Rumeli Meyhanesi

Delicious mixed mezze meal, with both hot and cold meat and fish dishes. I particularly recommend the liver which was exquisite! We also had a fantastic bottle of Turkish wine here, a little expensive at 120TL but really fine quality so we were happy with it — they also had a varied Raki menu.
Just to note, the current owner took the restaurant on around October/​November time so prior offers and reviews may not be accurate.

Everything I tried in this restaurant is just so delicious. The vibe is incredible. They do Greek music too. The service was fast, staff was friendly. It’s a perfect place to go with friends and loved ones. Sure they will have fun

Picked that restaurant with some friends and were rewarded by fantastic Turkish food, drinks and very nice service. Absolut right choice for dinner !

Family in Turkey from all over the world and one night we all went our separate ways for the night. My parents and I ended up here at the recommendation of other Unilocalers. We were challenged to find the place bc the location on Unilocal and Google apps was off by abt ¼ of a mile, but we finally found it.
It was on a very active street but was want and welcoming. Our waiter was a bit aggressive with the flirtations with me (to a point where my parents were turned off by it), but it was all in fun. My dad had their signature Rumeli casserole (lamb shanks), my mother had the sea bream and I the peanut chicken. They were all better than average but not much more. Very tasty and a solid meal. The best thing we ordered was the creamy eggplant mezze. The wine was recommend by our waiter (based on our price range), and it too was good. Overall a very nice meal –nothing I’d write home about, but very good.
It was raining when we left and the waiter insisted I take his umbrella. I certainly appreciated the care and gesture.
I wouldn’t go hunting for this place, but I’d recommend, if in the area and want solid meal.

This restaurant was located right around the corner from our Airbnb, located a few minutes walk from Istaklal Street. We had struck out on our first two choices for dinner and decided to give Rumeli a go.
The restaurant was packed when we arrived at about 9pm on a Saturday but not a single local in the restaurant — normally not a good sign and something that would definitely make us turn the other way but we were hungry, it was late and the reviews on Unilocal were acceptable.
The owner/​host greeted us almost immediately and explained that it would be just a few minutes before a table was available. Great, we thought! We waited about five minutes and were led to a table in the back of the restaurant near the toilets (this turned out to be a non-​issue).
A few minutes later the host came over with a gigantic tray of their mezze selection. Fish dishes and cold salads. Each dish is charged at a per dish price and you can mix and match (note there are no details of what they have on offer for their mezze in the menu). We picked two, the lentil salad (lacked flavor, would not recommend) and the «lentil balls» (aka mercimek koftesi). They looked like orangish Playdoh balls with small bits of parsley and onion mixed in. The lentil balls were so delicious!
For our mains, I ordered the meatballs which were tasty (but possibly not the best I had in Istanbul) which came with plain white rice, a pepper, and a quarter of a tomato which, unfortunately, still had the UPC sticker stuck to it. The UPC sticker is bad for several reasons. First, I questioned if the food was washed prior to being prepared and second, I would have hoped that the restaurant purchased its food from the market versus a supermarket where a UPC sticker would be required. Such is life.
My husband ordered the «casserole of the day» which was lamb shank + veg + roasted potatoes. It came in a little casserole dish and was already pulled off the bone. All he had to do was spoon it from the dish to his plate and he was good to go. And that’s what he did and he loved it.
We ordered the baklava for dessert but, truth be told, we just aren’t baklava fans. I much preferred the free chunks of watermelon that were delivered with our bill.
As with all restaurants in Istanbul, the restaurant is non-​smoking, however, note that if you sit by the the windows along the street that you may be inundated with smokers waiting on the sidewalk for a table and also by the Roma kids who peddle flowers and such and beg for money and food.

Took a chance on this place with empty tables. The owner, Rascal, lured us in with his passion for his food. If you are not satisfied, you don’t pay. We choose the single price meal that includes 5 vegetables from the a — la — carte menu, 1 hot appitizer, main course, dessert and BOTTLE of wine for $ 75 USD.
Food was excellent — this was great find. Rascal’s «special lamb dish» was heavenly. Ignore the overpriced joints across the street with the courtyards and stop by Rumeli’s if you are in town.

Right off the Istiklal Caddesi on a street full of restaurants and bars. They have delicious on-​menu and off-​menu mezes (different ones made fresh each day, so ask to see the selection). There were no surprise charges, in fact a large bottle of water was provided for free, which was appreciated to compliment the healthy glasses of wine they poured. If you have any questions about the menu or special requests, the host speaks excellent English.

Great little restaurant with fantastic food and service! They make a point of not overcharging people, and not tacking on hidden service charges like many other restaurants in that area do.
They also have a good selection of good to very good Turkish wines. The prices are also very fair for the quality of food they are serving.
The host was very accommodating when we changed the time of our booking and increased the number of diners at the last minute and were happy to provide us with detailed information to their extensive list of mezzes and main dishes. I especially recommend their signature lamb casserole.

Great restaurant with excellent service! Staff was extremely helpful and very quick. Prices were also very reasonable. Definitely recommend!

I was visiting the great city of Istanbul with my son and came upon this gem of a restaurant just a walk behind our hotel in the Pera district. The service, food, staff, ambiance was superb. The manager/​owner (?) was a charming man who made sure we were satisfied customers. At the end of the meal they give a complimentary fruit plate. My son had the sea bass and I had a vegetarian dish, both of which were delicious. The babaganush was out of this world and also a delicious spicy meze made with lentils. DO NOT hesitate to visit this restaurant if you are in Istanbul… it is also near a fun shopping area.

Excellent food and service. Was lucky to have live music that night. Seafood is fresh (I had sea bass) and everyone seems to be friendly and having a great time. I did too!