Imbat Restaurant

Terrible. Why the great stars? Istanbul has such wonderful food that melts in your mouth. This place has beautiful plating but that’s it. There is only 1 choice for wine by the glass in a red and in a white. The bottles are terribly over priced. They use canned crimini mushrooms in any dish that has mushrooms. The bread is cold. I basically felt like I was a General at bootcamp where the chef dressed up the crud to make me feel special.

Delicious food (I had the lamb and I’m still talking about it), impeccable service, great view… all at very affordable prices. Next time we’re in Istanbul, this will be on our list of places to return to.

Delicious food, beautiful presentation, friendly service. The view is great too! I had been in Turkey for 2 weeks when I went to Imbat, so it was nice to see a menu that had more than just the «traditional Turkish dishes» offered by all the other restaurants in this touristy part of Istanbul (not that I don’t love the traditional dishes, but Imbat gives them a nice modern twist). Overall, I had a great meal at Imbat.

Friendly waiters. Good food. Fresher/​better bread w the mezzo would have been nice.
Curious, sometimes the more empty the restaurant, the less often you see the wait staff.

Want to take your girlfriend/​wife to a romantic candlelight dinner with a gorgeous view? You better take her here tonight and let her swoon. She will be so amazed by the romance you will be giving her tonight, I guarantee she will want to treat you to a special dessert afterward.
I can happily say my boyfriend wanted to indulge just for me. I highly suggest making reservations in advance, however. We were able to get a table but we didn’t have the best view in the house. Still, it was pretty gorgeous from where we were sitting. You can see an amazing view of the city on the rooftop as well as where the two rivers meet the sea. Also try to aim for dinner at sunset. it will be extra romantic (my boyfriend planned this out… you better follow his careful planning… well, except for his lack of reservations, it was perfect!!).
Service was impeccable. The servers were extremely nice and spoke English well. The best part of the experience (besides the view) was the pricing. I thought the prices were just on budget with a little room to splurge (but not too much!!). As for the food… I highly recommend the lamb. It was cooked well and the presentation was outstanding. I thought the wine prices were a little high, but the food was just right.
Come here to get romanced. I have the hots for my boyfriend already, but this place made me fall in love with him all over again.

«Fine» dining for the Turks…
Not sure how to really make of this place. I suppose this is as good as it gets here, in a tourist area, but I’ve had sooo much better. Servings are small. Taste is ok. Nothing special other than the 1980’s presentation…
I mean, really? Whatever.
View is nice. Overlook of Anatonia.
Service is good.

You can’t go wrong with Imbat. Exceptional service, fresh and artful blend of spices in the food, and an amazing view of the city. My husband and I ate here on the first night of our Istanbul vacation. You really need a reservation in advance, enjoy!

Chose this place for our anniversary dinner and we were excellently taken care of. The food was very good; I got a lamb marinated in milk and it was super tender and delicious. They brought us a half bottle of local sparkling wine which was very thoughtful and appreciated. The view is great, just wish it would have been warmer so we could eat outside. Definitely recommend this place for a nice dinner, and reasonably priced too!

Being slightly off the big touristy streets, this place is very reasonably priced. We decided to get there early for dinner at 6 since we didn’t have reservation. Good thing we did, it was empty besides one other table. Food was fresh and the presentation was nice. However, what makes this place impressive was their top notch service. Very attentive, polite and kind, our waiter personally came to our table to wish us luck during our trip before he leaves after his shift. The next waiter even showed us a little magic trick. Avoid the crowd and get there early.

I had been out museum hopping and shopping. Shopping was the fun part after exhausting visits to soak in the culture. Shopping earns you memorabilia badges but shopping makes one hungry. Launched mifi to fire up Unilocal and came upon this place. Ride the elevator up like Erik’s Gondolen in Stockholm. And like Gondolen, it’s also a roof top garden, just like where I was a couple of nights ago in Athen’s Grande Bretagne hotel’s roof top garden. Apparently roof top garden dining is pretty much every day occurrence in varies parts of Europe. Note to San Francisco restauranteurs, make one happen, NOW! Imbat is popular so best time to show up is on a Saturday afternoon at 2 PM. They serve the dinner menu and you can nearly have the roof top garden all to yourself. Most people who show up speak English today, seems like it’s an American and British favorite. Ordered the fish stew soup, very good. Meze sampler for two — they only had one size and it was great to taste everything, mostly vegetarian. Then got the sea bass and salmon for entrée. It was heavier than most fish stew but it’s extremely flavorful. Tombaka, which was lamb stew was quite tender. They offered different kinds of bread throughout the meal, and they had solid jar of ice cubes. Americans cannot live without their ice water. They get it and was quite prompt about filling the jar up with cubes. How is that in Europe you put cubes of ice in water like it’s cubes of sugar? I just don’t get it!
My favorite was the rice. I know it’s a side but I kind of liked the nuts in the rice more than anything else.
Waitstaff did ask me where I was from as opposed to assume that I’m either Japanese or Korean, which I’m neither of, that was cool.
View — unbeatable. View to Europe. View to Asia. View to the strait that connects the Black Sea with the Mediterranean sea. Flowers. Pots of them. Free Internet, which of course is the normal course of business here but the speed here was quite good.
I’m digging this roof top dining experience. I like that it’s the restaurant for the hotel Orient Express (so cool of a name). And I quite frankly like the terrace all to myself. I took selfie of before and after Turkish coffee. One looked like a zombie walking one looked like an energizer rabbit. I’m going with the rabbit look.

Defintely cannot just walk-​in for dinner, you need to make reservations. Service was exceptionally good. Staff was attentive and pleasant. The food was just average though, it was beneath my expectations based on other Unilocal reviews.

One of the best in Istanbul! Great service, excellent food & an amazing view! To add to the experience a fine selection of wine and cocktails are offered. Call to make a reservation and get ready to be wowed!

Came on a Thursday night. With 4 of us, it gave us a chance to sample a fair portion of the menu. View of Istanbul and the Bosporus was nice and the service was top notch. However it’s most important component — Food, was bland and boring.
With recommendation, we had the meze and warm appetizers which were ok, decent flavors. Mains however, were total misses. we had the tombaka which came highly recommended, sea bass, salmon stews and another lamb dish. They weren’t great or maybe the amazing reviews on Unilocal really set the bar for us.
If you want to go though, a reservation is the only way to get a table it seems, even if it’s for the next day. I see guests turned away cause it was «fully booked» though there were tables available through out our 2 hour sitting.

4.5 review. Great food! Great view! Great prices! I dare you to spend € 30 here. I found this place on Unilocal as it has great reviews and was near our hotel. We called Imbat and asked if they had any reservations for 8:30 but they said they were booked for the whole evening. Since it wasn’t too far we decided we would stop by later and see if they could squeeze us in. We walked into the Orient Hotel and around 7:40 and asked for the restaurant. We told the concierge that we did not have reservations but were curious if they could fit us in. He placed a call upstairs, asked us if we could eat right now, and then directed us to the elevator. Before we knew it we were seated at an open table for 4 with views overlooking the city. The rest of the place was booked up so someone must have no showed for their reservation. Like Mikla, the dining was indoors but you had floor to ceilings windows overlooking the city and could take your drinks out to the terrace. The waitress came by and let us know that we would only have the table to 9pm so we quickly set to looking at the menu. J and I ordered the Geleneksel Türk Meze Tabağı (traditional Turkish Mez for 2) to start, and the Hayrancı Köftesi and Mistanya Kuzu Tandır for our mains. Our friends had the Bukme with Aubergine, Lentil Soup, İmbat Usulü Yayla Kebabı and the Hayrancı Köftesi. Not everyone was in a wine mood so I opted to do red wine by the glass for a whopping € 3.50-€ 4.00. The starters came out promptly and I was blown away by the presentation. Given the price (€ 8.50 total for our two person meze) I was expecting just family sized platters with the food plopped in the centre. The chef clearly took pride in the presentation and I could have sworn we were in a much more expensive establishment. Our meze came in the form of 6(ish) individual dishes ranging from dolma to dips. Very fresh and good flavours. I did not taste my friend’s soup (sharing soup is a bit intimate haha) but the bukme with aubergine was amazing. Basically mashed aubergine with goat cheese and Agean herbs inside a fresh pastry crust. Delicious. Shortly after that our mains arrived. Once again — lovely presentation. Two of us had the Hayranci Köftesi which was lamb and veal meatballs served with smoked aubergine purée and Aegean herbs. The meatballs were expertly seasoned and went nicely with the aubergine purée. I think there was also spinach in the purée but that worked for me because I love sauteed spinach. Great dish. J had the baked shoulder of lamb marinated with fresh herbs and spices cooked with vine leaves served on wild blueberry and chestnut purée sauce. Everything was so tender and the sauce was not too sweet. Our remaining friend had the Imbat Style Kebab which was grilled chicken and steak slices served on pita bread, topped with yogurt & tomato sauce. He said it was one of the best kebabs he has had anywhere. After our «food tour» earlier that day none of us were needing dessert so we asked for the bill. We each had a couple drinks and everyone had a starter yet somehow we ended the evening at about € 50 a couple. This is a must see for Istanbul dining.

Unfortunately couldn’t get Sat night reservations, it was packed. Managed to get table for 4 on a Sunday.
Service was impeccable, absolutely attentive, very high-​class. Waiter was extremely friendly. owner and waiter were really friendly and professional, she even shook our hands as we were leaving.
First up was the Patlıcanlı Bükme (Goat cheese, mashed eggplant and Agean herbs inside a fresh pastry crust, served with Turkish yellow cheese and tomato sauce)
It was absolutely fabulous, probably the best dish I’ve had in Istanbul. 15tl
Then was the Hayrancı Köftesi (lamb and veal meatballs), cost 30tl. Absolutely delicious too, perfectly balanced and rich dish.
The 10tl glass of red wine paired by the waiter was medium bodied and lightly acidic, good complement with the lamb.
My friends both got the Orient Piliç Chicken fillets sautéed with fresh vegetables. Served with Aegean pilaf seriously? — really, really, boring, it tasted as if it was from Chinatown (Americanized).
I got the burma kadayiv. Shredded wheat with pistachio dessert, served with rose ice cream… Delicately prepared, well executed, outstanding.
I would highly recommend this place. Make reservations in advance, seriously.

My favorite meal in Istanbul so far! They definitely cater to gluten-​free w/​plentiful gluten free bread and I had amazing ‘Chicken Oriental’ dish with Rice, Chicken & Veggies in a Creamy sauce. Staff spoke English and was accomodating & friendly to all 6 of our party. We didn’t go outside but to take a look since it was quite chilly. Loved the experience.

Delicious food beautifully presented by very attentive staff. Fantastic view; great ambiance. So happy to be eating this delicious meal here,
Wine list has a good selection of Turkish wines. The meze was tops and the lamb dishes we ate were extremely flavorful and looked like art on the plate when served.

Aussicht war gut, aber nicht erstklassig. Das Essen war ebenfalls gut, aber keinenfalls überragend. Preis ist angemessen, etwas über Durchschnitt. Bedienung freundlich, zurückhaltend.

Amazing view. Amazing service. Great food. Went for dinner with a reservation while on our honeymoon. Greeted by name when we arrived.
Meze sampler is the way to go to start. Rooftop view is legit. Try to sit on the end tables to get an ultimate view of the city.
Make sure to tell them if it is a special occasion or birthday. They blast «Happy Birthday» and will bring out a cake with candles.
One of the best meals during our time in Istanbul.

Great rooftop restaurant with great food/​service/​view. I learned about this restaurant from Tripadvisor and it did not disappoint. Service was fabulous and it was refreshing to dine away from the hustle and bustle of the city for a couple of hours while enjoying the view overlooking the Bosphorus River.
We started with a seafood salad which was a great start. It came with a do it yourself dressing (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and pomegranate syrup). This was fun as we got to try different combination do dressing. The salad was fresh tasting and the smoked fish was tasty.
Our mains were roasted eggplant purée with mushrooms and Tombalak, which is a lamb stew dish that came in a small hot pot with rice. Both mains were great especially the Tombalak. I wished there was more although the portion was quite generous, it was just that tasty.
To finish, we shared a pear dessert with fresh fruits and rose flavoured ice cream. This was delicious especially the rose ice cream.
Cappuccino and a Turkish coffee to finish with some free Turkish Delight.
It was great meal and it costs less than 80 TL or around 50 Canadian with tips.
I would highly recommend it. It is on the rooftop of the Oriental Express Hotel and close to the Tram.

Im beste Sinne des Wortes preiswert und viel günstiger als in den Touristenfallen Istanbul’s. Top Blick, guter Service, tolle Küche ! Reservieren, hingehen, genießen.

Sind aufgrund der Empfehlungen hier gewesen. Zweimal hintereinander. Warum nur? Es war ganz fantastisch. Der Service überragend. Preis Leistung Top. Zu zweit mit guter Flasche Wein, Vorspeise und Hauptspeise für umgerechnet 40EUR! Ohne Reservierung ist es jedoch schwer einen Platz zu bekommen.

This is a really nice restaurant, the best I’ve been to in Istanbul. The food is amazing, the staff really friendly and helpful. You’ve got a wonderful view over the Bosphorus, since it’s on the top floor of a hotel.

Ranked as #1 on
, my level of expectation was through the roof and unsurprisingly, everything they had was great except the view (was expecting a better view from the rooftop).
I can’t really say that’s good and not good since everything was excellent including their service. Too bad seats are limited and people who called to make reservation (I overheard while eating) couldn’t get it.
Overall, I highly recommend this place.

Super. Tisch draußen reservierem

Excellent! We went in May 2012. Very good food, good service for a decent price. For sure an insider tip! The address displayed here is wrong, it’s Nr. 24 on top of Orient Hotel.

Eine preiswerte Alternative zu den vielen Touristenfallen. Service hervorragend, Speisen und Getränke sehr gut. Blick phantastisch.

Das Restaurant ist auf dem Dach des Orient Express Hotels und bietet außer der zauberhaften Aussicht gutes Essen und einen sehr freundlichen und bemühten Service, der auch nach dem Essen interessiert an unserem Urteil war. Die Preise waren sehr moderat! Man sollte, wenn man auf der Terrasse oder direkt an der Fensterfront sitzen möchte unbedingt reservieren.
Absolut empfehlenswert für einen stimmungsvollen Abend.

Wir waren im Mai 2011 im Imbat essen.
Es ist etwas schwierig zu finden, da es auch dem Dach eines Hotels ist.
Das Essen war ausgezeichnet. Der Service sehr gut, professionell, nicht aufdringlich. Die Preise akzeptabel. Die Aussicht über den Bosporus war sehr gut. Wir waren sehr zufrieden.
Immer wieder.

Tolle Aussicht und wirklich sehr gutes Essen zu moderaten Preisen. Nicht die übliche Grillplatte mit Salatbeilage. Im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen Restaurants ist das Personal hier sehr freundlich und professionell. Wir waren von der Vorspeise bis zum Nachtisch sehr zufrieden und haben zu zweit mit Getränken 50 TL gezahlt. Sehr zu empfehlen!

Imbat est un restaurant situé au dernier étage de l’Hôtel Orient Express dans le quartier de Sultanahmet. Naturellement, il y a beaucoup de touristes, néanmoins je recommande cette adresse pour les raisons suivantes :
— La terrasse avec vue sur la Corne d’Or et la Tour de Galata qui est magique le soir ;
— la carte propose des plats turques revisités gouteux et les assiettes joliment présentées;
— le service charmant et efficace ;
— les prix raisonnables: 35 EUR pour 2 personnes avec entrée plat dessert et 1 verre de vin.
Réservation conseillée pour obtenir une place bien située en terrasse. Il est possible de réserver sur leur site internet.