Istanbul Restaurant in Derby

One of the best Adana kofte I have had, was here with my family great costumer service.

Friendly service and lovely food. just missing the salad

came for my friends birthday and the food was amazing service was amazing can’t believe i didn’t come here sooner. Noah was amazing. can’t wait to come back already

Manager is very abusive if you have complaint. He needs to shut down, too may customers get abuse from him.

What a joke First and last time here

Thank you all for your reviews, especially to the 1 stars who have never been to our restaurant but have an opinion that is persuaded by social media. I call out to all who are genuine and have stepped foot in this restaurant to leave a review not others who are affiliated with a nearby business or who is following a wrong prospecting crowd. Thank you!

Owner is without respect with customers

The owner is really rude food is really tasteless food not fresh it better if they close

low quality food and very unprofessional and agreesive management.

I looove the food, the platter was awesome!! Have a bite of the lamb meat whilst it’s still sizzling!! 🥰😋… it’s beautiful!! I do not regret eating at Istanbul restaurants, worth every penny🕺🏾🕺🏾

Im a butcher after couple of visits to your place i became your regular customer anytime i come to derby because i know your meat is fresh and we are appreciating for your hard working and grate service we are not like those an idiot customers who always complain in their life's and always expecting to be worshipped by the owner and the staff well done guy keep doing what your just doing and forget about those they never appreciated anything in life,

I have placed order on Uber Eats have received cold food and portions that more suitable for a appetiser then a meal. I ordered Adana kebab with rice the meat was hard and cold overall was very small portion as for the price over £13 and chicken doner wrap which was cold and very less meat in it. With the Adana kebab I received very small portion of bread that was not fresh and very hard. All total costed over £22 but was not worth even half of it.

The Istanbul restaurant is a traditional Turkish restaurant that offers traditional Turkish food of a very high standard & good levels of service @ sensible prices , considering the quality of food on offer . The food served is presented very well & cooked freshly to order by the Istanbul chef team & they have a vast range of dishes on offer to suit most people's choices , e.g fish dishes like sea bass & a good selection of meat dishes ranging from lamb to chicken etc & of course vegetarian & vegan options , plus halal food ! So it's as traditional & authentic as possible for the diner & I'm sure should you visit you will be impressed . The vibe of the Istanbul is rustic / modern , warm & cosy & upon entry you will see the grill chefs working there magic on the grill , & then see a vast array of traditional of pastries & cakes , which are very colourful & look tempting ! , But then you will see the very special samovar which can be seen emitting a cloud of steam from the top ! & it all adds to the rustic cozy vibe of the restaurant & it also delivers a great cup of Turkish tea ! Might I add ! . The restaurant is not a fast food style eatery inside , but should you need a wrap or kebab they do offer a takeaway option & prices are modest & are an ideal meal for the city workers on a break . The Istanbul doesn't serve alcoholic drinks & it's approach to the dining experience is more focused on high quality food & service & refreshment in pleasant surroundings & is a great place for families & friends of all ages , plus couples alike & i can only recommend . A real Turkish delight right here in the city of Derby . RECOMMEND DRINK TURKISH TEA FROM THE SAMOVAR ! OF COURSE ! .

Amazing chicken, management is top notch. Give respect and you'll recieve the same back. Chicken wrap and fresh chicken are exceptionally good. Not sure what the painted nail dude was on about.

Quality food great staff such a warm. Will be back thanks guys

best service best food in derby

Sadly just wasn't impressed. Would not recommend.

Used to be amazing, great food with great customer service. Has gone downhill recently, was there a few weeks ago and got served meat that wasn't fresh. Received pretty bad treatment from the manager when we complained. We used to be regulars, but we're not coming again!

Best Turkish restaurant in Derby. Manager very welcome and thoughtful for me and family.

Great place to go eat. Nice food and great staff. Would definitely recommend

Amazing wrap - chicken was lovely and fresh. Best in Turkish food in Derby. Excellent customer from the manager.

Amazing food, great customer service!

Been in today. Absolutely fantastic food. Had a chicken wrap and it was ace £3.50, so not to expensive. Met the manager who is very welcoming and friendly as well as the owner. Parking is just up the road, so if you drive it's nice and convenient. Also close to public transport. I tried this place out of curiosity after the argument I spotted on reddit. Got to say, the guy is wrong, the food and staff are amazing. Just brilliant. Thank you!

Rubbish manager and food is bad.

The £3.50 wrap was amazing value and was delicious

Very fresh chicken. Don’t come here if you paint your nails.

The best food very good experience

Best service and very good manager

I can't believe how rude and unprofessional the owner is. I feel sorry for everyone that has to work under him. It's not just about food and price at a restaurant, being respectful and nice costs nothing and goes a long way.

home made soup was delicious, wanted to eat more but was too full, very clean place and welcoming, thank you to all of you for my lovely experience

Clean and nice, food was not as good.

Was having a meal and the manager started shouting abuse at a customer who was leaving. Thinks got very heated, but it was just the manager who was getting more and more angry and using horrible swear words

Owners lovely, amazing service and the chefs did a great job. Vegetarian options aswell.

I’m been going here for months, they sell best chicken and Lamb doner wrap.

Unfortunately the meal was a complete waste of money. Lamb donner grill was the most driest, unseasoned, chewy meat I've ever tasted, rice tasted like boil in the bag. Partner had the steak which was covered in pepper sauce which leaked all on the table. He said it was the worst steak he ever had. We left most of the food but ate most of the free bread basket as that was the only nice thing. Waitresses were really welcoming and friendly though and that's the only reason I'm giving any stars. Wouldn't recommend 🥲

Loved the place, excellent value for money

Best restaurant in derby thank you

Reheated, old meat. Rude staff that insult. Just avoid this place like the plague.

Disappointing experience. The meat was so dry. We unfortunately left a lot of it. The chips and rice were good though. Wouldn't recommend.

Nice food. Chocolate Orange cake to die for!

The food was magnificent, the atmosphere was sublime and the staff were all super friendly, i would recommend to the whole of the UK to come and try the amazing food.

Very good food, very nice and helpful service, very nice atmosphere. We were there for the first but not the last time, I definitely recommend it.

Sat for some food with my girlfriend on a whim, staff were absolutely lovely, food was as authentic as can be without being cooked in Türkiye Atmosphere was lovely, nice place for a date/celebration dinner!

We were so happy to find this restaurant! The Kisir is a favourite from our stay in Marmaris, the wraps were both super fresh and it was lovely to have a Turkish tea with it. Teşekkürler!

It was really really simple service and bad food I couldn't believe it. The toilets very dirty.

Love going to this restaurant !! Always so posh and extravagant , the food is delicious , definitely lets you feel the Turkish delicates, the staff are always so warm and welcoming , will most definetely visit this restaurant again, the bathroom and toilets are clean and elegant also.

Best restaurant in derby very welcome and best food don’t wait come and try❤️

The best restaurant I’ve been to in Derby the food was perfect and the service was amazing Thankyou to viktoria and itta. I would recommend coming here if you’re visiting Derby

One of the best restaurants in town, quality food and very good service. Will eat from there again

Absolutely Horrendous Restaurant. Worst Turkish Food Ever. Iv Had Better Turkish Food In Authentic Places. This is A knock off Restaurant no taste no service. DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!

Don't waste your time or money There seemed to be almost 10 servers and only 2 were actually working, the rest were lingering waiting for instructions from the assumed manager while also being trained on the job Lentil soup was not good, grainy and lacked flavour overall, couldn't be helped by salt or Lemon. My friend who had some kind of mixed grill, the tomato sauce slathered on top tasted like knock off dolmio with miscellaneous turkish spice added on top. I ordered salmon which was raw (this is crazy bc salmon cooks in only 15 min?). Asked them to cook it for a bit longer and they gave it back to me without the chips, I then had to ask for the chips which took another wait and by that point I couldn't be bothered any more. I can't give them the benefit of the doubt bc they weren't understaffed nor insanely busy with a queue/wait. Mocktail pricing is incorrect, I was charged 4.50 but listed price is 3.00. If you have the budget to make your restaurant look nice then budget in to fix your menu with updated prices! Asked to charge my phone behind the bar and they gave me back my phone with no charge (accidents happen I guess) A couple came in wanting a table and the staff started cleaning around us while we were still seating and basically rushing us to get out for the next people. I understand mistakes happen and during a busy period you need to turn tables but this place was trash man. The toilets are BADDDDD watered down hand soap and rough looking stalls like omg hygiene on 0 guys paper towels and hand soap can't be that expensive? This is turkish food from Wish like I've never had turkish food this mid :/ The service was 3☆ only because one of the lovely ladies with the split dye hair and piercings was very kind and friendly and polite ---- Responding to this restaurants highly unprofessional review, 1. Your salmon was raw and cold to the touch. Fish is not steak and cannot be "well done" - it was raw. Plain and simple. 2. There is more to seasoning Lentil soup than salt and lemon. The texture and taste was still poor and not to the usual Turkish standard. 3. You were not busy just because both floors are occupied, we and several over parties were seated immediately. It was only when we finished, that the restaurant became busy. 4. Please read my comment about the toilet again. You were watering down your hand-wash and did not have any paper towels to dry your hands which is a separate issue to your toilet being used frequently during busy periods (which is not the issue nor my complaint). There were also several idle staff during our time, you were not that busy. 5. I have been to many different cities in Turkey several times, I have eaten at the house of my Turkish friends, and I have been to several Turkish restaurants in the UK. It is my opinion that this sauce was not nice nor did it taste remotely like any Turkish sauce, maybe a fusion catered to English taste. 6. Once again, check your CCTV. We paid our bill and while we were standing and gathering our things you had already directed the next party to our table. 7. You agree that the price of the mocktail is not on the menu. Your server did not mention the difference in price when I ordered the drink, nor that these were 'special mocktails'. Amend your menu, or ensure that your staff inform customers of the price. Take this as constructive criticism and an indication towards adopting professionalism in your restaurant.

It's my 2nd time eating from this place but it's was a takeaway and the portions were very very small looks like a kids meal and expensive for the price and the food came cold I enjoyed eating there the 1st time with my partner but I'm not gonna order another time.

Great staff very friendly place looks great but my food very dry and salty

Delicious food. The manager is very friendly and helpful. We would highly recommend this place.

After 3 years of visiting you I have to change my opinion. The food is not what it used to be. It used to take about 30 minutes for the food to arrive, now it took me 10 minutes. The food was reheated. It definitely wasn't prepared especially for us. I hope you will go back to how it was.

Tried their mixed grill sharing platter. Excelent, wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to anybody…ended with pistachio coffee and Turkish tea…delicious.

We just had a little anniversary dinner here and was not disappointed...the food was absolutely amazing.i had Turkish pizza...best I've had in ages...was so full had to take half home lol..will definitely be back...the staff were awesome too..can't fault them x

Adana Kofte and Chicken shish both £15 and the meat tasted great. Turkish tea and baklava also very nice. Only thing I'd say is that they put very little salad, would have been nice to have more

Perfect food, will be back in a few weeks

I’ve been here couple times and always feel pleased with the experience. The meat are marinated just perfectly, not too much seasoning and still keep the fresh and delicious of the fresh meat. The staff are so lovely and nice. Highly recommend

Got a wrap special takeout and everything was perfect. The staff were very friendly and attentive, the vibe was very relaxed and the donner lamb wraps were delicious.

The food gave me food poisoning, will never be visiting again. The cups smelt weird and the staff did not treat me and my friend with respect. Everything tasted undercooked and raw.

Had a lovely meal at Istanbul Restaurant yesterday evening. Loved the mix platter for 4 ! We were all so content at the end of our meal, that there was enough left to take some back home with us. I would like to say a massive thank you to NAWA the manager his service is phenomenal! Such a kind and warm soul! Thank you for your hospitality towards us! You are a credit to the business. We will definitely be returning for the food & to see Nawa again! From the guests on Table 21 ( the grumpy man who wasn't smiling until he had his desert and tea )

It was really lovely dinning there, I really enjoyed the meals and especially the drinks. It was so so good. I would love to go there again and again. I also loved the service aswell as the cleanliness of the place. It was spectacular. I highly recommend people to go there whether you are Turkish or not, I thinks the meal will still be enjoyable by enjoyable by anyone for the fact am not Turkish but the meal was extraordinary.

Seriously the best resturant in Derby . Check out my FB top marks. And the staff are excellent

The meat was not lamb. I was ill for days. The texture was tougher than eating duck. I'm sure they sold me another animal.

Delicious food and owner was lovely. Waitress gave Turkish tea on the house:) very good portion size and value for money too

A lovely large open and well designed space, plentiful staff who were all friendly. We couldn’t fault anything. It was my son’s birthday and the staff went above and beyond to make him feel like Royalty. The service was incredible. We aren’t local but when we are back in Derby we’ll certainly visit! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a joke. I paid £8 for a haloumi wrap. The wrap was empty besides the haloumi!! No salads no souce, nothing! Who in their right mind would pay £8 for a piece of tortilla with 3 pieces of haloumi? Too bad it was a takeaway and I already left as I would give it back! Unfortunately it is the last time I am personally eating from this place as is not the first time something is wrong with my order!

We’ve been in this restaurant during a business trip. The food was great, we felt welcome. Big recommendation from my side

The meal was lovely, but the service is really poor. I find the staff rude and put the pressuring on us to order the foods straight away when we haven’t had a chance to read the menu. When we’ve ate the starters and they haven’t cleared out the plates after delivering the mains at the same time. The foods were cold and have to sent it back to reheat again.

Gorgeous, mouth watering sirloin steak with sauce of your choice, I had it with a mashroom sauce, best stake I have ever had!

my family and i went here last year and we thought the place was great good food clean premises polite staff however we returned today and was shocked. the food has gone downhill tasteless meat salad had one piece of cucumber and half a slice of tomato. the bread was hard and dry. price of drinks is disgusting £2.70 for a can of Rubicon. and the toilets were disgusting not cleaned in some time health and safety would have closed them down. i would not recommend this place to anyone this has food poisoning all over it be warned

Excellent food, tasted fresh and very good portions. I had the mixed kebab which was excellent, the lamb ribs were absolutely delicious. Turkish tea was lovely. Staff friendly and helpful, good value for money, would definitely recommend

Best food best service perfect restaurant I drive Crewe to derby because eat in Istanbul restaurant

Amazing food and service as always, traditional Turkish food which tastes delicious Best restaurant in Derby and the best service by Wiki always smiling and working hard.

Amazing food, great ambiance and fantastic service by Vicky.

Great value for money and delicious food!!! Friendly staff and good customer service!!! So quick as well!!!!

Wikki provided exceptional service during our visit. From the moment we arrived, she was attentive and friendly, creating a welcoming atmosphere. Our drinks were promptly refilled, and the food arrived quickly without any delays. Wikki ensured we had everything we needed and made our dining experience truly enjoyable. If you visit, definitely ask for Wikki—she’s outstanding.

Portion so small,service was unreal👎it was quite only 2 tables but we waiting for our sauce over 15 mins till our food freezing n cold.

the food in this restaurant is very tasty, large portions, very frendly staff, I recommend the waitress Viki, she greets customers with a smile, she always listens and advises

Rude owner, excellent staff. Special shout out the restaurant manager whom I don't know the name of (respectful gentlemen with a tattoo on his arm, who has always displayed hospitality to his customers and was the main reason I visited this place frequently). The owner should learn from him. Evidently, I am not the first person to complain about the owner's treatment of his customers. This review is about the owner of this place and his treatment of customers. I have no issues with the food, the service, or the atmosphere at all. In fact, in my 3-4 years of eating at this place I have had no problems whatsoever. I have been eating at this place for years, ordering the same meal I usually order every time - I made the same order recently and was disappointed that the quantity of food provided to me was about half of what it usually is. I called the restaurant, and made it clear that I was not requesting a refund or asking for a free meal. I was only interested in an acknowledgment of the issue so that it wouldn't happen again. This was the first time I have had issues with my order here. Instead, the owner proceeded to gaslight me by telling me that the quantity of food I got was actually the standard quantity, and that for the past 4 years, I have been getting more food than I should have been getting.. (ridiculous proposition). I took a photo of what I had received and went to talk with the owner in person. I explained once more that I am not looking for a refund or free meals, but that this was a matter of principle. The owner proceeded with manufacturing lies by saying that I complain about every order in another attempt at gaslighting me. I had told him that in my 3-4 years of eating here, I had never complained about anything, and that his staff who know me can attest to that. More gaslighting by the owner, somehow trying to convince me that I have always (for 3-4 years) received more food than I should have received. If this was the case, why would I be complaining every time as he falsely suggests? It is sad that I won't be frequenting a place I used to enjoy going to anymore PURELY because the owner was rude and does not understand how to treat his customers. All I was looking for was an acknowledgement of the mistake, but instead, his pride cost him my business, and the business of everyone I know.

6 of us had a lovely meal here yesterday. The food was so yummy. I had lamb chops. They we're so tender. The mocktail I had was lovely & pudding was so tasty. Everyone in the group that I was with also said how nice everything was. The 2 young girls that served us we're lovely. We will definitely be back 😊

6 of us had a lovely meal here tonight. The food was so yummy. I had lamb chops. They we're so tender. The mocktail I had was lovely & pudding was so tasty. Everyone in the group that I was with also said how nice everything was. The 2 young girls that served us we're lovely. We will definitely be back 😊

On the off chance we dropped in. Turkey had just beat Georgia so folk were happy. Food was spot on, defo a revisit when we're next at the office.

Nice food. A little expensive compared to other Turkish restaurants we've visited in the county.

Was super super friendly and the food was on point

Cold food, tasteless food and condescending owner. Food arrived and it was at best warm, but really tasteless and my wife completely left hers. The owner asked if she wanted it warming but said 'we did not understand Turkish food and could not appreciate the spices'. I have lived and travelled all over the World and ee regularly eat out maybe 3 times per week and have eaten Turkish food in many places. My reply was just bring the bill, you've had my money once you will NEVER gave it again. Please note this eatery is not related the Istanbul on Normanton Road, where the food is very good but apparently its not Turkish according to St Peters St, that maybe a good thing.

Came in to eat and the restaurant was packed, straight away they made arrangements and we got a table even though it was full, we ordered and got our drinks and starters, then the mains came, and oh my god, delicious is an understatement, the meats were soo tender and flavourful, and the staff kept checking up on us to see if we needed anything which was pleasant as we didn't need to wait for anyone to realise we wanted something. Overall my most favourite place to eat around Derby for sure. Definitely recommend, people must try this place, you should not miss out on such a pleasure. Overall 10/10, see you very soon

wow, what a place, all staff soo polite and got to meet the owner, such a pleasure to chat about Turkey. we had the Iskender and the lamb chops and i wanted to eat more but was too full. definitely will be coming again and will tell all my friends too. weldone guys for such a gem in the middle of the town centre. we will be back 😃

Very good food and experience and good value for money. Free parking right outside. Recommend platter for 3 people.

I have been many times, like my favourite place to eat in Derby cty centre. Friendly staff, warm welcoming and good atmosphere, delicious food. Highly recommended.

Best restaurant ever I’ve eaten in Derby. Service, food and managerial service 100%. I recommend this beautiful restaurant to y’all.

We ordered the family meat platter - it was very generous portion for 5 of us and we had plenty left over... food has improved since our last visit especially the chicken and seekh kebabs are so flavoursome. The manager is great, he came to table to ask if food was all good... staff service was outstanding. Also the mocktails were amazing...

Absolutely amazing, staff were helpful, polite and really happy. Asked a few questions about the food as I was not sure, happy to explain everything. The quality of the food, the taste and presentation was perfect. Totally recommend this place, you must visit!

Not impressed. For takeout some wraps are £5 rather than £7.50 but then they don't give you the accompanying fries and salad which it says it would in the menu which is just weird? The mixed Donner wrap I had was not great, small and kept on biting into gristle...

Starters was served with no plates, by the time we got up and asked for plates the hot food was cold as it had been over 15min waiting to be then told we had ordered to many starters so there wasn’t room for plates. But even though it was cold the starters was still nice. The quality of the meat in the kebabs wasn’t great, ribs was dreadful and chicken dry and tough. Very disappointing

Amazing food great unique food. Great service. Perfect atmosphere. Reasonable prices.

Very nice food and excellent environment

tiny portion. poor quality meat. absolutely no flavour. don't waste your money