Şahin Lokantası

Authentic spot in Istanbul for doner kebab. Didn't intend to come here as we had just had breakfast but had t swing in once we walked by. The meat is cooked via charcoal instead of a gas flame, resulting in a more flavorful and less toxic product. When you come by, they will let you sample the meat, which is juicy and tender. After seeing the charcoal cooking and grabbing a sample, we knew we had to get some, despite being full lol. Group of 6 and ordered 4 doners to share which was perfect. If you haven't eaten, then one per person is perfect. The doner is wrapped in yufka flatbread and makes for the perfect snack or meal on the go. Friendly service and can dine in or take away.

I panicked and ordered the first thing I saw despite a run down of the offerings by the engaging staff. After ending up in non-traditional or even no -Turkish restaurants (when we wanted them), this hole in the wall right off the main street scratched an itch (and the bathrooms upstairs were clean!). I left the place satisfied

Amazing! Best (and most affordable) meal we had in Istanbul. A local hole-in-the-wall with really high quality food. See my photos for details: the eggplant/ground meat and the meatball soup were fantastic, and the sutlac (rice pudding) as well. The service was great, everyone was really friendly, and knew just enough English to get us through the meal. The main chef showed us reach of his dishes, right there on display, and you can choose just by looking and pointing. See my photos for more food details. We got there at 11:20 a.m.on a Saturday and it was empty. It started to pick up more as we were leaving near noon. There is no Wi-Fi here. It cost only 33 TL (before tips) for two entrees, one soda, and one dessert.

Bread - 5 stars My favourite bread during the trip, and their are mounds of it piled on the tables! Chewy and soft on the inside and crisp on the outside! Lentil soup - 5 stars Hearty and comforting. Delicious! Spinach dish - 5 stars We enjoyed this thoroughly. Vegetable dish - 4 stars Can't quite remember what this comprised but it was another comfort-food-type dish. They don't speak much English but try their best and are friendly! A good local place. I'd go back.

Amazing home cooking. Real Turkish food. If you are looking for an exceptional experience, you will find it here. It is a small place with just a few tables. No reservations are allowed and they close for the night when they run out of food. The first night we tried to go there at 8:45 and they were about to close down. The second night we got there in time to try 4-5 different plates of the most delicious meat and vegetable dishes. The soups were out of this world and the rice pudding desert tasted like something from the old world. The hospitality too is old world. With very little English, the warm staff made us feel welcomed and made us laugh. It is not a fancy place but in my life I've only had such love-filled food in my grandma's kitchen. Cost is below $10 per person and that's with drinks and desert.

Easy to miss this place, but the food is good and service very friendly. The potato soup was awesome! When the locals pointed it to me they told me "best place ever", and while I wouldn't exactly put it that way it's still definitely a nice homey place. :)