This place is beyond CHIC!!! What a beautiful restaurant. Fabulous food—truly nothing disappointed. Very helpful service too, from menu recommendations to guidance for wine. We had an off-menu bottle of Gamay, and we polished it off easily. Can’t wait to be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Melissa Jurentkuff
Stopped by for a glass of wine after peeking in the window and seeing the generous selection. Had a delicious French Pinot noir that was effortlessly smooth and fruit forward without being aggressive. Ordered a hummus with pita that was simple yet divine. Can't wait to try this spot for dinner, the menu is enticing. Atmosphere is modern and intimate.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Simin A.
Great representation of Mediterranean cuisine and an amazing wine selection. Service staff is super professional and friendly at the same time. Warm ambiance, at the corner of a busy stretch of Celement st. Dark chocolate Pot de Creme was great too..
Sezen Cansu
Waiteress Yasemin and Waiter Nihat were very polite and respectful towards the customers. The food was very delicious. I especially recommend kunefe, one of the desserts.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dining at Kitchen Istanbul is like receiving a hug from your most beloved friend. The atmosphere is welcoming, service impeccable and the food is delicious, fresh, seasonal and made with a deep attention to detail.
bacchus
Delicious meal every single time. The service is generous, the hospitality is gracious, the food is delicious and the wine program is unrivaled in San Francisco. We really enjoyed Emrah and Ayca's cozy corner restaurant, a neighborhood gem. Consistently one of the best meals and experiences in the Bay Area. Save room for dessert, the kneffeh is a must have!
Gabriella R.
Spicy Tofu Soup was to die for. I didn't order a lot on this visit, as I was only craving soup. But I'd come again; service was great.
Foodie SF
This used to be our to go gem restaurant. It has sadly lost its original charm and appeal. What used to be a delightful spot with reasonably priced, high-quality meal overall experience has turned into a glaring example of greed overshadowing culinary passion. The bills are not only unjustified but also alienating to its once-loyal customers.There is a lack of warmth in the welcome and the room itself suffers from poor acoustics, creating a rather noisy ambiance.The main letdown, however, lies in the menu and the food itself. Prices are steep, which could be overlooked if the quality of the food and service justified the costs. The high-priced dishes at this restaurant disappointingly fall short in both flavor and presentation, culminating in a dining experience that is far from satisfying.While the restaurant still maintains a semblance of its former quality, the excessive prices and diminished value proposition make it difficult to recommend. In my view, It's a classic case of a once humble and respected establishment losing its way in pursuit of higher profits.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Rosa Nerad
This used to be our to go gem restaurant. It has sadly lost its original charm and appeal. What used to be a delightful spot with reasonably priced, high-quality meal overall experience has turned into a glaring example of greed overshadowing culinary passion. The bills are not only unjustified but also alienating to its once-loyal customers.Upon entering this restaurant, the lack of a warm welcome is immediately apparent, rarely offering a smile. This is not the inviting atmosphere one expects from an establishment aspiring to serve Eastern cuisine. The room itself suffers from poor acoustics, creating a rather unwelcoming ambiance.The main letdown, however, lies in the menu and the food itself. Prices are steep, which could be overlooked if the quality of the food and service justified the costs. The high-priced dishes at this restaurant disappointingly fall short in both flavor and presentation, culminating in a dining experience that is far from satisfying.While the restaurant still maintains a semblance of its former quality, the excessive prices and diminished value proposition make it difficult to recommend. In my view, It's a classic case of a once humble and respected establishment losing its way in pursuit of higher profits.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
AtriC
The food is excellent and the food service was good with attention to detail. For example, they clean the table of bread crumbs and spills between courses and don't ask you to "keep your used forks" for the next course :-) The restaurant has a large collection of wines, so do your research before you go. The sommelier was reasonably helpful, but could have been more tactful with his questions.
A Turkish food restaurant with a menu with a wide variety of mezes and some main dishes. I really liked the bread and the main dish, which is eggplant with stewed meat. Portions generally very small. The negative thing is that there is little bread and the bill goes up quickly. Good dessert and Turkish coffee. Very high price. Good selection of wines.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Second time eating here. First time was back in 2017. Had a great memory of first time here, but this last time was so so. They no longer offer any Turkish wines, mainly French wines. Food is tasty, but heavily over priced. There was far less tables than last time there and the restaurant was very empty. The food tasted great and severs were all very friendly, but the prices were far too high. My total bill was $350 for two people with a bottle of wine and two apps and two entrees. The recommended bottle was burgundy for $125 for reference. The $10 for Pellegrino and $7 for additional pita after spending $30 on 3 dips that came with one basket of pita, seems excessive.
Happycustomer
Outstanding dining experience. Very accommodating with our reservation, must helpful when asking for recommendations, and when asked for help ordering a bottle of wine, I suggested several types I liked and the waitress' suggestion turned out to be PERFECT for all of us. Each dish, was superb, the lamb chops, elegant, the little 'cigars' as an appetizer marvelous, the beef dish with eggplant purée, Magnificent! The meal we had on Clement Street yesterday, was as good or better, than many dinners I have had on several trips to Turkey ! WE HIGLY recommend Kitchen Istanbul!
RobertH
This Post Covid world has changed the dining experience, since the last time I visited this restaurant. The service was very good. Now there is no Turkish wine by the glass. It is a lovely room to have a "date night". My dish the Turkish Brasied Beef on Eggplant puree was superb. The California wine was excellent. The "cigar" feta (Bouretko?) was tasty as always with the pistachio honey dip. I would recommend it for a special occasion, but not every night dining.
This place is beyond CHIC!!! What a beautiful restaurant. Fabulous food—truly nothing disappointed. Very helpful service too, from menu recommendations to guidance for wine. We had an off-menu bottle of Gamay, and we polished it off easily. Can’t wait to be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stopped by for a glass of wine after peeking in the window and seeing the generous selection. Had a delicious French Pinot noir that was effortlessly smooth and fruit forward without being aggressive. Ordered a hummus with pita that was simple yet divine. Can't wait to try this spot for dinner, the menu is enticing. Atmosphere is modern and intimate.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Great representation of Mediterranean cuisine and an amazing wine selection. Service staff is super professional and friendly at the same time. Warm ambiance, at the corner of a busy stretch of Celement st. Dark chocolate Pot de Creme was great too..
Waiteress Yasemin and Waiter Nihat were very polite and respectful towards the customers. The food was very delicious. I especially recommend kunefe, one of the desserts.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dining at Kitchen Istanbul is like receiving a hug from your most beloved friend. The atmosphere is welcoming, service impeccable and the food is delicious, fresh, seasonal and made with a deep attention to detail.
Delicious meal every single time. The service is generous, the hospitality is gracious, the food is delicious and the wine program is unrivaled in San Francisco. We really enjoyed Emrah and Ayca's cozy corner restaurant, a neighborhood gem. Consistently one of the best meals and experiences in the Bay Area. Save room for dessert, the kneffeh is a must have!
Spicy Tofu Soup was to die for. I didn't order a lot on this visit, as I was only craving soup. But I'd come again; service was great.
This used to be our to go gem restaurant. It has sadly lost its original charm and appeal. What used to be a delightful spot with reasonably priced, high-quality meal overall experience has turned into a glaring example of greed overshadowing culinary passion. The bills are not only unjustified but also alienating to its once-loyal customers.There is a lack of warmth in the welcome and the room itself suffers from poor acoustics, creating a rather noisy ambiance.The main letdown, however, lies in the menu and the food itself. Prices are steep, which could be overlooked if the quality of the food and service justified the costs. The high-priced dishes at this restaurant disappointingly fall short in both flavor and presentation, culminating in a dining experience that is far from satisfying.While the restaurant still maintains a semblance of its former quality, the excessive prices and diminished value proposition make it difficult to recommend. In my view, It's a classic case of a once humble and respected establishment losing its way in pursuit of higher profits.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
This used to be our to go gem restaurant. It has sadly lost its original charm and appeal. What used to be a delightful spot with reasonably priced, high-quality meal overall experience has turned into a glaring example of greed overshadowing culinary passion. The bills are not only unjustified but also alienating to its once-loyal customers.Upon entering this restaurant, the lack of a warm welcome is immediately apparent, rarely offering a smile. This is not the inviting atmosphere one expects from an establishment aspiring to serve Eastern cuisine. The room itself suffers from poor acoustics, creating a rather unwelcoming ambiance.The main letdown, however, lies in the menu and the food itself. Prices are steep, which could be overlooked if the quality of the food and service justified the costs. The high-priced dishes at this restaurant disappointingly fall short in both flavor and presentation, culminating in a dining experience that is far from satisfying.While the restaurant still maintains a semblance of its former quality, the excessive prices and diminished value proposition make it difficult to recommend. In my view, It's a classic case of a once humble and respected establishment losing its way in pursuit of higher profits.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
The food is excellent and the food service was good with attention to detail. For example, they clean the table of bread crumbs and spills between courses and don't ask you to "keep your used forks" for the next course :-) The restaurant has a large collection of wines, so do your research before you go. The sommelier was reasonably helpful, but could have been more tactful with his questions.
Restaurantji Recommends
Amazing kunefe, excellent shrimp
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Kunefe
A Turkish food restaurant with a menu with a wide variety of mezes and some main dishes. I really liked the bread and the main dish, which is eggplant with stewed meat. Portions generally very small. The negative thing is that there is little bread and the bill goes up quickly. Good dessert and Turkish coffee. Very high price. Good selection of wines.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Second time eating here. First time was back in 2017. Had a great memory of first time here, but this last time was so so. They no longer offer any Turkish wines, mainly French wines. Food is tasty, but heavily over priced. There was far less tables than last time there and the restaurant was very empty. The food tasted great and severs were all very friendly, but the prices were far too high. My total bill was $350 for two people with a bottle of wine and two apps and two entrees. The recommended bottle was burgundy for $125 for reference. The $10 for Pellegrino and $7 for additional pita after spending $30 on 3 dips that came with one basket of pita, seems excessive.
Outstanding dining experience. Very accommodating with our reservation, must helpful when asking for recommendations, and when asked for help ordering a bottle of wine, I suggested several types I liked and the waitress' suggestion turned out to be PERFECT for all of us. Each dish, was superb, the lamb chops, elegant, the little 'cigars' as an appetizer marvelous, the beef dish with eggplant purée, Magnificent! The meal we had on Clement Street yesterday, was as good or better, than many dinners I have had on several trips to Turkey ! WE HIGLY recommend Kitchen Istanbul!
This Post Covid world has changed the dining experience, since the last time I visited this restaurant. The service was very good. Now there is no Turkish wine by the glass. It is a lovely room to have a "date night". My dish the Turkish Brasied Beef on Eggplant puree was superb. The California wine was excellent. The "cigar" feta (Bouretko?) was tasty as always with the pistachio honey dip. I would recommend it for a special occasion, but not every night dining.