Kitchen Istanbul

Kitchen Istanbul is another great example of the outstanding dining options SF still has to offer. This establishment seems like a sleeper with it's understated and smallish sized interior, however the ambiance is perfectly balanced with a modern, sleek, and minimal take to not make it feel stuffy -- a perfect utilization of the space.The food is terrific and leans more cali-mediterranean rather than a full blown mediterranean menu; allowing for more creativity and a balance in the dishes with great presentation and amazing flavors.Despite the high menu prices, I was pleasantly surprised by the quantity of food that came with the dishes; my partner and I split an appetizer and 3 small plates and were stuffed... we didn't even have an opportunity to order any large plates on this visit.Everything we ordered was amazing; the muhammara was plentiful with an interesting blend of spicy and sweet, the pistachio salad had a delicious dressing, the octopus dish was more of a ceviche but the octopus was perfectly cooked, and the kebabs were packed full of flavor -- probably the best item we ordered.Outside the terrific food and space, the servers were wonderful and staff extremely friendly. We had arrived a bit after 6pm without a reservation on a Saturday night and they were very accommodating and able to squeeze us in. I'll definitely be back to try more of the dishes, next time with a reservation.

My husband and I stopped by this lovely establishment last night. We live pretty nearby so it was a quick drive to Clement for us. Given what great things I'd heard about this place I was surprised it was so quiet on a Thursday night, but I suppose the Richmond district is kind of like that.The interior of the restaurant is beautiful. We were seated immediately and the service was fabulous. Our server recommended an awesome italian wine and we ordered a bunch of plates to share - the potato croquettes, the pistachio salad, the kebab, and the braised beef.Everything was great and came out really quickly. My favorites were the pistachio salad and the kebab. I was surprised how spicy the kebab was and i love spicy! Delicious. The braised beef was also perfectly cooked and the croquettes were great as well. My only comment is I was surprised how small the plates were, not because of the price but because of the other yelp reviews who said the portions were large. The kebab in particular was rather small - only 4 pieces of meat. All very good though.We will ofc be back.

Agreeing with the majority here! Exceptional dinner experience.We even brought our young kids and they enjoyed the dishes! We had a bunch of appetizers plus the shrimp and branzino. Loved it all. Great service and fun SF dinner experience!

Go for the whole unique dining experience -- first- class wines, superb Turkish /Mediterranean cuisine, great ambiance. Everything we ate was well-prepared and delicious-- the potato croquettes, olives. Satsuka eggplant dish, roasted branzino, short ribs in chimichurri- wow. The wine list is very impressive and eclectic.

I don't know whether this is the same Turkish restaurant that was at this location 15 years ago, but if so the interior has changed - I remember it being rather nicer and more cozy, while now it's kind of bare bones and as a result, on a popular night it gets rather cacophonous. They also seem to have adjusted their profile to be less of a restaurant, and more of a fancy wine bar that also serves some food (fancy doesn't mean the decor, it means almost all bottles $100 or more). However, the food they do serve is EXCELLENT - a pistachio salad with little gem lettuces and an entree with mushrooms and orzo were the standouts among the dishes we ordered (our choices were all vegetarian). Our group of 3 got squeezed in without having a reservation, and it was a busy weekend night, so that may explain why our assortment of mezze, small plates and the one entree, all of which we were sharing, were quite a long time in coming to our table. Fortunately none of us was terribly hangry and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal, with only the slightest tinge of guilt we weren't having any wine.

This restaurant is EXTREMELY underrated. Part of me wants to avoid writing a review so that I can keep it as a secret for just my pals ;) ...but I won't do that to my fellow foodies!My group of three came to dinner on a weekday night. The dining room was far from busy, which surprised me since Clement Street does have a decent amount of foot traffic around dinner time. We started with the olives and hummus (shoutout to the person that wrote that created the menu-- "you know what hummus is" made us LOL!), which were excellent starters. We also enjoyed the pacanga Borek kasseri cheese, octopus, lamb kababs, and short ribs. Everything was flavorful, plated well, and satisfying. Our server was helpful, accommodating, and kind. In all honesty, this is a true hidden gem. I sincerely hope that someday this restaurant earns the accolades that I believe that they deserve. Keep this place on your radar!

Amazing dinner. Walked in and was promptly sat. Dining room is gorgeous, huge beautiful windows as seen in the pictures. The food was amazing and the wine even better. I cannot remember the name of the dish with the green sauce but it was a standout app, amazing flavors. The short rib was cooked perfectly. Every staff member that touched our table was super professional and kind. Will go again!

Incredible spot and packed on a Friday night! Glad we got a reservation ahead of time.We got the Muhammara which was amazing - I loved the candied walnuts that come with it. Other notable dishes were the eggplant and the kabob! Their wine was also phenomenal - would highly recommend the wine flight and letting the sommelier choose your pairing. We chose to get more whites than reds and it complemented everything nicely!

Lovely little restaurant and bottle shop. Very attentive and friendly service. Got some spot on wine recommendations based on pairing with our food orders as well as personal preferences in wine. Staccato notes taken during dinner about the food. Octopus salad. Perfectly cooked octopus, tender. Balance of flavors, but still a clean taste. Lemon. Pacanga borek. Fun. Cheesy. Hearty taste without being heavy. Short ribs. Pull apart with fork. Savory. Comfort en haute. Branzino. Light, so not all that filling if you are really hungry. Feels healthy and refreshing. Decadent pop of flavor in the salsa, but not spicy pop. Bread pudding. Light and fluffy cake, not the dense compacted version. Springy flavors, sweet but not overly. A delicate bread pudding?! Juicy!

It's in on of the best foodie neighborhoods in SF, upscale service, savory food with the Best service and Somellier...thank you for making it a memorable evening and Libing the Best life