Rumist

Rumist is a very cosy place in the touristic area of Sultanahmet. Since it was low season we where the only ones there for an early dinner. The staff was really friendly and in for some small talk. The meze platter was nice and the Sac Tava tasted very good. Only the apple tea was not fresh. If you bring a flyer you get 10% discount. Prices are fine.

Rumist was a wonderful late night experience. My travelling buddy and I had dinner here for our last night in Istanbul. It was about 23:50 when we arrived. After a few opulent experiences, we had had just about enough of the stuffy (however excellent) service we were getting at most of the more upscale restaurants we’d patronized.
In the taxi home from the Turkish baths where we’d had a nice scrub and massage, we passed this place just before our hotel and saw the nice outdoor couch like seating. It looked sort of casual but fun, and I figured they’d offer hookah.
We received astoundingly warm welcomes from two highly engaging and English fluent waitstaff. Our testi kebab was pretty good, and we really just ordered it for the fire show, but the food, aside from the show, seemed quite generic. It wasn’t all that hot either after coming right off the fire.(whyyy?) We weren’t offered any spices or extra sauces, but we didn’t ask either… so I can’t complain too much, but I like my food with a bit more kick.
The after dinner peach hookah was delicious. The coal was meticulously tended and they even brought us some bubble blowing apparatus from the restaurant next door and gave us quite the entertaining introductory show! The waitstaff was extremely friendly and made for the best experience we’d had yet in Istanbul, which I would rate overall one of the friendliest cities to which I’ve ever been. It was well worth visiting and I hope to return again and perhaps get a less tourist-​centric dish.

Alan and I ended up here for lunch today through a confluence of circumstances. The first place we chose, which was across the street, was just too hot for Alan’s comfort and was echoing w/​Friday afternoon prayers. The nice man at the front door recommended it and we went. We sat outside on the porch and there was a pleasant, cool breeze. We ordered a mezze platter to share and a special salad w/​herbs, a variety of vegetables and grated cheese, both kasar and mozzarella. I ordered peach iced tea to drink and was told when I asked that it was bottled. When it arrived it was canned and I saw it was marketed by Coca-​Cola. I decided to share Alan’s water and returned the tea, which puzzled the staff and I wasn’t really able to make my reason’s clear. The mezze arrived, w/​a basket of bread. The first thing I tasted was humus. It was dry and tasteless. No lemon, no garlic, no tahini. The other parts of the mezze were much better: dolmas, eggplant in a tomato sauce, cut up carrots and sweet red peppers, babaganoush, but none of it was great. The salad, on the other hand, was interesting and delicious, w/​a lovely vinaigrette. It was a decent lunch, but not the best food we’ve had in Istanbul.

It actually pains me to write this as I wanted to LOVE café Rumist. The owner was wonderful and for him I would give it 4 stars, so let me explain. We found café Rumist on Trip Advisor and going back to look at the reviews, I am not convinced that some of them are not contrived. There is no mention in the reviews that Café Rumist doesn’t have a liquor license.
It was our last night and café Rumist is near our hotel, so we made a reservation. When we couldn’t order a glass of wine, the owner told us that they have an arrangement with the hotel across the street who doesn’t sell food so we could order from his restaurant and enjoy some wine. The problem was that the place across the street was a hooka bar and we had 2 kids with us. We stayed because we wanted to support Café Rumist’s owner. Half an hour after we ordered, he came over to our table and apologized that our order had been lost and they were preparing the food now. No problem as the staff at the hotel was very friendly and we were having a nice last night (except a hooka bar isn’t the best place to bring kids – for those smoking the hook and for our kids to watch people smoking the hookas)
When the food arrived, it was OK – not bad and not amazing – A OK according to Unilocal’s 3 star rating system.
This restaurant is on a street with restaurants geared toward tourists so we knew that’s what we were getting… and that’s what we got.