Cafe Istanbul

Our son told us to come here.Beautiful restaurant inside, outside looks fabulous as well. It was just too hot. The service was perfect. The food was remarkable. The carrot dip and bread comes with every table, and it is unbelievably good. I have the seafood salad, which was stunningly, beautiful, and delicious as well. I had a bite of the lamb wrap, it was fantastic. Six stars if I could. . . They have a wide variety of food on the menu and I can't wait to go back! On a cooler day/dinner, the outdoor seating would be perfect

Takes credit card, will charge 3% service fee. Has a full barHas inside and outside patioThe inside is well decorated and beautiful plate settings. Great for dates, or regular dinner with the family. This was my first time having Turkish food so I had no expectations. And the food was so delicious. I appreciate the waiter giving me some education on Turkish food. The opening bread and dip- it's like sliced carrots, with mayo. Very nice opener to the meal. Eres beer ($7)- the most popular beer in Turkey. I really liked it, like a less bitter Stella Artois. Lahmancan ($11)- it's like a pizza but instead uses flat bread. It has minced meat on top. Iskender ($27)- this was the star of the meal. Get this! The meat was sliced thinly, had texture, soft enough to enjoy but cooked enough for flavor. Seasoned perfectly. It's served over bread coated in tomato bisque. The yogurt on the side was a great compliment to add to the coolness. Kuzu sis ($25)I initially wanted the kag kebab which I heard was amazing. The waiter said today's portion was more fatty than normal, so recommended this. The lamb was perfectly cooked. I would've liked some more seasoning on it. I appreciate grilled vegetables it came with. kazandibi (Turkish flan)- this was served with scoop of vanilla on top. Surprisingly good, not too sweet, a little burned on the top like a cremebrulee. If you want dessert, get this to share! I would definitely come back. It has components of Mediterranean food but with better flavor.

TL:DR Objectively the greatest Turkish Restaurant in the Midwest (within my historical reach) with its powerful flavors, authentic vibes, and remarkable service. One of my coworkers who was born and raised in Istanbul, told me that when he comes back to the United States, he always comes to Café Istanbul if he wants to get the most authentic Turkish experience anywhere in this country. This coworker is very happy, jovial, and often speaks in hyperbole, so I wasn't quite sure what to make of this statement. However, I could tell immediately from the moment when I walked in the restaurant that he may have had something truthful behind the statement. The staff were incredibly kind and cordial, and their variety of both Turkish and non-Turkish alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages All tasted amazing. I came with a group of eight, so we had the privilege of being able to sample a wide variety of libations. Additionally, as a large group we tried 4 different for kebabs, five different appetizers, my personal favorite, which was the Iskander entrée (Donor meat slathered in a homemade tomato sauce with a side of garlic yogurt). They have a variety of other non-Turkish options on the menu from different parts of the Mediterranean, but you can clearly tell that they escalate the level of flavor with their unique blend spices you can find in that particular region of the world. My only regret is that I did not take pictures for this post. But I absolutely will be coming back, and I cannot emphasize how much I recommend this restaurant to others

Amazing food! Friendly service! The lamb chops were delish! Perfectly paired with the grilled seafood salad. Big portions so best to share.

Came here for lunch and overall enjoyed the experience. The free bread and side were very nice and delicious! Everything was very fresh tasting and tasty. The portions were good as well. I really enjoy Mediterranean food and so my opinion is based around the different Mediterranean foods I've had around Chicagoland. I'd give Cafe Istanbul 4.5/5 if i could. Service was alright, they seemed like they were kind of pushing us to order a little more than the entrees we got. The restaurant itself is very cute and cozy. I think it would've been even better at dinner time. There is an 18% service charge and a 3% credit card fee but they do make it clear on the receipt.

We came an hour before closing but the food was still stunningly fresh. Quality in every bite, each dish distinct marination just enough not to cover the honesty of the meats. We had the chefs mixed grill. It came with beef medallions(good),shrimp(good), chicken white meat(beyond good and juicy), lamb(excellent), Scallops(amazing), kofta(possibly the best ever).Kofta for the uninitiated is ground beef and lamb. Even the rice was delectable. One caveat parking on a Saturday night on Division St. is a bitch.

02/28/24 - Tonight my wife & I went to Cafe Istanbul @ 2014 W Division Ave for dinner. I've had this restaurant on my radar for several years. Well tonight was the night & Cafe Istanbul more than lived up to my expectations. The food was outstanding. They brought us fresh bread w/a dip to die for made of yogurt w/julienne cut carrots, green onions, garlic....it was absolutely delicious. I could have made a meal of this by itself it was that good. In addition we ordered the following dishesIslim Sarmasi - Braised lamb shoulder wrapped in eggplant served with/basmati rice. Doner - Lamb & Veal combined seasone and cooked w/basmati rice, shredded red cabbage, julienne cut carrots, & dill yogurt sauce. This came w/2 piece of paper thin flat bread. I wrapped this w/the lamb, veal red cabbage, carrots & yogurt dill sauce & made a Turkish taco (lol Turkish taco Wednesday). The servings sizes are very generous & both of us will be able to make another meal from the take home leftovers. *They also have lunch menu which is less than the dinner menu. The food was outstanding as was the service & ambiance of the restaurant. This was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. We will definitely be back again soon.

Visited some friends and was asked what I would if there was a cuisine I was interested in going to and I immediately said Turkish. Good Turkish cuisine is hard to come by I feel in the Twin Cities and whenever I travel, I like to find a good Turkish restaurant. So my friend recommended this one as it was one he had wanted to try. So the three of us went to check it out.Its a small dining hall but bright and clean with white table cloths. Fairly busy but we had an reservation so we were seated right away. Got our waters and the server asked for drinks. I had a couple of questions on the drinks but the server didn't have many suggestions as such. Ended upo with the revolver which was a good cocktail. For appetizer, we ordered the Lahmacun for the table. Very tasty. The beef was spiced really well, the bread was crispy and and plenty of it to go around between the 3 of us. For entree we ordered one each and the were all very good. The kebab was moist and flavorful. The Islim Saramasi was a unique dish and was tasty. The lamb was tender and the eggplant was not overdone. A good balance of flavors. My Iskender was exactly what i was looking for. It's one of my childhood favorites and any time I get to have it, I am all for it.Good place with fast service and great food. Next time I am in Chicago, I would certainly make this on my list of places to visit for some good turkish food.

4.5. Formidable kitchen. Pokey but pleasant service. Some exotic and interesting twists. Outside seating in the warmer months. Winning.

i finally stopped in for lunch. This restaurant is absolutely amazing. The hot bread was sent from heaven. I had the best bowl of creamy mushroom soup I've ever tasted and the hummus was different, but so good. I loved the different taste. It was a gourmet type of hummus. The lamb chops with veggies were phenomenal. They suprised me with a smal serving of rice pudding which was so delicious.