Istanbul Cafe & Bistro in City of London, Westminster

Very successful reccomending for everyone

This cozy, beautifully decorated restaurant was a wonderful find! From the moment I walked in, I was met with warm, friendly, and attentive staff who made the experience even more enjoyable. The ambiance was inviting, setting the perfect scene to dive into the flavors of Turkish cuisine. But this wasn’t just typical Turkish fare! Each dish was thoughtfully crafted, showcasing a fresh, creative take on traditional flavors while maintaining authenticity. If you’re looking for a unique twist on Turkish cuisine in a welcoming atmosphere, this is the place to be. Highly recommended for anyone seeking great food with a touch of originality! 🍽️

Their food is delicious and fresh I tried their chicken shish kebab with rice and vegetables £15

Lovely food and staff, I just wish it was more meyhane and less london cafe

Good food, Nice atmosphere, good staff.

Wasted my time on the interview

very tasty food and professional staff

Visited today at around 1 and decided to try English breakfast halal. It was by far best halal English breakfast I have tried in london. We also ordered smoked salmon panini. Portion size was generous and justified with price. Ambiance was cosy and clean.

WOW! What a sensational meal. Hats off to the chef & kitchen. We have travelled consecutively through Dubai, Greece, Italy, Malta, Spain, France and now in London, and we have had some amazing meals. But Istanbul takes the top position of the best meal we've eaten. So much flavour, tender, and the best hummus, tzatziki and tabbouleh we have EVER eaten. We are from Australia and feel so lucky we picked to eat dinner at Istanbul Cafe & Bistro. The service was impeccable and the atmosphere beautiful. The entire business deserves so many accolades and awards. I hope I can return soon. 100/10 !!

Food was absolutely delicious 😋

I recently visited with my parents, and unfortunately, the experience was far from pleasant. We wanted to order breakfast and noticed they had a meal option advertised for two people, priced at £50. Before ordering, I specifically asked our server if this meal would be sufficient for three people, and she assured us it would be. However, when the bill arrived, we were shocked to see an extra charge of £35. The server had failed to mention any additional costs for serving three people instead of two, which felt misleading and deceptive. What was even more disappointing was the feeling that we were being taken advantage of because of our background as Arabs. It seemed like the server assumed we wouldn't question the charges and took advantage of that assumption. I left the restaurant feeling not only overcharged but also disrespected. Transparency and honesty are crucial in customer service, and unfortunately, this establishment failed on both fronts. I cannot recommend this place and will not be returning.

Great mezze, better than the food in regents park.

Gorgeous food with wonderful happy attentive staff

Four of us went for mid-week lunch and had a great meal. The food was delicious and varied; the service was good; the atmosphere was lively; and with the lunch special (2 courses for £19 with free bread and olives), it was excellent value. We'll definitely go back.

Soft light and terrific ambience, deliciously fresh and tasty dinner. The service was spot on - friendly and attentive. Finished off with the soothing Turkish tea served on a brass tray with little flowers in a vase. Nice touch. Thank you so much. Five stars all around. Indoors and outdoors seating. Good vegetarian choices.

I like the food here, but I am very disappointed that the owner does not have an honest approach to running a business. They include a service charge on their bill but their paymen machine also prompts you to leave a tip. So, if someone does not pay attention, they will pay double tip. I find this very unethical and not the right way to run a business and treat your customers.

Wow! Loved this place! Great service, lovely decor and absolutely fantastic food and drink! Highly recommended

Just by great portland Street station and great place to get lunch or dinner and drinks

Such a good restaurant that we went there for dinner twice in a row! Delicate cooking, great quality of products, really nice atmosphere. We'll come back for sure!

The food was amazing 10/10 the service and atmosphere was impeccable

Turkish coffee is excellent. Half the food

Always nice food, lamb cutlets were delicious

The best place in the neighborhood in terms of quality of food, price for the range of dishes and type of service. It deserves a stop.

I was greeted by very friendly owner. Selection was great from the menu. I ate delicious food. Restaurant was impressively clean. It was really reasonable and affordable prices. I was delighted with excellent service from waitress.

I have driven passed this restaurant for years and have always wanted to visit - finally that has happened! Our pre-theatre dinner was so lovey. Big portions. Authentic Turkish food. Excellent service. I would definitely visit again.

Very good restaurant with Turkish food. The staff is very accommodating and professional. We had dinner with family and had a great evening. The food was very tasty.

Great find at the back of Great Portland St tube station. It was a busy evening here, service was excellent though. Lovely, hot, fresh kebabs, delicious hummus and breads. Cold beer. What’s not to like?

Not actually eaten here , but will do ... but just wanted say that they were really kind when i had my phone stolen outside the station and they helped me immensely. They are genuine, decent and hardworking and deserve their custom , food looks good too !

Absolutely love this place. Great wraps and starters. Very generously served. Can’t wait to come back!!

This place was fantastic for lunch and dinner, the wraps are heaven and the kofte and halloumi salad was the business. Staff are helpful, friendly and very accomodating

This turkish cafe was great. My husband and i fancied different food on our trip to London and stumbled on this gem. Service was quick & friendly. The food was outstanding. Best lamb dish i have tasted and i eat lamb a lot in different resturants. The staff were so lovely and welcoming. Definately be back on our next visit.

Reall tasty Turkish food, nice atmosphere and very good service. Highly recommended.

Freshly cooked turkish food. cosy and beautifully done homely feel setup , lit up bright by the windows around

I ended up at Great Portland Street due to an unanticipated diversion on public transport after what was a rather long journey into and day in London. Seeing this place just across the road from me and as I like Turkish food, I decided to try it out, a decision that I sadly soon regretted! The place wasn't busy at the time so I failed to understand the 'very' poor and inattentive service received after being seated. It took a while for the menu card to be brought to me or to be asked what drink I'd like. And inspite of asking the two server girls to talk me through what was on the menu and to recommend a 'lamb' dish, I was left to navigate the menu myself. I actually found the Turkish server quite dismissive and patronising, possibly 'cos I was eating in on my own and 'less' business ?? ! ?? Whatever the reason I found her 'very' inattentive and dismissive. Tho' I'd just ordered iced water with lemon, it was never ever topped up, even tho' she'd passed my table a few times. Other customers dining in pairs or a group definitely were served better around me. The food per say when it arrived was nice enough tho' I'd have liked a lot more of a spicy flavour which I'd requested at the start. The '4 of the 5' lamb cubes on my plate were tender and nice enough to have. The side salad also was enjoyed. However, for the price paid, I have to agree with other reviews here, 'too small and stingy' a portion! I'd have paid a third less for what was served me. The man who I assume is the Manager who brought me a complimentary Turkish tea and sweet after I'd asked for the bill, 'finally' seemed to extend a sliver of Turkish hospitality that was markedly missing from when I first walked in! Had to wait 'ages' for the bill .... I mean ages! I did feel others were being served better on account of me dining alone, which just made it a rather acutely less than pleasant dining experience for me! I left still a tad bit 'hungry' ... so do agree with some of the other reviews on here, 'Small portions, unjustifiably expensive and poor service'. The man with something of a smile who brought me the Turkish tea ... kinda saved the moment/day and hence gave 2* or it'd just been been a 1* for the service received, when I pretty much felt ignored all through.

Their Ice latte was so awesomeee. I also tried their Turkish Coffee in the past. It was awesome. Their freshly squeezed Orange Juice is also nice. I recommend it. It is so close the Regents Park. Tesco is opposite if you are looking for a cheap drink 😅🤣🤣🤣In the park the non alcoholic drink is £6 , water is £2.15 🥴😁😂 Thank me for the tips🤣🤣🤣

Amazing experience at Ararat cafe, lovely food and tea, special thank you to Mauro for the kind service as always 😄 the beautiful view of the Blue Mosque is a bonus!

Love this place food is amazing and Sara is simple attentive and will look after you.

I think the reviews are made by friends of the owners, Abominable food, has no connection with Turkish food. Bad atmosphere, bad service, exaggerated price Read the unfavorable reviews, these are the real reviews. Deserves a 0

Overall 4/5 Location: central and close to station, easy to spot and reach. Ambiance: warm atmosphere, clean and well lit interior setup. Service: host greeted us well and made sure to give us recommendations and Infact also guided us through the menu. Food : had hummus and falafel: great portion size and taste. Chips on the side were tasty and the salad was fresh. Turkish tea: warm and refreshing. Limited but tasty vegetarian options.

Amazing!! The food and the service 😍 great vibe!

lovely food and the nicest staff! they were friendly and answered all my questions. Thank you!

Sat down after fancying a bite to eat. Ended up getting two course meal and some beers. Food was exemplary and staff were lovely.

Very nice, delicious food and friendly and nice staff

You feel warm and food quality and taste are amazing

Dropped in Saturday night after a concert at the 229 Club opposite. The food was delicious, can't fault it.... bit on the pricey side for the starters but all delicious.

One of my favourite experiences of my recent trip to London!! Fabulous spot! Exceptionally nice staff, food superb 👌🏻, great play list, cosy ambiance…. Everything I could ask for in a restaurant. Well done ladies…. You’re doing a great job

Great place! Amazing Turkish food. Home-cosy, and we were kindly accommodated even with our toddler. Kid friendly. The price is worth the food.

Turkish style breakfast is amazing. All products are of good quality. As tea, you should choose English tea, it is better.

1st visit there. I would return.

In restaurant Istanbul there is delicious food, polite personel, quick service. There is delicious hamburger and spaghetti. The restaurant Istanbul is clean and cozy place. I recommend this place to tourists, students and all people to eat at any time of the season. Ualikhan Dauren

We went to Istanbul Cafe for breakfast and we didn't have a good experience. Service wasn't good, very expensive. Food wasn't good at all, full of oil and i felt sick after, my belly was in pain. I wouldn't recommend this place.

Very good food and excellent and friendly staff

Lovely food, had a 2 course dinner for under £20, delicious, great service and ambience

I had a long day and was desperate for fresh, quality food to take away to my hotel. I accidentally stumbled upon this bistro and was met with friendly, warm, and caring true hospitality. A quick takeaway turned into a beautifully presented Turkish tea, a bag full of amazingly delicious food, and me wishing I could enjoy this gem for the entire evening. I'll be back.

Rude customer service, When asked for removal of the service charge the person attending us told that its for all the working staff and that the food is alr cheap so we should pay it but because we are students we asked if its optional wed like to skip it but the person rudely told the other staff that if theyre not paying the service charge they can come here and make the payment for the food. This was not the only rude incident, while ordering there was some problem with the order and while we were trying to explain him the issue the staff just walked away while we were speaking. The food was okay but customer service really spoilt our mood so not recommended. Its a shame that the atmosphere is great but customer service isnt.

Very, very good food. They have many options for your meal, but traditional turkish food is amaizing! Many thanks and big hugs! Andreea from Romania!

Excellent staff ..delicious food 😍

We ordered a kebab to take away and they served us a pita bread rolled with pieces of meat cooked in a pan, they were not cuts of a braised roll, as is the meat in kebabs. We paid £12 and it really didn't look like a kebab

I should have read the reviews before coming here. I ordered the lamb shish kebab, which was nice, but the service was terrible. The waitress brought out the food and asked if I wanted sauce. I requested mayonnaise and it never arrived. After finishing, I waited for 5 minutes to receive the bill. It wasn't very busy, but nobody came to help. I eventually got up and asked for the bill myself. It's not normal for a respectable restaurant to tell you the total amount without showing an itemised bill first. The manager quickly set up the card machine with the fee without providing me with the bill. I paid for the bill, but the manager didn't give me the receipt. I asked for it and he reluctantly handed it over. I requested the itemised bill, and he gave it to me with a poor attitude.

Amazing feeling from the start to the end. We felt like home. Saray is the best host and she really knows how to make her customers happy. We’ve been a few times and she always remembers us, knows what we like and treats us with kindness. Thank you so much. We’ll see you again x

What an amazing place! Proper authentic Turkish food with lovely touches like the olives to start and the freshly made Baklava as a finish to the meal. Staff are friendly and typically Turkish in that they want to please. A true gem of a find in London.

Istanbul is my favourite restaurant in the neighbourhood. The food is delicious and the staff is so hospitable and welcoming. This was my multiple times a week go-to place when I lived nearby, and now that I have moved overseas, I always make sure to stop in for the warm welcome and imam bayildi when I am in town.

Lovely place, great atmosphere and the food tastes so good

Absolutely delicious food and both the waitress and the chef were lovely. Super impressed and would definitely recommwnt

Amazing service and polite staff thanks Seray for your amazing hospitality!

Very accommodating for us as a couple and our toddler excellent food and drinks. Turkish coffee tastes like the ones back in turkey. Thanks

Very good food and generous portions. Alexander the best!

Nice place.. iskandar is very nice

poor not friendly customer service

The Service is very nice iskender manager guy was very kind

Great service from Seray Definitely will go back again

Food is tasteless and customer service is dreadful. For those with more refined taste buds, there are much better places to eat!

Lovely place, amazing food and spectacular service!

AVOID AVOID AVOID ! GOOGLE PLEASE MAKE 0 STARS POSSIBLE ! The Manager- Where do I begin.. I came to this restaurant following lots of positive reviews on Google Maps and decided to invite some friends to dine together after work. The first of many red flags was the way the Manager treated a very new waiter. I've never seen such harshness to the point it made me & my friends uncomfortable watching - especially considering how kind and attentive this waiter was. The waiter took our orders perfectly and not 2 minutes later, we see the Manager storm furiously to our table asking us to clarify our orders again, speaking with such irritation as though we have somewhat inconvenienced his day by being there. We brushed the attitude aside and gave him the benefit of the doubt - perhaps his having a stressed or having a bad day. I highly doubt now that is the case reading the reviews from others which I can only understand the Manager treats people different based on where you are from as his service was impeccable for the White customers.. I'd let you connect the dots there.. The Food - Huge disappointment. Nothing special; its edible and that's about it. It felt like a chore trying to finish my plate as their prices are so inflated and wanted to get my money's worth. Like seriously? If you wanna charge high, maybe season your food better and offer a more pleasant dining experience. Just a wild idea from me. They gave us naan bread as a starter which is standard from most Mediterranean restaurants but no humus. We asked for humus and was charged £8 for a dollop?? We asked for water as 99% of the Drinks menu was alcoholic and the non alcoholic drinks did little to entice us. They completely forgot to bring us water. Since we didn't want to deal with the nasty Manager again, we just got the water bottles we had in our bags and poured it into our empty cups. You couldn't make this up even if you tried! MORE of the Manager- After trying to digest as much of the tasteless food as possible and unsuccessfully leaving half of our food because we ran out of bottled water to wash down the food, we asked for the bill. They present us with a service charge which was generous considering our experience. While I still was willing to pay, my dear friend convinced me not to because it made no sense to; we were still hungry and had such an unpleasant time there. We tell the waiters this, deliberately trying to avoid the Manager but unfortunately they had to consult with him as we didn't want to pay SC. The Manager rushes to our table and ask why do we not want to pay SC. Surprised he wanted to hear genuine feedback, we share an honest account of our experience. Not 5 words come out of my mouth before I'm cut off with a dismissive 'OK'. He then gets the card machine and while i'm waiting for him to set it up, he rudely says 'Can you just pay now' to get my attention. Nasty. Offended but not surprised at this point from this man. We quickly left after paying to escape this Dining Experience From Hell. If I had to scrap for one good thing to say about this miserable place: the waiters are friendly and kind, and I deeply feel sorry for them such a Manager (And Owner?) running the place.

We discovered Istanbul Cafe & Bistro while looking for a breakfast place during our visit to London. We ordered Istanbul Breakfast and Orta Menemen. The breakfast was hearty portions and delicious. The atmosphere was also very pleasant. I definitely recommend it.

Loved the staff and so much fun. Food is amazing. Would 100% come back. Drinks are amazing too

Fantastic service and food! Couldn’t recommend enough , manager was lovely

Had the best night amazing food. Great cold beer and our server Alexander was excellent. Perfect spot in great Portland st

Fantastic food, great service and lovely staff. The manager and staff were brilliant. Top recommendation, we will be coming here again for sure.

Very good Turkish restaurant, fresh and plentiful with friendly and efficient service. Just outside the metro.

The service was amazing! Alexander “Iskander” is outstanding! We called him “Alexander the Great”! The food was exceptional, and the atmosphere was fantastic! Undoubtedly, the best Turkish restaurant in London!

Really authentic and lovely service ..a great find in London

I had one of the best English breakfast in London here. Team and waiters, especially Yurii, are very kind and friendly!

I ordered not one but TWO kunefe's. And ate both. The waiter questioned my second ordering of kunefe, I politely reassured him, that I NEEDED a second serving of their kunefe. May God bless this restaurant for coming to life and giving me the experience I needed on that day. See u soon xx

Alexander, our server was fantastic

Great vibe, love Alexander’s nuts. Will be back

Alexander aka the service GOAT! What a lovely guy… those beers just kept flowing :) will be back soon

Oleksander was brilliant, friendly and efficient

This is a local for us and all The staff are so friendly. We love Seroy. She really looks after us.

Great service, Alexander makes the best turkish coffee in london!

Such a great experiance! Alexander was so bubbly and funny,thank you for the best Turkish coffee!

Really good food. Alexander is so kindly. The vegetarian burguer is very nice. Thank u!

Fantastic food! Great service by Alexander! Cool atmosphere, great value for money.

Amazing food, great service! Alexander was great

Great food and lovely service from Alexander.

It was very nice, Alexander looked after us and helped us get over a traumatic afternoon

Alexander was very friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. Food was amazing and cheered us up on a very sad, sad day.

Alexander is always super kind and helpful. The soup is very good!

Great place for Turkish food. Excellent service from Seroy! Will be back again.

Little gem of a place. Authentic Turkish cuisine sits alongside other Mediterranean faire on the menu. The Cold Mezze is my go-to Spring/Summer dish and it doesn’t disappoint. If like me you like wine along with your food then you are in luck, amongst the usual choices are some lesser known Turkish vintages that are absolute gems. In particular the Anatolia red. The staff are genuinely friendly. The lovely Seray always has time for a few words with customers and her natural enthusiasm is as refreshing as the wine. Highly recommended , just leave some red wine for when I am next in!