Sultanahmet Gülhane Kebab House

I inadvertently wrote a review for an establishment, which is located around the corner. I wonder how many fellow Unilocalers have done the same because the proprietor asked to see my review before I left to confirm that I had the right place. I assured him that I would amend it once I got back to the hotel because I couldn’t do so on my phone and so, here is my intended review:
This is a must visit while here in Istanbul. All of the food was incredibly tasty and the service was attentive and welcoming.
We sat outside in the heated area, which was lovely. We began out meal with the burek sampler that they tailored (without tomatoes) because of my allergies. We also had the hummus. All of the apps were great including the bread. For prior reviewers who may not have liked the hummus, please note that they are probably used to hummus with tahini. This is the real deal.
For dinner, I had the mixed grill which rocked. All of the meat was tender and delicious. The wait staff was great about my allergies and thank you! My husband had one of the Otttoman specials, a lamb dish that was stewed in tomatoes. He loved it. I couldn’t eat it.
They brought us tea and a tasting of baklava to finish the meal. Yummy.

We were not that hungry yet we wanted to taste Turkish food so we agreed with our very hospitable server to bring us a plate of mixed starter meals and a plate of mixed kebab to share between the two of us.
Starter dish came with a single but big and warm bread piece and was pleasing. Sarma was definitely something different from what I was used to eating back home and humus was a bit peanuty but my girlfriend really enjoyed it.
Main dish included a range of meat dishes (minced, beef and chicken) with some salads and side dishes. Not the best food we ate but we enjoyed it until our server brought us another plate of the same that we didn’t order. He explained to us that he made a choice of not bringing it to the table at the same time so it would stay hot for us. We hopped it was an order split in half until we got the check which included prescribed service fee.
Complimentary apple tea at the end could not soothe the disappointment.
Such high Trip Advisor rating, which fooled us into choosing this restaurant, must be a result of the server’s insistence to give them 5 star on site.

Delicious! I came here with my family and the food was splendid. The servers are very kind and their hospitality is through the roof! Excellent we will be returning for sure and I would definitely recommend. Just be aware you get what you pay for, the food is a bit pricey.

Fresh from our visit of Topkapi Palace and the Ayasofya, my wife and I tried this place for a late lunch on a wet, cold and blustery November day. We checked it out on TripAdvisor and read some favorable reviews so we put it on our radar to try for lunch.
The place wasn’t too busy when we stopped by so we were seated promptly by our waiter, Bedrettin. We were showed the menu and I ordered the Adana kebab while my wife tried their doner kebab. We also ordered hummus for starters.
Their hummus was tastier than what we had at Aloran the previous night. While my wife liked their bread, somewhat like a pita, I actually preferred the lavash bread served at Aloran, especially when it is steaming hot.
We both enjoyed our dish and my wife wanted to try their Turkish apple pie with her apple tea. I didn’t want anything but Fahreeti (sp?), the head waiter or the manager, convinced me to have some Turkish tea on the house… so I relented. When the apple pie was served, I was also served a fruit place, on the house.
The bottom line, the food was top notch, but it was the service that elevated this dining experience to garner an excellent rating from me. They even tell customers that if they don’t like the dish they ordered, they would replace it for free. Fahreeti even offered some advice on what to avoid when shopping out in Istanbul, especially at the Spice Market and the Grand Bazaar.

Overrate.
Extremely overrated. I do not know why this place is popular on Trip Advisor.
It’s insanely expensive for a meal that could be summed as less than average, at best.
I would have given this place 3 stars, if it weren’t for the condescending and snarky service.