Nef'istanbul Restaurant in Oxford

Meals are very delicious.Portions were very big. Prices were very reasonable.

I had a hair in my Burger. I lost my appetite. My friend got his order. I had to watch him eating. I could not eat anything.

Unfortunately, the meal was quite underwhelming. The doner meat was served cold, and the rice didn’t taste as fresh as expected. While the ribs were decent, the flavours could have been more vibrant. The service, however, was the real letdown. We were greeted rather rudely, almost with a grunt, and had to request the bill three times before it finally arrived. A disappointing experience overall.

The food here is consistently outstanding, with every dish being absolutely delicious. The service is equally impressive, with cheerful and polite staff who go out of their way to ensure you have a great time. Despite the restaurant being fully booked on our recent visit, the manager was kind enough to arrange a table for us, allowing us to enjoy a meal for an hour. The staff's friendliness and helpfulness made the experience even more enjoyable. Highly recommended for both the food and the excellent service!

We had such a great evening here. A group of 14, we were well catered for by the very hard working and friendly staff. Recommended.

Attended 19 October 2024 for a meal before Peter Hook and the Light gig at O2 Academy. Required meal to be adapted as I am vegan and staff listened and carried out required amendments to accommodate my dietary requirements. Absolutely first class service, delicious meal and very brief wait. Highly recommended.

Lovely atmosphere and seemed a very family run place with lovely relaxed service. The food was great and very enjoyable. Good staff and excellent food.

The environment is very nice. They have delicious Turkish food. There is a wide range of food options, from kebab to lahmacun. We went as a crowd, but they welcomed us right away. Normally you need to make a reservation, but thankfully they didn't turn us away. The employees were very friendly. Prices were also reasonable. It is not very expensive. I recommend.

Very delicious kebab, authentic Turkish cuisine.

Excellent food. Not a big fan of turkish food but enjoyed their food.

Came for lunch and had the lunch menu which is very good value for money. When we came we were the only customers. Food was lovely as well as the complimentary dips and bread which we loved! And they gave complimentary Turkish tea and baklava as we were chatting which was lovely and made us want to return!

Great food and service. Recommended

I’m a regular. Lovely food and great staff.

Food was mediocre, we had the family platter for 2. But sadly the donar meat we had was cold and I felt the rice wasn’t fresh. Ribs was good and flavours could have been better. The service was awful, we were greeted with a grunt. Had to ask three times for the bill. With no apology. The toilets were absolutely disgusting! One out of two was blocked. People using the seating inside the smoke came inside. It felt they weee actually smoking inside.

Visited as a large group. Hit and miss as some of group enjoyed and some did not. I left disappointed and hungry. As a vegetarian this is not a place with many options. I ordered a halloumi salad. My salad was boring, bland with no dressing what so ever. The others from our group had nicer looking side salads on the side of the plates rather than my salad which I was to have as a main meal. It was plain boring lettuce / cucumber/ onion and halloumi. ( I asked for cucumber instead of tomato) I'm a vegetarian and I enjoy eating salads but I couldn't eat this as there was nothing to it. They charged £14 for the salad which I thought was a rip off. When I left I looked at the menu a few doors down which was very similar and they were charging £6.50 for the same salad.

Their mixed grill is amazing. Oh, mine. I loved it. The Pina colada and wine taste good. The staff was friendly but the network reception from there is bad and when I asked for a WiFi password, what I was given did not work. But I would highly recommend it to anyone. And the music is amazing as well. I got value for the money spent there. I have gone there again and Cameron was a darling serve me professionally and was very helpful. If you don't finish your meal you can have it packed for you to take away. I will always come back.

Absolutely yummy mixed platter and I love Turkish cooked food even more now. The staff are exceedingly helpful and I saw them cleaning up very quickly after some customers left (not only the table but the floor around the table). Being a stranger in Oxford I was also worried I had strayed into a car restricted area and I asked the staff for advice and they were very helpful in assuring me the area was not a car restricted zone. The atmosphere is great too. If I'm back in Oxford I'd like to revisit and explore the more traditional items on the menu.

Went for dinner with some colleagues - food was good and mocktails were nice too!

One of the best places I have been in Oxford. The food, the vibe and the service is top notch. Staff is very caring and kind.

Change , the chips back to the thin ones

Outstanding restaurant full of kind hearted caring staff. I take my friends here with my little 2 year old. They treat me with so much respect. I am a regular here and everytime they smile as soon as I arrive. Cater for us. Interact with my little boy. They make me feel so welcome. And I have never in my life been in any restaurant where they care so much for there regulars. They don’t mind me bringing my little boy with me. They never hesitate to interact and entertain him whilst being professional too. And I can only thank them for being like this. Being a mum and trying to catch up with friends can be difficult but they make it so easy. There are lots of restaurants in Oxford especially cowley road. Even when they had a huge table in the other day they still accommodated to me the same as they usually do. You have a strong team! But I have never been anywhere so nice. Thank you team. See you again soon. Kind regards Emily 👍every single one of your team are fabulous! Thank you thank you!!

This restaurant is fabulous the food was great but a a bit expensive . We had lamb pieces with chips and salad, and mixed grill very filling cost around £47 ! The atmosphere was wonderful, excellent friendly staff and a complementary starter. A fantastic dining experience.

Our 1st visit to this restaurant with family on Saturday 13th , food was just ok , portion were ridiculously small Mix Grill cost almost £25 , received the tiniest lamb chop , I bought the waiter is it normal , he just smiled , while ordering we spoke we might have a dessert, but didn't expect them to charge for it , then after paying the bill checked again, why the dessert was charged they made some lame excuse , anyway we waited 15 minutes after paying the bill , but no dessert, which later that evening made,us miss our bus back to our town , Management & Staff very Very disappointing , Had to be very vocal , to finally receive the refund for the dessert, I think they knowing ignored us , didn't feel that welcome , I am going add the photo of the mix grill , Please let me,know if you will,pay that amount that I mentioned prior

I love this place. Everything is fantastic here.

I have been to NEF Istanbul at least five times over the last few years. I was, until now, a big fan so it’s really painful for me to write this review. To put it bluntly - the food was terrible. We ordered a chefs mix platter and an extra portion of Adana kebabs. The kebabs pretty much fell apart - they were that poorly made. The grill was mediocre and the worst part is that the rice was stale. At least the owner still comes by as usual and smiles at his customers. I wonder how long that will continue.

I had horrible experience at this restaurant, not good idea to go with kids, people smoke right in front of restaurants door and the doors is open, all the smokes come inside, we had to leave it before we finished our food

it was so good but it was to late workers were good

We have been well welcomed . We got a good food and a friendly environment

It was delicious, the best meal I've had in recent days🙏

It was very good, I recommend it

We went as family yesterday for especially occasion for the first time after we heard nice things about the place . Table was tucked inside which was good as you can still feel the breezy cold coming from the open door . And unfortunately keep smelling cigarette from people standing by the door . Not nice . Booth ladies serving were nice but didn’t feel they have the confidence to explain things or advice . First arrived the bread with dips and olive which was nice . Shared hot mezza was good . Surprised the grilled main course arrived before we finish the starter! which made us feel rushed , my mix grill lake of meat flavour , mince kebab did not taste at all as minced kebab and very thin , lamb and chicken cubes comes as half skewers!!! And not much flavour in them . Describing mix grill on the menus said comes with (lamb chops ) chops is plural not single one CHOP . And that what came on it one small chop! My older son usually not fussy with good appetite, he ordered the wings with chips He was eating it not enjoying it and when I questioned it he said dry, tasteless and doesn’t feel right . He hardly ate half of them and refused to eat the rest . I explained that to the lady who served us and she said she will check with the chef but she never back !! Price was ok for the market but not for the quality of the food . Sorry to say that We will not be rushing back .

NEF Istanbul gave us the best dining experience we've had in the UK. Every member of staff was welcoming, professional and attentive. We got complimentary bread with dips and olives, and our food order was just delicious. Towards the end of our dining experience we were also given complimentary Turkish tea. We found the whole experience to be warm and generous. I can't recommend this restaurant enough.

Food to die for ! Very delicious 🤤 Would come here every week ! Atmosphere was great ! People had a birthday so they put their own music on and were dancing / amazing place ,wish it was bigger / very attentive staff !

Extraordinary food, very polite staff, a very clean place with a lovely atmosphere! Definitely recommend!

Friendly, calm, welcoming, great service, great atmosphere and excellent food.

Good food. Excellent atmosphere 👌 👏 👍. Good customer service. Amazing staff. 👏

this place is perfect! I love ! Perfect service, the waiters are all attentive! Thank you, this is my favorite restaurant. and it's also perfect for celebrating birthdays. thank you very much.

We came here tonight as a group of 4. Honestly the best service I have ever seen, the waiters were so kind and friendly and gave us complimentary tea and baklava. Also the best passionfruit martini I have ever had. Everything was so lovely, big portions and was very nicely presented. Would definitely recommend, thank you to all the staff tonight for attending to our needs :)

Excellent food , excellent sevice

The service at Nefistanbul is impeccable. The welcome was warm and friendly. The food was delicious, and they didn't charge me for the tea. I highly recommend it!

On the day my sister graduated from Oxford, My family and I with some friends visited this restaurant not long ago. Their food was gooood! Out of the blue they celebrated the occasion for us and with us, lighting the cake and all staff clapping!! They even played Afro pop music for us. We didn't see it coming honestly! This shall indeed leave a pleasant mark on our minds.

Located on Cawley Road Heart of Oxford, the environment of the place is very nice lively, they involve in the special occasion like Birthdays , The food taste was very Nice and service is brilliant , the good thing about them is plenty of salads in the platers. Well served and recommanded place

My husband and I visited this restaurant with our little girl who was not in the best of moods, as soon as we walked in she was very unsettled and we didn’t want to ruin anyone else’s experience by her crying so decided to sit outside, the staff were so amazing and so polite, they went above and beyond to make sure our little girl was happy, they gave her a ballon, a lolly pop, tried to play with her and even got her food ready quick! (Staff encouraged us to stay inside, but we decided it’s best we go outside as she was very unsettled). The service we received by the soon to be father (sorry didnt get his name) was 100/100 he was such a beautiful soul! Overall, we had a really pleasant experience and the food was amazing! We are from the north and this has given us a reason to come down south again and also visit and explore the beautiful city of Oxford.

Best late night kebab in Oxford. No doubt!

Everything was outstanding!! Kamran was so lovely. Amazing food. Amazing service. Will definitely come back!

My friends & I went to Nef early evening and had a really great evening. The staff really looked after us and the Turkish food was delicious. I had 3 mezze as a main and I was spoilt for choice, there was so much food to share. The restaurant was quite full on a Friday night, but not too noisy. Early supper was the best time to go. Thank you Nef Istanbul for a good night!

We had a great experience with a great service. We always come here for birthday and other occasions and receive a great service especially from Husne. Thank you for everything and we highly recommend this place.

Very nice place if you are craving Turkish food. Food is very delicious, staff are very friendly and place very clean. Had a very nice 3 course meal for 14.95 and that's included Starter, main and dessert between 12 pm and 16 pm

The food was good and staffs was friendly

Came here yesterday. Delicious food. A family favourite for sure

I enjoyed the food and the service

Great food, absolutely amazing staff, great ambiance. Highly recommended Thank you an amazing experience. Will definitely be back

It's really good food. The prices are reasonable. Very good service. You cant ask for much more. Will recommend to people I know.

Always a great experience with the food and the whole staff. Husne treated us so well and we always keep coming here. That’s excellent customer service and that’s why this place is the best Turkish restaurant in Oxford.

Love this place, the waiters are always so welcoming and polite, the food is scrumptious, you should definitely visit this place if you are keen on Turkish culture and cuisine!

Great Turkish food, which is surprisingly hard to find in the UK. We have been here both for dinner and for breakfast, and were very pleased each time. Also great service (especial thanks to Ahmet Bey). Generally warm atmosphere, it is worth coming here if only to have a quick chat with Aydın Bey.

I have been to many Turkish restaurants, in the UK, UAE and Turkey. This one was bland and staff felt on the edge. They charged us for extra bread but never served! They charged £4.75 for an unbranded bottle of water and also charged a service charge of around 13£! I would love a tip for service if the service is great but adding to the bill is ridiculous! This is not USA, it's UK! Probably will never return!

Great taste and flavor, Ms. Hüsne was very attentive.

We visited nefs cowley oxford excellent service by husna and Issac food was tasty and fresh we will come back , Get beautiful women for Issac

Kamran our server truth! Everything was perfect

It is my favorite restaurant in Oxford. I would highly recommend for good food, service and ambience. Thanks to Kamran for his amazing care and service.

Kamran was so amazing and friendly. All the staff were so welcoming and made us amazing food within a small amount of time. Gave us complimentary desserts :)

Love the service and food at Nef! The staff are always so hospitable! I’m always stuck for choice because it’s all so delicious!

Excellent food and lovely friendly staff

Very happy with Husnes service.

Amazing food with lovely workers 🎀

I came to the language course for 3 months and this was the only place to eat in the evenings, the food is amazing, everything is perfect, thank you to everyone who works.

It's a very nice restaurant, all the dishes on the menu are delicious, I come almost every day, all the waiters are very attentive and friendly, you should definitely come.

Should be a lovely place, staff friendly and service great but the food actually lets the place down. Sorry but the meat was very hard and the chicken wings looked like it had a fight before hitting the platter. When mentioned the guy looked deeply offended but for nearly £90 for the platter it was deeply disappointing. Will stick to their takeaway venue down the road!!

We had a beyti and a vegetarian pide. Both were excellent, honestly just like in Turkey. Great service as well!

Fantastic food and very attentive service.

We had a wonderful time celebrating my friend's birthday at this lovely restaurant, and the food was absolutely delicious. As for the service, the staff was extremely friendly, always smiling, and prompt in responding to any requests we had. All in all, the service and the food were 10/10. Thank you all at NEF Istanbul. We'll definitely be coming back again, that's for sure! 🌹.

Nef restaurant offers a delightful dining experience with a menu bursting with delicious options. The service is exceptional, ensuring you feel pampered throughout your meal. Plus, the reliable WiFi lets you stay connected while savoring your food. It's a must-visit for anyone seeking a memorable culinary journey.

The food is very good, but some of the employees are rude. We should not be charged for the service because they have their salary and if you want to leave a tip it is your choice.

Just had a meal with over 40 people which was accomplished well, all meals were hot and tasty and the service was amazing.

Amazing food and even better service! Quality is great! Fresh and tasty and very tender. I would recommend the mix grill or platter which feeds 3 people nicely! Turkish tea at the end is the best part and the home made baklava is also very good. Deffo worth a visit especially for the portion sizes, very good value. Do not miss out on the fresh made bread by the way, divine!!!

Lovely place, amazing service and genuinely nice people running it! Mixed platter is great and the fresh bread is incredible! Would deffo recommend!

The best tasting Turkish cuisine is here. And it's so clean

I had an amazing experience at the nerf instabul, the food was delicious and the staff was very friendly. Totally recommend

Food was great, had a great time

Kamran has been serving us tonight’s dinner, and the food was delicious indeed. Kamran has been really great with his hospitality skills..

Excellent Turkish food and wonderful service. Must visit in Oxford.

One of the best services I have ever received at the restaurant. Kamran is very polite and great attitude towards customers, food is amazing and very filling. 10/10 I would recommend.

Nice service from kamran and the whole team. Made us feel really great and was very patient and polite. Will highly recommend.

My friends and I came to break fast and we were greeted quickly and an additional seat added without a problem. The waitress asked us if we are fasting and we said yes which I think was a nice touch as they know to not bring the food out until iftar. The portions were HUGE and the food promptly came out when it was time to break fast which was great. The customer service, food quality and vibes were great we did not feel rushed to leave at all and all of the staff were super courteous and attentive. Great value for money and really lovely dining experience we will return again.

Smiling welcome. All the staff were warm and friendly, and very efficient. Excellent service and delicious well prepared food. Portions are very large. In fact the plates are platter sized and leave little room on the tables for much else. Extensive drinks and wine list available too. The decor is contemporary, bright and cozy at the same time, and there was a good atmosphere. We would go again, and go there hungry. Departure at the end was also friendly. Nef Istanbul exceeded our expectations. Thank you to all the chefs and staff.

Very nice restaurant; very quick service. The staff was amazing (Kamran); I highly recommend the restaurant. Will definitely go there again.

Delicious food and extremely good customer service. Definitely coming here again

The service was amazing; the staff was super warm, friendly and attentive, and the food was extremely tasty! I would recommend to anyone in Oxford!

I have had the pleasure of dining at NEF Istanbul on multiple occasions, and each experience has been nothing short of exceptional. I highly recommend it to anyone exploring Cowley Road. The food consistently exceeds expectations and leaves a lasting impression.

Food and Service is good the toilets unfortunately lets the restaurant down. The most important part of a restaurant is hygiene and cleanliness, would be nice to have a clean lavatories

Lovely place with tasty sütlaç.

Food is very delicious and the customer service is great!

Amazing food!! Extraordinary service and staff!! The whole staff is so welcoming and warm!! Especially Kamran was very sweet and amazing staff!

This Place has really amazing Turkish Cuisines. Liked the vibe of the restaurant.

It was such a fabulous experience. The food is so delicious and the staff is so welcoming. Must ask for kamran while you’re there.

6 of us were here for dinner before a concert at the O2 Academy. A buzzy, friendly place to have a bite before the concert. Everyone enjoyed their food, it was very reasonably priced. If I had one small criticism it was that my meat didnt spend enough time over the charcoal. It was very well cooked but as it was finished off over charcoal I really only had a hint of char flavor (which really distinguishes Turkish cooking in my mind). But they are feeding a lot of people and the prices are reasonable. We were able to get more bread for our plates of humus. The litmus test for any restaurant is...would we go back. A very solid YES from all of us. See you again soon

Had the chicken shish with rice, chips and salad, my partner had the mixed grill, which came with a side of flatbread, olives and dips, they were both absolutely delicious, so full of flavour 😋 best meal I've had out in a long time! Highly recommended 👌🏻 my only issue is how close the tables are next to each other, which is a little uncomfortable as we were there for a Valentines meal but it didn't effect us having a lovely meal together. Will definitely be going back again 😊

The service and place were very nice. Also, taste was very delicious!!

All is good! Love food & customer service 🫶🏽