Istanbul in Leicester

Tried to call the restaurant on the phone to speak about my delivery, the person who answered the phone was rude and completely unhelpful. The food was cold and completely unedible. Would never eat from here again. Disgusting.

Istanbul has OVERRATED REVIEWS, falsely misguiding people to go there. Utter waste of time. Went a few days ago with my large family and had ordered the largeest £85 platter and it was an utter waste of my money. The food was bland, NO TASTE AT ALL. Very big waste of my money, had very high hopes but they were crushed down. The bread seemed like it was days old. Won't recommend this place, instead go to Antalya restaurant the on same road. Will always vouch for Antalya. The best Turkish restaurant with top tier food with very very reasonable price.

Very good restaurant, the dishes are generous and very good, the meat is of very good quality. On the other hand, for the service, the waiters forget to bring you certain dishes, especially starters, and count them in the bill (glasses of tap water counted as bottled mineral water), some make comments to customers. If we hadn't checked the bill carefully, we would go from £45 to £35...

Very nice food. It very enjoyable.

Very fresh and delicious food, and exceptionally polite staff! Highly recommend!

Hello everyone🖐My elder son is uncomfortable with his gallbladder😔my younger son is sick with a 40 degree fever😌Today We left the hospital and were hungry. We decided to go to Etçi Baba with my family of 4 from the morning hours until the afternoon. It opened at 4.5 o'clock. We were very sad. We decided to go to the Istanbul restaurant and eat there. When I entered the door, ÉTÇİ BABA was the one who welcomed us and said, "How much does he look like Hasan Bey?" MEHMET BEY took us with a smiling face and sincere intentions. He took us to the tables inside. He said you can sit wherever you want. There is a Mr. Mehmet who knows his job, is professional and loves guests. Thank you to ISTANBUL RESTAURANT, I hope there will always be such good people in the world. First of all, it does not matter whether the food restaurants we go to are of good quality or the name, I can say that if they are not friendly to their guests, change those employees, if they are annoying, change those employees. Half of my life has been spent in customer relations. 25 years. I continued as the store coordinator of a Yugoslavian employer. How can we be the best, we need to feel how people are special, how they are special. When they come here, they first deal with us. I did research on how we should be preferred. And I always won people, why? Being sincerely intentioned, winning a lot of people. It is necessary to earn money, but first you need to win people. This is how MEHMET BEY won our family. Today we learned from him, the owner of ISTANBUL RESTORANT, ETÇİ BABA. It is a place. Mr. Hasan really looks like him. He is the one I said. He is here for a few days. Thank you. We waved and we were very happy. He waved to us from afar while we were eating. It is a privilege to find such beautiful places in the hands of such expatriates. Real Turks are those who show sincere intentions, smiling faces and polite behavior. I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY VERY THANKS TO MEHMET BEY AND HIS COLLEAGUES IN THE TEAM. MY FAMILY IT WAS VERY NICE TO COME FROM NEW ZEALAND AND TO KNOW SUCH NICE PEOPLE AND TASTE THEIR FOOD. IT BOOSTERED THE MORALE OF OUR FAMILY AFTER THE HOSPITAL🖐 THERE IS AN ISTANBUL RESTAURANT..IT IS LIKE A BOSPHORUS BRIDGE. FROM SIDE TO SIDE HE COOKS HIS QUALITY, UNIQUE FOOD TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER. THANKS TO THE WHOLE WORKING TEAM OF ISTANBUL RESTAURANT. THANKS FOR YOU, I WISH YOU GOOD LIVES.. SEE YOU AGAIN TO EAT YOUR DELICIOUS FOOD..🖐

Excellent food and service. Service from Mehmit was exceptional. Would definitely recommend this place.

Food is wonderful. Everything is perfectly cooked and fod is fresh. But sometimes service is a bit slow and whenever I order online the salad is old and j can tell its from a few days ago but overall I definitely recommend this restaurant.

The food was delicious and the staff are very polite! We were served by a wonderful waitress named Elna and she was very kind. Will definitely come back soon!

We had reserved the seats prior. We had a great experience at Istanbul Hotel in Leicester, enjoying authentic Turkish cuisine. One of the highlights was the complimentary bread – fresh, warm, and delicious. We ordered the large Turkish platter (£75) and a smaller one (£30), which served nearly eight people. The meats were well-seasoned, juicy, and flavorful. The meze platter was also enjoyable. However, the rice was a bit disappointing compared to the rest of the meal. The staff were friendly and accommodating. As an added bonus, we received complimentary tea (not per head, but still appreciated). Overall, a solid four-star experience. Would return for the great food and hospitality!

Fantastic staff and fantastic food. We were running late but they still managed to make space for us (large party) and even added a bit of a surprise for my son's birthday. Food as usual was fantastic and service was really good even though it was absolutely packed. Highly recommend.

Popped in for a dinner today for a lovely Valentine’s Day meal had to wait at the entrance of the shop for 10 to 15 minutes for a table for two people despite there being plenty of tables available seats were very comfortable. Table was nice. Atmosphere was a bit loud and crowded. However despite the menu being complex we were able to navigate the right food that we wanted. unfortunately the biggest letdown in addition to the crowdy and noisy atmosphere and people around us the customer, The waiters werent the most polite and seemed to be very inattentive and unresponsive. We had to wait a decent margin of time for the order to be taken and for us to pay for the order and for us to get our takeaway boxes despite all of these troubles the food was very delicious. It would seem as though it was dry than it was however the flavour of the rice and the chicken and the lamb was a very good quality very satisfied with the meal not with the service.

This was our visit. M.A was brilliant and food and his service loved it, would visit again soon

I've been in this Restaurant for several times and they good hospitality good service very polite people and we don't forget Mr MA who always take care of us when we come to the Restaurant, thanks very much 👍👍👍

The food was amazing, it had authentic Turkish traditional dishes, also the food was very delicious, the waiters and waitresses were very kind, especially M.A. He was such a gentleman.

I love the food here think best Turkish in Leicester however the service is not always the best. I don’t know if it’s the manager or just another waiter but he’s rude or has no customer service skills at all that’s second time visiting and same attitude. Other than that I really recommend food service not so much.

Have been there many times and always enjoyed the meal and it's great place for families

The food was great! The portions were really reasonable. Mehmet was exceptionally nice and made us feel really welcomed. Would definitely recommend!!

M.A was very sweet and friendly and gave us a graduation surprise at the end of our meal.

Worse customer service specially the ladu staff is unprofessional n food was not cooked well and took ages in preparations

We asked a blond lady for a mixed platter and even after 2 hours the waiter did not give it to me,and when I asked, they said i did not order,the restraunt manager came and told he will give it soon.After we got it,the meat was raw and tasted disgusting.

Friendly staff and good food 👍🏻

I always come here on my free weekends. The best Turkish food in Leicester. The customer service is always very friendly and welcoming, especially Mehmet Abi. He creates such a great atmosphere for all the customers and I know many others who also agree with me. The food is always also so fresh and the meat is also very juicy and perfectly cooked. I have never had a bad experience.

it was delicious and the service was so good. Especial thank to Mehmet

Mehmet always makes us feel so welcome. Sharing platter is so tasty, juicy chicken wings and smooth humous. Very efficient service from friendly staff.

Visited the restaurant yesterday whilst in Leicester, this is, alongside Etci baba Turkish, our go to restaurants when in the area. As always the food was splendid, we had the family platter and mixed sharwarma, kofte and some vegetables dishes. Unfortunately I have two negative points, firstly, they do not have a pray room for Muslims should one be dining during the pray time, as was the case yesterday for Majrib. I was advised the nearest mosque is about 7-10 mins walk. Other, halal restaurants including Turkish ones in Leicester offer this option, even if it’s in the store room. Secondly, no complimentary Turkish tea after spending £100, again, offered by other Turkish restaurants.

We had a family dinner 🥗 here. They were about to close restaurant although a warm welcome from their staff. Good hygiene and food was perfect too

Food not cooked well. Service quality extremely poor , staff highly unprofessional. Would never ever go again.

£6 for 10 olives? Absolutely disgusting. Come here every year. Portions have gone smaller. Prices are disgusting

Mehmet was very helpful. Nice food, good service

Really enjoyed the food and atmosphere, our waiter Mehmet was excellent and made sure we were well looked after. Highly recommended.

Amazing food as always and Mehmet is gracious host. Would absolutely recommend to friends and family.

Great meal and great restaurant. Mehmet was very attentive and a great host.

Amazing food and service was brilliant. MA was terrific host

Fantastic place to eat amazing and very good service. Came from Sheffield to eat here. M.A is fabulous

Best shawarma in town and great service from Mr. Mehmet 🙏

I am a regular been eating her at least once a week I always asked if they can cook my food extremely well done but the food always comes not even well done I asked just for red cabbage and onion but still give me all salad I tell them I am allergic to tomato’s but they still put them there they don’t care about their customers at all I have been stocking up on there chilli and garlic because it’s literally the best I freeze it so now I can stop ordering from there and give another shop my money that they’ll appreciate. Istanbul doesn’t care for us what so ever

Awful service from the manager who didn’t even give discount after trying to give us cold food after we did a delivery order that didn’t turn up. I called the restaurant to remake the food as it was cold after nearly two hours which they promised they would do- they tried to then give me the old order and thereafter not even take 10% off. Will never order from them again and I would absolutely not recommend the food - it was tasteless. Manager there didn’t want to provide his name but his service was SHOCKING.

I went for a meal with family ,meat and rice just cold ,asked waiter to microwave my platter, he taken it and bring back and it was hardly warm

We had a good time at Istanbul, we all ordered different things, and they all tasted great. The quality and quantity of the meat was good, they were seasoned perfectly and there was no delays in serving time considering how busy the place is when we went. I believe it is great value for money, I couldn't finish my portion and took the rest home. Mehmet took care of us and was very attentive, it made our time there worthwhile. This is definitely a place I would want to revisit.

Food was very nice. Best quality unbelievable.good customer service. I’ll recommend Istanbul kebab to my friends and family.Mr M A best customer service we will remember. Thank you Mr M A Kind regards your regular customer Abdul Korim Noor

The service and food was amazing. Turkish pizza(pide) was so tasteful, i highly recommend it. Turkish teas were perfect. All the waiters were kind and helpful. Especially Mr. Mehmet was very friendly and helpful 😀

FOOD WAS SO UNBELIEVABLY GOOD. THE MEAT WAS SUCCULENT AND TENDER. DEFINITELY COMING AGAIN!

Great taste with great service. Thanks to Mehmet for excellent and professional service

Always a good time at Istanbul with their mixed grill. The meats are great quality, seasoned very well and also comes very quickly too. I think it is great value for money, can never finish the entire plate as a fully grown man.

Really high quality food,absolutely it’s worth to pay , and M.A was really kind for finding the best food

It was my first time at Turkish food. The service we received from the staff at the restaurant was excellent. The food was amazing and I enjoyed the complementary tea too. Staff MA was exceptional. Very professional and pleasant. I’ll definitely be eating here again when I’m in Leicester.

Came for dinner with the family we were served by M.A, who was super friendly and took time to explain the dishes as it was my family’s first time trying Turkish food

The food and service was excellent our server M.A was made if feel very welcome

Great service from M.A and the food was amazing

Although, the place is clean but food hygiene is zero. I watched a lady mistakenly pressing her black shirt over the wrap. This could have been prevented if proper PPE had been employed. Besides, this lady might have been to toilet with the shirt, or might have trapped gems with the shirt. Please reevaluate your food safety policy and hygiene… we are almost in winter already, people shouldn’t come down with food poisoning because of avoidable poor food safety measures which if taken into consideration would have prevented it.

very cozy restaurant, great atmosphere, delicious food and good service. My family felt at home. Special thanks to the employee M.A. for support and service.

Great food. Drinks selection was a little dull. Unfortunately service wise we got stuck in a back corner and found it difficult to get the staffs attention. Other than that minor issue a nice meal. Obviously popular and busy.

Been coming here since it first opened, unfortunately the quality of the food has faded over the years. I wouldn’t mind the price increases if the food was good quality and insist on “Cash Only” on collection. I will be going elsewhere from now on 👎🏽

Today I was on business trip and came to Leicester from London. This is great Turkish restaurant with quality food. Mr Mehmet is very friendly and professional, his service is outstanding. Definitely, we will pop in again. Dervish

everything was good, only a minus for the administrator that everything is old, it should be modernized a bit, I have been coming occasionally for 8 years and it is always the same. a little gold is never much. ☺️success. very good food, very good staff, for once this. bravo👍

was packed on a Sunday evening! would come back here for the lamb beyti (:

Food unique,customer service excellent. They do everything for you to enjoy your day in their restaurant.

Loved the ambience of this authentic Turkish restaurant serving a variety of mouth watering dishes ranging from scrumptious wraps to exclusive platters with generous portions of food. The staff were very welcome and special thanks to Aishah for a beautiful evening. We have come all the way from London to try authentic Turkish food and thanks to Mustafa for making a memorable evening along with the rest of the staff and outstanding customer service.

Heaven on earth. Best service, best food, best ambience. Staff is highly professional especially Mr Mustafa is very hospitable. Enjoyed his pleasing smile. Love to recommend this place to all.

Wonderful place to eat and the staff are amazing 👏

Mehmet again with the outstanding service. Great value for money

Very professional staff, excellent food, attention to details... I'll highly recommend Mehmet thanks for the birthday surprise to my son... very appreciate

Very good and traditional Shish, perfect smell and ideally cooked. I was ordering online when I was unwell, so they put me a few extra pieces! I feel a lot better now and back for more! So thank you kind and professional people who work there:)

£37 for a sharing platter for 2 offering 3 cubes of meat is not only very extortionate but a little insulting!

Delicious Food. Good ambience. Mehmet was specially excellent with his service and took care of our large group. Elna was polite and quick with her service. She was helpful with everything we asked for.

Food is super delicious and tasty. Staff is very friendly 🥰 Highly recommend place

It’s very good value for money. Service is good. Good, casual restaurant and perfect for large families.

Went early afternoon great service and good food

Food is delicious and waiter Mehmet is excellent

I just ordered on uber eats food tasted different than usual and was not good not cooked as well as normally salad was not fresh cucumber was very soft and lettuce brown in areas just as the cabbage amount of shawarma in the mix kebab also seems smaller than usual

Amazing food. Fast service. Best Turkish food I've had

We have had an unforgettable day and an excellent experience in Istanbul Restaurant. It reflected delicious Turkish cuisine and gave perfect service to us with their polite,smiling and approachable staff. Especially,the general manager, Mehmet showed us a very nice interest. It was the first time to dine in here, but I think it won't be the last time. I highly recommend everyone to have a good moment in such a lovely atmosphere. Reasonable prices,qualified and delicious meals and professional staff and wonderful service with generous offers...Many thanks

They said that the tea was finished at 8 o'clock and that it would not be brewed. The restaurant was packed and telling the customer that there was no tea was not appropriate for a Turkish restaurant.

Llevo bastante tiempo queriendo probar aquí y tengo que decir que no estoy decepcionado. Además de que la comida es, con diferencia, la mejor turca que he tenido de Turquía, los precios son absolutamente increíbles también. Vine aquí para la celebración de mi cumpleaños y también celebrando algunas noticias increíbles sobre un diagnóstico de C GRANDE. ¡Volveré al 100% aquí de nuevo, y pronto!

Excellent family friendly atmosphere and exceptional service with polite and courteous staff. Turkish food was amazing, with a memorable lentil soup for and juicy meaty mains!

Excelente servicio. Pan caliente y salsas frescas + entrante Halloumi asado - delicioso. Chuletas de cordero, grandes, perfectamente cocidas; Costillas de Cordero celestiales. Cada ensalada fresca y crujiente. Té de cortesía. £ 50 - vale cada centavo. Comida 10 / 10 y servicio 10 / 10.

Always delicious, always friendly. Especially Mehmet. When he overheard it was mij birthday he arranged the desert and a candle for me and the happy birthday song on his own initiative. Really nice restaurant

Wonderful food, wonderful friendly staff. Love the tea! Where can I get it from?

I really enjoyed my visit last week. The food was tasty, and service was good and fast, we didn’t wait long to be seated, which is an advantage especially in some restaurants. We ordered mixed grills, fish and plenty of sides, drinks came a little later but it wasn’t a big deal, apart from that, all lovely and will be back soon.

What can I say that hasn't been said before, this place is a must visit on your travels, the food fantastic for a Turkish, the staff friendly and helpful - the menu selection is everything you would expect to find at a Turkish. We ordered the platter for two, it was a decent portion, we managed to feed three pound kids with it so a good size. Also got the falafel, I have had better. The platter though, all the proteins were nicely cooked and the meat was tender. Underneath all the stack of protein came the Bulger wheat and rice, which was ok but the cooking on the proteins was spot on. I will be visiting again, see you soon.

This is situated on Narborough road so parking can be a little tricky. The restaurant has mainly indoor and some outdoor seating. I thought the food was quite nice. They do give complimentary turshish bread. I would reccomend this overall as a good option for turkish food. 👍🏼

This is a really great restaurant, the staff and the manager are so nice and accommodating. The place overall is clean and well taken care of, the menu has several options and isn’t overpriced. The quality of the ingredients were fresh and tasted amazing, really recommend this to anyone wanting some good Turkish food. They sell mainly BBQ which was the best but plates like hummus and shawarma were nice as well.

Excellent food and friendly customer Service provided by amazing manager Mr Mehmet.

Jazakllah for everything delicious food allhmdulillah

Food is delicious and portions very big ,service is good and prices reasonable

It was difficult to walk on by. Finally succumbed to the wonderful smell on my 2nd pass by and I wasn't disappointed. Will definitely visit again

I was first time at this restaurant but I'd say really everything was excellent and so delicious, Mehmet and his friends are really kind also welcoming! Definitely recommend this place!

This is the 5th time in two weeks I have visited this place and had a different meal each time all very tasty and plentiful portions this evening i had the sea bass came whole but a very pleasant waiter Menmet boned and prepared for me at the table a big round of applause for him very helpful as are all the staff

When I was collect the delivroo order stuff member(lady) said 10 minute wait after that I wait more 5 minute total 15 minutes wait then I asking for order redy or not she said u wait more 10 minutes! Then I said why u waisted my time and why u are laying she said if u can’t wait u cancel the order and get out the shop! She almost waist my 20 minutes after she said cancel the order and get out! And manager he has no any sense how to treat with customer and delivery driver they disrespect to me! Manager said I banned u! They don’t how to run rastaurant! I request don’t go this restaurant! I am not going any more and also tel to my friend to don’t go sheet restaurant! They really idiot and they don’t care about other time! They food also to bad test don’t want to be go any more! 🙏

Absolutely delicious food. Great customer service provided by Mehmet and other members ..look no further .. best Turkish food ever. Definitely recommend it.

I have decided to give it a try yesterday after many years. lamb shawarma was very salty, there was hardly anyone in the restaurant- we had to wait very long for food, very small portions, very expensive, lamb shish was burnt, sauce was served in chipped dishes and rest of the crockery was mix and match all different colours, I recommend they invest in decent crockery & a proper chef lamb shish £18 sharma £16 see pictures -I do not recommend it to anyone

Very nice place with nice staff. I ordered chicken shawarma wrap. Very good meat, slightly spicy. Big 🌯 wrap - go eat. Interesting presentation - cost £7. I highly recommend it.

Good place to go to eat , I have been going here for years with me family and they’re service is good 👍 I recommend if you like turkish food , the food can take a little bit of time but it is good quality food . Amazing .

Delicious food, always same taste, good service.

Personal muy amable y sonriente. Arranque gratis mientras esperas tu pedido. La comida es muy sabrosa. Las porciones son grandes. Si no puedes comértelo todo, te lo prepararán para que te lo lleves a casa. El restaurante no sirve alcohol.

Amazing food, fast service and nice atmosphere. I would definitely recommend

Great authentic restaurant, the food is amazing, attentive staff, no hesitation in recommending a visit

I am living in leeds i visited to my friend in leicester; my friend suggested to go to istanbul restaurant ,i wanted to say that it was very nice food and professional service by Mehmet thank you very much Istanbuk , highly recommend you

Food was poor.. service was ridiculous.. got our mains before our starter.. waiter was ignorant..