Bitlisli

I’d been disappointed by the restaurants in Istanbul for their tendency to not only treat tourists dismissively, but even try to charge higher prices than they would for locals. So this restaurant is a pleasant surprise and I’m glad our food tour guide recommended it. I enjoyed all the dishes, especially the lahmacums (perfect with lemon!). The staff were all friendly and attentive, and the owner/manager made sure we felt welcome. Highly recommend!

“The restaurant had a wonderful atmosphere with friendly and attentive staff. Despite being busy, the service was quick and efficient. We ordered a mixed kebab platter featuring perfectly cooked lamb and chicken, paired with a plate of exceptional hummus. The dishes were beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. The portions were generous, and the overall experience was excellent. Highly recommended for great food and service!”

The Bitlisli was recommended by a local so we stopped by for dinner. The place was full, but a spot was found for us. The food was delicious and staff was friendly and very attentive. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it. 5/5

Great atmosphere and very friendly staff. Busy restaurant but quick service. We were given some starters (tomato & pomegranate salad, spiced and cheese pide, onion with sauce, guava-like fruit). We ordered the mixed kebab platter (lamb and chicken) and a plate of excellent hummus. Well presented and delicious. They also gave us each a cup of tea and a slice of baklava each after dinner. Definitely good value for money as meat portions were generous.

I had passed by this restaurant a few times but had never stopped to dine here until now. I’m glad I finally did! The food was delicious. The staff were friendly and attentive. The atmosphere was generally quiet and inviting, making it a great spot to enjoy a relaxed meal.

We went there twice. The first night, we shared a huge plate, the food was incredible, so we went back before leaving Istanbul. Sadly, the second time was completely disappointing; the food was okay, but nothing special. It's not cheap, so you expect amazing food, and it's a bummer when it's just average. Plus, they add a 10% tax. They gave us three little appetizers—grilled onions, spicy tomato, and something else—plus some bread. We started with hummus and içli köfte, then had three different main courses. It wasn't the best Istanbul restaurant we tried (we kinda regret ordering so much last time!), but the food was just good overall.

We came here twice while our staying in Istanbul. Highly recommend to try hummus, Chicken Shish and Lamb meat here. And also the watermelon juice - very fresh and not too sweet! Absolutely delightful experience😊

Fantastic food and incredible service. This restaurant is in the heart of the tourist area of Fatih, but this restaurant is popular with the locals which speaks to its authenticity, quality, and price. Every dish we ordered was beautifully crafted and absolutely delicious. Better than any Turkish food I’ve had back home in San Francisco. Çök izzetli 🤌🤌

Delicious food. Good service. Lively atmosphere. One of our favorite meals in Istanbul.

The food was very good, Turkish quality service (excellent), and serve up a wicked good baklava

Fantastic location for this hidden gem. Sat on the terrace. Windows wide open. Complementary blankets made for a cozy experience. Warm hospitality. Exceeded only by the food. Incredibly delicious meal. I've been here several days now, in this amazing city. One of my best meals thus far. The meat is so tender and flavorful. Enjoy!

Loved this place! Great service and nice atmosphere. We tried all of the lahmacun options, but my favorite was the walnut and pomegranate one (cevizli & nar ekşili lahmacun). Their mercimek çorbası (lentil soup) was also great.

Amazing Food. Good service. We enjoyed our food on a rainy Monday with some good kebmaps and tea

You must come here! Absolutely delicious mixed kebab platter and lahmacun. Staff is so kind and generous, we felt so welcome and happy here. Will definitely return! Thank you so much Sirkeci Bitlisli!

Amazing food and very warm and welcoming service. The kebab was tasty and one of the best I've had in Istanbul. The Lahmacun is a must have, the crisp crust was very light. This was highly recommended by a local couple we meet and we glad we did since its one of the best experience we had.

Excellent food in the Fatih area! Great price and great customer service. It's hard to find good quality food that isn't overpriced. This place was perfect!

This was such a wonderful restaurant! I would definitely recommend coming here if you want to try authentic Turkish food. I would also suggest sitting outside during a nice day it's a very nice one to experience because of the sights and sounds around you. The service was really great and they even give us complimentary tea at the end. I would suggest getting the eggplant with mixed meat dish which is really flavorful as well as the stuffed meatballs. Be prepared to share the dishes with another person, the portions are really big here as well! I would also take my time eating all the food because it's so delicious! My last recommendation is the walnut salad which was so flavorful and full of walnuts. Very very fresh ingredients and would definitely recommend coming here.

We came here for an Iftar feast during Ramadan (June 2019) and it was absolutely delicious! Everything we tasted was amazing. Fresh. Flavorful. The owner or manager was so kind and inviting. He pulled out an extra table for us so we could eat outside even though they were packed and had no more reservations. It was one of the most wonderful meals I've ever had. The whole ambiance outside was perfect. I would recommend this place to anyone, especially tourists! The pudding we had for desert was to die for. I'm not even sure what it was.