Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi Selim Usta

Worth the hype. Just a few dishes on the menu which is always a great sign that they make a few things but make them phenomenally well. Definitely cap off your meal with the chilled rice pudding.

It is good taste but pricey very little amount for 10 $ 3 kofte and bread with pickles no more

Very nice authentic local restaurant and very moderate prices. Kofte, rice, bean salad and ayran drink were good. Its more a tourist place that must be visited.

Delicious lamb. Seasoned Salad is okay. Bread?Not good. In traveling spot, price is accepted.

Service is curt but efficient. Beef meatball aka skewer is delicious, spiced, and cooked perfectly. Love the pickled pepperocini. The lentil soup is REALLY on point and so is the buttery pilaf rice. Can’t miss the fresh salad as well with lemon juice. Cheap and delicious and fast. I was sad because they didn’t offer me the spicy sauce so make sure to ask.

I was excited to try for my last meal. It was fine, but nothing special. I liked the lentil soup more than the meatballs. It was kind of plain, and kind of overpriced (for Turkey). Not worth a long wait.

Similar to pizza, I don’t know that I’ve ever had a «bad» meatball — for me, even the most sub-​par meatballs are pretty tasty. Little nuggets of ground beef, what could go wrong? There is, however, another level of meatball, and one can ascend to that level in Turkey. Whether it’s the special spicing, blend of different meats, or both, Turkish meatballs are where it’s at. Even though I was only in Istanbul a couple days, I managed to eat a fair number of excellent meatballs at a couple different establishments, and these little grilled squares were the best, especially given the low price point.
It’s a very simple plate, consisting of nothing but kofte (the square meatballs), and some long, skinny hot peppers. I’d suggest ordering a side of rice. The kofte is very simple, but wow, is it ever tasty. If you can deal with a little heat, definitely try the hot sauce. There’s nothing crazy about the spicing with these meatballs — I think what makes these so great is the specific blend of meats. What the blend is, exactly, I don’t really know other than that it includes lamb — but don’t worry about the specific proportions and just enjoy.
Important tip to remember — cash only. Bring your Turkish lira.

Amazing! Don’t order the lamb as it is a bit gamey but def order the beef. It is so amazing. Also if you are undecided about the pickled peppers, each order of meat comes with a few pieces for you to try! The bean salad is refreshing and goes well with the good. If you like hot sauce, wait after you get your meat for the waiter to bring their what looks like homemade hot sauce around! Yum. Bring cash as they don’t take credit card!

The atmosphere is nice here. Live Music, a dancer and Turkish style outdoor area with roof in a nice neighborhood.
The food is regular, no vegetarian dishes, but you could mix starters or have a salad. Prices are good.

We got their lentil soup (corba), bean salad and baked rice pudding (sutlac) and loved all three. The corba was our favorite — simple and fresh. Service was super fast. We literally got our soups within 10 seconds of ordering. The food items were reasonably prized — that’s probably why we saw a lot of locals eating here too.
Overall, we loved our eating experience here.

Das Selim Usta liegt strategisch sehr günstig an einem der vielen «Hotspots» für Touristen. Und es wird in diversen Reiseführern als Empfehlung oder Geheimtipp gehandelt. Der Sache wollte ich dann doch mal auf den Grund gehen. Im Einzelnen:
Ambiente: 3 Sterne
Das Köftecisi würde ich nun nicht als sehr gemütlich bezeichen. Für einen Imbiss ist es jedoch dann auch schon wieder zu schick… So richtig entscheiden kann sich das Selim Usta irgendwie nicht. Was allerdings ganz nett ist, das sind die vielen Fotos der Promis die dort schon gegessen haben. Nett anzusehen.
Qualität & Auswahl: 3 Sterne
Die Karte ist klein und übersichtlich. Das ist an sich nicht schlimm, sondern kann von sehr guter Qualität zeugen. So richtig springt der Funke allerdings nicht über. Da gibt es in dieser riesigen Stadt dann doch etliche bessere Köftecisi. Qualitativ in Ordnung, aber nicht der Hammer.
Service: 2 Sterne
Hm, über den Service kann man wohl geteilter Meinung sein. Ich habe einen eher unterdurchschnittlichen Service erlebt… Von daher nichts Besonderes.
Preis: 3 Sterne
Vom Preis-​Leistungs-​Verhältnis ganz in Ordnung. Wobei man natürlich doch schon an anderem Ort billiger wegkommt.
Fazit:
Das Selim Usta lebt ganz schön von seinem Ruf, denke ich. Für mich hat sich das Ansehen nach dem Tipp aus dem Reiseführer nicht sonderlich gelohnt. Es gibt wesentlich bessere Köftecisi. Nur die Bilder an der Wand sind vielleicht das gewisse «Etwas», das einen Besuch lohnenswert machen kann.

Love it! This establishment is unusual because I typically steer clear of restaurants on the main touristy streets. What are they called? Tourist traps! However, you must make an exception in this case. There are numerous restaurants that bear similar names (including the one next door) so make sure you are in the right spot. This jaunt is in a busy street adjacent to the Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque. Despite its location, it serves excellent food.
The menu is limited but you are here for the kofte. Koftes are short, sausage-​like links of grilled beef that are absolutely scrumptious. They give you a couple of pepperocinis with it. There is also a soup for 5 TL which is amazingly good for something so inexpensive. Make sure to order it. And by all means, do not forget to order the rice which is also 5 TL. It’s flavorful and goes well with the kofte. We did not partake in the specialty Turkish drink so I can’t speak to it but every guidebook says to try it so it’s worth a shot. We tried the kebap which to me was good but the meat seemed a tad on the tough side. Could’ve been an off day. Who knows? Give it a go because it’s inexpensive enough to try again.
We actually ate here twice during our 8 day stint in Istanbul. Both times were great. The food comes out fast. The servers are efficient and speak multiple languages. It’s a great place for a quick meal while checking out the nearby sites. All of this gives it 4 stars but I’m giving the added 5^th star because of the value. The food is inexpensive but you’re not sacrificing quality or service. Such value is a worth a stop. Trust me.

This is a Sultanahmet institution where both locals and tourists line up for delicious kofte (grilled meatballs). Luckily, it had just opened for the day and so we easily found a table in the large 3-​level dining room. While there are a number of kofte places on Divan Yolu Caddesi, look for the one two doors down from Can Restaurant and you’ll know you’re on your way to delicious kofte.
The menu consists of only a handful of items, and we selected the namesake kofte (TRY 15 = $ 5.80) as well as a white bean salad (TRY 6 = $ 2.30). Not more than two minutes a later, a small plate arrived on our table containing six juicy oblong meatballs, still steaming from the grill, accompanied by a couple of pickled peppers.
The kofte was incredibly juicy and tender. It was cooked perfectly and the spices penetrated each piece. The bean salad was surprisingly good for something so simple; the beans were well cooked and with a splash of red wine vinegar they were a nice balance to the fatty and heavily seasoned kofte.
We ended up going here twice during our time in Istanbul. Make sure that when you get the kofte they give you the hot sauce — perfection! The first time we didn’t get it and the second time they asked… strange. If you like spicy, it’s a great addition to the delicious kofte.

Came here because of a recommendation of a friend. Food was good! I had the meatballs which were delicious with the hot sauce. I gave it a 4-​star because my Dad had the lamb kebob and it didn’t settle. Otherwise the experience was good.

What’s for dinner? Meatballs and lamb! Yes, sounds about right. This restaurant brings all the meat lovers together. The menu is extremely limited. They do not serve chicken, veggie dishes etc. They mainly have two options: koftas (meatballs) or lamb shish kabobs. In sides they have salads, soups, rice, bread. Everything is a la carte. We tried their rice, koftas, and lamb. Good portions and sharing style dishes.
This place is crazy busy at lunch time. It’s a favorite among the locals and tourists. It’s right across from the Blue mosque. This restaurant carries a bit of history in itself. Been open since the 1920s. I like the fact they did not change the menu with time. They stayed true to what kind of food they wanted to serve. The restaurant is simple yet is big and has many rooms. The cooks make the food near the front of the restaurant and you can actually see what they are grilling or making.
Honestly, I’m not a meat lover however the meat was nice, tender, and juicy. They do not put much decoration on the entrees however, justly prepare the meats and highlight the quality of the dish by the main ingredients. They give hot chili sauce and peppers on the side if you want to make it spicy. I would recommend this place if you want to get your kofta cravings fulfilled.~

Went in late and experienced extremely pushy service. Kept on trying to push salads on us regardless of the many times we refused. The food itself (lamb and meatballs) was very disappointing. These guys are well trained at spotting tourists and trying to take advantage. Stay away.

DON’T GET THIS MIXED UP WITH THE RESTAURANT 2 DOORS DOWN! It has almost the EXACT same name and the meat doesn’t look nearly as great. Even their menu looks like a rip-​off.
No wait here on a busy tourist-​filled Sunday, though it was pretty packed. Their restaurant is big and they have a lot of turnover. We saw a group of 6 wait a few minutes, there street only 2 of us. The tables are all really close though!
Good service, quick, friendly.
About 50 TL total (including a good tip) for two entrees and two drinks.
See my photos for details on the food; we got the 2 meat entrees on the menu. They don’t look impressive and there isn’t much garnishing or extra stuff on the plate, but the meat itself is delicious, especially (we both agreed) the lamb!

We were starving after a visit to Hagia Sophia so pulled out the Unilocal app and found this place with a number of Unilocal reviews. This was a complete Unilocal fail — I should have listened to my gut as this place was too touristy — and it was.
Full of tourists (not a bad thing as I am too) however the quality of the food /​value for money was terrible. It was 25 TL for a lamb shish dish. That’s almost 2.5x the local places and still more expensive compared to other touristy places in the Taksim Square area.
The lamb was salty and super fatty — basically very low quality. Bread wasn’t good either, very dry. Service was OK, however, I definitely would not come again.

Das Essen kam 1Min. nach der Bestellung, die Köfte waren zum Teil nicht durchgebraten, ohne Geschmack, die Suppe auch ohne Gewürze, der Salat o.k. auch die Fritten. Wer schnell und günstig essen möchte ist hier aufgehoben, ansonsten nichts besonderes. Es gibt bestimmt bessere

We ordered 1 lentil soup, 1 salad, 1 kofte (lamb meatballs), 1 shish kabob (Lamb), and 2 cokes. Our drink, soup, and salad came quickly, but I felt we waited a few minutes longer than needed for our main dish.
The lentil soup was simple and good, but nothing to write home about. The meatballs were soft, juicy and piping hot, but I wondered whether it was worth all the hype on Unilocal (sorry guys – my first time eating kofte – wasn’t disappointed, but I’m not sure I felt that excited about it either way). However, my lamb kabob? A-​Maze-​balls. Juicy, substantial, with a slight crispy outer layer and perfectly seasoned.
We got lucky being seated on the second floor where we got a view of the park and the Blue Mosque out the window. It’s definitely worth the visit if you’re in the area. If you’re lucky enough to walk by when there isn’t a wait, I’d definitely recommend this place. If you’re just by yourself, I personally preferred the lamb kebabs over the kofte, but don’t let my taste buds deter you from making your decisions. ;-)

Great «meatballs» (kofte)! This place keeps it simple with just a few items on their menu as they honed in on their specialty. Service is very fast and prices are reasonable. I would recommend one order of rice for every two people. It may be best to just stop by here for a snack and share a plate, then enjoy a more comprehensive meal elsewhere. You certainly won’t be disappointed here, though, and just as a local recommended this place to me, I would recommend it to you!
Note cash only here

Da gibt es einiges besseres…

Nachdem ich nun das dritte Mal hier war kann ich es immer noch ohne Probleme weiter empfehlen. Ich finde wenn man in Istanbul ist sollte man hier unbedingt vorbei schauen und die leckeren Köfte probieren.
Eine kleine Übersichtliche Karte. Das Essen wird schnell zubereitet und kommt heiß auf den Tisch. Die rote Sauce ist ordentlich scharf, also Vorsicht wer da etwas empfindlich ist. Das Brot gibt es pauschal schon mal auf den Tisch.
Kein schönes Restaurant im klassischem Sinne. Eher ein etwas besserer Imbiss mit grandioser Aussicht auf die Sultanahmed Moschee.

I’ve been to Istanbul twice now and have eaten here 5 times. I love this place, it’s the perfect place to stop for a bite to eat. The menu is small but that’s because they focus on what they do best — kofte and lamb kebabs. Also, makes it easy to show the waiter what you want in case they don’t understand English too well.
Right next to the Blue Mosque, this place can get pretty packed during lunch hours. The food is great, perfectly spiced and full of flavor. Free bread goes perfectly with the meat and definitely try the hot sauce — only adds to the delightful goodness!
Make a stop here, you won’t regret it.

Nachdem unser Dumont-​Reiseführer das Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi als Geheimtipp angespriesen hatte, wollten wir uns von den angeblichen besten Köfte der Stadt selbst überzeugen. Und wir können gleich vorweg nehmen, dass wir nicht enttäuscht wurden. Die Speisen werden frisch am Grill zubereitet und der Service ist sehr freundlich. Geschmacklich wirklich super und nur zu empfehlen. Sogar Bill Clinton und Samuel L. Jackson waren hier schon zu Gast. Ein wirkliches Muss für einen Besuch in Istanbul!

Pour manger des vrais bons köfte, vous êtes à la bonne adresse :)
Accompagné d’une salade et d’un verre de ayran, que demande le peuple!