best thing we had. It was the only dish that had actually been seasoned, for one thing. Everything else was bland and stale. The humous tasted of nothing,and looked like it had been plated up an hour ago. The Kizartma, a dish of deep fried aubergine, contained no aubergine, and was just a plate of greasy, unseasoned courgettes, peppers and tomatoes. I took it to the bar, politely pointed out the absence of the dish's main ingredient, and got the condescending "Ok, Ok, I'll bring you some auburgine specially". When the auburgine arrived, it was swimming in grease, unseasoned and tasteless. I really like aubergine, but I couldn't get through more than a few mouthfuls. To be fair, the wine we ordered was fine, the grilled halloumi was just right. While we were eating a couple started browsing the menu and discussing whether to sit down. We quietly advised them not to bother. As we finished, a new waitress came on shift and took over our table. As she cleared away the plates, she asked the usual "And how was it for you?". We all looked at her, each other, and back at her. She seemed sweet and efficient. TBH, it didn't feel fair to lay it all on her. One of our party finally broke the silence with: "Best not to ask". We paid the bill, left. Will be returning to Hastings; will not be returning to Isabelle!

They have just opened a sister wine bar called Bella’s just across the way from the restaurant. We had the Mezze platter for £9.99. It was incredible plenty for two as a light lunch. Lovely host. Try it!

Excellent food with quick service. Exceptionally friendly and prepared to bend the menu to accommodate personal taste. Interesting decor. Would highly recommend, and hope to return soon.

The best food on the old town especially the place of whites seafood and steak bar

Very friendly staff, quick service and good food. The owner even gave us some complimentary dishes and Turkish delight 😋

Had the chef's special lunch with my partner and family and we all really enjoyed it. Both the food and staff are amazing. Will definitely be coming back!

Simply fantastic. The owner was super nice and accomodating. The food was brilliant. Best Dolma we have ever had and the hummus is uniquely delicious; something I'd never thought I'd say. Super cool interior too.

Great assortment of dishes to try the cuisine. The service is seriously great, the owner is super friendly.

The owner asked us to leave right away when I was having meal while my friend is sitting and resting. He says we are affecting his business but the thing is the restaurant is almost empty and no one is passing since it’s raining outside. We just want to rest a bit then keep moving, the male owner is simply careless and mean, very bad experience. No recommend at all.

What a great find in Hastings. Brilliant food, lovely owner and beautiful atmosphere. Will be back for more yummy food!

Food awful,Extremely expensive, portion of chips ( sauté potatoes) £6,50 and they were horrible, none of the food was fresh... All reheated

Very speedy service, great tasting food

Popped in here for lunch. The menu was very small with lots of meze. There was a choice of lunch special which the owner said you get 1-10 of the meze. When it came out it was deep fried veg and chips . My husband ordered meatballs which were dry and served with no accompaniments. £17 for a plate of fried veg and a piece of hallumi, and two other things. Defo would not recommend

If we are in the Old Town, our number one place to eat is Isabella’s. We have taken many visiting friends and family here on multiple trips and never been disappointed. We don’t drink, so our experience is solely of the food. We always have a mix platter of filo cheese, Turkish sausage and the best tzatziki that I’ve on occasion also taken gone with me as it’s quite addictive 😋 Mains as a mix of grilled chicken & lamb and always leave with our bellies full. Our son was delighted when the owner offered him some baklava with his compliments to sample, and some fresh watermelon for our toddler. Keeping children entertained while dining out is often a challenge, but we are always comfortable taking the children here and never feel a burden like some places.

Love these sharing plates - the food was awesome and served quickly. Way too much though, two dishes per person is enough although 3 is what was recommended,

Good food, great service. Having a birthday on a wet Monday night doesn't entice a lot of people to go out to dine. We were the only ones in the restaurant hence not much atmosphere. Definitely go back when it's a bit more busy.

Where shall we start, food, service OWNER, all appalling. The waitresses and the owner were obviously on something. None of the food was fresh and the food was not authentic Turkish. The place is tacky, and the owner is very very rude. I am only writing me as friends asked me too after they went there by accident and had the same experience

We were recommended this place by a local chap we randomly met in a pub. Lovely warm welcome, huge portions and delicious food. Really glad we chose Isabella's. Proper authentic. Give it a go. It's lovely and yummy

We visited this restaurant for lunch, it did not dissapoint! Great food, we had 2 meze dishes and meatballs, a glass of wine and apple juice. The food was great, the service was friendly and it was good value. Will definitely return.

Ali heeft ons fantastisch ontvangen, en het perfecte lam gereserveerd. Heel lekker eten, gezellig interieur. Aanrader!

Such a find! A delicious lunch in a wonderfully quirky and eccentric decorated restaurant. Fabulous food and delightful staff

Fabulous place Delicious food. Really lovely service and thoroughly recommended. Thank you for accommodating our group of six plus dog. We wish you every success and will be back.

We went 1 September and the food was awful, lots of meat with hardly any vegetables or sauce. No Turkish bread and they ran out of canned beer. We should have complained. I have never written a bad review in my life but felt I had to warn others about this place.

I honestly cannot understand where the 220 positive reviews for this restaurant have come from. Please read the 1 star reviews and you will see a true experience of this 'restaurant' and almost identical experiences to what I had. The owner is EXTREMELY rude and...

We live locally but don't get out much. Took the kids to old town at the weekend, unsure of where to go. This place looked fabulous, but was quiet, when other places were heaving. We decided to go with it, and wow we're so pleased...

Ein außergewöhnliches Türkisches Restaurant mit tollem Ambiente, Service und Essen ein sehr schöner Abend vielen Dank für den super Service und Küche!!!!!

Very nice food owner lay back you could see he was enjoying see customer coming in

Such lovely people, who went out of their way to accommodate us when it was almost full. The food was exceptionally tasty. Highly recommended.

The menu has no fish mains and this is a weakness . Expensive especially as meat not accompanied by bread etc. Well cooked and presented. Very pleasant service and people.

Beautifully cooked food. Adaptable menu, can cater for veg/vegan on request. Large portion sizes, very friendly staff. Very good value for money. Definitely go there.

We had a super meal last night, food fresh, full of flavour and utterly delicious. Friendly and faultless service, all in all a very pleasant experience. Space a little quirky but for us it adds a little something to the whole experience. Definitely value for...

We tried to get in here one evening, there were a couple of people outside so we went in. Waitress said yes we could have a table and said either this one (for 2 people) or this one (for 8 people), seemed slightly strange. She...

Amazing food (the hummus was absolutely mind-blowing) and great atmosphere! The owner was very friendly and made us feel very welcome. Truly one of the best restaurants we've ever been to!

Amazing food and impeccable service , Ali is as friendly as ever and the atmosphere is great very relaxing place to eat with friends and family, the quality of the food was great and the wine too, we got there early before the booking and Ali was very accommodating and set us up with a bottle of Turkish dry white and olives before the others arrived , the portions were really generous and we left feeling very satisfied, definitely will be back there in future

Really nice starters and main dishes. Was a great idea after a day of hiking. Luckily one of the few places open a little bit later on a Saturday in Hastings. Would recommend.

Just ate here again and once more the Turkish themed food was superb and the service brilliant. The menu has lots of options (we're vegetarian but lots for meaties) and everyone is just so friendly and helpful. The Isabella is in the 'anything but chrome...

This was a return visit. We were hungry and had little time to eat - as there was a train to catch home. The restaurant was quiet when we arrived and the proprietor , Ali was there with a waitress serving. The food was on...

Amazing vegan food!! Great that the staff are knowledgeable about their menu and could tell us what we're able to have. Really lovely staff, and the atmosphere and decor is just spot on. I've been here multiple times here and have no doubt I'll be there again soon. We also love that the prosecco came in the mini bottles - you get that little bit extra which is always appreciated. Lastly - they are dog friendly!

Thank you so much for our yummy dinner! And the birthday effort you put in for my dad 🎂 food was great, service was excellent.

I've lived in Hastings for 7 years... I've never been recommended once to go here....but I really want to give every restaurant a chance, and a try! I love Turkish food.... And usually go to Nazar, but being in old town this weekend we decided...

A visit to Hastings wouldn’t be complete for us without visiting Isabella’s. Ali always makes our family feel so welcomed and the food is always fantastic, so fresh and tasty. We would highly recommend Isabella’s to everyone, you won’t be disappointed

Amazing vegetarian options, laid back atmosphere and extremely quick service. Would recommend. 🌈

We stumbled upon this with our two young hungry children and what a find it turned put to be. Food and service were excellent and we would recommend this restaurant to everyone. Thank you for being so hospitable! Best meal of our holiday.

Stopped here for lunch and were taken aback by the quality of the food. Absolutely delicious Turkish food served by the owner who went out of his way to ensure we were well fed! Difficult to pick out one highlight as it was all very...

Stopped for a quick lunch - mixed mezze for two and mint tea. It was absolutely delicious - very fresh, large portions, well presented and served with delightful smiles. Huge greek salad with feta, roasted peppers and chillies, grilled meat and halloumi, tzatziki, hummus, meatballs,...

Went in for an early dinner with our 3 kids. Really welcoming, great food and generous portions. We enjoyed ourselves!

The whole experience was great. Loved everything about this place... The food, service, ambiance! Highly recommend.

Excellent food - excellent service. We came in at 4:00 pm for a late lunch all of the other restaurants on the street stopped serving - they opened the kitchen and served us with excellent food and were very welcoming - will Come back every time I am in Hastings!

Good ambience and food in this Turkish restaurant. Large portions and reasonably priced. Good choice of different meals all very tasty.

Nice people, fun decor, great location on George St. But...the food was pretty average. They don't appear to have a Turkish charcoal grill and it showed in the flavour of the meat. Bread was just pitta bread rather than authentic Turkish on the BBQ. Food was plentiful, there were even some free dishes including some tasty halloumi but really it should be better given how good some Turkish restaurants are these days.

Friendly service, tasty food and enormous portions. The plates may really be meant for sharing, family style.

Had amazing experience at this beautiful little restaurant. Food was stunning and staff were friendly. Definitely go again.

Such a cosy little place with fresh food for your liking. What more would you like.

Great atmosphere, great food, great tzatziki! Brilliant service and to finish highly recommend Tia Maria Coffee, yum yum!

The food was great quality, superb flavour and great value for money. I will be returning the next time I visit Hastings.

The food fantastic. Review underneath me was eating the same day as me, they have eaten everything in their plates and was talking to the owner very rudely. They left without paying and threatening the owner to write a bad review about the restaurant. Not...

Terrible food so quickly coning out very bland taste and rude owner I eat at a fair few restaurants , had to ask for salt and vinegar, we was hungry so we ate but not good at all, never go again or recommend

The same gentleman always greets us with a 'can-do' attitude and a smile. Lovely food and always happy to create something special for my partner who's vegatarian. Very nice atmosphere too. Love it!

We decided to opt for Ali’s feast for two. We were not disappointed. A wide ranging meze including salad, dolmades, hummus, tzatziki, pitta, aubergine and the list goes on. Fabulous grilled lamb and chicken for mains and Turkish coffee with backlava all washed down with...

Interior very odd taste Small tables which can cause problems if you order lots of small dishes Food very good and service excellent

Great food and made to feel really welcome .

Had a very nice meal with generous portions, tried a variety of the mezze. A fun, friendly atmosphere created by Ali the owner and many regulars dining during our visit. Great surrounds On a characterful street of many other options.

Brilliant service, excellent portion sizes, very friendly staff & owner!

This is a VERY good place to eat with your Friends or family the food is outstanding and the Halloumi was very good all the food I ordered was LOVELY and tasty but I ordered starters and the mains came when the starters did other beside that it was lovely

Just happened to go there seeing Turkish food. But it wasn't authentic Turkish food. Perhaps Turkish inspired British food? We returned most of the 'feast for 2' meal. I have eaten in many better Turkish and Middle eastern restaurants in London and Birmingham. I would recommend going there for an authentic Turkish experience

Excellent meze style meal with great fresh ingredients. Good selection of drinks. Good vegetarian selection. Friendly staff.

Wasn't our first choice on our last night in Hastings, however I think we lucked out. Food was delicious. Atmosphere was nice. And staff were very attentive throughout.

Excellent place to visit with terrific service.

Way way to expensive for what was served. Oily and underwhelming. £6.90 for a standard glass of Turkish wine. Service was slow and manager was telling a waitress off for not laying a table correctly. Chefs Platter for one was £13.50 and was ridiculously small....

We walked past this restaurant several times and it always seemed buzzing so we thought we’d give it a try. If I’m honest we were a bit disappointed with the choice on the menu, the tapas dishes (while huge) didn’t have much choice of fish...

A fantastic restaurant with great atmosphere, amazing food and friendly service. We accidentally fell on Isabella’s whilst away and we are so glad we did. We had a wonderful evening for my wife’s birthday and would have no hesitation in recommending them. Furthermore, the prices are extremely reasonable.

Good value, tasty, hearty food. If you "let Ali decide" you will be full!

Very nice place to eat lovely food I recommend this place any one 👍👍👍👍

Disappointed. Very over priced for what you get. We regularly eat in Turkish restaurants and this is the worst value we’ve come across. Don’t get me wrong it’s a lovely looking place and plenty of staff for a small restaurant BUT I still like to...