Kitchen Istanbul
Turkish restaurant · Inner Richmond ·
Turkish & Mediterranean dishes, fireplace seating, extensive wine list
Turkish & Mediterranean dishes, fireplace seating, extensive wine list
"At this Turkish restaurant in the Richmond, you should order an excessive number of dips, keep the pita coming, and drink your way through their extensive wine selection. But even with all that good stuff going on, the dish that disappeared fastest on our most recent visit was the pan-roasted chicken over plump couscous pearls. Blistered skin, meat that slid off the bone, and a sweet-tangy hit of sundried tomato—we could have just gotten this and left completely satisfied." - julia chen 1, patrick wong, julia chen 1, patrick wong, julia chen 1, patrick wong, julia chen 1, julia chen 1, patrick wong, patrick wong, patrick wong, julia chen 1, patrick wong, julia chen 1, patrick wong, julia chen 1, patrick wong
"Sommeliers and civilians sidle up to this unpretentious Clement Street wine bar and restaurant reopened in 2013 by former busboy-now-owner Emrah Kilicoglu. For the uninitiated, it’s a cozy place to work through lamb loin kebab and whatever wine the house recommends. For those working in the industry, it can be a see-and-be-seen-type event, a moment to dash through a bottle of syrah with one of the Bar Habibi guys before tomorrow morning’s opening shift." - Paolo Bicchieri
"Even on the foggiest of days in the neighborhood, you can follow a warm glow to this Turkish restaurant filled with tables of fawning couples under a statement chandelier and a collection of movie posters hung on the wall. Kitchen Istanbul is the kind of place where someone would dramatically confess their love over moussaka—or any other fantastic Mediterranean dish on the menu. Order the juicy lamb chops and come dressed in Point Reyes blue cheese and tomato confit and the havuc tarator that’s creamy enough to be a moisturizer. Grab the four-top in the back (and a bottle of Syrah) for a bit more intimacy or set up in the main dining room to watch the couples living out their rom-com moments." - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez
"With a statement chandelier, a personal collection of movie posters on the wall, and a warm candle-lit glow, Kitchen Istanbul in the Richmond looks like the kind of place where someone would dramatically confess their love over plates of fantastic Turkish food. Order the juicy lamb chops that come dressed in Point Reyes blue cheese and tomato confit and the havuc tarator that’s so creamy it could double as a face moisturizer. Grab the four-top in the back with a few glasses of wine if you're looking to have an intimate dinner party outside the home, or set up in the main dining room to watch couples living out their rom-com moments." - ricky rodriguez, patrick wong, julia chen 1
"The Iranian wine bar in Bernal Heights has massive mezze platters the size of a car wheel and a la carte dips designed for splitting. Whichever route you go, hone in on the eggplant and walnut dip, which is brightened up with a fistful of herbs and pomegranate seeds. Pair it all with a glass of a hard-to-find Armenian or Georgian wine." - julia chen 1, patrick wong
