Ziya Baba

Great food. Even better price. Went to eat kebap at many other places at Istanbul. Some were a lot more pricey. But this one was one of the best. Try it…

This is a must visit for quality and reasonably priced local food. I ate at expensive Turkish restaurants and this place is better. Do not miss this!

We came here twice during our stay in Istanbul. The koftes are just amazing mouth-​watering delicacies and we had them for breakfast once :). The hospitality is amazing as well. Definitely recommend this place for breakfast or brunch. Menemen and sausage with eggs and kofte highly recommended!

If staying in Sultanahmet this would be a great place to get lunch. The food was quick, the servers were very nice and most importantly, it was delicious. The best part about it was that compared to a lot of the other food we ate in Istanbul this place was quite cheap. I wouldn’t come here from very far away because it’s not necessarily worth a trip to get it but it’s great for anyone in the area.

The place like a lot of local restaurants is pretty low key. Don’t let the décor fool you. I ordered lentil soup and chicken wings. The food was wonderful!!!
Highly recommended! Total meal cost was $ 6.

Yummy lentil soup. Excellent kebab. Chicken and lamb are very tasty. And pretty smooth turkish coffee.

It was worth walking off the beaten path for this food. For 21 Turkish Liras (about 7 USD at the time of the posting), the boyfriend had a chicken platter and ended with a turkish coffee while I had a lentil soup to start, a chicken wrap and a lemonade. And it was goooood. The chicken was seasoned well and not dry. We were given generous portions of freshly made, delicious homecooking. I now wish we were staying closer here cuz I would eat at least once a day here if I could.

Cuisine local. Très bon. Pas Cher. On a mangé sur le pouce à 23h. Les personnes sont adorables.

There are several reasons I really like this place.
Usually if I can’t get outdoor seating, I’d be on to the next resto. except all the outside seating was taken by locals. This was exactly what I was looking for.
In a touristy city with touristy food and prices, this was a gem. I wanted to eat at least once where the locals eat without having to trek out.
I was one of the last to be served before they started turning people away. They ran out of soup so I was sad, but my entire meal only cost me 10Ł and it was delicious. Grumpyish waiter (as i had read), but happy me.
I’d eat here again if I was staying longer.

Good, fresh and yummy!. Very cheap and not very touristy.
We had the testi kabob which is cooked I a clay pot. Delicious

TR: yemek harika, ama eleman çok sinirliydi.
EN: found this spot via Unilocal as it was very close to our hotel. It looks like a typical small Turkish restaurant. Simple furniture, small but nice menu for fair prices.
This place doesn’t have much space for people which makes it more comfortable and gives you a better introduce of the Turkish cuisine. The salad is like typical Turkish salad and the Menemen, which you mainly eat for breakfast, were awesome!
BUT: the waiter brought us fries, which we didn’t order. As he seemed very angry and without any «Hoşgeldiniz» (welcome) and «afiyet olsun» (enjoy your meal) I was really afraid to criticise about the fries. Although I spoke Turkish to him the whole time, only after we paid the bill (including the fries!), he at least said «afiyet olsun».
Nevertheless I highly recommend this place and would definitely go back there!

If you’re looking for a delicious and cheap eating experience in Istanbul, look no further.
We walked through the Arasta bazaar to get here. The food was incredible. We had a grilled chicken salad and a meat wrap (??) It was soooo delicious and so cheap. The owner and some people sitting near us also suggested we try the very turkish drink «Ayran,» which we did and really enjoyed (it’s a weird milky drink that tastes a lot like greek yogurt. totally delicious. would be great in a smoothie).
Totally check it out. People watching is great, and there is lots of great music piping in from the hookah bar across the street.

We followed Unilocal tonight and are pleased that we did. The other reviewers have nailed it… its not fancy, not cosy, not for the tourists but a local café that serves honest, tasty food. I loved my hot chicken salad and the other half was very happy with his lamb kebab. Washed down with coke and water followed by a tea and Turkish coffee. A grand total of 29 Turkish lira — about £7.50. Just right when you’re hungry and can’t face the razzmatazz.

C’est grâce aux précédents avis des Unilocaleurs que nous nous sommes rendus dans ce restaurant turc tout proche de la Mosquée Bleu. La devanture né paye pas de mine, mais nous avons tellement bien mangé, l’un de nos meilleurs repas à Istanbul !
La carte est complète: kebab, pita, assiettes de poulet, mouton ou encore végétarienne. J’ai opté pour cette dernière à 9TL et un Ayran (boisson au yaourt frais adorée par les trucs) à 2TL. Soit un repas plus que copieux et délicieux à environ 3.70 € !!! Un meilleur rapport qualité/​prix est-​il possible ?
Nous avons tellement aimé que nous y sommes retournés une seconde fois, c’était tout aussi bon, servi rapidement et avec le sourire. Le personnel né parle pas très bien anglais (comme nous), mais ça n’a pas posé de problème.
Une adresse que je vous recommande les yeux fermés !

This small basic restaurant has a small menu of Turkish fare. This includes a couple of vegetarian options. One person in the group is a vegetarian was excited for the vegetarian plate. I had the lentil soup and the Mediterranean salad with chicken. Our table liked everything, the food was flavorful and well seasoned, and the portions were on the larger side. I liked that the salad had some lettuce but was primarily veggies. There was plenty of seasoned grilled chicken on it as well. The main course comes with a soft flat bread that is very good as well. Good food, reasonable prices!

Two meals in a row and this place did not disappoint. There is no fancy terrace with a view, or lounging couches. But if you are looking for authentic, and ridiculously delicious kebabs, find this place. Very reasonably priced as well. Eat here!
Added bonus — it is on a very local street, so it’s great ‘everyday’ people watching.

Great food and service, and the price is unbeatable for the quality and quantity of the food.

Having gone through the commercial kebab factory Tatseven, I was keen for a more local and homegrown authentic Turkish döner spot. Ziya Baba filled that void, and I can confidently say that I’ve experienced a rock solid authentic turkish kebab.
Star 1: How were the service and atmosphere?
Ziya Baba is authentic from top to bottom, or at least it’s authentic to the degree that I experienced Istanbul during my time there. Ziya Baba is tucked away within a narrow incline off the primary tourist streets, and from the moment you walk in you can tell that this is how kebabs were meant to be before they were exported across the world and commercialized. Behind the counter? A literal mom and pop operation who are cooking everything in a legitimate home kitchen. Sure, seating is a bit cramped as the place gets pretty crowded, but this was a nice introduction to the city and their cuisine. One thing I will point out is that everything is made fresh to order, and the result can be a significant wait. I got my kebab to go and ended up waiting a solid 20 minutes, which was a surprise. Star Granted.
Star 2: How were the portions relative to the cost?
This wasn’t a colossal kebab compared to what you can find around the world, but it was enough for a small meal. The cost? Seven turkish lira, which equates to $ 2.64. That’s absolutely amazing, and is the very definition of value. Star Granted.
Stars 3 and 4: How was the food?
Very, very good. There were two highlights here that were offset by just a tad bit of weakness. The good? An absolutely wonderful piece of fresh bread that was used as a wrap and tender and wonderfully seasoned chicken. The bad? A somewhat clumpy combination of all-​spice that was overpowering when you hit a pocket of it. All in all though this was very good. Star Granted.
Star 5: Would you eat here every day if you could?
In a city of fast, low quality doners and kebabs, Ziya Baba is the catalyst. It’s the authentic, it’s the origin, and while it’s not the perfect kebab: it’s wonderful. Star Granted.

Finally, after total defeat at every single restaurant and bar in the area for food and drinks at unreasonable price, here’s the authentic local Turkish cuisine with fresh ingredient at half of the price and twice the quality.

So far have been here twice. Never disappointed. It’s a local no nonsense place. Service is fast efficient, family owned very polite. Food is a great value — fresh tasty always makes me want more lol.
My favorites: lentil soup, beans, Mediterranean salad. Highly recommended great find.

A simple grill house with delicious kebab: lamb, chicken, and eggplant. The meats are succulent and tender, and the portions are large. The chicken, cucumber, and tomato salad is a refreshing alternative to the otherwise very carb heavy turkish diet. Simple food done well at fair prices for such a central location (about 15tl per main).
It’s a mom and pop and son operation… The owner is a bit gruff and doesn’t speak much English. But the place clearly caters to tourists, the menu even has pictures.

Located just out of the bustling touristy area if Sultanahmed, this little gem is inexpensive and tasty. We’ve been several times and I cannot tell you precisely what to order coz it’s all pretty darn tasty. It’s an affordable, no frills — but friendly — joint. We scraped together our shrapnel and begged for as much baklava as our money would buy and they were generous in return.
Please, if you do come here, remember it is a low key eatery so if you’re after the «Sultanahmed experience» dine elsewhere :)