Isabella T.
Yelp
I made a reservation for dinner at 8PM at Lokanta 1741 to celebrate my fiancé's birthday a little early during his last night in Istanbul. Located adjacent to a well known hamam called Cağaloğlu, this restaurant is very well centered near Sultanahmet and has a very fancy/nice/historic feel. The space feels so open, rustic, and romantic, with many candles, lights, wooden elements, and greenery. This is probably one of the most beautiful restaurants I've ever been to. There is a garden area downstairs which has some skylights on the ceiling so you get lots of natural light-- it feels quiet and intimate. The upper level is the patio which is open to the air, and is nestled in the middle of large rock buildings which transport you back in time. This restaurant doesn't need a grandiose view of the Istanbul skyline since the space is already so beautiful!
Our waiter was incredibly nice and attentive to our table. He offered us a menu of cocktails and then let us know there is a wine cellar we could visit so that someone there could help us pick a wine which I had not yet seen at a restaurant before. We opted to get a white Turkish wine for the table which was delicious. They offer a tasting menu that is similar to US prices that looked abundant but we chose to order just a few dishes a la carte to suit our appetite level. We tried:
- Amuse bouche: they started us off with delicious crackers with cheese and fig jam, paired with a tangy and salty olive soup. Very unique but delicious combo!
- Pistachio- cheese spread "Cunda": delicious! Creamy, nutty, with a subtle aged flavor from some type of cheese that was delicious. It had a nice texture from some crispy garlic bread crumble on top. Super good. Does not come with bread so you might have to order on the side.
- Bakalyaro ceviche: amazing! I have high standards for ceviche but the flavor for this was insane. There may have been a little hint of coconut there, also the creaminess of the labne was amazing. Very high quality fish but I'm a bigger fan of larger cut pieces for ceviche, this was more like a tartare.
- Moutabal: I think my favorite of the apps: smoky, creamy, rich eggplant dip. They plated it inside a roasted eggplant which was beautiful and also delicious. Best eggplant dip I had during this trip! Again, no bread included so you can order on the side.
- Palate cleanser: we were surprised but they brought out a strawberry sorbet as a palate cleanser. Mildly sweet, refreshing, perfect. Really helped reset us for the next course.
- One side grilled sea bass: generous portion size, and extremely well cooked! The bass had a crispy crust that made noise even when cutting through it with a knife. Very tender and flavorful flesh. Came in a mashed potato "soup" that was a nice addition to make the dish more substantial.
- Kakavya fish stew: amazing flavor! I am not sure how they cook this but it had acidic elements from the tomato, sweetness from caramelized onions, and an umami/smoky/ briny flavor from the verjuice. Looks small but it's very rich and filling. The fish is tender and tastes fresh.
- Beef cheeks: tender beef cheeks in a bed of mashed potatoes. Very complex spices! This was good but not my favorite dish although my fiancé loved it.
- Desserts: we tried 3 of them and all were a hit! The crispy pastry with pistachio was a table favorite since it was nutty, creamy and only subtly sweet. The chocolate Markiz was crispy but had creamy ganache on top and had a very nice chocolate flavor. My personal favorite was the tahini tart since it was perfectly sweet, creamy, had nutty hints of sesame, and came with lemon ice cream!
At the end of the meal, the women at the table got a gift bag with some products from the hamam which I thought was very intelligent marketing. This is definitely a pricier meal in Istanbul. You can truly get amazing food in many other places in the city at a more reasonable price but I think the service here and the ambiance are top notch and justify the price for a more special occasion. We loved every dish and can understand why this is on the Michelin guide. We hung out at the restaurant until around 11pm and no one tried to kick us out. I appreciated the excellent service and the uniquely magical ambiance! Highly recommend for a special celebration.