Nostra Casa

Our meal tonight will go down as one of the highlights of our visit to Istanbul. Not only was the meal outstanding, the chef/​owner; Turgay was a marvelously entertaining and charming host. I suggest you allow him to guide your selections and be both surprised and amazed. Try the eggplant, the patato salad, the anchovies, the onions and the pachanga. Heck, try everything. You won’t be disappointed.

The owner of the restaurant is very kind and skillfully. And the food here is amazingly good. Especially the pasta and fish. The best Italian food ever

We came here by a recommendation from out tour guide while visiting Istanbul.
The place was located minutes from our hotel so we said why not .
We were seated at the rooftop terrace within amazing view of the city and the Sultanahmet mosque.
It’s a family run restaurant and the service was great. The cats roaming around seem to be their cats and didn’t bother me at all.
The owner came and sat with us, having lived in Italy his food is basically Italian with a Turkish twist.
He was very friendly and cool and just asked us what we wanted to eat and he would prepare it for us.
I decided on fish and my husband pasta. The wine was flowing and a good wine selection and he even brought us a cigarette ;)
Super cool dude. All food was excellent from appetuzers to dessert. Let’s just say that since the wine was flowing so much I forget what we had, but I sure remember the delicious food and all the fun we had that night!
Would definitely recommend checking out his place while in Istanbul!

Wonderfully crafted dishes from first to last courses
The pasta con pesto alla genovese and scallopine do pollo, limone were excellent and the tiramisu was the best we have tasted in 30 years. The chef/​owner came to our table to ask about our interest in drink preferences and when we asked about 2 or 3 of the red wines listed he suggested that he would bring a red for us to taste and we would go from there based on what we did or didn’t like. He suggested that he would bring a selection of appetizers for us, we leapt at the opportunity because a few years back we were fortunate to encounter a chef/​owner of a narrow restaurant mid-​stone stair alley in Croatia who offered the same and we were smart enough to agree, thereby receiving the best meal of a series of excellent meals along the Dalmatian coast. In support of the superlative meal was the outstanding service – attentive and congenial. Great food accompanied by great views.

Tolles Ambiente auf der Dachterasse. Little italy mitten in Istanbul. Der Chef und zugleich Koch ist sehr bemüht das es den Gästen an nichts fehlt, einfach gut essen und Zeit mitbringen.

Little Italy!
Ausgezeichnete italienische Küche in traumhafter Lage mit wunderschöner Aussicht.
Dem Chef vertrauen, er weiß was er tut.

Really lovely place with fantastic food — I would recommend to anyone with a couple of hours to soak it all in.

Aside from my own boyfriend who is a chef, Nostra Casa has the best pasta I have ever had. OMG. Chef sent out soup and some samples for me. Is it possible for soup to melt in your mouth? Pasta alla carbonara was tres manific. Pasta was al dente andyiy could taste the blend of pecorino, egg yolk and bacon. Chef said the tiramisu is the best. I have to agree. It too, melted on my mouth. His choice of wine was satisfying and perfect for my meal… and the snowin istanbul! I’ve had many Kebobs and Turkish food here however my pasta craving was satisfied beyond my belief. I will revisit again before I leave. It’s not cheap. It is priced for the quality of food. And the quality is more than 5 stars. Ok I have to stop because I can keep going. Thank you Chef!

Small restaurant with outdoor seating that offers nice views. The food was good, servers and chef friendly.
Everyone was not kidding about the cats, but I found them to be friendly and not bothersome.

I went here based on the reviews. Some of the reviews are accurate regarding amount of time that’s required and the cats. I’m not a fan of cats but they didn’t bother as much. The view is really nice, no doubt about that. However, the best thing about my meal was my coca cola! The food was not good at all. It was actually the worst food I’ve had in turkey (been here 5 days). The owner loves to chat it up. Seemed like a nice guy. He over charged us significantly I didn’t say anything but I had a horrible experience here. Don’t get their starters. They are disgusting and over priced. Food was below average. I don’t recommend going there, ever! I know this is the only negative review but my experience was horrific. Don’t trust him when he says he will take care of you. Just an FYI. If you do go there, I hope your experience is better than mine!

Fantastic experience. Let’s break it down:
1) Visit for the view alone. The views over Istanbul and the Sea of Marmara are quite spectacular. It is quite possible you may forget you are dining at a restaurant and simply lean back in your chair and marvel at the sights. Listening to the prayer calls echo throughout the city after dinner is something special, too.
2) The owner is a super friendly guy and will probably sit down at your table for a while. Our food order was more like a conversation. He’s a very interesting character and loves his cats (there are a few roaming about but they are friendly and didn’t bother us).
3) The food! After visiting Istanbul for several days, we were growing a bit weary of the Turkish cuisine. Having a break with Italian was very nice, and Nostra Casa makes it a very special experience. We started with bread and small appetizers, such as bean dishes and dips, which were much more than we were expecting and delicious. We also ordered the stuffed eggplant which was rich but not overwhelming. The entrees were the steak + mushrooms and the eggplant pasta, which were also delicious. Perfectly seasoned without being overdone. Dessert was the flawless tira misu.
All in all, a wonderful experience. Highly recommended!

Nostra Casa, what can I say? Are there more than five stars I can give you? We had the great fortune of coming here on a night when we were the only two customers. We thought we might stop by for a quick dinner before turning in early to rest for our early morning flight. Instead we stayed for hours, drinking, smoking, eating, laughing, petting cats, and creating a memory that will stay with us forever. Should we ever return to Istanbul, it will be a wonderful moment to come back, say hello, and spend another of the most amazing nights we could ask for.

What a great experience! When could we ever have Italian food to match our experience when we were in Italy? We found it here on a rooftop in Turkey overlooking the Sea of Marmara and the Blue Mosque, and hearing the call to prayer from the local mosques. Our chef was born here in Turkey, spent 21yrs in Italy and returned to the house he was born in, Nostra Casa. Wonderful appetizer sampler, 4 cheese tortellini, porcini mushroom spaghetti — all excellent.

We just finished what was the highlight of our trip to Istanbul — never mind the beauty of Hagia Sofia or the Topkapi Palace — this was an experience. It was like being a member of the family. Turgay, the owner and chef really loves what he does and we made the decision to just let him surprise us. Each dish was outstanding in it’s own right — but after eight amazing «appetizers» (plus soup and bread), we were treated to an amazing pasta with porcini mushrooms — we had an option of ordering a «second» (meat) course, but the narrow four-​story staircase made that decision unwise.
Although were totally stuffed by this time, our meal experience being punctuated by stories from Turgay’s life, we forced ourselves to sample the Tiramisu, which should be the standard by which all other Tiramisu should be judged. Don’t expect to get out of this restaurant cheaply, but it will be a culinary and cultural experience you won’t forget. Truly one if the best meals I have ever eaten!

Sehr nettes kleines Restaurant. Die Aussicht von den beiden Dachterrassen ist einmalig schön. Das Essen ist gut. Der Wirt hat in Berlin studiert und in Italien kochen gelernt. Sehr netter und persönlicher Service. Wir kommen gern wieder.

Before I get started.
If you’re in a hurry and just want to eat and run and are not a fan of dining in a relaxed comfortable atmosphere and chatting with the Chef/​Owner and hearing stories about his life while he personally walks out amazing courses of expertly prepared authentic Italian cuisine — The this place is not for you.
If you are not a fan of cats, or are allergic to our feline friends then keep on walking.
If you easily get frustrated trying to locate hard to find addresses and don’t mind the adventure and satisfaction of finally finding this gem of a restaurant then just head down to Burger King.
Now for me, Nostra Casa is more than just great food it also provided an amazing memorable experience that we will never forgot.
We arrived in the late afternoon (evening) around 4:30 for dinner. We had a 2:00 AM wake up call and the thought of eating at a regular hour just did not appeal. Our hotel had suggested we check out Nostra Casa as they had heard some good things from other guests. And after a serious hunt trying to find the place we finally were guided in the right direction by a business that was located nearby.
The main dining room is located on the 4^th floor. The room main room (inside) is small with only a few tables and a small bar. There is an outdoor terrace that on a clear and sunny day provides spectacular views of the city. But unfortunately for us, we arrived on a cloudy drizzly day and sat inside. But still, were treated to our favorite meal during our stay in Turkey.
The Chef/​Owner is well traveled and spent sixteen plus years living in Italy. He’s passionate about food and wine and it showed. From the beginning he took the time to explain his creations while sharing stories of his world adventures. With every course brought out to our table, a new story while tasting some of the best and succulent food ever.
In the end we felt like part of his family and were sad to leave. But I do get the feeling that one day we will make a return visit to Istanbul and make Nostra Casa our very first stop.

Want some of the best Italian food of your life? Go to Istanbul, Turkey! We were craving Italian food on our last night in Istanbul and our hotel told us about Nostra Casa. It’s a bit hard to find as the entrance is actually around the corner from the street address. Plus, it’s up a few flights of stairs. But, it’s right off the Hippodrome where the Blue Mosque is, so it’s quite centrally located.
It has a small dining room and a lovely outdoor terrace for eating in good weather. It has a wonderful view. But, the food, that’s the draw. The owner was warm and welcoming and was happy to chat with us between courses. He is Turkish, but studied cooking in Asia and lived in Italy for 21 years and obviously learned the craft of Italian cooking while there. Our starters were all amazing. We had a vegetable soup with an olive oil drizzle. The sea bass ceviche was the freshest most delicious ceviche I’ve ever had! There was a corn «cole slaw“that was way tastier than it looked. It didn’t look bad, just like cole slaw which doesn’t have any visual «wow». The real surprise were the tempura anchovies. They were not strong and salty like what you get on a Caesar salad; they were delicate and lovely!
We then had two pastas, an Arrabiata and a Carbonara. Both were incredible! The bowls had an olive oil drizzle with fresh herbs along the rim so they were attractive as well as scrumptious.
The red wine by the glass was the best we had while in Turkey.
And the music playlist the owner had in the background was a fun blend of all styles, classical, jazz, German club, disco… it was a hoot. He loves music.
If you love Italian food, this restaurant will not disappoint!
P. S. This restaurant is currently ranked #70 in Istanbul out of over 10,000 restaurants on Trip Advisor.

I’m from New York. I haven’t eat such a good italian food even NY. This is the best restaurant in Istanbul so far. Trimasu was delicious. I recommend %100.