Aida - vino e cucina

📍We visited Aida Vino e Cucina in Kadıköy, Istanbul last night to share a memorable evening, and I must say it was an experience worth talking about. 📍The restaurant, located in a charming two-leveled nostalgic wooden building, offers a beautiful ambiance with its Italian concept and warm, cozy design. ➕There’s also a lovely glass-covered garden section where we sat — a smoke-free area, which we greatly appreciated. 🎹Live piano music plays in the background, enhancing the intimate, elegant atmosphere. ℹ️Aida has rightfully earned the Michelin Bib Gourmand award for both 2023 and 2024 — a recognition for establishments offering excellent food at good value. ⛔️However, it’s important to note that the Bib Gourmand distinction does not consider waiting times as part of the criteria, which became a key issue in our visit which I will write about it later on below. 👏We were greeted by a warm and friendly team. The service staff were courteous, sincere, and very attentive throughout the evening. Their demeanor reflected the overall care and attention the place puts into its hospitality. You can dine here by reservation, which helps manage the flow in such a small space — and yes, the venue is quite compact, with tightly arranged tables which we knew this when we were going in and were comfortable with it, but still, the space could benefit from fewer tables to reduce congestion and possibly alleviate long wait times. Now, the food: absolutely delicious and true to fine dining standards. 1️⃣The Insalata di Finocchio was light and refreshing, 2️⃣the Ombrina alla Normanna was exquisitely prepared — a highlight of the evening. We also enjoyed the ➕Gordias Nana Roze, a delightful pairing with the dishes. 😍The amuse bouche and pre-dessert were elegant touches, beautifully presented (you can see them in the photos I’ve shared). Every plate was well thought out and tasted exactly as it should at a Michelin-recognized venue. Prices reflect the quality — no surprises there. 📛However, we waited 1 hour and 10 minutes for our main courses to arrive. Despite the lovely setting, ambiance, and flavors, this delay significantly impacted our overall experience. While the owner personally apologized several times — explaining that the kitchen is small and only six people can work at once — the frequent reminders to “please understand the limitations” began to feel repetitive. 🔑At some point, you have to ask: if we’re not to fault anything, how do we hold the experience accountable? ✔️Yes, we admire the authenticity and intimacy of Aida. But long waiting times — especially when anticipated and previously mentioned — must be addressed constructively, not simply brushed off with apologies. Same excuses existed in the past according to my friends previous experiences. In short, Aida is a place you go for love of food and atmosphere, where the dishes and staff shine. But for it to become a truly complete fine-dining experience, I believe the management needs to better balance charm with operational efficiency. Final verdict: 4 stars — I give it 4 instead of 4.5 to keep it real. The food deserves the spotlight, but service time matters too.

Fantastic experience! I was visiting Moda with my mother and we stumbled upon this place almost by accident, but it made our trip to Istanbul from Brazil worth it almost by itself! Unforgettable experience with incredible food and very knowledgeable staff. We had a wonderful time and would recommend it for anyone looking for an elevated experience in Moda. All dishes are made from scratch, even the almond milk is made in house! Be aware that the menu changes daily, so it’s hard to recommend specific dishes, but whatever you get it’ll be a fantastic surprise!

We dined at Aida after finding it on Michelin guide while we were in the area, and we loved it! The food was incredible, I'm still thinking about the local olive oil they use, it's exceptional (we would have bought some if they sold it). The tiramisu was truly great. The atmosphere was relaxing and the staff were we friendly. Absolutely recommend coming here.

Subpar experience. Food was actually acceptable but the Service needs improvement. I came here early with a bottle of champagne, I asked to have it in the freezer so it will chill quickly. After an hour when I asked for the champagne I was expecting it to be super cold but it was definitely not chilled. Our server opened the champagne and she clearly did not know how to open it quietly. She ended up popping it and spilling half a glass worth of champagne on our table and the floor. My friend was running late and as I was waiting for my friend, I was not offered any water or service. I had to go to the bar and ask for it. Food was actually alright. Taste was good portions were decent. Wine by the glass was probably just a bit more than 3oz. Disappointing portion for an Italian restaurant. Minimum 5oz pour or more. At least to the most outer edge of the glass should be poured. I wouldn’t recommend this place and won’t be returning.

In the past years I have visited aida multiple times. My last visit was a disaster and I decided to not come again. Yesterday, I decided to revisit and it didn’t disappointed. Waiters are extremely knowledgeable, chefs are visionary talented and innovative. I tried bıldırcın, fresh salad, and risotto. All were delicious.

Overall, it was a quality dining experience with a few opportunities for improvement. I’d definitely recommend it for its standout dishes and warm ambiance. -Cozy Place, good service, friendly staff 4/5 -Beef tartare was excellent with spinach oil and other sauces, 5/5 -Risotto with gorgonzola cheese was really good maybe a bit more celery sauce could elevate ir further :) 4.5/5 -Beef shank ravioli was not my favorite, fell short for me, it can be better :( The sauce lacks depth and didn’t tie the dish together 2/5 -Beef cheek was excellent cooked (little salt opportunity), potato purée was balanced, not any special flavor(truffle can be a punch in this plate) but good quality plate 4/5 -Refreshments 4/5 salty was really good beef appetizer 5/5 dessert was to sweet 3.5/5 -Panna Cotta was excellent, salt and sweet balance was excellent, olive oil was really good touch 5/5

A very great restaurant with authentic Italian cuisine. The chef is a real Italian and the cuisine is not standard but rather high level with a lot of attention to detail. The restaurant is a whole house with an unusual design. You can dine on three levels. Service and drinks were also great. Burcu in particular was an excellent hostess that evening, with a high performance, great knowledge and a lot of passion for her job. Overall it was a pleasure and I can’t wait to visit Istanbul again and treat myself to another dinner at Aida. Ps.: everything was 5 Stars, but somehow google doesn’t pick up my rating…

This place is good, but wouldn’t recommend it overall. Seabass carpaccio and lamb tortellini were honestly standout. Meanwhile the beef tartare didn’t match its creative presentation. The risotto was served unintentionally almost cold which completely messed up the texture. Had a strange inconsistent and congealed cream mouthfeel. Rice wasn’t sufficiently cooked either. This dish was a bad miss that ruined the entire meal for me. I picked a middling Turkish wine and asked about it and was told by the server it was “average.” Why is an average wine the third listed wine in the Turkish section? Wine list seemed geared towards getting you to select something pricier that probably wouldn’t be worth it. Main other issue is there was about 30-35 mins between us finishing appetizers and the next courses arriving. Meanwhile we got bored drinking the “average” wine.

It is a lovely place with very kind stuffs. The antipasti and guanchia di manzo are delicious. One of the best meat i have ever eaten in istanbul. The prices are reasonable and almost cheap for such an italian rest in overpriced istanbul market. If you consider price and quality balance I strongly advise this place. Enjoy

Fantastic food that is made with much care. I was a visitor from New York on vacation in Istanbul, and I can say without a doubt it was the best meal I had there. The owner was very friendly and welcoming, and she made my friend and I feel at home in Aida's lovely and cozy setting. A little gem of a restaurant that you should make a regular spot.