Comments on: Vonali Celal: Some Hope for Sultanahmet Diners?

By: admin

admin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:28:07 +0000

Thanks for the comment Rose. We've included this restaurant in our recommendations because Black Sea food is hard to find in Istanbul, especially in Sultanahmet. When we visited Vonali Celal, we were happy to find a good number of Black Sea dishes on the menu, things that were not so common in most Turkish restaurants. Unfortunately, because of its location, the restaurant does cater to large groups and we are sorry to hear that the quality of the food has slipped. For a better dining Black Sea dining experience, perhaps try Hayvore or Mohti in Beyoglu.

By: Rose

Rose — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:42:03 +0000

We tried this resturant and where disappointed with the food – appeared to be mostly the usual meze with one or 2 additions – so limited menu – rather dissappointing and uninspiring for a restuarant for being recommended for for a backstreett culinary experience. Rather this is a package tour destination with busloads of people, and even overpriced for location and food quality.

By: Marc

Marc — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:11:51 +0000

strangely enough, the most “authentic” dining experience I have had in Sultanahmet was at a Korean restaurant on that street lined with backpacker bars and hostels leading toward Akbiyik Cami. The food was not cheap but it was the real thing- great spread of pickled starters, bibimbob, bulgokee, etc. the place was packed with koreans who even made use of the little karaoke lounge downstairs.
the big difference between this place and almost all of the other restaurants in Sultanahmet is that it was set up specifically for Korean visitors. so there is no waiter out front trying to drag in the odd pedestrian. in fact, on a weekend night it can be hard to get a table.
it is a pity that the dining scene in Sultanahmet is so corrupted by the out-of-date, cheapo package tourism model which apparently thrives on hustling rather than focus on quality. a good, honest dinner followed by a stroll around the monuments would be a great experience.

By: Eli

Eli — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:07:51 +0000

Had some family in town and they were sleepy, so we braved the Sultanahmet dinner scene and gave Khorasani a try. The food was definitely above average and the service was very friendly, but it just wasn’t worth the price — adana kebap for something like 16 or 17 liras! For the same menu at half the price, places like Diyarbakır Kebap Salonu in the Aksaray part of Fatih will do Khorasani one better. The künefe was particularly good, though.

By: admin

admin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 04:59:56 +0000

Sounds good! We’ll try to check it out. Thanks for the tip — especially since it’s in Sultanahmet.

By: Megan Clark

Megan Clark — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:18:07 +0000

All is not lost! Khorasani, off Divan Yolu (down from the tramstop, sidestreet to the left) has the yummiest Southeast kebab-evi cuisine I’ve had since Mem’s closed up shop over in Tesvikiye; the gavurdagi salad, the cevizli lahmacun app, the icli kofte, the fistikli kebab, etc etc etc. All delicious, and the place itself is beautifully done.

By: Lamar

Lamar — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 07:29:48 +0000

I’ve had many a good meal over at Giritli in Sultanahmet. Haven’t been there in a couple of years but it used to be a good place for a meal in the area.