Went here with a couple of friends on a Saturday night. One of our friends requires gluten free food and the restaurant was more than happy to accommodate. The restaurant has both upstairs and downstairs seating. We were seated downstairs. We ordered a appetizer sampler which was very good. The bread brought out to the table shortly after you arrive comes in handy with many of these appetizers, which are more like spreads than something you actually eat by themselves. We ordered the mixed grill for two, actually both couples ordered the mix grill for two, and this was a good decision. Especially after chowing down on the appetizer sampler the mixed grill for two was plenty of food. There were different types of meats which came on a plate laced with a flat pita/tortilla. Everything was deliscious and there was plenty to eat for everyone, in fact, we all had leftovers to take home. There was supposed to be a belly dancer, but that didn't happen. Not a big deal however there was someone in the front who was singing. The singing itself wasn't bad but it was loud, overwhelming, and made it difficult to have a conversation. Thankfully the singing started after we were done with our meals and close to being ready to leave. I also found the temperature in the restaurant to be a little on the warm side. The food was good, the service was good, the environment absent the loud singing was good, and the prices were reasonable. If you like Mediterranean food or are looking to try Mediterranean food, I recommend you try this place.
(4)
Roberto T.
Amazing food. Tons of options for the meat eaters along with vegetarians (me). I tried the veggie platter and it was on point. The hummus is great. The selection of wines was good. From affordable to really expensive stuff. Turkish coffee was delicious. I wish I could come more often to this gem in Ybor city.
(5)
Farah A.
This restaurant has a perfect harmony -- well seasoned food, delightful service, low-key atmosphere, and you get your money's worth. Start your meal with ANY appetizer, trust me, we tried them all in a Sampler Appetizer. It's enough food for 6 at least if you're having drinks with friends. Our personal favorites were the haydari, ezme, and the bean salad. The bread is served hot and you'll end up wanting to take some home with you. All the dishes we selected were made with fresh ingredients, in house, and the chicken kebab was very tender. I am sure you won't go wrong with any selection. Dining in on a Sunday afternoon, when it wasn't its peak busy hour, allowed us to take our time and linger a while after we were done eating. But, even if it's a busy night, you're welcome to do the same! The culture of Turkish dining is to enjoy your meal and the people you're sharing it with, even if that means a 3 hour meal. So, definitely take advantage of all the courses, including tea and sugar cubes at the end if you want a traditional dining experience. Don't forget the baklava! And if you can, ask for the server Rachel -- she will not miss a beat!
(5)
Nicole S.
Hubby and I ate here for the first time recently and were so impressed. The place was spotless, the staff was wonderful. The owner even took the time to call me back regarding my reservation (in case it was a special occasion). I'm pretty sure I sampled every type of wine before settling. We ordered Lamb Kebab, Haydari and Instanblu Kebab, and followed up with good turkish coffee an Baklava. Everything was just Delicious. We can't wait to return. ;-)
(5)
Cher T.
Stopped into Istanblu Restaurant and Bar for a quick snack before heading over to the Orpheum to see my son and his band perform. We had some hummus, cheese plate and a veggie tray for three of us and it was just delicious. The hummus was served with a nice warm bread which was a treat from the standard cold pita bread. The prices are moderate but you don't get very much food for the money. The place, however, is gorgeous. There's beautiful front window seating, an upstairs private loft for more intimate dining, great art on the walls and there is a small mart up front where you can purchase belly dancer gear (scarves and belly wraps with bells and jingly thingies) and jewelry. It's very charming. What turned me off about the restaurant was the back parking lot and all the LIVE chickens running around out back, in and out of the kitchen. It was truly nauseating me knowing those chickens were running around, crapping all over the place. Had I seen that FIRST before going in, I probably would not have gone in there. For that, I wanted to give the place two stars, but I threw in an extra star to make it three stars because the service was really great. It is a nice place to go to for a romantic dinner because the ambiance is very cozy and conducive to a romantic dinner...but I am really having a hard time getting past the live chickens, and wondering which one of them would end up on my plate. I don't know that we will go back...but it IS a nice place. If you don't mind meeting your potential dinner in the parking lot before you go in, then go for it. I'm still a little bothered by it.
(3)
Michelle S.
We happened to stop while visiting from out of town because my Husband saw Doner on the menu. The food and service was amazing!!!! Met the new owner and she is the most beautiful person! Definitely visit this restaurant! You will not be disappointed!
(5)
Steve P.
This place is wonderful. I don't know what authentic Turkish is but, this food is totally unique and delicious. We will definitely be back!
(5)
Geraldine G.
Delicious food. The grape leave concept was delicious. Loved the music playing in the restaurant, very ethnic. More people should try new types of cuisine and definitely try this place. I left one star out because I believe the service could improve.
(4)
TC Birsen R.
Amazing food. Fresh,tasty and original..Turkey has the most rich food culture in the world for thousands of years. I would recomend this place to everyone. Try it you won't be dissapointed.
(5)
Greg A.
This place is beautiful inside and they have an actual pianist playing for nice mood music..making it feel like an upscale place. The food is average and the service is not very good. Why? The menu does not describe the actual food that you are served. For example. We asked for pita bread to go with a gyro dinner that. The woman (seems to be possibly one if the owners) said this is pita bread and pointed to a dinner roll that we had been served. That roll was very good and warm but a pita is was not. We said no that is not pita bread and she said this was their pita bread. We didn't argue further as my cold gyro was getting colder. A few minutes later we heard another waitress as a nearby table if they wanted pita bread to go with their meals and they said yes and returned with it. When we Asked our waitress again if they had pita bread she said no...so we asked about the other server offering it to her customers she said she was new n didn't know why she asked that. She mumbled about going to check to see if there was any in the kitchen. A few minutes later she returned with one piece of pita n walked away. Earlier the table behind us was obviously upset as the food they were served was not as described in the menu. The placed has a sign outside that says the best Mediterranean food in town. I would think with a billing like that they would have pita bread...I'm just saying. Oh one more thing...they have a belly dancer that stands in the open entrance in her outfit to entice people to enter...could help but feel I was in a strip bar and the stripper were outside teasing the public to come in and see the show while all the time clicking her castanets... I felt dirty as I left. I would have given a higher star rating if the problem was just at our table and if the server didn't feel the need to argue with her customers.
(1)
May Z.
Was really looking forward to this place, considering I'm from Egypt and have traveled all over the Middle East and the Mediterranean, and my boyfriend recently came back from Turkey. We love Turkish/Med cuisine, and have noticed Instanblu on our trips to Ybor many times, making a point to finally try it. Meh is basically an accurate summation of the entire experience. The food was ok, nothing to write home about and certainly no where near the quality of the cuisine that it should be. We were disappointed. The one dish that was above average were the potato cakes appetizer, which were honestly delish. Everything else - I got Mussakka and my boyfriend got a Gyro Platter - was sub-par. To boot, the environment/atmosphere: WAY too loud. Like, as in, freakin screamin with the music on the speakers outside. I know this is Ybor, and we frequent Ybor on the regular, but class it up a bit and turn down the volume so that people can at least avoid screaming at the waiter to order. And speaking of ordering: holy crap, could there be any less consideration to the actual timing of food? We ordered our apps and entrees and they not only took forever to come out (the place was NOT at all busy), but they came out together, at the same time. What is the point of getting apps if they're going to be coming out WITH the food?? Not to mention, bread for the love of God. Bring bread with dips. This isn't rocket science and it's typical Turkish/Med cuisine policy, as a matter of fact. Anyway, will never go back. Glad we tried it so we know, but there are tons of better Turkish/Med places in Tampa. This was seriously a disappointment.
(2)
Bob B.
Betty and I came here this evening and liked the fact they have al fresco dining. While walking down 7th Ave I was in the midst of enjoying a stogie so we sat outside. One off putting thing was that it is right next door to a club and the club had a lot of patrons loitering outside. Next time I would choose to dine inside. The inside was quite inviting with brick walls and table cloth lined tables. It was obviously much more intimate. It is Ybor though, so it is what it is. On to the food. Betty and I started with the stuffed grape leaves which were a bit more larger and more decadent than your average stuffed dolma type dish. The extra virgin olive oil with lemon was a nice touch. We then shared the mixed grill which came with a small side salad and a basket of flatbread. The mixed grill had a few large chunks of roasted tomatoes and green bell peppers. This is all for show for all the glorious meat. There were a couple different types of lamb and a couple types of chicken. All were very good and had good grill flavor, I would say my favorite was the ground chicken on a skewer. Service was attentive and friendly. Overall, we would definitely come back, just sit inside.
(4)
Anastasia M.
Great food! Get the tea of god cocktail and their shush kabobs!
(5)
Jen Y.
Dorado was great. We stopped by randomly to just have desert. We had the cupra, gape leaf, ayran and kunefe. It was great food and as a Turk tjis should count more...
(5)
Lori V.
The hummus is out of this world. The salad dressing so good. The chicken is flavored very well. I mainly go here for lunch but have also been for dinner once. It is a favorite of mine due to the authentic flavors and good service. Ask your server for help ordering. They are educated on the menu.
(4)
Lisa G.
It was a very nice restaurant and the service was really good. It was my first experience with Turkish food and it was a-okay. I had the stuffed cabbage which was ok. But I would try a different dish next time. They also had a belly dancer, which was interesting. I'll let you judge that yourself. But it's a good date place, swanky and sheik.
(5)
Cory N.
Came for lunch on a Sunday. Service was pretty slow but overall the food was good. I had the stuffed cabbage. Came with bread which was nice for dipping in the sauce
(4)
Rebecca E.
Went here because I missed being in Turkey and enjoying their fabulous food. Not quite as good as the real deal, but definitely hit the spot. I definitely recommend the Mezze platter... Eight samples of deliciousness!
(4)
Heather V.
If I could give a 1/2 star, I would. We arrived when they were not busy and sat outside. We ordered the hummus, which the waiter raved about being "fresh ground". Apparently they just ground the chick peas and added olive oil without seasoning it more; it was bland and desperately needed lemon juice and salt! Then my red lentil soup came out... luke warm, so I sent it back to be heated. Should have had them keep it: again, bland and completely lacking in the thick, silky texture I've come to expect of red lentil soup! We waited for another 30 mins, and the restaurant was getting busier. A table of 4 sat down next to us. They got their appetizers and drinks... and then the waiter, the same waiter who was serving us, served them their entrees before we had gotten ours! We stopped him and asked what the deal was, and rather than check to see, he chose to guess and say he didn't know but they may have given our food away. Wait... WHAT? In what universe is that an acceptable answer to give customers that are already upset, especially without checking? It turned out he was wrong, the kitchen was plating our food right then, but it was too late. My daughter and I walked down to the El Grecco cafe down the street while my boyfriend "handled" the situation. I will definitely NOT be back.
(1)
Martic R.
I was very very impressed with the food. I decided to go during the week at lunch time, it was pretty empty. We ordered the appetizer sampler .. And what a great selection. I was expecting a small few items but there was hummus, tomato dip, white beans, tabouli and enough to make it a full plate. We each order a lunch plate also and like always I had to take half of it home. I ordered the beef kebabs and the taste was great unfortunately the meat was not as tender as I expected. Overall great food, I will definitely be back. It's great to visit Ybor during the day and parking it's also a breeze.
(4)
Kathy S.
Went to Istanblu last night with some friends with the intent of having dinner and drinks. I honestly don't know how the restaurant is in business given their horrendous table service. I've had some pretty bad experiences in the past, but this one absolutely takes the cake. We walked in and there was only one 4-top being serviced on the main floor. So they weren't busy at all. However, given how long it took for the (Columbian) server to take our drink order, you would've thought it was their busiest day ever. My friend ordered a Tonic-based drink, and she made it with sparkling water instead. (Yes.. She was both our Server and Bartender, despite there being two male employees doing absolutely nothing.) She made the drink again, but this time with soda water. After sending the drink back a second time, she claimed the Tonic "wasn't working." Then one of the male employees not doing anything heroically found a can of Tonic. Finally, she got the drink right. After getting us our drinks, we didn't see her for at least another 25-30 minutes. During that time, we decided we weren't staying for dinner. Rather, we'd drink our drinks, have a few appetizers, and go somewhere else for dinner. When we placed our appetizer order, we asked for more bread while we wait. Our server told us promptly that more bread would be an additional charge (first I've ever heard that..) - $0.99. If you're only going to charge me a buck for more bread, why charge me at all? Anyway. I noticed that a 5-top came in 10-15 minutes after we did, had their drinks, AND their food already. WTF. Finally, after waiting another 20-25 minutes or so, we finally got our appetizer order - almost AN HOUR after walking in! I must admit, the Tea of the Gods was good, albeit made with sweet tea. And the appetizers were good - even the $0.99 bread. But that's definitely NOT enough to make me want to come back. Clearly, they care more about their nightly bar business than they do about their restaurant business. It shows in their gross lack of table service. If they had someone show them how to properly tend to their guests, this place could be a smash hit. But they are far from that now.
(2)
Jonathan T.
Went with my girlfriend here on a date and thought the restaurant looked very nice. The service was on point and the food was pretty good. I'd recommend anyone to check it out if they are in the mood for something different.
(3)
Hoda B.
I tried the donner with burgul, it was delicious, but the portion is on the small size. The staff were very friendly.
(4)
Aaron R.
Delicious lunch! I came here with a friend this afternoon for lunch. We had a mezze platter and a couple donner plates. Instead of the typical doner of ground and pressed meat, it was whole cuts of beef, a fresh salad, toasted bread and grilled veggies. The prices were very reasonable with most of their generous lunch plates falling in the $8 - 12 range. The casual outdoor patio seating and quick service topped it off. A+
(5)
Mario C.
Overall, food was good but I was disappointed in the ribeye kabobs. Steak was very well done (and i am more of a medium type guy w/ my steak). That said we had the appetizer sampler, with hummus, baba gaganush, tzatziki, eggplant, an a whole lot more. This sampler was really good, along with the Mediterranean bread. Definitely coming back.
(3)
Marie P.
Love love love. . Portions are big so you may want to share. ..server was attentive. The flavors are clean and fresh. .. highly recommend and a must try!
(5)
Thomas C K.
A bit of a disaster! Arrived at 6pm - ordered our appetizer which was ok - then waited for our entrees for 1 hr and 15 minutes - at which time we were no longer hungry and asked to take the food home. The waiter was pleasant but that does not make up for the extraordinary long wait....overall food quality was 3 stars, wait service 3 stars but overall experience was only 2 stars. We will not go back.
(2)
Ufuk G.
i went to with my coworker after Busch Gardens. Great ambiances but not a great food!! Especially baklava (if you don't know how to make it right don't make it)
(3)
Carolyn C.
First, the baked goods (Ecmec and phyllo dough) were very tasty and made in house. However, the Borek had almost no filing, everything was overcooked (except for the rice, which was crunchy and undercooked), and lamb kebab was served instead if Adana kebab due to the server's error. To apologize, we were served complementary baklava, but would have liked to try the Adana. The restaurant was empty the whole time and we should have seen that as a sign. If we return in the future it will be for some Ecmec- To go.
(2)
Ricardo W.
I came here in Dinner time wow the food was Delicious Delicious ! I will come again.
(5)
Megan W.
Wow is all I can really say right now. One of the best things about living in Ybor city is our close proximity to amazing restaurants. With that said, we've gotten a little bored after living here for a year and a half. We are always looking for a new great find. And boy did we find it today at lunch. I randomly stumbled across Istanblu Restaurant and Bar which is located in the old Sunday's Fine Dining Restaurant. When we walked in at lunch, we were the only table. We were told they were in the process of their soft opening and not yet advertising. I was beyond impressed with the result. My boyfriend and I split the Mixed Grill Kebabs which I will suggest to anyone trying out Turkish food for the first time so you get to try a little of everything. Our plate consisted of Doner (homemade Gyro), Chicken Shish Kebab (Tavuk Shish), Adana Kebab (chopped lamb), Beef Tenderloin Shish Kebab and Chicken Chops. This was served with rice and grilled tomatoes. I can honestly say that this may be my new favorite restaurant in Ybor City. The flavors were incredible. The atmosphere was amazing. It was romantic and trendy. Over the next few weeks, they will have live music and belly dancers. We are looking forward to our next visit and I encourage all you Yelpers to give this place a try. I want to see this restaurant succeed.
(5)
Jim S.
AUTHENTIC TURKISH CUISINE is Great and this place does it right. I made my first trip here and was pleasantly surprised. Having lived in Turkey for some time I really wasn't expecting it to be as authentic as I always had in Turkey but it was a wonderful experience that brought back so many wonderful memories of Turkey. The Adana kebab (lamb) was as good as it gets. Ayran or laban is a Turkish cold beverage of yogurt mixed with cold water and sometimes salt was so good and refreshing. The prices were very reasonable for authentic Turkish Cuisine. I can't wait to visit again.
(5)
Andrew S.
My wife and I wanted to try this place a couple weeks ago but we remembered on the way there that it was the evening of the Gasparilla night parade so we decided to wait for another weekend. One thing to note as well ... my wife and I eat out QUITE often and of all different cuisines, it so happens that Mediterranean and specifically Turkish is one of our favourites. She has lived in NYC and had some of the best Turkish here in the states from there and we make it a point to try new Turkish places throughout central FL if they open. All that said ... With my parents in town and it my wife's birthday this coming week, my wife decided she wanted to have a birthday dinner at Istanblu, Sat Feb 16th. With that we had a party of 6 of us and arrived for our reservation. The ambiance of the place hasnt changed a whole lot from what it has been for years ... I recall going to a restaurant that was in the same venue some 10-12 years that was a sushi place and it was pretty much identical. The Food / Meal Quality As far as meals go, we had multiple apps and everyone had their own entree. We had the zucchini pancakes, shepherds salad, some babagunash and the sigara boregi (cheese pastry thing). For entree's different members of the party ordered the Beyti Kebap, Doner Kebap, the chicken shish and shrimp kebap. CATEGORICALLY ... I would say of ALL of these apps and entrees, THEY ALL SUCKED compared to the competition. Gengiz Khan which is off of MacDill and Interbay is 1000x better for all the same dishes. Do note, this is even with us not really "loving Gengiz Khan" ... it just happens to be very close to our house so we eat there frequently because of ease. Moreover, while Byblos is Lebonese, not Turkish ... the cuisines are so close that its hard not to compare them ... Byblos blows Istanblu out of the water, they arent even in the same league. The Service The service quality was worse than the food by a million times. The place was not especially busy when we came in. That said it was an extended time before any of the apps made their way out. When the waiter brought the bottle of wine that we had requested, my brother in law requested 3 times to have me try the wine to make sure the bottle was okay ... instead the waiter didnt even bother having someone check the wine, he just started pouring the glasses. Thankfully it was fine but it was irritating nonetheless. Once the apps finally made their way out they were hohumm, nothing special (as already noted in the food quality). Then was the highlight (from a comedic sense) and lowest point from a service perspective ... Two of entree's were brought out to members of our party. Neither of the individuals wanted to get started without the other members of the party having their meals, thinking that everything was on its way out. At which point our waiter disappeared for upwards of roughly 5 minutes. He then reappears (not with any of the additional meals) and explains that "the other dishes should be up soon, that you shouldnt wait ... that in Turkey its customary for dishes to be brought out as they are done and everyone might be served at different times" ... we all sat in disbelief as this guy just pulled this cr@p out of his @ss. Regardless, we chuckled and didnt rock the boat. About 5-10 minutes later 3 more meals came out (by this time the 2 that had already been delivered were almost done). Not only that but they were brought out lukewarm at best, definitely not hot. It was easy to tell that they had been sitting for a while. That left us still waiting on 1 meal, my mothers meal. Having already been fed the line of cr@p about dishes coming at different times, my mother thought like all of us that hers would be right out in another minute. Long story short, our waiter never checked back in and after another 10-15 minutes I flagged down some other waiter and said "find our guy". Once he showed up, again minutes later, he went to the back to check on it only to find that ... "ooooopppps, I'm sorry, I forgot to put your order for the Doner Kebap in". By this point, everyone at the table was done essentially and none of the food was memorable in a good way anyway so there was no desire to wait on that or another dish to be made. For this cr@ppy service level what was offered???? "do you want a desert on us"!? You've got to be kidding ... meanwhile, nothing was offered / done as part of us having a big birthday party there such as any of the other Mediterranean restaurants in the area. Needless to say, we'll never be back and I cannot in anyway recommend this place over the other establishments here in Tampa. Gengiz Khan is 1000% better than this place and Byblos is 10000000% times better. I give Istanblu at most 6 months then they'll probably be gone.
(1)
Gerardo L.
I really like the bubble bread they have. Probably service needs to be faster, but they were really nice and the place has so much potential. The hummus was good, and the veggies were great. It was really a good meal. I will give them a try if I'm in Ybor.
(4)
Roberto A.
I really loved this place. The appetizer sampler was fantastic and we followed that with shrimp kebabs and moussaka. I liked the Turkish version better than the Greek. We had a very interesting, fruity Turkish wine and followed it with baklava and Turkish coffee. I heartily endorse this restaurant.
(5)
Matt F.
Nice change of pace in the Tampa area. It's nice to see the Ybor area bringing in some new restaurants and add a little more variety to the Tampa area. The food was great and seemed very authentic. The staff was good but for some reason the service was exceptionally slow. This was particularly the case when we wanted to pay and head out. We'll definitely give it another try though.
(4)
Donald H.
Used to live in Istanbul & enoyed this place immensely...! Good lamb dishes....very good service...! I will return...often!!!
(5)
Ross R.
It was our first visit to Ybor so we decided to check out Istanblu. We traveled to Turkey last year and we really enjoyed the country, food and culture. Unfortunately Instanblu was a disappointment. The owner has put an effort to decorate the place and create a great atmosphere, however the service was poor. We selected our drinks just to be told they don't have these vines in stock. The waitress did not know any of dishes and couldn't answer any questions. We ordered the Soslu Patlican (grilled eggplant) appetizer, the waitress brought us an appetizer that looked and tasted like gaspacho soup. I looked at the menu again and found out that we are having Ezme - the veggie dip. The waitress insisted that we are having the eggplant, although clearly we got something completely different. We ordered the stuffed peppers and chicken kebap. The food came after 40 min, but for some reason was not hot. It looked like it has been sitting somewhere for a while. The quality and taste were mediocre. We did not order desserts. Since it was Friday night we expected live music, but they didn't have it on that night but had a Ipad connected to a speaker playing some Turkish music. For the premium prices we paid ($9 for a glass of wine, $19 for a few pieces of grilled chicken) we expected more. Needless to say we won't be back here again.
(1)
Ilona C.
I was in the area for the holidays with my parents, and I wanted something other than Columbia (which they go to all the time because they are Latin). Luckily, Istanblu did not dissapoint! I started off with the hummus- FRESHLY MADE! There is nothing I detest more than paying for processed hummus that comes out of a plastic tub. The portion was not as large as other places, however once again- it is REAL and so delicious! My dad ordered the Chicken Adana, and he was quite pleased the portion. My Latin dad tends to eat anything and criticize it later, however he enjoyed every bite. My mom ordered the Lamb gyro dinner (although it seemed to not have come with the advertised Bulgar pilav, that's why I deducted a star- she was really looking forward to that) and I ordered the Istanblu Kebap with also had lamb. The lamb was seasoned well and as I mentioned before it tasted very fresh and not processed. My favorite part of my dish with the pita that was mixed with the lamb and that absorbed the sauce- I would definitely order again! The waiter was friendly and mentioned that as of the new year, they will have a belly dancer on premises during certain weekdays- I only wish I lived closer to check that out! What would only make it better is if they also gave lessons...something to think about. I highly recommend this place for someone who wants to enjoy a great cultural dinner and for people who appreciate fresh food and appropriate meal portions, which is hard to come by in the USA these days. I hope to visit next year when I am back in Florida.
(4)
Dominic S.
My girlfriend and I had come into Istanblu for a new place to try. When we walked in there was maybe two tables with people. Keep in mind it was a late lunch during a week day. Now the service was a bit slow but it was a new manager doing the work of two servers. With that being said we were not in a hurry or upset at the situation. Their food is made fresh and it reminded me of the food I had eaten when I was deployed overseas to Iraq. I was quite impressed and can not wait to go eat there again!
(5)
Melissa G.
My friend raved about how amazing this place was, but when we went the service was terrible. When we approached the hostess station, a woman walked up and asked if she could help us (obviously we want to eat). When we said we wanted a seat, she looked at us like she was confused. The manager stepped up and seated us. That same woman ended up being our server & her attitude didn't get better. We had to ask 3 times from 2 different servers if we could get drinks & napkins. Dinner came before our napkins or the drinks. Then about half way through dinner they turned the music up for the belly dancer. It was so loud it was impossible to have a conversation. We had to walk downstairs & find someone to get our bill because the server never came back after she dropped off the food (so we didn't get refills on drinks either). The food was decent but not worth the price or the attitude. I will not be coming back.
(1)
Ahmed B.
They now have the Turkish Lavash bread. The experience is complete. Not sure about the Hazy Turk martini.
(4)
Robby M.
The restaurant is in the old Sundays Fine Dining location. We were greeted by the owner when we walked in that was really nice then our server wandered over brought us water and the menu and never asked us again if we wanted anything else to drink. We ordered the cheese appetizer really good feta but that was all you got. I ordered the stuffed cabbage decent flavor and quite a lot to eat my wife ordered the Donner it was not so pleasant. The meat was tough and not hot did not come out with any sauce and was very bland to begin with. We will not be going back.
(2)
Alaena H.
I dined here this evening and was extremely pleased with the experience. The interior is clean, open and trendy with light music and a great view of passerby. Our waiter Chris was attentive and went out of his way several times to accomodate our questions and requests. Food took me back to my Lebanese grandmother's cooking - homemade yoghurt with cucumber, shepherds salad with a perfeclty spiced dressing and grape leaves with caramelized onions. Ribeye was grilled perfectly and accompanied by basmati rice and tangy sweet vegetable salad. Definitely bringing family and friends back to this authentic family-owned establishment. So much fresher and healthier than popular Greek American restaurant down the street.
(5)
Christy S.
Had a lovely dinner outside with friends. Weather was perfect & took advantage of their half off happy hour on beer & wine, very attractive! Service was excellent, they were friendly, eager but didn't rush us out. We had the calamari and lamb liver as appetizers, both very tasty! Also had the lamb as a dinner entree and it was well cooked and tasty. We will be back. It's a nice change from your usual cuisine.
(4)
Kelley B.
They we're out of everything we wanted to order, the food we did get was cold when it shouldn't have been. Nice looking restaurant, but for the same amount of money you can get much better food elsewhere in Ybor.
(2)
Susan M.
I was really exited to try Istanblu, I love Turkish food. Unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations. The space is beautiful, but still looks very much like it's days as Sunday's Fine Dining. We went in on a Friday night and there were only 2 other people seated. When our server came over and introduced himself he told us he was new and apologized for not knowing how to pronounce any of the dishes. Things didn't really get any better from there. We ordered a cheese plate as an appetizer. I'm pretty sure the description said it was a "selection" of cheeses. We got a plate of feta. It was good feta, salty and fresh tasting, but it was only one type of cheese. My husband ordered the stuffed cabbage and I ordered the doner. His stuffed cabbage was good, good flavor, good sauce, and lucky for him it arrived hot. My doner on the other hand...was almost inedible. It came out cold. The meat had been so overcooked (before it got cold) that it was like chewing on crunchy shoe leather. I asked for some yogurt sauce to drown it in to try and soften it up. It literally left a bad taste in my mouth. And I hate that because I really really wanted to like this place. It's not cheap either. Unfortunately we won't be back.
(2)
Ashley N.
I don't know how there are so many good reviews for this restaurant. I went here with some friends and it took an hour to get our food. The server was very rude and slow, and didn't seem to have a clue what he was doing. I ordered the doner and it was very dry, and not cheap! I couldn't even eat it. Terrible service, terrible food. For the money, you can find somewhere better to eat!
(1)
Michael G.
Great place and great food! -authentic foods, great selection, and good portions. Service was all good ...even the owner came to our table. The cheesy, honey desert (forget the name) is definitely a must.
(4)
Paul P.
Went here with a couple of friends on a Saturday night. One of our friends requires gluten free food and the restaurant was more than happy to accommodate. The restaurant has both upstairs and downstairs seating. We were seated downstairs. We ordered a appetizer sampler which was very good. The bread brought out to the table shortly after you arrive comes in handy with many of these appetizers, which are more like spreads than something you actually eat by themselves. We ordered the mixed grill for two, actually both couples ordered the mix grill for two, and this was a good decision. Especially after chowing down on the appetizer sampler the mixed grill for two was plenty of food. There were different types of meats which came on a plate laced with a flat pita/tortilla. Everything was deliscious and there was plenty to eat for everyone, in fact, we all had leftovers to take home. There was supposed to be a belly dancer, but that didn't happen. Not a big deal however there was someone in the front who was singing. The singing itself wasn't bad but it was loud, overwhelming, and made it difficult to have a conversation. Thankfully the singing started after we were done with our meals and close to being ready to leave. I also found the temperature in the restaurant to be a little on the warm side. The food was good, the service was good, the environment absent the loud singing was good, and the prices were reasonable. If you like Mediterranean food or are looking to try Mediterranean food, I recommend you try this place.
(4)
Roberto T.
Amazing food. Tons of options for the meat eaters along with vegetarians (me). I tried the veggie platter and it was on point. The hummus is great. The selection of wines was good. From affordable to really expensive stuff. Turkish coffee was delicious. I wish I could come more often to this gem in Ybor city.
(5)
Farah A.
This restaurant has a perfect harmony -- well seasoned food, delightful service, low-key atmosphere, and you get your money's worth. Start your meal with ANY appetizer, trust me, we tried them all in a Sampler Appetizer. It's enough food for 6 at least if you're having drinks with friends. Our personal favorites were the haydari, ezme, and the bean salad. The bread is served hot and you'll end up wanting to take some home with you. All the dishes we selected were made with fresh ingredients, in house, and the chicken kebab was very tender. I am sure you won't go wrong with any selection. Dining in on a Sunday afternoon, when it wasn't its peak busy hour, allowed us to take our time and linger a while after we were done eating. But, even if it's a busy night, you're welcome to do the same! The culture of Turkish dining is to enjoy your meal and the people you're sharing it with, even if that means a 3 hour meal. So, definitely take advantage of all the courses, including tea and sugar cubes at the end if you want a traditional dining experience. Don't forget the baklava! And if you can, ask for the server Rachel -- she will not miss a beat!
(5)
Nicole S.
Hubby and I ate here for the first time recently and were so impressed. The place was spotless, the staff was wonderful. The owner even took the time to call me back regarding my reservation (in case it was a special occasion). I'm pretty sure I sampled every type of wine before settling. We ordered Lamb Kebab, Haydari and Instanblu Kebab, and followed up with good turkish coffee an Baklava. Everything was just Delicious. We can't wait to return. ;-)
(5)
Vibha C.
Reasonable food. Unfortunately the service is so bad it almost makes you forget the food by the time you walk out. They need to coach their waitresses better. The belly dancer is very friendly!
(1)
Noelle L.
Istanblu was a wonderful experience. Our server was fabulous and we were able to sit outside and enjoy the cool January air (and people watch). I had a glass of their Torrontes which was crisp and very enjoyable. My boyfriend enjoyed a Blue Moon. We did not have a reservation, but the place was sadly empty :( There was another couple there, and midway through our meal another party of four arrived. PLEASE my fellow yelpers, come support this local restaurant! The food is fantastic, which is what I'll get to in a moment. I do not want to see this restaurant leave Ybor. We ordered their homemade hummus, which came out adorned with a kalamata olive and a few sprinklings of chick peas. It came with fresh wood fired flat pita bread and in about 5 minutes, we were part of the appetizer "clean plate club". We shared the mixed grill for two, priced very reasonable at $34.95. It offered chicken, steak, and lamb prepared two ways (gyro meat, as well as a lamb meatball). It came accompanied with more pita bread, their house salad (olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice with shaved carrots, red cabbage, and iceberg lettuce), and their house rice (with vermicelli bits). The meat was all savory and very well seasoned. One of my biggest gripes at restaurants is that the chef doesn't have a heavy enough hand when it comes to seasoning their entrees. The chef here did not disappoint! It also came paired with two sauces to dip the meat in: a hot sauce and a cucumber yogurt sauce. Both were terrific! Will we be back? Yes, and with company to boot. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!
(4)
Gale F.
Great place. If you have vegan and vegetarian tastes (or friends) this is fantastic. If you love great bread, fresh food and a little of this and a little of that, try this place. The staff were knowledgeable about what was spicy and what wasn't and they have lots of sharing-dishes. You can pick and nibble and chat and ask for more of things you like, and feel that sense of relaxation and being alive. I tend to find the silver and blue decor a bit cold, but most people love it. Great.
(4)
Derek N.
Went out on a late lunch Sunday looking for an adventure. We have seen this place many times while we drove through Ybor and decided to stop in and see what it was about. We were quickly greeted and sat at a table outdoors. Our server looked nervous but we did not care. She took our drink order (two waters) and even offered us some free tea, i declined because I am not a huge fan of tea. She returned quickly with our water and we order two apps. When she returned she brought to bread rolls. They we seasoned very well, and the butter was room temperature so it was easy to spread (hard to find soft butter) The Haydari and the Hummus were our apps. The Haydari reminded us of Tzatziki, and was delicious. I recommend saving some of this to put on your main dish. The Hummus was also very tasty. Compared to other concepts in Tampa, these apps had them beat. We did have to wait for about 5 minutes for them to bring pita bread for these apps. They did offer us a substitute while we waited, but we wanted PITA!!! We split a main dish, Rib eye Shish. It was served with a small salad on the plate with a vinaigrette, flavorful rice, and 1/2 of grilled tomato and one small grilled pepper. The rib-eye was WELL DONE. We were never asked how we would like our steak but well done would have been on the bottom of the list. Could have been seasoned a little more, it was a little tough, and of course overcooked. For 17.75$ it wasn't bad, increase the seasoning and not over cook the meat it would be worth it. Next time I would skip the salad on the plate and ask for more rice. The Apps helped out filling us up and were the best part of our meal. I wont check this place off my list because I feel they have more to offer. Our server was very nervous becuase it was her second day but she did a great job.
(3)
Jacob T.
Great place to eat. Though the seating could be a little nicer for how much they charge. I got zucchini pancakes, great, a little greasy but yum. Then lamb shish kabop... Beautifully cooked medium, so tender and flavorful.
(4)
Mark P.
although I arrived a couple minutes after their lunch had ended at 3pm, I was given the dinner menu which is significantly pricier...the food itself was pretty good, however, what I found odd was the description doesn't match what they give you. I got a gyro which you would think would be lamb wrapped in pita bread. But what they do is here is put the lamb on top of a couple pieces of another kind of bread, not pita, and not wrapped. Before I ordered I had even asked what I was getting and was told how it was prepared. I told her I wanted a gyro wrap. She had told me she would accommodate me although she said something like "pita was only served at lunch". But another waitress brought out my order and it wasn't prepared as I had asked. Also strange that it didn't come with tzatziki sauce. It was just plain ole lamb. So I asked for it and they didn't have any. Took 15 min to whip some up, which is when I was finally given ketchup for my fries after I asked. waitresses were hiding in the kitchen most of the time (or smoke break?) while the couple customers were just left to themselves. The waitresses were nice enough when present and food was decent, hence the 2 stars but I can't get myself to give it 3 stars - maybe if I got lunch prices. if you asked me, would I go back? I would say no unfortunately.
(2)
Hoda B.
I tried the donner with burgul, it was delicious, but the portion is on the small size. The staff were very friendly.
(4)
Aaron R.
Delicious lunch! I came here with a friend this afternoon for lunch. We had a mezze platter and a couple donner plates. Instead of the typical doner of ground and pressed meat, it was whole cuts of beef, a fresh salad, toasted bread and grilled veggies. The prices were very reasonable with most of their generous lunch plates falling in the $8 - 12 range. The casual outdoor patio seating and quick service topped it off. A+
(5)
Jo G.
I had an early dinner here last night with friends and family. Perfect time to go since it was a weekday and not busy. We ordered the appetizer sampler, which had eight small dishes of different main appetizers. The dolma was on point! Then we all ordered the same thing, which was the Adana kebob as we had an Adana native in our party. She was pleased with the food and said that this was the closest thing to authentic Turkish food. The inside is gorgeous and large with outdoor seating as well. Our waiter was super friendly too!
(4)
Hi Face S.
This place is awesome, great food, great service, great crew we had so much fun. They are very friendly and polite, We had a blast. If you like Mediterranean food you should try this place! The belly dancer is perfect and friendly!
(5)
Anthony P.
Adana Kebab was full of flavor - was on the mild side. No longer offer bulgar - only rice with dish - not a deal breaker - the rice was good. Will visit again. The service was great! They make the best Baklava I've tasted. It's made in house - not shipped in!
(4)
L R.
First time there - toss up between trying some place new or going to Acropolis. So glad we picked new! This place is fantastic and authentic. Very friendly staff. We will be back!
(5)
Chris M.
Went there with my girlfriend who is Turkish-she loved the food. Very authentic. Service was great. Nice quiet place to get some food and enjoy a night in ybor city
(5)
Kim Z.
It was ok, but not great. We ordered the zucchini pancakes for an appetizer, which were delicious. And then we split the mixed grill dinner, which was just ok. We were THE ONLY table in the restaurant the entire time we were there. This was on a Friday at 7:45pm. Our server was fantastic--very friendly and attentive. (Not hard to do since we were her only customers.) But what was unbelievable was how bad the overall service was of the overall experience.There were three other staff members standing around in the back, not doing anything, which was a bit frustrating to us. We ordered our drinks--one of which was a sangria. Our server had to also play bartender, which meant she had to make the sangria. It wasn't like it was in a jug and all she had to do was pour. So that took time away from us being able to put in our appetizer order. Yet--three staff members were just standing around, doing nothing. Then when our main course came out, it took her three trips to bring out the food and plates-- again, none of the other staff members could help her carry items??? Meanwhile, the timing of the bread that she "just put in the warmer" was terrible, as it came out just as we were nearing the last bites of our meal. Who eats bread after the meal is finished??? The food was just ok. This was our first time here, and the reason I wanted to try was because I heard great things about the bread. --and the bread lived up to expectations. It was YUMMY! But the meat of the mixed grill was just ok. A little dry. And the salad was forgettable. I normally wouldn't comment on the salad in a review. But when Acropolis is just a block away...well...they know how to do a mixed grill and salad waaaay better. And that seems to be the loud consensus because when we walked down the street afterwards, Acropolis was PACKED and LIVELY. We should have gone there instead, but we wanted to try something new. And with that, living the truth of Seinfeld.
(2)
M S.
I walked here in a weekday , don't like the tables with chairs , my meal was a chicken adana , the chicken wasn't good , I didn't like it , they should to chose a good place to buy there chicken
(1)
Tiffany H.
-Sigh- I've been a little disappointed with my last couple experiences at Istanblu. Ever since my first visit (which was fantastic), I have tried to get the kunefe every single time and it's always "sold out." Bummer. They also changed the bread that come
(3)
Elina L.
Every single thing was terrible! We were ignored by the wait staff, food took too long, flavors were below average.
(1)
Michael G.
This review is not for the food, although we walked by it one day between Christmas and New Years, during lunch time and tourist season, and there was literally NO ONE in the restaurant. My review, however is of the platinum blonde waitress, who quite possibly could be the poster girl for dumb blondes. The reason we were walking up and down the Ybor strip was because we were on a mission to find the best Cuban sandwich in Ybor. So when we stuck our heads in here, and she approached us, I asked her if she knew where to get a great Cuban sandwich. Her reply, "Unfortunately we don't really have any Cuban restaurants in this area." WHAT !!!!!!!!! Asides from Miami, this is the most Cuban neighborhood in the UNITES STATES, lol. experience.usatoday.com/…
(3)
Kyla V.
This place is fantastic. Have walked past in Ybor many times but never stopped. I'm glad we did today as we had an excellent lunch. They don't normally serve their lunch menu on the weekends, but we didn't know that so the manager offered to let us order off of it, and continued to serve us the rest of the meal. He was very attentive. The food was great, you could tell all of the ingredients were so fresh. I had a wonderful salad with oil and fresh lemon juice and my boyfriend had a chicken wrap and fries, which he deemed the perfect french fry. We were sad when Sundays moved out of this location, but Istanblu is a great replacement and we will be back again!
(5)
Kathy S.
Went to Istanblu last night with some friends with the intent of having dinner and drinks. I honestly don't know how the restaurant is in business given their horrendous table service. I've had some pretty bad experiences in the past, but this one absolutely takes the cake. We walked in and there was only one 4-top being serviced on the main floor. So they weren't busy at all. However, given how long it took for the (Columbian) server to take our drink order, you would've thought it was their busiest day ever. My friend ordered a Tonic-based drink, and she made it with sparkling water instead. (Yes.. She was both our Server and Bartender, despite there being two male employees doing absolutely nothing.) She made the drink again, but this time with soda water. After sending the drink back a second time, she claimed the Tonic "wasn't working." Then one of the male employees not doing anything heroically found a can of Tonic. Finally, she got the drink right. After getting us our drinks, we didn't see her for at least another 25-30 minutes. During that time, we decided we weren't staying for dinner. Rather, we'd drink our drinks, have a few appetizers, and go somewhere else for dinner. When we placed our appetizer order, we asked for more bread while we wait. Our server told us promptly that more bread would be an additional charge (first I've ever heard that..) - $0.99. If you're only going to charge me a buck for more bread, why charge me at all? Anyway. I noticed that a 5-top came in 10-15 minutes after we did, had their drinks, AND their food already. WTF. Finally, after waiting another 20-25 minutes or so, we finally got our appetizer order - almost AN HOUR after walking in! I must admit, the Tea of the Gods was good, albeit made with sweet tea. And the appetizers were good - even the $0.99 bread. But that's definitely NOT enough to make me want to come back. Clearly, they care more about their nightly bar business than they do about their restaurant business. It shows in their gross lack of table service. If they had someone show them how to properly tend to their guests, this place could be a smash hit. But they are far from that now.
(2)
Mark P.
although I arrived a couple minutes after their lunch had ended at 3pm, I was given the dinner menu which is significantly pricier...the food itself was pretty good, however, what I found odd was the description doesn't match what they give you. I got a gyro which you would think would be lamb wrapped in pita bread. But what they do is here is put the lamb on top of a couple pieces of another kind of bread, not pita, and not wrapped. Before I ordered I had even asked what I was getting and was told how it was prepared. I told her I wanted a gyro wrap. She had told me she would accommodate me although she said something like "pita was only served at lunch". But another waitress brought out my order and it wasn't prepared as I had asked. Also strange that it didn't come with tzatziki sauce. It was just plain ole lamb. So I asked for it and they didn't have any. Took 15 min to whip some up, which is when I was finally given ketchup for my fries after I asked. waitresses were hiding in the kitchen most of the time (or smoke break?) while the couple customers were just left to themselves. The waitresses were nice enough when present and food was decent, hence the 2 stars but I can't get myself to give it 3 stars - maybe if I got lunch prices. if you asked me, would I go back? I would say no unfortunately.
(2)
Vibha C.
Reasonable food. Unfortunately the service is so bad it almost makes you forget the food by the time you walk out. They need to coach their waitresses better. The belly dancer is very friendly!
(1)
Gale F.
Great place. If you have vegan and vegetarian tastes (or friends) this is fantastic. If you love great bread, fresh food and a little of this and a little of that, try this place. The staff were knowledgeable about what was spicy and what wasn't and they have lots of sharing-dishes. You can pick and nibble and chat and ask for more of things you like, and feel that sense of relaxation and being alive. I tend to find the silver and blue decor a bit cold, but most people love it. Great.
(4)
Omur T.
We had dinner here last night. Food was authentic and delicious. We had Shepard's salad, eggplant salad, sigara borek. Unfortunately we didn't leave room for desert. Next time.
(5)
K M.
Very good authentic Turkish cuisine in the middle of Ybor City. Don't get confused and go to the Columbian restaurant; this by far exceeds their offerings. Instanblu is definitely the best in Tampa. Recommend the mixed platter, it's a lot of good kabobs for under $40. Enough for two to have a hearty meal and take extras home for either a midnight snack or lunch the next day. Plenty of seating, nothing is rushed. With that being said, don't go expecting a donar kabob in 10 minutes like some places; here the food is far from fast which means it's excellent.
(5)
Noelle L.
Istanblu was a wonderful experience. Our server was fabulous and we were able to sit outside and enjoy the cool January air (and people watch). I had a glass of their Torrontes which was crisp and very enjoyable. My boyfriend enjoyed a Blue Moon. We did not have a reservation, but the place was sadly empty :( There was another couple there, and midway through our meal another party of four arrived. PLEASE my fellow yelpers, come support this local restaurant! The food is fantastic, which is what I'll get to in a moment. I do not want to see this restaurant leave Ybor. We ordered their homemade hummus, which came out adorned with a kalamata olive and a few sprinklings of chick peas. It came with fresh wood fired flat pita bread and in about 5 minutes, we were part of the appetizer "clean plate club". We shared the mixed grill for two, priced very reasonable at $34.95. It offered chicken, steak, and lamb prepared two ways (gyro meat, as well as a lamb meatball). It came accompanied with more pita bread, their house salad (olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice with shaved carrots, red cabbage, and iceberg lettuce), and their house rice (with vermicelli bits). The meat was all savory and very well seasoned. One of my biggest gripes at restaurants is that the chef doesn't have a heavy enough hand when it comes to seasoning their entrees. The chef here did not disappoint! It also came paired with two sauces to dip the meat in: a hot sauce and a cucumber yogurt sauce. Both were terrific! Will we be back? Yes, and with company to boot. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!
(4)
Derek N.
Went out on a late lunch Sunday looking for an adventure. We have seen this place many times while we drove through Ybor and decided to stop in and see what it was about. We were quickly greeted and sat at a table outdoors. Our server looked nervous but we did not care. She took our drink order (two waters) and even offered us some free tea, i declined because I am not a huge fan of tea. She returned quickly with our water and we order two apps. When she returned she brought to bread rolls. They we seasoned very well, and the butter was room temperature so it was easy to spread (hard to find soft butter) The Haydari and the Hummus were our apps. The Haydari reminded us of Tzatziki, and was delicious. I recommend saving some of this to put on your main dish. The Hummus was also very tasty. Compared to other concepts in Tampa, these apps had them beat. We did have to wait for about 5 minutes for them to bring pita bread for these apps. They did offer us a substitute while we waited, but we wanted PITA!!! We split a main dish, Rib eye Shish. It was served with a small salad on the plate with a vinaigrette, flavorful rice, and 1/2 of grilled tomato and one small grilled pepper. The rib-eye was WELL DONE. We were never asked how we would like our steak but well done would have been on the bottom of the list. Could have been seasoned a little more, it was a little tough, and of course overcooked. For 17.75$ it wasn't bad, increase the seasoning and not over cook the meat it would be worth it. Next time I would skip the salad on the plate and ask for more rice. The Apps helped out filling us up and were the best part of our meal. I wont check this place off my list because I feel they have more to offer. Our server was very nervous becuase it was her second day but she did a great job.
(3)
Jacob T.
Great place to eat. Though the seating could be a little nicer for how much they charge. I got zucchini pancakes, great, a little greasy but yum. Then lamb shish kabop... Beautifully cooked medium, so tender and flavorful.
(4)
Mario C.
Overall, food was good but I was disappointed in the ribeye kabobs. Steak was very well done (and i am more of a medium type guy w/ my steak). That said we had the appetizer sampler, with hummus, baba gaganush, tzatziki, eggplant, an a whole lot more. This sampler was really good, along with the Mediterranean bread. Definitely coming back.
(3)
Marie P.
Love love love. . Portions are big so you may want to share. ..server was attentive. The flavors are clean and fresh. .. highly recommend and a must try!
(5)
Jonathan T.
Went with my girlfriend here on a date and thought the restaurant looked very nice. The service was on point and the food was pretty good. I'd recommend anyone to check it out if they are in the mood for something different.
(3)
Thomas C K.
A bit of a disaster! Arrived at 6pm - ordered our appetizer which was ok - then waited for our entrees for 1 hr and 15 minutes - at which time we were no longer hungry and asked to take the food home. The waiter was pleasant but that does not make up for the extraordinary long wait....overall food quality was 3 stars, wait service 3 stars but overall experience was only 2 stars. We will not go back.
(2)
Ufuk G.
i went to with my coworker after Busch Gardens. Great ambiances but not a great food!! Especially baklava (if you don't know how to make it right don't make it)
(3)
Carolyn C.
First, the baked goods (Ecmec and phyllo dough) were very tasty and made in house. However, the Borek had almost no filing, everything was overcooked (except for the rice, which was crunchy and undercooked), and lamb kebab was served instead if Adana kebab due to the server's error. To apologize, we were served complementary baklava, but would have liked to try the Adana. The restaurant was empty the whole time and we should have seen that as a sign. If we return in the future it will be for some Ecmec- To go.
(2)
Ricardo W.
I came here in Dinner time wow the food was Delicious Delicious ! I will come again.
(5)
Megan W.
Wow is all I can really say right now. One of the best things about living in Ybor city is our close proximity to amazing restaurants. With that said, we've gotten a little bored after living here for a year and a half. We are always looking for a new great find. And boy did we find it today at lunch. I randomly stumbled across Istanblu Restaurant and Bar which is located in the old Sunday's Fine Dining Restaurant. When we walked in at lunch, we were the only table. We were told they were in the process of their soft opening and not yet advertising. I was beyond impressed with the result. My boyfriend and I split the Mixed Grill Kebabs which I will suggest to anyone trying out Turkish food for the first time so you get to try a little of everything. Our plate consisted of Doner (homemade Gyro), Chicken Shish Kebab (Tavuk Shish), Adana Kebab (chopped lamb), Beef Tenderloin Shish Kebab and Chicken Chops. This was served with rice and grilled tomatoes. I can honestly say that this may be my new favorite restaurant in Ybor City. The flavors were incredible. The atmosphere was amazing. It was romantic and trendy. Over the next few weeks, they will have live music and belly dancers. We are looking forward to our next visit and I encourage all you Yelpers to give this place a try. I want to see this restaurant succeed.
(5)
Jim S.
AUTHENTIC TURKISH CUISINE is Great and this place does it right. I made my first trip here and was pleasantly surprised. Having lived in Turkey for some time I really wasn't expecting it to be as authentic as I always had in Turkey but it was a wonderful experience that brought back so many wonderful memories of Turkey. The Adana kebab (lamb) was as good as it gets. Ayran or laban is a Turkish cold beverage of yogurt mixed with cold water and sometimes salt was so good and refreshing. The prices were very reasonable for authentic Turkish Cuisine. I can't wait to visit again.
(5)
Andrew S.
My wife and I wanted to try this place a couple weeks ago but we remembered on the way there that it was the evening of the Gasparilla night parade so we decided to wait for another weekend. One thing to note as well ... my wife and I eat out QUITE often and of all different cuisines, it so happens that Mediterranean and specifically Turkish is one of our favourites. She has lived in NYC and had some of the best Turkish here in the states from there and we make it a point to try new Turkish places throughout central FL if they open. All that said ... With my parents in town and it my wife's birthday this coming week, my wife decided she wanted to have a birthday dinner at Istanblu, Sat Feb 16th. With that we had a party of 6 of us and arrived for our reservation. The ambiance of the place hasnt changed a whole lot from what it has been for years ... I recall going to a restaurant that was in the same venue some 10-12 years that was a sushi place and it was pretty much identical. The Food / Meal Quality As far as meals go, we had multiple apps and everyone had their own entree. We had the zucchini pancakes, shepherds salad, some babagunash and the sigara boregi (cheese pastry thing). For entree's different members of the party ordered the Beyti Kebap, Doner Kebap, the chicken shish and shrimp kebap. CATEGORICALLY ... I would say of ALL of these apps and entrees, THEY ALL SUCKED compared to the competition. Gengiz Khan which is off of MacDill and Interbay is 1000x better for all the same dishes. Do note, this is even with us not really "loving Gengiz Khan" ... it just happens to be very close to our house so we eat there frequently because of ease. Moreover, while Byblos is Lebonese, not Turkish ... the cuisines are so close that its hard not to compare them ... Byblos blows Istanblu out of the water, they arent even in the same league. The Service The service quality was worse than the food by a million times. The place was not especially busy when we came in. That said it was an extended time before any of the apps made their way out. When the waiter brought the bottle of wine that we had requested, my brother in law requested 3 times to have me try the wine to make sure the bottle was okay ... instead the waiter didnt even bother having someone check the wine, he just started pouring the glasses. Thankfully it was fine but it was irritating nonetheless. Once the apps finally made their way out they were hohumm, nothing special (as already noted in the food quality). Then was the highlight (from a comedic sense) and lowest point from a service perspective ... Two of entree's were brought out to members of our party. Neither of the individuals wanted to get started without the other members of the party having their meals, thinking that everything was on its way out. At which point our waiter disappeared for upwards of roughly 5 minutes. He then reappears (not with any of the additional meals) and explains that "the other dishes should be up soon, that you shouldnt wait ... that in Turkey its customary for dishes to be brought out as they are done and everyone might be served at different times" ... we all sat in disbelief as this guy just pulled this cr@p out of his @ss. Regardless, we chuckled and didnt rock the boat. About 5-10 minutes later 3 more meals came out (by this time the 2 that had already been delivered were almost done). Not only that but they were brought out lukewarm at best, definitely not hot. It was easy to tell that they had been sitting for a while. That left us still waiting on 1 meal, my mothers meal. Having already been fed the line of cr@p about dishes coming at different times, my mother thought like all of us that hers would be right out in another minute. Long story short, our waiter never checked back in and after another 10-15 minutes I flagged down some other waiter and said "find our guy". Once he showed up, again minutes later, he went to the back to check on it only to find that ... "ooooopppps, I'm sorry, I forgot to put your order for the Doner Kebap in". By this point, everyone at the table was done essentially and none of the food was memorable in a good way anyway so there was no desire to wait on that or another dish to be made. For this cr@ppy service level what was offered???? "do you want a desert on us"!? You've got to be kidding ... meanwhile, nothing was offered / done as part of us having a big birthday party there such as any of the other Mediterranean restaurants in the area. Needless to say, we'll never be back and I cannot in anyway recommend this place over the other establishments here in Tampa. Gengiz Khan is 1000% better than this place and Byblos is 10000000% times better. I give Istanblu at most 6 months then they'll probably be gone.
(1)
Ross R.
It was our first visit to Ybor so we decided to check out Istanblu. We traveled to Turkey last year and we really enjoyed the country, food and culture. Unfortunately Instanblu was a disappointment. The owner has put an effort to decorate the place and create a great atmosphere, however the service was poor. We selected our drinks just to be told they don't have these vines in stock. The waitress did not know any of dishes and couldn't answer any questions. We ordered the Soslu Patlican (grilled eggplant) appetizer, the waitress brought us an appetizer that looked and tasted like gaspacho soup. I looked at the menu again and found out that we are having Ezme - the veggie dip. The waitress insisted that we are having the eggplant, although clearly we got something completely different. We ordered the stuffed peppers and chicken kebap. The food came after 40 min, but for some reason was not hot. It looked like it has been sitting somewhere for a while. The quality and taste were mediocre. We did not order desserts. Since it was Friday night we expected live music, but they didn't have it on that night but had a Ipad connected to a speaker playing some Turkish music. For the premium prices we paid ($9 for a glass of wine, $19 for a few pieces of grilled chicken) we expected more. Needless to say we won't be back here again.
(1)
Ilona C.
I was in the area for the holidays with my parents, and I wanted something other than Columbia (which they go to all the time because they are Latin). Luckily, Istanblu did not dissapoint! I started off with the hummus- FRESHLY MADE! There is nothing I detest more than paying for processed hummus that comes out of a plastic tub. The portion was not as large as other places, however once again- it is REAL and so delicious! My dad ordered the Chicken Adana, and he was quite pleased the portion. My Latin dad tends to eat anything and criticize it later, however he enjoyed every bite. My mom ordered the Lamb gyro dinner (although it seemed to not have come with the advertised Bulgar pilav, that's why I deducted a star- she was really looking forward to that) and I ordered the Istanblu Kebap with also had lamb. The lamb was seasoned well and as I mentioned before it tasted very fresh and not processed. My favorite part of my dish with the pita that was mixed with the lamb and that absorbed the sauce- I would definitely order again! The waiter was friendly and mentioned that as of the new year, they will have a belly dancer on premises during certain weekdays- I only wish I lived closer to check that out! What would only make it better is if they also gave lessons...something to think about. I highly recommend this place for someone who wants to enjoy a great cultural dinner and for people who appreciate fresh food and appropriate meal portions, which is hard to come by in the USA these days. I hope to visit next year when I am back in Florida.
(4)
Dominic S.
My girlfriend and I had come into Istanblu for a new place to try. When we walked in there was maybe two tables with people. Keep in mind it was a late lunch during a week day. Now the service was a bit slow but it was a new manager doing the work of two servers. With that being said we were not in a hurry or upset at the situation. Their food is made fresh and it reminded me of the food I had eaten when I was deployed overseas to Iraq. I was quite impressed and can not wait to go eat there again!
(5)
Gerardo L.
I really like the bubble bread they have. Probably service needs to be faster, but they were really nice and the place has so much potential. The hummus was good, and the veggies were great. It was really a good meal. I will give them a try if I'm in Ybor.
(4)
Roberto A.
I really loved this place. The appetizer sampler was fantastic and we followed that with shrimp kebabs and moussaka. I liked the Turkish version better than the Greek. We had a very interesting, fruity Turkish wine and followed it with baklava and Turkish coffee. I heartily endorse this restaurant.
(5)
Matt F.
Nice change of pace in the Tampa area. It's nice to see the Ybor area bringing in some new restaurants and add a little more variety to the Tampa area. The food was great and seemed very authentic. The staff was good but for some reason the service was exceptionally slow. This was particularly the case when we wanted to pay and head out. We'll definitely give it another try though.
(4)
Donald H.
Used to live in Istanbul & enoyed this place immensely...! Good lamb dishes....very good service...! I will return...often!!!
(5)
Melissa G.
My friend raved about how amazing this place was, but when we went the service was terrible. When we approached the hostess station, a woman walked up and asked if she could help us (obviously we want to eat). When we said we wanted a seat, she looked at us like she was confused. The manager stepped up and seated us. That same woman ended up being our server & her attitude didn't get better. We had to ask 3 times from 2 different servers if we could get drinks & napkins. Dinner came before our napkins or the drinks. Then about half way through dinner they turned the music up for the belly dancer. It was so loud it was impossible to have a conversation. We had to walk downstairs & find someone to get our bill because the server never came back after she dropped off the food (so we didn't get refills on drinks either). The food was decent but not worth the price or the attitude. I will not be coming back.
(1)
Ahmed B.
They now have the Turkish Lavash bread. The experience is complete. Not sure about the Hazy Turk martini.
(4)
Robby M.
The restaurant is in the old Sundays Fine Dining location. We were greeted by the owner when we walked in that was really nice then our server wandered over brought us water and the menu and never asked us again if we wanted anything else to drink. We ordered the cheese appetizer really good feta but that was all you got. I ordered the stuffed cabbage decent flavor and quite a lot to eat my wife ordered the Donner it was not so pleasant. The meat was tough and not hot did not come out with any sauce and was very bland to begin with. We will not be going back.
(2)
Alaena H.
I dined here this evening and was extremely pleased with the experience. The interior is clean, open and trendy with light music and a great view of passerby. Our waiter Chris was attentive and went out of his way several times to accomodate our questions and requests. Food took me back to my Lebanese grandmother's cooking - homemade yoghurt with cucumber, shepherds salad with a perfeclty spiced dressing and grape leaves with caramelized onions. Ribeye was grilled perfectly and accompanied by basmati rice and tangy sweet vegetable salad. Definitely bringing family and friends back to this authentic family-owned establishment. So much fresher and healthier than popular Greek American restaurant down the street.
(5)
Christy S.
Had a lovely dinner outside with friends. Weather was perfect & took advantage of their half off happy hour on beer & wine, very attractive! Service was excellent, they were friendly, eager but didn't rush us out. We had the calamari and lamb liver as appetizers, both very tasty! Also had the lamb as a dinner entree and it was well cooked and tasty. We will be back. It's a nice change from your usual cuisine.
(4)
Kelley B.
They we're out of everything we wanted to order, the food we did get was cold when it shouldn't have been. Nice looking restaurant, but for the same amount of money you can get much better food elsewhere in Ybor.
(2)
Susan M.
I was really exited to try Istanblu, I love Turkish food. Unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations. The space is beautiful, but still looks very much like it's days as Sunday's Fine Dining. We went in on a Friday night and there were only 2 other people seated. When our server came over and introduced himself he told us he was new and apologized for not knowing how to pronounce any of the dishes. Things didn't really get any better from there. We ordered a cheese plate as an appetizer. I'm pretty sure the description said it was a "selection" of cheeses. We got a plate of feta. It was good feta, salty and fresh tasting, but it was only one type of cheese. My husband ordered the stuffed cabbage and I ordered the doner. His stuffed cabbage was good, good flavor, good sauce, and lucky for him it arrived hot. My doner on the other hand...was almost inedible. It came out cold. The meat had been so overcooked (before it got cold) that it was like chewing on crunchy shoe leather. I asked for some yogurt sauce to drown it in to try and soften it up. It literally left a bad taste in my mouth. And I hate that because I really really wanted to like this place. It's not cheap either. Unfortunately we won't be back.
(2)
Ashley N.
I don't know how there are so many good reviews for this restaurant. I went here with some friends and it took an hour to get our food. The server was very rude and slow, and didn't seem to have a clue what he was doing. I ordered the doner and it was very dry, and not cheap! I couldn't even eat it. Terrible service, terrible food. For the money, you can find somewhere better to eat!
(1)
Michael G.
Great place and great food! -authentic foods, great selection, and good portions. Service was all good ...even the owner came to our table. The cheesy, honey desert (forget the name) is definitely a must.
(4)
Jo G.
I had an early dinner here last night with friends and family. Perfect time to go since it was a weekday and not busy. We ordered the appetizer sampler, which had eight small dishes of different main appetizers. The dolma was on point! Then we all ordered the same thing, which was the Adana kebob as we had an Adana native in our party. She was pleased with the food and said that this was the closest thing to authentic Turkish food. The inside is gorgeous and large with outdoor seating as well. Our waiter was super friendly too!
(4)
Hi Face S.
This place is awesome, great food, great service, great crew we had so much fun. They are very friendly and polite, We had a blast. If you like Mediterranean food you should try this place! The belly dancer is perfect and friendly!
(5)
Anthony P.
Adana Kebab was full of flavor - was on the mild side. No longer offer bulgar - only rice with dish - not a deal breaker - the rice was good. Will visit again. The service was great! They make the best Baklava I've tasted. It's made in house - not shipped in!
(4)
M S.
I walked here in a weekday , don't like the tables with chairs , my meal was a chicken adana , the chicken wasn't good , I didn't like it , they should to chose a good place to buy there chicken
(1)
L R.
First time there - toss up between trying some place new or going to Acropolis. So glad we picked new! This place is fantastic and authentic. Very friendly staff. We will be back!
(5)
Kim Z.
It was ok, but not great. We ordered the zucchini pancakes for an appetizer, which were delicious. And then we split the mixed grill dinner, which was just ok. We were THE ONLY table in the restaurant the entire time we were there. This was on a Friday at 7:45pm. Our server was fantastic--very friendly and attentive. (Not hard to do since we were her only customers.) But what was unbelievable was how bad the overall service was of the overall experience.There were three other staff members standing around in the back, not doing anything, which was a bit frustrating to us. We ordered our drinks--one of which was a sangria. Our server had to also play bartender, which meant she had to make the sangria. It wasn't like it was in a jug and all she had to do was pour. So that took time away from us being able to put in our appetizer order. Yet--three staff members were just standing around, doing nothing. Then when our main course came out, it took her three trips to bring out the food and plates-- again, none of the other staff members could help her carry items??? Meanwhile, the timing of the bread that she "just put in the warmer" was terrible, as it came out just as we were nearing the last bites of our meal. Who eats bread after the meal is finished??? The food was just ok. This was our first time here, and the reason I wanted to try was because I heard great things about the bread. --and the bread lived up to expectations. It was YUMMY! But the meat of the mixed grill was just ok. A little dry. And the salad was forgettable. I normally wouldn't comment on the salad in a review. But when Acropolis is just a block away...well...they know how to do a mixed grill and salad waaaay better. And that seems to be the loud consensus because when we walked down the street afterwards, Acropolis was PACKED and LIVELY. We should have gone there instead, but we wanted to try something new. And with that, living the truth of Seinfeld.
(2)
Tiffany H.
-Sigh- I've been a little disappointed with my last couple experiences at Istanblu. Ever since my first visit (which was fantastic), I have tried to get the kunefe every single time and it's always "sold out." Bummer. They also changed the bread that come
(3)
Elina L.
Every single thing was terrible! We were ignored by the wait staff, food took too long, flavors were below average.
(1)
Michael G.
This review is not for the food, although we walked by it one day between Christmas and New Years, during lunch time and tourist season, and there was literally NO ONE in the restaurant. My review, however is of the platinum blonde waitress, who quite possibly could be the poster girl for dumb blondes. The reason we were walking up and down the Ybor strip was because we were on a mission to find the best Cuban sandwich in Ybor. So when we stuck our heads in here, and she approached us, I asked her if she knew where to get a great Cuban sandwich. Her reply, "Unfortunately we don't really have any Cuban restaurants in this area." WHAT !!!!!!!!! Asides from Miami, this is the most Cuban neighborhood in the UNITES STATES, lol. experience.usatoday.com/…
(3)
Chris M.
Went there with my girlfriend who is Turkish-she loved the food. Very authentic. Service was great. Nice quiet place to get some food and enjoy a night in ybor city
(5)
Kyla V.
This place is fantastic. Have walked past in Ybor many times but never stopped. I'm glad we did today as we had an excellent lunch. They don't normally serve their lunch menu on the weekends, but we didn't know that so the manager offered to let us order off of it, and continued to serve us the rest of the meal. He was very attentive. The food was great, you could tell all of the ingredients were so fresh. I had a wonderful salad with oil and fresh lemon juice and my boyfriend had a chicken wrap and fries, which he deemed the perfect french fry. We were sad when Sundays moved out of this location, but Istanblu is a great replacement and we will be back again!
(5)
Steve P.
This place is wonderful. I don't know what authentic Turkish is but, this food is totally unique and delicious. We will definitely be back!
(5)
Cher T.
Stopped into Istanblu Restaurant and Bar for a quick snack before heading over to the Orpheum to see my son and his band perform. We had some hummus, cheese plate and a veggie tray for three of us and it was just delicious. The hummus was served with a nice warm bread which was a treat from the standard cold pita bread. The prices are moderate but you don't get very much food for the money. The place, however, is gorgeous. There's beautiful front window seating, an upstairs private loft for more intimate dining, great art on the walls and there is a small mart up front where you can purchase belly dancer gear (scarves and belly wraps with bells and jingly thingies) and jewelry. It's very charming. What turned me off about the restaurant was the back parking lot and all the LIVE chickens running around out back, in and out of the kitchen. It was truly nauseating me knowing those chickens were running around, crapping all over the place. Had I seen that FIRST before going in, I probably would not have gone in there. For that, I wanted to give the place two stars, but I threw in an extra star to make it three stars because the service was really great. It is a nice place to go to for a romantic dinner because the ambiance is very cozy and conducive to a romantic dinner...but I am really having a hard time getting past the live chickens, and wondering which one of them would end up on my plate. I don't know that we will go back...but it IS a nice place. If you don't mind meeting your potential dinner in the parking lot before you go in, then go for it. I'm still a little bothered by it.
(3)
Michelle S.
We happened to stop while visiting from out of town because my Husband saw Doner on the menu. The food and service was amazing!!!! Met the new owner and she is the most beautiful person! Definitely visit this restaurant! You will not be disappointed!
(5)
Geraldine G.
Delicious food. The grape leave concept was delicious. Loved the music playing in the restaurant, very ethnic. More people should try new types of cuisine and definitely try this place. I left one star out because I believe the service could improve.
(4)
TC Birsen R.
Amazing food. Fresh,tasty and original..Turkey has the most rich food culture in the world for thousands of years. I would recomend this place to everyone. Try it you won't be dissapointed.
(5)
Omur T.
We had dinner here last night. Food was authentic and delicious. We had Shepard's salad, eggplant salad, sigara borek. Unfortunately we didn't leave room for desert. Next time.
(5)
K M.
Very good authentic Turkish cuisine in the middle of Ybor City. Don't get confused and go to the Columbian restaurant; this by far exceeds their offerings. Instanblu is definitely the best in Tampa. Recommend the mixed platter, it's a lot of good kabobs for under $40. Enough for two to have a hearty meal and take extras home for either a midnight snack or lunch the next day. Plenty of seating, nothing is rushed. With that being said, don't go expecting a donar kabob in 10 minutes like some places; here the food is far from fast which means it's excellent.
(5)
Greg A.
This place is beautiful inside and they have an actual pianist playing for nice mood music..making it feel like an upscale place. The food is average and the service is not very good. Why? The menu does not describe the actual food that you are served. For example. We asked for pita bread to go with a gyro dinner that. The woman (seems to be possibly one if the owners) said this is pita bread and pointed to a dinner roll that we had been served. That roll was very good and warm but a pita is was not. We said no that is not pita bread and she said this was their pita bread. We didn't argue further as my cold gyro was getting colder. A few minutes later we heard another waitress as a nearby table if they wanted pita bread to go with their meals and they said yes and returned with it. When we Asked our waitress again if they had pita bread she said no...so we asked about the other server offering it to her customers she said she was new n didn't know why she asked that. She mumbled about going to check to see if there was any in the kitchen. A few minutes later she returned with one piece of pita n walked away. Earlier the table behind us was obviously upset as the food they were served was not as described in the menu. The placed has a sign outside that says the best Mediterranean food in town. I would think with a billing like that they would have pita bread...I'm just saying. Oh one more thing...they have a belly dancer that stands in the open entrance in her outfit to entice people to enter...could help but feel I was in a strip bar and the stripper were outside teasing the public to come in and see the show while all the time clicking her castanets... I felt dirty as I left. I would have given a higher star rating if the problem was just at our table and if the server didn't feel the need to argue with her customers.
(1)
Jen Y.
Dorado was great. We stopped by randomly to just have desert. We had the cupra, gape leaf, ayran and kunefe. It was great food and as a Turk tjis should count more...
(5)
Lori V.
The hummus is out of this world. The salad dressing so good. The chicken is flavored very well. I mainly go here for lunch but have also been for dinner once. It is a favorite of mine due to the authentic flavors and good service. Ask your server for help ordering. They are educated on the menu.
(4)
Rebecca E.
Went here because I missed being in Turkey and enjoying their fabulous food. Not quite as good as the real deal, but definitely hit the spot. I definitely recommend the Mezze platter... Eight samples of deliciousness!
(4)
Heather V.
If I could give a 1/2 star, I would. We arrived when they were not busy and sat outside. We ordered the hummus, which the waiter raved about being "fresh ground". Apparently they just ground the chick peas and added olive oil without seasoning it more; it was bland and desperately needed lemon juice and salt! Then my red lentil soup came out... luke warm, so I sent it back to be heated. Should have had them keep it: again, bland and completely lacking in the thick, silky texture I've come to expect of red lentil soup! We waited for another 30 mins, and the restaurant was getting busier. A table of 4 sat down next to us. They got their appetizers and drinks... and then the waiter, the same waiter who was serving us, served them their entrees before we had gotten ours! We stopped him and asked what the deal was, and rather than check to see, he chose to guess and say he didn't know but they may have given our food away. Wait... WHAT? In what universe is that an acceptable answer to give customers that are already upset, especially without checking? It turned out he was wrong, the kitchen was plating our food right then, but it was too late. My daughter and I walked down to the El Grecco cafe down the street while my boyfriend "handled" the situation. I will definitely NOT be back.
(1)
Martic R.
I was very very impressed with the food. I decided to go during the week at lunch time, it was pretty empty. We ordered the appetizer sampler .. And what a great selection. I was expecting a small few items but there was hummus, tomato dip, white beans, tabouli and enough to make it a full plate. We each order a lunch plate also and like always I had to take half of it home. I ordered the beef kebabs and the taste was great unfortunately the meat was not as tender as I expected. Overall great food, I will definitely be back. It's great to visit Ybor during the day and parking it's also a breeze.
(4)
Anastasia M.
Great food! Get the tea of god cocktail and their shush kabobs!
(5)
Lisa G.
It was a very nice restaurant and the service was really good. It was my first experience with Turkish food and it was a-okay. I had the stuffed cabbage which was ok. But I would try a different dish next time. They also had a belly dancer, which was interesting. I'll let you judge that yourself. But it's a good date place, swanky and sheik.
(5)
Cory N.
Came for lunch on a Sunday. Service was pretty slow but overall the food was good. I had the stuffed cabbage. Came with bread which was nice for dipping in the sauce
(4)
May Z.
Was really looking forward to this place, considering I'm from Egypt and have traveled all over the Middle East and the Mediterranean, and my boyfriend recently came back from Turkey. We love Turkish/Med cuisine, and have noticed Instanblu on our trips to Ybor many times, making a point to finally try it. Meh is basically an accurate summation of the entire experience. The food was ok, nothing to write home about and certainly no where near the quality of the cuisine that it should be. We were disappointed. The one dish that was above average were the potato cakes appetizer, which were honestly delish. Everything else - I got Mussakka and my boyfriend got a Gyro Platter - was sub-par. To boot, the environment/atmosphere: WAY too loud. Like, as in, freakin screamin with the music on the speakers outside. I know this is Ybor, and we frequent Ybor on the regular, but class it up a bit and turn down the volume so that people can at least avoid screaming at the waiter to order. And speaking of ordering: holy crap, could there be any less consideration to the actual timing of food? We ordered our apps and entrees and they not only took forever to come out (the place was NOT at all busy), but they came out together, at the same time. What is the point of getting apps if they're going to be coming out WITH the food?? Not to mention, bread for the love of God. Bring bread with dips. This isn't rocket science and it's typical Turkish/Med cuisine policy, as a matter of fact. Anyway, will never go back. Glad we tried it so we know, but there are tons of better Turkish/Med places in Tampa. This was seriously a disappointment.
(2)
Bob B.
Betty and I came here this evening and liked the fact they have al fresco dining. While walking down 7th Ave I was in the midst of enjoying a stogie so we sat outside. One off putting thing was that it is right next door to a club and the club had a lot of patrons loitering outside. Next time I would choose to dine inside. The inside was quite inviting with brick walls and table cloth lined tables. It was obviously much more intimate. It is Ybor though, so it is what it is. On to the food. Betty and I started with the stuffed grape leaves which were a bit more larger and more decadent than your average stuffed dolma type dish. The extra virgin olive oil with lemon was a nice touch. We then shared the mixed grill which came with a small side salad and a basket of flatbread. The mixed grill had a few large chunks of roasted tomatoes and green bell peppers. This is all for show for all the glorious meat. There were a couple different types of lamb and a couple types of chicken. All were very good and had good grill flavor, I would say my favorite was the ground chicken on a skewer. Service was attentive and friendly. Overall, we would definitely come back, just sit inside.
(4)
Lisa G.
It was a very nice restaurant and the service was really good. It was my first experience with Turkish food and it was a-okay. I had the stuffed cabbage which was ok. But I would try a different dish next time. They also had a belly dancer, which was interesting. I'll let you judge that yourself. But it's a good date place, swanky and sheik.
(5)
Cory N.
Came for lunch on a Sunday. Service was pretty slow but overall the food was good. I had the stuffed cabbage. Came with bread which was nice for dipping in the sauce
(4)
May Z.
Was really looking forward to this place, considering I'm from Egypt and have traveled all over the Middle East and the Mediterranean, and my boyfriend recently came back from Turkey. We love Turkish/Med cuisine, and have noticed Instanblu on our trips to Ybor many times, making a point to finally try it. Meh is basically an accurate summation of the entire experience. The food was ok, nothing to write home about and certainly no where near the quality of the cuisine that it should be. We were disappointed. The one dish that was above average were the potato cakes appetizer, which were honestly delish. Everything else - I got Mussakka and my boyfriend got a Gyro Platter - was sub-par. To boot, the environment/atmosphere: WAY too loud. Like, as in, freakin screamin with the music on the speakers outside. I know this is Ybor, and we frequent Ybor on the regular, but class it up a bit and turn down the volume so that people can at least avoid screaming at the waiter to order. And speaking of ordering: holy crap, could there be any less consideration to the actual timing of food? We ordered our apps and entrees and they not only took forever to come out (the place was NOT at all busy), but they came out together, at the same time. What is the point of getting apps if they're going to be coming out WITH the food?? Not to mention, bread for the love of God. Bring bread with dips. This isn't rocket science and it's typical Turkish/Med cuisine policy, as a matter of fact. Anyway, will never go back. Glad we tried it so we know, but there are tons of better Turkish/Med places in Tampa. This was seriously a disappointment.
(2)
Bob B.
Betty and I came here this evening and liked the fact they have al fresco dining. While walking down 7th Ave I was in the midst of enjoying a stogie so we sat outside. One off putting thing was that it is right next door to a club and the club had a lot of patrons loitering outside. Next time I would choose to dine inside. The inside was quite inviting with brick walls and table cloth lined tables. It was obviously much more intimate. It is Ybor though, so it is what it is. On to the food. Betty and I started with the stuffed grape leaves which were a bit more larger and more decadent than your average stuffed dolma type dish. The extra virgin olive oil with lemon was a nice touch. We then shared the mixed grill which came with a small side salad and a basket of flatbread. The mixed grill had a few large chunks of roasted tomatoes and green bell peppers. This is all for show for all the glorious meat. There were a couple different types of lamb and a couple types of chicken. All were very good and had good grill flavor, I would say my favorite was the ground chicken on a skewer. Service was attentive and friendly. Overall, we would definitely come back, just sit inside.
(4)
Anastasia M.
Great food! Get the tea of god cocktail and their shush kabobs!
(5)
Jen Y.
Dorado was great. We stopped by randomly to just have desert. We had the cupra, gape leaf, ayran and kunefe. It was great food and as a Turk tjis should count more...
(5)
Lori V.
The hummus is out of this world. The salad dressing so good. The chicken is flavored very well. I mainly go here for lunch but have also been for dinner once. It is a favorite of mine due to the authentic flavors and good service. Ask your server for help ordering. They are educated on the menu.
(4)
Martic R.
I was very very impressed with the food. I decided to go during the week at lunch time, it was pretty empty. We ordered the appetizer sampler .. And what a great selection. I was expecting a small few items but there was hummus, tomato dip, white beans, tabouli and enough to make it a full plate. We each order a lunch plate also and like always I had to take half of it home. I ordered the beef kebabs and the taste was great unfortunately the meat was not as tender as I expected. Overall great food, I will definitely be back. It's great to visit Ybor during the day and parking it's also a breeze.
(4)
Rebecca E.
Went here because I missed being in Turkey and enjoying their fabulous food. Not quite as good as the real deal, but definitely hit the spot. I definitely recommend the Mezze platter... Eight samples of deliciousness!
(4)
Heather V.
If I could give a 1/2 star, I would. We arrived when they were not busy and sat outside. We ordered the hummus, which the waiter raved about being "fresh ground". Apparently they just ground the chick peas and added olive oil without seasoning it more; it was bland and desperately needed lemon juice and salt! Then my red lentil soup came out... luke warm, so I sent it back to be heated. Should have had them keep it: again, bland and completely lacking in the thick, silky texture I've come to expect of red lentil soup! We waited for another 30 mins, and the restaurant was getting busier. A table of 4 sat down next to us. They got their appetizers and drinks... and then the waiter, the same waiter who was serving us, served them their entrees before we had gotten ours! We stopped him and asked what the deal was, and rather than check to see, he chose to guess and say he didn't know but they may have given our food away. Wait... WHAT? In what universe is that an acceptable answer to give customers that are already upset, especially without checking? It turned out he was wrong, the kitchen was plating our food right then, but it was too late. My daughter and I walked down to the El Grecco cafe down the street while my boyfriend "handled" the situation. I will definitely NOT be back.
(1)
Hoda B.
I tried the donner with burgul, it was delicious, but the portion is on the small size. The staff were very friendly.
(4)
Mario C.
Overall, food was good but I was disappointed in the ribeye kabobs. Steak was very well done (and i am more of a medium type guy w/ my steak). That said we had the appetizer sampler, with hummus, baba gaganush, tzatziki, eggplant, an a whole lot more. This sampler was really good, along with the Mediterranean bread. Definitely coming back.
(3)
Aaron R.
Delicious lunch! I came here with a friend this afternoon for lunch. We had a mezze platter and a couple donner plates. Instead of the typical doner of ground and pressed meat, it was whole cuts of beef, a fresh salad, toasted bread and grilled veggies. The prices were very reasonable with most of their generous lunch plates falling in the $8 - 12 range. The casual outdoor patio seating and quick service topped it off. A+
(5)
Megan W.
Wow is all I can really say right now. One of the best things about living in Ybor city is our close proximity to amazing restaurants. With that said, we've gotten a little bored after living here for a year and a half. We are always looking for a new great find. And boy did we find it today at lunch. I randomly stumbled across Istanblu Restaurant and Bar which is located in the old Sunday's Fine Dining Restaurant. When we walked in at lunch, we were the only table. We were told they were in the process of their soft opening and not yet advertising. I was beyond impressed with the result. My boyfriend and I split the Mixed Grill Kebabs which I will suggest to anyone trying out Turkish food for the first time so you get to try a little of everything. Our plate consisted of Doner (homemade Gyro), Chicken Shish Kebab (Tavuk Shish), Adana Kebab (chopped lamb), Beef Tenderloin Shish Kebab and Chicken Chops. This was served with rice and grilled tomatoes. I can honestly say that this may be my new favorite restaurant in Ybor City. The flavors were incredible. The atmosphere was amazing. It was romantic and trendy. Over the next few weeks, they will have live music and belly dancers. We are looking forward to our next visit and I encourage all you Yelpers to give this place a try. I want to see this restaurant succeed.
(5)
Ilona C.
I was in the area for the holidays with my parents, and I wanted something other than Columbia (which they go to all the time because they are Latin). Luckily, Istanblu did not dissapoint! I started off with the hummus- FRESHLY MADE! There is nothing I detest more than paying for processed hummus that comes out of a plastic tub. The portion was not as large as other places, however once again- it is REAL and so delicious! My dad ordered the Chicken Adana, and he was quite pleased the portion. My Latin dad tends to eat anything and criticize it later, however he enjoyed every bite. My mom ordered the Lamb gyro dinner (although it seemed to not have come with the advertised Bulgar pilav, that's why I deducted a star- she was really looking forward to that) and I ordered the Istanblu Kebap with also had lamb. The lamb was seasoned well and as I mentioned before it tasted very fresh and not processed. My favorite part of my dish with the pita that was mixed with the lamb and that absorbed the sauce- I would definitely order again! The waiter was friendly and mentioned that as of the new year, they will have a belly dancer on premises during certain weekdays- I only wish I lived closer to check that out! What would only make it better is if they also gave lessons...something to think about. I highly recommend this place for someone who wants to enjoy a great cultural dinner and for people who appreciate fresh food and appropriate meal portions, which is hard to come by in the USA these days. I hope to visit next year when I am back in Florida.
(4)
Ross R.
It was our first visit to Ybor so we decided to check out Istanblu. We traveled to Turkey last year and we really enjoyed the country, food and culture. Unfortunately Instanblu was a disappointment. The owner has put an effort to decorate the place and create a great atmosphere, however the service was poor. We selected our drinks just to be told they don't have these vines in stock. The waitress did not know any of dishes and couldn't answer any questions. We ordered the Soslu Patlican (grilled eggplant) appetizer, the waitress brought us an appetizer that looked and tasted like gaspacho soup. I looked at the menu again and found out that we are having Ezme - the veggie dip. The waitress insisted that we are having the eggplant, although clearly we got something completely different. We ordered the stuffed peppers and chicken kebap. The food came after 40 min, but for some reason was not hot. It looked like it has been sitting somewhere for a while. The quality and taste were mediocre. We did not order desserts. Since it was Friday night we expected live music, but they didn't have it on that night but had a Ipad connected to a speaker playing some Turkish music. For the premium prices we paid ($9 for a glass of wine, $19 for a few pieces of grilled chicken) we expected more. Needless to say we won't be back here again.
(1)
Matt F.
Nice change of pace in the Tampa area. It's nice to see the Ybor area bringing in some new restaurants and add a little more variety to the Tampa area. The food was great and seemed very authentic. The staff was good but for some reason the service was exceptionally slow. This was particularly the case when we wanted to pay and head out. We'll definitely give it another try though.
(4)
Donald H.
Used to live in Istanbul & enoyed this place immensely...! Good lamb dishes....very good service...! I will return...often!!!
(5)
Thomas C K.
A bit of a disaster! Arrived at 6pm - ordered our appetizer which was ok - then waited for our entrees for 1 hr and 15 minutes - at which time we were no longer hungry and asked to take the food home. The waiter was pleasant but that does not make up for the extraordinary long wait....overall food quality was 3 stars, wait service 3 stars but overall experience was only 2 stars. We will not go back.
(2)
Ufuk G.
i went to with my coworker after Busch Gardens. Great ambiances but not a great food!! Especially baklava (if you don't know how to make it right don't make it)
(3)
Dominic S.
My girlfriend and I had come into Istanblu for a new place to try. When we walked in there was maybe two tables with people. Keep in mind it was a late lunch during a week day. Now the service was a bit slow but it was a new manager doing the work of two servers. With that being said we were not in a hurry or upset at the situation. Their food is made fresh and it reminded me of the food I had eaten when I was deployed overseas to Iraq. I was quite impressed and can not wait to go eat there again!
(5)
Jim S.
AUTHENTIC TURKISH CUISINE is Great and this place does it right. I made my first trip here and was pleasantly surprised. Having lived in Turkey for some time I really wasn't expecting it to be as authentic as I always had in Turkey but it was a wonderful experience that brought back so many wonderful memories of Turkey. The Adana kebab (lamb) was as good as it gets. Ayran or laban is a Turkish cold beverage of yogurt mixed with cold water and sometimes salt was so good and refreshing. The prices were very reasonable for authentic Turkish Cuisine. I can't wait to visit again.
(5)
Andrew S.
My wife and I wanted to try this place a couple weeks ago but we remembered on the way there that it was the evening of the Gasparilla night parade so we decided to wait for another weekend. One thing to note as well ... my wife and I eat out QUITE often and of all different cuisines, it so happens that Mediterranean and specifically Turkish is one of our favourites. She has lived in NYC and had some of the best Turkish here in the states from there and we make it a point to try new Turkish places throughout central FL if they open. All that said ... With my parents in town and it my wife's birthday this coming week, my wife decided she wanted to have a birthday dinner at Istanblu, Sat Feb 16th. With that we had a party of 6 of us and arrived for our reservation. The ambiance of the place hasnt changed a whole lot from what it has been for years ... I recall going to a restaurant that was in the same venue some 10-12 years that was a sushi place and it was pretty much identical. The Food / Meal Quality As far as meals go, we had multiple apps and everyone had their own entree. We had the zucchini pancakes, shepherds salad, some babagunash and the sigara boregi (cheese pastry thing). For entree's different members of the party ordered the Beyti Kebap, Doner Kebap, the chicken shish and shrimp kebap. CATEGORICALLY ... I would say of ALL of these apps and entrees, THEY ALL SUCKED compared to the competition. Gengiz Khan which is off of MacDill and Interbay is 1000x better for all the same dishes. Do note, this is even with us not really "loving Gengiz Khan" ... it just happens to be very close to our house so we eat there frequently because of ease. Moreover, while Byblos is Lebonese, not Turkish ... the cuisines are so close that its hard not to compare them ... Byblos blows Istanblu out of the water, they arent even in the same league. The Service The service quality was worse than the food by a million times. The place was not especially busy when we came in. That said it was an extended time before any of the apps made their way out. When the waiter brought the bottle of wine that we had requested, my brother in law requested 3 times to have me try the wine to make sure the bottle was okay ... instead the waiter didnt even bother having someone check the wine, he just started pouring the glasses. Thankfully it was fine but it was irritating nonetheless. Once the apps finally made their way out they were hohumm, nothing special (as already noted in the food quality). Then was the highlight (from a comedic sense) and lowest point from a service perspective ... Two of entree's were brought out to members of our party. Neither of the individuals wanted to get started without the other members of the party having their meals, thinking that everything was on its way out. At which point our waiter disappeared for upwards of roughly 5 minutes. He then reappears (not with any of the additional meals) and explains that "the other dishes should be up soon, that you shouldnt wait ... that in Turkey its customary for dishes to be brought out as they are done and everyone might be served at different times" ... we all sat in disbelief as this guy just pulled this cr@p out of his @ss. Regardless, we chuckled and didnt rock the boat. About 5-10 minutes later 3 more meals came out (by this time the 2 that had already been delivered were almost done). Not only that but they were brought out lukewarm at best, definitely not hot. It was easy to tell that they had been sitting for a while. That left us still waiting on 1 meal, my mothers meal. Having already been fed the line of cr@p about dishes coming at different times, my mother thought like all of us that hers would be right out in another minute. Long story short, our waiter never checked back in and after another 10-15 minutes I flagged down some other waiter and said "find our guy". Once he showed up, again minutes later, he went to the back to check on it only to find that ... "ooooopppps, I'm sorry, I forgot to put your order for the Doner Kebap in". By this point, everyone at the table was done essentially and none of the food was memorable in a good way anyway so there was no desire to wait on that or another dish to be made. For this cr@ppy service level what was offered???? "do you want a desert on us"!? You've got to be kidding ... meanwhile, nothing was offered / done as part of us having a big birthday party there such as any of the other Mediterranean restaurants in the area. Needless to say, we'll never be back and I cannot in anyway recommend this place over the other establishments here in Tampa. Gengiz Khan is 1000% better than this place and Byblos is 10000000% times better. I give Istanblu at most 6 months then they'll probably be gone.
(1)
Gerardo L.
I really like the bubble bread they have. Probably service needs to be faster, but they were really nice and the place has so much potential. The hummus was good, and the veggies were great. It was really a good meal. I will give them a try if I'm in Ybor.
(4)
Roberto A.
I really loved this place. The appetizer sampler was fantastic and we followed that with shrimp kebabs and moussaka. I liked the Turkish version better than the Greek. We had a very interesting, fruity Turkish wine and followed it with baklava and Turkish coffee. I heartily endorse this restaurant.
(5)
Melissa G.
My friend raved about how amazing this place was, but when we went the service was terrible. When we approached the hostess station, a woman walked up and asked if she could help us (obviously we want to eat). When we said we wanted a seat, she looked at us like she was confused. The manager stepped up and seated us. That same woman ended up being our server & her attitude didn't get better. We had to ask 3 times from 2 different servers if we could get drinks & napkins. Dinner came before our napkins or the drinks. Then about half way through dinner they turned the music up for the belly dancer. It was so loud it was impossible to have a conversation. We had to walk downstairs & find someone to get our bill because the server never came back after she dropped off the food (so we didn't get refills on drinks either). The food was decent but not worth the price or the attitude. I will not be coming back.
(1)
Ahmed B.
They now have the Turkish Lavash bread. The experience is complete. Not sure about the Hazy Turk martini.
(4)
Robby M.
The restaurant is in the old Sundays Fine Dining location. We were greeted by the owner when we walked in that was really nice then our server wandered over brought us water and the menu and never asked us again if we wanted anything else to drink. We ordered the cheese appetizer really good feta but that was all you got. I ordered the stuffed cabbage decent flavor and quite a lot to eat my wife ordered the Donner it was not so pleasant. The meat was tough and not hot did not come out with any sauce and was very bland to begin with. We will not be going back.
(2)
Alaena H.
I dined here this evening and was extremely pleased with the experience. The interior is clean, open and trendy with light music and a great view of passerby. Our waiter Chris was attentive and went out of his way several times to accomodate our questions and requests. Food took me back to my Lebanese grandmother's cooking - homemade yoghurt with cucumber, shepherds salad with a perfeclty spiced dressing and grape leaves with caramelized onions. Ribeye was grilled perfectly and accompanied by basmati rice and tangy sweet vegetable salad. Definitely bringing family and friends back to this authentic family-owned establishment. So much fresher and healthier than popular Greek American restaurant down the street.
(5)
Carolyn C.
First, the baked goods (Ecmec and phyllo dough) were very tasty and made in house. However, the Borek had almost no filing, everything was overcooked (except for the rice, which was crunchy and undercooked), and lamb kebab was served instead if Adana kebab due to the server's error. To apologize, we were served complementary baklava, but would have liked to try the Adana. The restaurant was empty the whole time and we should have seen that as a sign. If we return in the future it will be for some Ecmec- To go.
(2)
Kathy S.
Went to Istanblu last night with some friends with the intent of having dinner and drinks. I honestly don't know how the restaurant is in business given their horrendous table service. I've had some pretty bad experiences in the past, but this one absolutely takes the cake. We walked in and there was only one 4-top being serviced on the main floor. So they weren't busy at all. However, given how long it took for the (Columbian) server to take our drink order, you would've thought it was their busiest day ever. My friend ordered a Tonic-based drink, and she made it with sparkling water instead. (Yes.. She was both our Server and Bartender, despite there being two male employees doing absolutely nothing.) She made the drink again, but this time with soda water. After sending the drink back a second time, she claimed the Tonic "wasn't working." Then one of the male employees not doing anything heroically found a can of Tonic. Finally, she got the drink right. After getting us our drinks, we didn't see her for at least another 25-30 minutes. During that time, we decided we weren't staying for dinner. Rather, we'd drink our drinks, have a few appetizers, and go somewhere else for dinner. When we placed our appetizer order, we asked for more bread while we wait. Our server told us promptly that more bread would be an additional charge (first I've ever heard that..) - $0.99. If you're only going to charge me a buck for more bread, why charge me at all? Anyway. I noticed that a 5-top came in 10-15 minutes after we did, had their drinks, AND their food already. WTF. Finally, after waiting another 20-25 minutes or so, we finally got our appetizer order - almost AN HOUR after walking in! I must admit, the Tea of the Gods was good, albeit made with sweet tea. And the appetizers were good - even the $0.99 bread. But that's definitely NOT enough to make me want to come back. Clearly, they care more about their nightly bar business than they do about their restaurant business. It shows in their gross lack of table service. If they had someone show them how to properly tend to their guests, this place could be a smash hit. But they are far from that now.
(2)
Jonathan T.
Went with my girlfriend here on a date and thought the restaurant looked very nice. The service was on point and the food was pretty good. I'd recommend anyone to check it out if they are in the mood for something different.
(3)
Christy S.
Had a lovely dinner outside with friends. Weather was perfect & took advantage of their half off happy hour on beer & wine, very attractive! Service was excellent, they were friendly, eager but didn't rush us out. We had the calamari and lamb liver as appetizers, both very tasty! Also had the lamb as a dinner entree and it was well cooked and tasty. We will be back. It's a nice change from your usual cuisine.
(4)
Kelley B.
They we're out of everything we wanted to order, the food we did get was cold when it shouldn't have been. Nice looking restaurant, but for the same amount of money you can get much better food elsewhere in Ybor.
(2)
Susan M.
I was really exited to try Istanblu, I love Turkish food. Unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations. The space is beautiful, but still looks very much like it's days as Sunday's Fine Dining. We went in on a Friday night and there were only 2 other people seated. When our server came over and introduced himself he told us he was new and apologized for not knowing how to pronounce any of the dishes. Things didn't really get any better from there. We ordered a cheese plate as an appetizer. I'm pretty sure the description said it was a "selection" of cheeses. We got a plate of feta. It was good feta, salty and fresh tasting, but it was only one type of cheese. My husband ordered the stuffed cabbage and I ordered the doner. His stuffed cabbage was good, good flavor, good sauce, and lucky for him it arrived hot. My doner on the other hand...was almost inedible. It came out cold. The meat had been so overcooked (before it got cold) that it was like chewing on crunchy shoe leather. I asked for some yogurt sauce to drown it in to try and soften it up. It literally left a bad taste in my mouth. And I hate that because I really really wanted to like this place. It's not cheap either. Unfortunately we won't be back.
(2)
Ashley N.
I don't know how there are so many good reviews for this restaurant. I went here with some friends and it took an hour to get our food. The server was very rude and slow, and didn't seem to have a clue what he was doing. I ordered the doner and it was very dry, and not cheap! I couldn't even eat it. Terrible service, terrible food. For the money, you can find somewhere better to eat!
(1)
Michael G.
Great place and great food! -authentic foods, great selection, and good portions. Service was all good ...even the owner came to our table. The cheesy, honey desert (forget the name) is definitely a must.
(4)
Noelle L.
Istanblu was a wonderful experience. Our server was fabulous and we were able to sit outside and enjoy the cool January air (and people watch). I had a glass of their Torrontes which was crisp and very enjoyable. My boyfriend enjoyed a Blue Moon. We did not have a reservation, but the place was sadly empty :( There was another couple there, and midway through our meal another party of four arrived. PLEASE my fellow yelpers, come support this local restaurant! The food is fantastic, which is what I'll get to in a moment. I do not want to see this restaurant leave Ybor. We ordered their homemade hummus, which came out adorned with a kalamata olive and a few sprinklings of chick peas. It came with fresh wood fired flat pita bread and in about 5 minutes, we were part of the appetizer "clean plate club". We shared the mixed grill for two, priced very reasonable at $34.95. It offered chicken, steak, and lamb prepared two ways (gyro meat, as well as a lamb meatball). It came accompanied with more pita bread, their house salad (olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice with shaved carrots, red cabbage, and iceberg lettuce), and their house rice (with vermicelli bits). The meat was all savory and very well seasoned. One of my biggest gripes at restaurants is that the chef doesn't have a heavy enough hand when it comes to seasoning their entrees. The chef here did not disappoint! It also came paired with two sauces to dip the meat in: a hot sauce and a cucumber yogurt sauce. Both were terrific! Will we be back? Yes, and with company to boot. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!
(4)
Derek N.
Went out on a late lunch Sunday looking for an adventure. We have seen this place many times while we drove through Ybor and decided to stop in and see what it was about. We were quickly greeted and sat at a table outdoors. Our server looked nervous but we did not care. She took our drink order (two waters) and even offered us some free tea, i declined because I am not a huge fan of tea. She returned quickly with our water and we order two apps. When she returned she brought to bread rolls. They we seasoned very well, and the butter was room temperature so it was easy to spread (hard to find soft butter) The Haydari and the Hummus were our apps. The Haydari reminded us of Tzatziki, and was delicious. I recommend saving some of this to put on your main dish. The Hummus was also very tasty. Compared to other concepts in Tampa, these apps had them beat. We did have to wait for about 5 minutes for them to bring pita bread for these apps. They did offer us a substitute while we waited, but we wanted PITA!!! We split a main dish, Rib eye Shish. It was served with a small salad on the plate with a vinaigrette, flavorful rice, and 1/2 of grilled tomato and one small grilled pepper. The rib-eye was WELL DONE. We were never asked how we would like our steak but well done would have been on the bottom of the list. Could have been seasoned a little more, it was a little tough, and of course overcooked. For 17.75$ it wasn't bad, increase the seasoning and not over cook the meat it would be worth it. Next time I would skip the salad on the plate and ask for more rice. The Apps helped out filling us up and were the best part of our meal. I wont check this place off my list because I feel they have more to offer. Our server was very nervous becuase it was her second day but she did a great job.
(3)
Michelle S.
We happened to stop while visiting from out of town because my Husband saw Doner on the menu. The food and service was amazing!!!! Met the new owner and she is the most beautiful person! Definitely visit this restaurant! You will not be disappointed!
(5)
Steve P.
This place is wonderful. I don't know what authentic Turkish is but, this food is totally unique and delicious. We will definitely be back!
(5)
Jo G.
I had an early dinner here last night with friends and family. Perfect time to go since it was a weekday and not busy. We ordered the appetizer sampler, which had eight small dishes of different main appetizers. The dolma was on point! Then we all ordered the same thing, which was the Adana kebob as we had an Adana native in our party. She was pleased with the food and said that this was the closest thing to authentic Turkish food. The inside is gorgeous and large with outdoor seating as well. Our waiter was super friendly too!
(4)
Paul P.
Went here with a couple of friends on a Saturday night. One of our friends requires gluten free food and the restaurant was more than happy to accommodate. The restaurant has both upstairs and downstairs seating. We were seated downstairs. We ordered a appetizer sampler which was very good. The bread brought out to the table shortly after you arrive comes in handy with many of these appetizers, which are more like spreads than something you actually eat by themselves. We ordered the mixed grill for two, actually both couples ordered the mix grill for two, and this was a good decision. Especially after chowing down on the appetizer sampler the mixed grill for two was plenty of food. There were different types of meats which came on a plate laced with a flat pita/tortilla. Everything was deliscious and there was plenty to eat for everyone, in fact, we all had leftovers to take home. There was supposed to be a belly dancer, but that didn't happen. Not a big deal however there was someone in the front who was singing. The singing itself wasn't bad but it was loud, overwhelming, and made it difficult to have a conversation. Thankfully the singing started after we were done with our meals and close to being ready to leave. I also found the temperature in the restaurant to be a little on the warm side. The food was good, the service was good, the environment absent the loud singing was good, and the prices were reasonable. If you like Mediterranean food or are looking to try Mediterranean food, I recommend you try this place.
(4)
Roberto T.
Amazing food. Tons of options for the meat eaters along with vegetarians (me). I tried the veggie platter and it was on point. The hummus is great. The selection of wines was good. From affordable to really expensive stuff. Turkish coffee was delicious. I wish I could come more often to this gem in Ybor city.
(5)
Farah A.
This restaurant has a perfect harmony -- well seasoned food, delightful service, low-key atmosphere, and you get your money's worth. Start your meal with ANY appetizer, trust me, we tried them all in a Sampler Appetizer. It's enough food for 6 at least if you're having drinks with friends. Our personal favorites were the haydari, ezme, and the bean salad. The bread is served hot and you'll end up wanting to take some home with you. All the dishes we selected were made with fresh ingredients, in house, and the chicken kebab was very tender. I am sure you won't go wrong with any selection. Dining in on a Sunday afternoon, when it wasn't its peak busy hour, allowed us to take our time and linger a while after we were done eating. But, even if it's a busy night, you're welcome to do the same! The culture of Turkish dining is to enjoy your meal and the people you're sharing it with, even if that means a 3 hour meal. So, definitely take advantage of all the courses, including tea and sugar cubes at the end if you want a traditional dining experience. Don't forget the baklava! And if you can, ask for the server Rachel -- she will not miss a beat!
(5)
Nicole S.
Hubby and I ate here for the first time recently and were so impressed. The place was spotless, the staff was wonderful. The owner even took the time to call me back regarding my reservation (in case it was a special occasion). I'm pretty sure I sampled every type of wine before settling. We ordered Lamb Kebab, Haydari and Instanblu Kebab, and followed up with good turkish coffee an Baklava. Everything was just Delicious. We can't wait to return. ;-)
(5)
Hi Face S.
This place is awesome, great food, great service, great crew we had so much fun. They are very friendly and polite, We had a blast. If you like Mediterranean food you should try this place! The belly dancer is perfect and friendly!
(5)
Rach S.
The food at Istanblu is high quality, fresh, and delicious. Thanks to the new owner the ambiance and decor (interior and exterior) has significantly changed for the better. If you're looking for great service and Mediterranean food this is the restaurant for you! I highly recommend giving it a try.
(5)
Anthony P.
Adana Kebab was full of flavor - was on the mild side. No longer offer bulgar - only rice with dish - not a deal breaker - the rice was good. Will visit again. The service was great! They make the best Baklava I've tasted. It's made in house - not shipped in!
(4)
L R.
First time there - toss up between trying some place new or going to Acropolis. So glad we picked new! This place is fantastic and authentic. Very friendly staff. We will be back!
(5)
Kim Z.
It was ok, but not great. We ordered the zucchini pancakes for an appetizer, which were delicious. And then we split the mixed grill dinner, which was just ok. We were THE ONLY table in the restaurant the entire time we were there. This was on a Friday at 7:45pm. Our server was fantastic--very friendly and attentive. (Not hard to do since we were her only customers.) But what was unbelievable was how bad the overall service was of the overall experience.There were three other staff members standing around in the back, not doing anything, which was a bit frustrating to us. We ordered our drinks--one of which was a sangria. Our server had to also play bartender, which meant she had to make the sangria. It wasn't like it was in a jug and all she had to do was pour. So that took time away from us being able to put in our appetizer order. Yet--three staff members were just standing around, doing nothing. Then when our main course came out, it took her three trips to bring out the food and plates-- again, none of the other staff members could help her carry items??? Meanwhile, the timing of the bread that she "just put in the warmer" was terrible, as it came out just as we were nearing the last bites of our meal. Who eats bread after the meal is finished??? The food was just ok. This was our first time here, and the reason I wanted to try was because I heard great things about the bread. --and the bread lived up to expectations. It was YUMMY! But the meat of the mixed grill was just ok. A little dry. And the salad was forgettable. I normally wouldn't comment on the salad in a review. But when Acropolis is just a block away...well...they know how to do a mixed grill and salad waaaay better. And that seems to be the loud consensus because when we walked down the street afterwards, Acropolis was PACKED and LIVELY. We should have gone there instead, but we wanted to try something new. And with that, living the truth of Seinfeld.
(2)
M S.
I walked here in a weekday , don't like the tables with chairs , my meal was a chicken adana , the chicken wasn't good , I didn't like it , they should to chose a good place to buy there chicken
(1)
Tiffany H.
-Sigh- I've been a little disappointed with my last couple experiences at Istanblu. Ever since my first visit (which was fantastic), I have tried to get the kunefe every single time and it's always "sold out." Bummer. They also changed the bread that come
(3)
Elina L.
Every single thing was terrible! We were ignored by the wait staff, food took too long, flavors were below average.
(1)
Michael G.
This review is not for the food, although we walked by it one day between Christmas and New Years, during lunch time and tourist season, and there was literally NO ONE in the restaurant. My review, however is of the platinum blonde waitress, who quite possibly could be the poster girl for dumb blondes. The reason we were walking up and down the Ybor strip was because we were on a mission to find the best Cuban sandwich in Ybor. So when we stuck our heads in here, and she approached us, I asked her if she knew where to get a great Cuban sandwich. Her reply, "Unfortunately we don't really have any Cuban restaurants in this area." WHAT !!!!!!!!! Asides from Miami, this is the most Cuban neighborhood in the UNITES STATES, lol. experience.usatoday.com/…
(3)
Chris M.
Went there with my girlfriend who is Turkish-she loved the food. Very authentic. Service was great. Nice quiet place to get some food and enjoy a night in ybor city
(5)
Kyla V.
This place is fantastic. Have walked past in Ybor many times but never stopped. I'm glad we did today as we had an excellent lunch. They don't normally serve their lunch menu on the weekends, but we didn't know that so the manager offered to let us order off of it, and continued to serve us the rest of the meal. He was very attentive. The food was great, you could tell all of the ingredients were so fresh. I had a wonderful salad with oil and fresh lemon juice and my boyfriend had a chicken wrap and fries, which he deemed the perfect french fry. We were sad when Sundays moved out of this location, but Istanblu is a great replacement and we will be back again!
(5)
Cher T.
Stopped into Istanblu Restaurant and Bar for a quick snack before heading over to the Orpheum to see my son and his band perform. We had some hummus, cheese plate and a veggie tray for three of us and it was just delicious. The hummus was served with a nice warm bread which was a treat from the standard cold pita bread. The prices are moderate but you don't get very much food for the money. The place, however, is gorgeous. There's beautiful front window seating, an upstairs private loft for more intimate dining, great art on the walls and there is a small mart up front where you can purchase belly dancer gear (scarves and belly wraps with bells and jingly thingies) and jewelry. It's very charming. What turned me off about the restaurant was the back parking lot and all the LIVE chickens running around out back, in and out of the kitchen. It was truly nauseating me knowing those chickens were running around, crapping all over the place. Had I seen that FIRST before going in, I probably would not have gone in there. For that, I wanted to give the place two stars, but I threw in an extra star to make it three stars because the service was really great. It is a nice place to go to for a romantic dinner because the ambiance is very cozy and conducive to a romantic dinner...but I am really having a hard time getting past the live chickens, and wondering which one of them would end up on my plate. I don't know that we will go back...but it IS a nice place. If you don't mind meeting your potential dinner in the parking lot before you go in, then go for it. I'm still a little bothered by it.
(3)
Geraldine G.
Delicious food. The grape leave concept was delicious. Loved the music playing in the restaurant, very ethnic. More people should try new types of cuisine and definitely try this place. I left one star out because I believe the service could improve.
(4)
TC Birsen R.
Amazing food. Fresh,tasty and original..Turkey has the most rich food culture in the world for thousands of years. I would recomend this place to everyone. Try it you won't be dissapointed.
(5)
Omur T.
We had dinner here last night. Food was authentic and delicious. We had Shepard's salad, eggplant salad, sigara borek. Unfortunately we didn't leave room for desert. Next time.
(5)
K M.
Very good authentic Turkish cuisine in the middle of Ybor City. Don't get confused and go to the Columbian restaurant; this by far exceeds their offerings. Instanblu is definitely the best in Tampa. Recommend the mixed platter, it's a lot of good kabobs for under $40. Enough for two to have a hearty meal and take extras home for either a midnight snack or lunch the next day. Plenty of seating, nothing is rushed. With that being said, don't go expecting a donar kabob in 10 minutes like some places; here the food is far from fast which means it's excellent.
(5)
Ricardo W.
I came here in Dinner time wow the food was Delicious Delicious ! I will come again.
(5)
Marie P.
Love love love. . Portions are big so you may want to share. ..server was attentive. The flavors are clean and fresh. .. highly recommend and a must try!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Trendy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Greek food is a fine melody of the finest pressed olive oil, fresh fermented bread, colorful vegetables, juicy meat, sea food all cooked in spices and fresh rosemary. The people from Greek were great scholars who aimed to excel in everything they do. The results are quite visible in their food as they are the inventors of olive oil which is beneficial to health. Greeks also made different type of wines from the best quality of grapes fermented in controlled environment.
Today, you can find hundreds of restaurants offering authentic Greek food or popularly termed as Mediterranean cuisine in New York city alone. People wait in line to taste the exotic Greek dishes like saganaki, taramasalata, souvlaki, loukoumades, spanakopita, moussaka, and many more. One thing which most people like about these authentic Greek dishes is abundant use of lemon juice, olive oil, fresh rosemary and sea salt. A smart mix of few ingredients can virtually take you on the pebble streets of beautiful city of Greece.
For those who don't have time to enjoy fine dining should try tasting the famous souvlaki with pita which is type of meat dish, also a trademark Greek fast food. For those who are vegetarian, or vegan can try different versions of Greek Salad. So, if you wish to enjoy a hearty yet healthy meal that tastes divine then try dining at the best Greek restaurant in your city. Greek cuisine not only tastes good but also help maintain your body in a natural way through healthy diet.
Paul P.
Went here with a couple of friends on a Saturday night. One of our friends requires gluten free food and the restaurant was more than happy to accommodate. The restaurant has both upstairs and downstairs seating. We were seated downstairs. We ordered a appetizer sampler which was very good. The bread brought out to the table shortly after you arrive comes in handy with many of these appetizers, which are more like spreads than something you actually eat by themselves. We ordered the mixed grill for two, actually both couples ordered the mix grill for two, and this was a good decision. Especially after chowing down on the appetizer sampler the mixed grill for two was plenty of food. There were different types of meats which came on a plate laced with a flat pita/tortilla. Everything was deliscious and there was plenty to eat for everyone, in fact, we all had leftovers to take home. There was supposed to be a belly dancer, but that didn't happen. Not a big deal however there was someone in the front who was singing. The singing itself wasn't bad but it was loud, overwhelming, and made it difficult to have a conversation. Thankfully the singing started after we were done with our meals and close to being ready to leave. I also found the temperature in the restaurant to be a little on the warm side. The food was good, the service was good, the environment absent the loud singing was good, and the prices were reasonable. If you like Mediterranean food or are looking to try Mediterranean food, I recommend you try this place.
(4)Roberto T.
Amazing food. Tons of options for the meat eaters along with vegetarians (me). I tried the veggie platter and it was on point. The hummus is great. The selection of wines was good. From affordable to really expensive stuff. Turkish coffee was delicious. I wish I could come more often to this gem in Ybor city.
(5)Farah A.
This restaurant has a perfect harmony -- well seasoned food, delightful service, low-key atmosphere, and you get your money's worth. Start your meal with ANY appetizer, trust me, we tried them all in a Sampler Appetizer. It's enough food for 6 at least if you're having drinks with friends. Our personal favorites were the haydari, ezme, and the bean salad. The bread is served hot and you'll end up wanting to take some home with you. All the dishes we selected were made with fresh ingredients, in house, and the chicken kebab was very tender. I am sure you won't go wrong with any selection. Dining in on a Sunday afternoon, when it wasn't its peak busy hour, allowed us to take our time and linger a while after we were done eating. But, even if it's a busy night, you're welcome to do the same! The culture of Turkish dining is to enjoy your meal and the people you're sharing it with, even if that means a 3 hour meal. So, definitely take advantage of all the courses, including tea and sugar cubes at the end if you want a traditional dining experience. Don't forget the baklava! And if you can, ask for the server Rachel -- she will not miss a beat!
(5)Nicole S.
Hubby and I ate here for the first time recently and were so impressed. The place was spotless, the staff was wonderful. The owner even took the time to call me back regarding my reservation (in case it was a special occasion). I'm pretty sure I sampled every type of wine before settling. We ordered Lamb Kebab, Haydari and Instanblu Kebab, and followed up with good turkish coffee an Baklava. Everything was just Delicious. We can't wait to return. ;-)
(5)Cher T.
Stopped into Istanblu Restaurant and Bar for a quick snack before heading over to the Orpheum to see my son and his band perform. We had some hummus, cheese plate and a veggie tray for three of us and it was just delicious. The hummus was served with a nice warm bread which was a treat from the standard cold pita bread. The prices are moderate but you don't get very much food for the money. The place, however, is gorgeous. There's beautiful front window seating, an upstairs private loft for more intimate dining, great art on the walls and there is a small mart up front where you can purchase belly dancer gear (scarves and belly wraps with bells and jingly thingies) and jewelry. It's very charming. What turned me off about the restaurant was the back parking lot and all the LIVE chickens running around out back, in and out of the kitchen. It was truly nauseating me knowing those chickens were running around, crapping all over the place. Had I seen that FIRST before going in, I probably would not have gone in there. For that, I wanted to give the place two stars, but I threw in an extra star to make it three stars because the service was really great. It is a nice place to go to for a romantic dinner because the ambiance is very cozy and conducive to a romantic dinner...but I am really having a hard time getting past the live chickens, and wondering which one of them would end up on my plate. I don't know that we will go back...but it IS a nice place. If you don't mind meeting your potential dinner in the parking lot before you go in, then go for it. I'm still a little bothered by it.
(3)Michelle S.
We happened to stop while visiting from out of town because my Husband saw Doner on the menu. The food and service was amazing!!!! Met the new owner and she is the most beautiful person! Definitely visit this restaurant! You will not be disappointed!
(5)Steve P.
This place is wonderful. I don't know what authentic Turkish is but, this food is totally unique and delicious. We will definitely be back!
(5)Geraldine G.
Delicious food. The grape leave concept was delicious. Loved the music playing in the restaurant, very ethnic. More people should try new types of cuisine and definitely try this place. I left one star out because I believe the service could improve.
(4)TC Birsen R.
Amazing food. Fresh,tasty and original..Turkey has the most rich food culture in the world for thousands of years. I would recomend this place to everyone. Try it you won't be dissapointed.
(5)Greg A.
This place is beautiful inside and they have an actual pianist playing for nice mood music..making it feel like an upscale place. The food is average and the service is not very good. Why? The menu does not describe the actual food that you are served. For example. We asked for pita bread to go with a gyro dinner that. The woman (seems to be possibly one if the owners) said this is pita bread and pointed to a dinner roll that we had been served. That roll was very good and warm but a pita is was not. We said no that is not pita bread and she said this was their pita bread. We didn't argue further as my cold gyro was getting colder. A few minutes later we heard another waitress as a nearby table if they wanted pita bread to go with their meals and they said yes and returned with it. When we Asked our waitress again if they had pita bread she said no...so we asked about the other server offering it to her customers she said she was new n didn't know why she asked that. She mumbled about going to check to see if there was any in the kitchen. A few minutes later she returned with one piece of pita n walked away. Earlier the table behind us was obviously upset as the food they were served was not as described in the menu. The placed has a sign outside that says the best Mediterranean food in town. I would think with a billing like that they would have pita bread...I'm just saying. Oh one more thing...they have a belly dancer that stands in the open entrance in her outfit to entice people to enter...could help but feel I was in a strip bar and the stripper were outside teasing the public to come in and see the show while all the time clicking her castanets... I felt dirty as I left. I would have given a higher star rating if the problem was just at our table and if the server didn't feel the need to argue with her customers.
(1)May Z.
Was really looking forward to this place, considering I'm from Egypt and have traveled all over the Middle East and the Mediterranean, and my boyfriend recently came back from Turkey. We love Turkish/Med cuisine, and have noticed Instanblu on our trips to Ybor many times, making a point to finally try it. Meh is basically an accurate summation of the entire experience. The food was ok, nothing to write home about and certainly no where near the quality of the cuisine that it should be. We were disappointed. The one dish that was above average were the potato cakes appetizer, which were honestly delish. Everything else - I got Mussakka and my boyfriend got a Gyro Platter - was sub-par. To boot, the environment/atmosphere: WAY too loud. Like, as in, freakin screamin with the music on the speakers outside. I know this is Ybor, and we frequent Ybor on the regular, but class it up a bit and turn down the volume so that people can at least avoid screaming at the waiter to order. And speaking of ordering: holy crap, could there be any less consideration to the actual timing of food? We ordered our apps and entrees and they not only took forever to come out (the place was NOT at all busy), but they came out together, at the same time. What is the point of getting apps if they're going to be coming out WITH the food?? Not to mention, bread for the love of God. Bring bread with dips. This isn't rocket science and it's typical Turkish/Med cuisine policy, as a matter of fact. Anyway, will never go back. Glad we tried it so we know, but there are tons of better Turkish/Med places in Tampa. This was seriously a disappointment.
(2)Bob B.
Betty and I came here this evening and liked the fact they have al fresco dining. While walking down 7th Ave I was in the midst of enjoying a stogie so we sat outside. One off putting thing was that it is right next door to a club and the club had a lot of patrons loitering outside. Next time I would choose to dine inside. The inside was quite inviting with brick walls and table cloth lined tables. It was obviously much more intimate. It is Ybor though, so it is what it is. On to the food. Betty and I started with the stuffed grape leaves which were a bit more larger and more decadent than your average stuffed dolma type dish. The extra virgin olive oil with lemon was a nice touch. We then shared the mixed grill which came with a small side salad and a basket of flatbread. The mixed grill had a few large chunks of roasted tomatoes and green bell peppers. This is all for show for all the glorious meat. There were a couple different types of lamb and a couple types of chicken. All were very good and had good grill flavor, I would say my favorite was the ground chicken on a skewer. Service was attentive and friendly. Overall, we would definitely come back, just sit inside.
(4)Anastasia M.
Great food! Get the tea of god cocktail and their shush kabobs!
(5)Jen Y.
Dorado was great. We stopped by randomly to just have desert. We had the cupra, gape leaf, ayran and kunefe. It was great food and as a Turk tjis should count more...
(5)Lori V.
The hummus is out of this world. The salad dressing so good. The chicken is flavored very well. I mainly go here for lunch but have also been for dinner once. It is a favorite of mine due to the authentic flavors and good service. Ask your server for help ordering. They are educated on the menu.
(4)Lisa G.
It was a very nice restaurant and the service was really good. It was my first experience with Turkish food and it was a-okay. I had the stuffed cabbage which was ok. But I would try a different dish next time. They also had a belly dancer, which was interesting. I'll let you judge that yourself. But it's a good date place, swanky and sheik.
(5)Cory N.
Came for lunch on a Sunday. Service was pretty slow but overall the food was good. I had the stuffed cabbage. Came with bread which was nice for dipping in the sauce
(4)Rebecca E.
Went here because I missed being in Turkey and enjoying their fabulous food. Not quite as good as the real deal, but definitely hit the spot. I definitely recommend the Mezze platter... Eight samples of deliciousness!
(4)Heather V.
If I could give a 1/2 star, I would. We arrived when they were not busy and sat outside. We ordered the hummus, which the waiter raved about being "fresh ground". Apparently they just ground the chick peas and added olive oil without seasoning it more; it was bland and desperately needed lemon juice and salt! Then my red lentil soup came out... luke warm, so I sent it back to be heated. Should have had them keep it: again, bland and completely lacking in the thick, silky texture I've come to expect of red lentil soup! We waited for another 30 mins, and the restaurant was getting busier. A table of 4 sat down next to us. They got their appetizers and drinks... and then the waiter, the same waiter who was serving us, served them their entrees before we had gotten ours! We stopped him and asked what the deal was, and rather than check to see, he chose to guess and say he didn't know but they may have given our food away. Wait... WHAT? In what universe is that an acceptable answer to give customers that are already upset, especially without checking? It turned out he was wrong, the kitchen was plating our food right then, but it was too late. My daughter and I walked down to the El Grecco cafe down the street while my boyfriend "handled" the situation. I will definitely NOT be back.
(1)Martic R.
I was very very impressed with the food. I decided to go during the week at lunch time, it was pretty empty. We ordered the appetizer sampler .. And what a great selection. I was expecting a small few items but there was hummus, tomato dip, white beans, tabouli and enough to make it a full plate. We each order a lunch plate also and like always I had to take half of it home. I ordered the beef kebabs and the taste was great unfortunately the meat was not as tender as I expected. Overall great food, I will definitely be back. It's great to visit Ybor during the day and parking it's also a breeze.
(4)Kathy S.
Went to Istanblu last night with some friends with the intent of having dinner and drinks. I honestly don't know how the restaurant is in business given their horrendous table service. I've had some pretty bad experiences in the past, but this one absolutely takes the cake. We walked in and there was only one 4-top being serviced on the main floor. So they weren't busy at all. However, given how long it took for the (Columbian) server to take our drink order, you would've thought it was their busiest day ever. My friend ordered a Tonic-based drink, and she made it with sparkling water instead. (Yes.. She was both our Server and Bartender, despite there being two male employees doing absolutely nothing.) She made the drink again, but this time with soda water. After sending the drink back a second time, she claimed the Tonic "wasn't working." Then one of the male employees not doing anything heroically found a can of Tonic. Finally, she got the drink right. After getting us our drinks, we didn't see her for at least another 25-30 minutes. During that time, we decided we weren't staying for dinner. Rather, we'd drink our drinks, have a few appetizers, and go somewhere else for dinner. When we placed our appetizer order, we asked for more bread while we wait. Our server told us promptly that more bread would be an additional charge (first I've ever heard that..) - $0.99. If you're only going to charge me a buck for more bread, why charge me at all? Anyway. I noticed that a 5-top came in 10-15 minutes after we did, had their drinks, AND their food already. WTF. Finally, after waiting another 20-25 minutes or so, we finally got our appetizer order - almost AN HOUR after walking in! I must admit, the Tea of the Gods was good, albeit made with sweet tea. And the appetizers were good - even the $0.99 bread. But that's definitely NOT enough to make me want to come back. Clearly, they care more about their nightly bar business than they do about their restaurant business. It shows in their gross lack of table service. If they had someone show them how to properly tend to their guests, this place could be a smash hit. But they are far from that now.
(2)Jonathan T.
Went with my girlfriend here on a date and thought the restaurant looked very nice. The service was on point and the food was pretty good. I'd recommend anyone to check it out if they are in the mood for something different.
(3)Hoda B.
I tried the donner with burgul, it was delicious, but the portion is on the small size. The staff were very friendly.
(4)Aaron R.
Delicious lunch! I came here with a friend this afternoon for lunch. We had a mezze platter and a couple donner plates. Instead of the typical doner of ground and pressed meat, it was whole cuts of beef, a fresh salad, toasted bread and grilled veggies. The prices were very reasonable with most of their generous lunch plates falling in the $8 - 12 range. The casual outdoor patio seating and quick service topped it off. A+
(5)Mario C.
Overall, food was good but I was disappointed in the ribeye kabobs. Steak was very well done (and i am more of a medium type guy w/ my steak). That said we had the appetizer sampler, with hummus, baba gaganush, tzatziki, eggplant, an a whole lot more. This sampler was really good, along with the Mediterranean bread. Definitely coming back.
(3)Marie P.
Love love love. . Portions are big so you may want to share. ..server was attentive. The flavors are clean and fresh. .. highly recommend and a must try!
(5)Thomas C K.
A bit of a disaster! Arrived at 6pm - ordered our appetizer which was ok - then waited for our entrees for 1 hr and 15 minutes - at which time we were no longer hungry and asked to take the food home. The waiter was pleasant but that does not make up for the extraordinary long wait....overall food quality was 3 stars, wait service 3 stars but overall experience was only 2 stars. We will not go back.
(2)Ufuk G.
i went to with my coworker after Busch Gardens. Great ambiances but not a great food!! Especially baklava (if you don't know how to make it right don't make it)
(3)Carolyn C.
First, the baked goods (Ecmec and phyllo dough) were very tasty and made in house. However, the Borek had almost no filing, everything was overcooked (except for the rice, which was crunchy and undercooked), and lamb kebab was served instead if Adana kebab due to the server's error. To apologize, we were served complementary baklava, but would have liked to try the Adana. The restaurant was empty the whole time and we should have seen that as a sign. If we return in the future it will be for some Ecmec- To go.
(2)Ricardo W.
I came here in Dinner time wow the food was Delicious Delicious ! I will come again.
(5)Megan W.
Wow is all I can really say right now. One of the best things about living in Ybor city is our close proximity to amazing restaurants. With that said, we've gotten a little bored after living here for a year and a half. We are always looking for a new great find. And boy did we find it today at lunch. I randomly stumbled across Istanblu Restaurant and Bar which is located in the old Sunday's Fine Dining Restaurant. When we walked in at lunch, we were the only table. We were told they were in the process of their soft opening and not yet advertising. I was beyond impressed with the result. My boyfriend and I split the Mixed Grill Kebabs which I will suggest to anyone trying out Turkish food for the first time so you get to try a little of everything. Our plate consisted of Doner (homemade Gyro), Chicken Shish Kebab (Tavuk Shish), Adana Kebab (chopped lamb), Beef Tenderloin Shish Kebab and Chicken Chops. This was served with rice and grilled tomatoes. I can honestly say that this may be my new favorite restaurant in Ybor City. The flavors were incredible. The atmosphere was amazing. It was romantic and trendy. Over the next few weeks, they will have live music and belly dancers. We are looking forward to our next visit and I encourage all you Yelpers to give this place a try. I want to see this restaurant succeed.
(5)Jim S.
AUTHENTIC TURKISH CUISINE is Great and this place does it right. I made my first trip here and was pleasantly surprised. Having lived in Turkey for some time I really wasn't expecting it to be as authentic as I always had in Turkey but it was a wonderful experience that brought back so many wonderful memories of Turkey. The Adana kebab (lamb) was as good as it gets. Ayran or laban is a Turkish cold beverage of yogurt mixed with cold water and sometimes salt was so good and refreshing. The prices were very reasonable for authentic Turkish Cuisine. I can't wait to visit again.
(5)Andrew S.
My wife and I wanted to try this place a couple weeks ago but we remembered on the way there that it was the evening of the Gasparilla night parade so we decided to wait for another weekend. One thing to note as well ... my wife and I eat out QUITE often and of all different cuisines, it so happens that Mediterranean and specifically Turkish is one of our favourites. She has lived in NYC and had some of the best Turkish here in the states from there and we make it a point to try new Turkish places throughout central FL if they open. All that said ... With my parents in town and it my wife's birthday this coming week, my wife decided she wanted to have a birthday dinner at Istanblu, Sat Feb 16th. With that we had a party of 6 of us and arrived for our reservation. The ambiance of the place hasnt changed a whole lot from what it has been for years ... I recall going to a restaurant that was in the same venue some 10-12 years that was a sushi place and it was pretty much identical. The Food / Meal Quality As far as meals go, we had multiple apps and everyone had their own entree. We had the zucchini pancakes, shepherds salad, some babagunash and the sigara boregi (cheese pastry thing). For entree's different members of the party ordered the Beyti Kebap, Doner Kebap, the chicken shish and shrimp kebap. CATEGORICALLY ... I would say of ALL of these apps and entrees, THEY ALL SUCKED compared to the competition. Gengiz Khan which is off of MacDill and Interbay is 1000x better for all the same dishes. Do note, this is even with us not really "loving Gengiz Khan" ... it just happens to be very close to our house so we eat there frequently because of ease. Moreover, while Byblos is Lebonese, not Turkish ... the cuisines are so close that its hard not to compare them ... Byblos blows Istanblu out of the water, they arent even in the same league. The Service The service quality was worse than the food by a million times. The place was not especially busy when we came in. That said it was an extended time before any of the apps made their way out. When the waiter brought the bottle of wine that we had requested, my brother in law requested 3 times to have me try the wine to make sure the bottle was okay ... instead the waiter didnt even bother having someone check the wine, he just started pouring the glasses. Thankfully it was fine but it was irritating nonetheless. Once the apps finally made their way out they were hohumm, nothing special (as already noted in the food quality). Then was the highlight (from a comedic sense) and lowest point from a service perspective ... Two of entree's were brought out to members of our party. Neither of the individuals wanted to get started without the other members of the party having their meals, thinking that everything was on its way out. At which point our waiter disappeared for upwards of roughly 5 minutes. He then reappears (not with any of the additional meals) and explains that "the other dishes should be up soon, that you shouldnt wait ... that in Turkey its customary for dishes to be brought out as they are done and everyone might be served at different times" ... we all sat in disbelief as this guy just pulled this cr@p out of his @ss. Regardless, we chuckled and didnt rock the boat. About 5-10 minutes later 3 more meals came out (by this time the 2 that had already been delivered were almost done). Not only that but they were brought out lukewarm at best, definitely not hot. It was easy to tell that they had been sitting for a while. That left us still waiting on 1 meal, my mothers meal. Having already been fed the line of cr@p about dishes coming at different times, my mother thought like all of us that hers would be right out in another minute. Long story short, our waiter never checked back in and after another 10-15 minutes I flagged down some other waiter and said "find our guy". Once he showed up, again minutes later, he went to the back to check on it only to find that ... "ooooopppps, I'm sorry, I forgot to put your order for the Doner Kebap in". By this point, everyone at the table was done essentially and none of the food was memorable in a good way anyway so there was no desire to wait on that or another dish to be made. For this cr@ppy service level what was offered???? "do you want a desert on us"!? You've got to be kidding ... meanwhile, nothing was offered / done as part of us having a big birthday party there such as any of the other Mediterranean restaurants in the area. Needless to say, we'll never be back and I cannot in anyway recommend this place over the other establishments here in Tampa. Gengiz Khan is 1000% better than this place and Byblos is 10000000% times better. I give Istanblu at most 6 months then they'll probably be gone.
(1)Gerardo L.
I really like the bubble bread they have. Probably service needs to be faster, but they were really nice and the place has so much potential. The hummus was good, and the veggies were great. It was really a good meal. I will give them a try if I'm in Ybor.
(4)Roberto A.
I really loved this place. The appetizer sampler was fantastic and we followed that with shrimp kebabs and moussaka. I liked the Turkish version better than the Greek. We had a very interesting, fruity Turkish wine and followed it with baklava and Turkish coffee. I heartily endorse this restaurant.
(5)Matt F.
Nice change of pace in the Tampa area. It's nice to see the Ybor area bringing in some new restaurants and add a little more variety to the Tampa area. The food was great and seemed very authentic. The staff was good but for some reason the service was exceptionally slow. This was particularly the case when we wanted to pay and head out. We'll definitely give it another try though.
(4)Donald H.
Used to live in Istanbul & enoyed this place immensely...! Good lamb dishes....very good service...! I will return...often!!!
(5)Ross R.
It was our first visit to Ybor so we decided to check out Istanblu. We traveled to Turkey last year and we really enjoyed the country, food and culture. Unfortunately Instanblu was a disappointment. The owner has put an effort to decorate the place and create a great atmosphere, however the service was poor. We selected our drinks just to be told they don't have these vines in stock. The waitress did not know any of dishes and couldn't answer any questions. We ordered the Soslu Patlican (grilled eggplant) appetizer, the waitress brought us an appetizer that looked and tasted like gaspacho soup. I looked at the menu again and found out that we are having Ezme - the veggie dip. The waitress insisted that we are having the eggplant, although clearly we got something completely different. We ordered the stuffed peppers and chicken kebap. The food came after 40 min, but for some reason was not hot. It looked like it has been sitting somewhere for a while. The quality and taste were mediocre. We did not order desserts. Since it was Friday night we expected live music, but they didn't have it on that night but had a Ipad connected to a speaker playing some Turkish music. For the premium prices we paid ($9 for a glass of wine, $19 for a few pieces of grilled chicken) we expected more. Needless to say we won't be back here again.
(1)Ilona C.
I was in the area for the holidays with my parents, and I wanted something other than Columbia (which they go to all the time because they are Latin). Luckily, Istanblu did not dissapoint! I started off with the hummus- FRESHLY MADE! There is nothing I detest more than paying for processed hummus that comes out of a plastic tub. The portion was not as large as other places, however once again- it is REAL and so delicious! My dad ordered the Chicken Adana, and he was quite pleased the portion. My Latin dad tends to eat anything and criticize it later, however he enjoyed every bite. My mom ordered the Lamb gyro dinner (although it seemed to not have come with the advertised Bulgar pilav, that's why I deducted a star- she was really looking forward to that) and I ordered the Istanblu Kebap with also had lamb. The lamb was seasoned well and as I mentioned before it tasted very fresh and not processed. My favorite part of my dish with the pita that was mixed with the lamb and that absorbed the sauce- I would definitely order again! The waiter was friendly and mentioned that as of the new year, they will have a belly dancer on premises during certain weekdays- I only wish I lived closer to check that out! What would only make it better is if they also gave lessons...something to think about. I highly recommend this place for someone who wants to enjoy a great cultural dinner and for people who appreciate fresh food and appropriate meal portions, which is hard to come by in the USA these days. I hope to visit next year when I am back in Florida.
(4)Dominic S.
My girlfriend and I had come into Istanblu for a new place to try. When we walked in there was maybe two tables with people. Keep in mind it was a late lunch during a week day. Now the service was a bit slow but it was a new manager doing the work of two servers. With that being said we were not in a hurry or upset at the situation. Their food is made fresh and it reminded me of the food I had eaten when I was deployed overseas to Iraq. I was quite impressed and can not wait to go eat there again!
(5)Melissa G.
My friend raved about how amazing this place was, but when we went the service was terrible. When we approached the hostess station, a woman walked up and asked if she could help us (obviously we want to eat). When we said we wanted a seat, she looked at us like she was confused. The manager stepped up and seated us. That same woman ended up being our server & her attitude didn't get better. We had to ask 3 times from 2 different servers if we could get drinks & napkins. Dinner came before our napkins or the drinks. Then about half way through dinner they turned the music up for the belly dancer. It was so loud it was impossible to have a conversation. We had to walk downstairs & find someone to get our bill because the server never came back after she dropped off the food (so we didn't get refills on drinks either). The food was decent but not worth the price or the attitude. I will not be coming back.
(1)Ahmed B.
They now have the Turkish Lavash bread. The experience is complete. Not sure about the Hazy Turk martini.
(4)Robby M.
The restaurant is in the old Sundays Fine Dining location. We were greeted by the owner when we walked in that was really nice then our server wandered over brought us water and the menu and never asked us again if we wanted anything else to drink. We ordered the cheese appetizer really good feta but that was all you got. I ordered the stuffed cabbage decent flavor and quite a lot to eat my wife ordered the Donner it was not so pleasant. The meat was tough and not hot did not come out with any sauce and was very bland to begin with. We will not be going back.
(2)Alaena H.
I dined here this evening and was extremely pleased with the experience. The interior is clean, open and trendy with light music and a great view of passerby. Our waiter Chris was attentive and went out of his way several times to accomodate our questions and requests. Food took me back to my Lebanese grandmother's cooking - homemade yoghurt with cucumber, shepherds salad with a perfeclty spiced dressing and grape leaves with caramelized onions. Ribeye was grilled perfectly and accompanied by basmati rice and tangy sweet vegetable salad. Definitely bringing family and friends back to this authentic family-owned establishment. So much fresher and healthier than popular Greek American restaurant down the street.
(5)Christy S.
Had a lovely dinner outside with friends. Weather was perfect & took advantage of their half off happy hour on beer & wine, very attractive! Service was excellent, they were friendly, eager but didn't rush us out. We had the calamari and lamb liver as appetizers, both very tasty! Also had the lamb as a dinner entree and it was well cooked and tasty. We will be back. It's a nice change from your usual cuisine.
(4)Kelley B.
They we're out of everything we wanted to order, the food we did get was cold when it shouldn't have been. Nice looking restaurant, but for the same amount of money you can get much better food elsewhere in Ybor.
(2)Susan M.
I was really exited to try Istanblu, I love Turkish food. Unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations. The space is beautiful, but still looks very much like it's days as Sunday's Fine Dining. We went in on a Friday night and there were only 2 other people seated. When our server came over and introduced himself he told us he was new and apologized for not knowing how to pronounce any of the dishes. Things didn't really get any better from there. We ordered a cheese plate as an appetizer. I'm pretty sure the description said it was a "selection" of cheeses. We got a plate of feta. It was good feta, salty and fresh tasting, but it was only one type of cheese. My husband ordered the stuffed cabbage and I ordered the doner. His stuffed cabbage was good, good flavor, good sauce, and lucky for him it arrived hot. My doner on the other hand...was almost inedible. It came out cold. The meat had been so overcooked (before it got cold) that it was like chewing on crunchy shoe leather. I asked for some yogurt sauce to drown it in to try and soften it up. It literally left a bad taste in my mouth. And I hate that because I really really wanted to like this place. It's not cheap either. Unfortunately we won't be back.
(2)Ashley N.
I don't know how there are so many good reviews for this restaurant. I went here with some friends and it took an hour to get our food. The server was very rude and slow, and didn't seem to have a clue what he was doing. I ordered the doner and it was very dry, and not cheap! I couldn't even eat it. Terrible service, terrible food. For the money, you can find somewhere better to eat!
(1)Michael G.
Great place and great food! -authentic foods, great selection, and good portions. Service was all good ...even the owner came to our table. The cheesy, honey desert (forget the name) is definitely a must.
(4)Paul P.
Went here with a couple of friends on a Saturday night. One of our friends requires gluten free food and the restaurant was more than happy to accommodate. The restaurant has both upstairs and downstairs seating. We were seated downstairs. We ordered a appetizer sampler which was very good. The bread brought out to the table shortly after you arrive comes in handy with many of these appetizers, which are more like spreads than something you actually eat by themselves. We ordered the mixed grill for two, actually both couples ordered the mix grill for two, and this was a good decision. Especially after chowing down on the appetizer sampler the mixed grill for two was plenty of food. There were different types of meats which came on a plate laced with a flat pita/tortilla. Everything was deliscious and there was plenty to eat for everyone, in fact, we all had leftovers to take home. There was supposed to be a belly dancer, but that didn't happen. Not a big deal however there was someone in the front who was singing. The singing itself wasn't bad but it was loud, overwhelming, and made it difficult to have a conversation. Thankfully the singing started after we were done with our meals and close to being ready to leave. I also found the temperature in the restaurant to be a little on the warm side. The food was good, the service was good, the environment absent the loud singing was good, and the prices were reasonable. If you like Mediterranean food or are looking to try Mediterranean food, I recommend you try this place.
(4)Roberto T.
Amazing food. Tons of options for the meat eaters along with vegetarians (me). I tried the veggie platter and it was on point. The hummus is great. The selection of wines was good. From affordable to really expensive stuff. Turkish coffee was delicious. I wish I could come more often to this gem in Ybor city.
(5)Farah A.
This restaurant has a perfect harmony -- well seasoned food, delightful service, low-key atmosphere, and you get your money's worth. Start your meal with ANY appetizer, trust me, we tried them all in a Sampler Appetizer. It's enough food for 6 at least if you're having drinks with friends. Our personal favorites were the haydari, ezme, and the bean salad. The bread is served hot and you'll end up wanting to take some home with you. All the dishes we selected were made with fresh ingredients, in house, and the chicken kebab was very tender. I am sure you won't go wrong with any selection. Dining in on a Sunday afternoon, when it wasn't its peak busy hour, allowed us to take our time and linger a while after we were done eating. But, even if it's a busy night, you're welcome to do the same! The culture of Turkish dining is to enjoy your meal and the people you're sharing it with, even if that means a 3 hour meal. So, definitely take advantage of all the courses, including tea and sugar cubes at the end if you want a traditional dining experience. Don't forget the baklava! And if you can, ask for the server Rachel -- she will not miss a beat!
(5)Nicole S.
Hubby and I ate here for the first time recently and were so impressed. The place was spotless, the staff was wonderful. The owner even took the time to call me back regarding my reservation (in case it was a special occasion). I'm pretty sure I sampled every type of wine before settling. We ordered Lamb Kebab, Haydari and Instanblu Kebab, and followed up with good turkish coffee an Baklava. Everything was just Delicious. We can't wait to return. ;-)
(5)Vibha C.
Reasonable food. Unfortunately the service is so bad it almost makes you forget the food by the time you walk out. They need to coach their waitresses better. The belly dancer is very friendly!
(1)Noelle L.
Istanblu was a wonderful experience. Our server was fabulous and we were able to sit outside and enjoy the cool January air (and people watch). I had a glass of their Torrontes which was crisp and very enjoyable. My boyfriend enjoyed a Blue Moon. We did not have a reservation, but the place was sadly empty :( There was another couple there, and midway through our meal another party of four arrived. PLEASE my fellow yelpers, come support this local restaurant! The food is fantastic, which is what I'll get to in a moment. I do not want to see this restaurant leave Ybor. We ordered their homemade hummus, which came out adorned with a kalamata olive and a few sprinklings of chick peas. It came with fresh wood fired flat pita bread and in about 5 minutes, we were part of the appetizer "clean plate club". We shared the mixed grill for two, priced very reasonable at $34.95. It offered chicken, steak, and lamb prepared two ways (gyro meat, as well as a lamb meatball). It came accompanied with more pita bread, their house salad (olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice with shaved carrots, red cabbage, and iceberg lettuce), and their house rice (with vermicelli bits). The meat was all savory and very well seasoned. One of my biggest gripes at restaurants is that the chef doesn't have a heavy enough hand when it comes to seasoning their entrees. The chef here did not disappoint! It also came paired with two sauces to dip the meat in: a hot sauce and a cucumber yogurt sauce. Both were terrific! Will we be back? Yes, and with company to boot. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!
(4)Gale F.
Great place. If you have vegan and vegetarian tastes (or friends) this is fantastic. If you love great bread, fresh food and a little of this and a little of that, try this place. The staff were knowledgeable about what was spicy and what wasn't and they have lots of sharing-dishes. You can pick and nibble and chat and ask for more of things you like, and feel that sense of relaxation and being alive. I tend to find the silver and blue decor a bit cold, but most people love it. Great.
(4)Derek N.
Went out on a late lunch Sunday looking for an adventure. We have seen this place many times while we drove through Ybor and decided to stop in and see what it was about. We were quickly greeted and sat at a table outdoors. Our server looked nervous but we did not care. She took our drink order (two waters) and even offered us some free tea, i declined because I am not a huge fan of tea. She returned quickly with our water and we order two apps. When she returned she brought to bread rolls. They we seasoned very well, and the butter was room temperature so it was easy to spread (hard to find soft butter) The Haydari and the Hummus were our apps. The Haydari reminded us of Tzatziki, and was delicious. I recommend saving some of this to put on your main dish. The Hummus was also very tasty. Compared to other concepts in Tampa, these apps had them beat. We did have to wait for about 5 minutes for them to bring pita bread for these apps. They did offer us a substitute while we waited, but we wanted PITA!!! We split a main dish, Rib eye Shish. It was served with a small salad on the plate with a vinaigrette, flavorful rice, and 1/2 of grilled tomato and one small grilled pepper. The rib-eye was WELL DONE. We were never asked how we would like our steak but well done would have been on the bottom of the list. Could have been seasoned a little more, it was a little tough, and of course overcooked. For 17.75$ it wasn't bad, increase the seasoning and not over cook the meat it would be worth it. Next time I would skip the salad on the plate and ask for more rice. The Apps helped out filling us up and were the best part of our meal. I wont check this place off my list because I feel they have more to offer. Our server was very nervous becuase it was her second day but she did a great job.
(3)Jacob T.
Great place to eat. Though the seating could be a little nicer for how much they charge. I got zucchini pancakes, great, a little greasy but yum. Then lamb shish kabop... Beautifully cooked medium, so tender and flavorful.
(4)Mark P.
although I arrived a couple minutes after their lunch had ended at 3pm, I was given the dinner menu which is significantly pricier...the food itself was pretty good, however, what I found odd was the description doesn't match what they give you. I got a gyro which you would think would be lamb wrapped in pita bread. But what they do is here is put the lamb on top of a couple pieces of another kind of bread, not pita, and not wrapped. Before I ordered I had even asked what I was getting and was told how it was prepared. I told her I wanted a gyro wrap. She had told me she would accommodate me although she said something like "pita was only served at lunch". But another waitress brought out my order and it wasn't prepared as I had asked. Also strange that it didn't come with tzatziki sauce. It was just plain ole lamb. So I asked for it and they didn't have any. Took 15 min to whip some up, which is when I was finally given ketchup for my fries after I asked. waitresses were hiding in the kitchen most of the time (or smoke break?) while the couple customers were just left to themselves. The waitresses were nice enough when present and food was decent, hence the 2 stars but I can't get myself to give it 3 stars - maybe if I got lunch prices. if you asked me, would I go back? I would say no unfortunately.
(2)Hoda B.
I tried the donner with burgul, it was delicious, but the portion is on the small size. The staff were very friendly.
(4)Aaron R.
Delicious lunch! I came here with a friend this afternoon for lunch. We had a mezze platter and a couple donner plates. Instead of the typical doner of ground and pressed meat, it was whole cuts of beef, a fresh salad, toasted bread and grilled veggies. The prices were very reasonable with most of their generous lunch plates falling in the $8 - 12 range. The casual outdoor patio seating and quick service topped it off. A+
(5)Jo G.
I had an early dinner here last night with friends and family. Perfect time to go since it was a weekday and not busy. We ordered the appetizer sampler, which had eight small dishes of different main appetizers. The dolma was on point! Then we all ordered the same thing, which was the Adana kebob as we had an Adana native in our party. She was pleased with the food and said that this was the closest thing to authentic Turkish food. The inside is gorgeous and large with outdoor seating as well. Our waiter was super friendly too!
(4)Hi Face S.
This place is awesome, great food, great service, great crew we had so much fun. They are very friendly and polite, We had a blast. If you like Mediterranean food you should try this place! The belly dancer is perfect and friendly!
(5)Anthony P.
Adana Kebab was full of flavor - was on the mild side. No longer offer bulgar - only rice with dish - not a deal breaker - the rice was good. Will visit again. The service was great! They make the best Baklava I've tasted. It's made in house - not shipped in!
(4)L R.
First time there - toss up between trying some place new or going to Acropolis. So glad we picked new! This place is fantastic and authentic. Very friendly staff. We will be back!
(5)Chris M.
Went there with my girlfriend who is Turkish-she loved the food. Very authentic. Service was great. Nice quiet place to get some food and enjoy a night in ybor city
(5)Kim Z.
It was ok, but not great. We ordered the zucchini pancakes for an appetizer, which were delicious. And then we split the mixed grill dinner, which was just ok. We were THE ONLY table in the restaurant the entire time we were there. This was on a Friday at 7:45pm. Our server was fantastic--very friendly and attentive. (Not hard to do since we were her only customers.) But what was unbelievable was how bad the overall service was of the overall experience.There were three other staff members standing around in the back, not doing anything, which was a bit frustrating to us. We ordered our drinks--one of which was a sangria. Our server had to also play bartender, which meant she had to make the sangria. It wasn't like it was in a jug and all she had to do was pour. So that took time away from us being able to put in our appetizer order. Yet--three staff members were just standing around, doing nothing. Then when our main course came out, it took her three trips to bring out the food and plates-- again, none of the other staff members could help her carry items??? Meanwhile, the timing of the bread that she "just put in the warmer" was terrible, as it came out just as we were nearing the last bites of our meal. Who eats bread after the meal is finished??? The food was just ok. This was our first time here, and the reason I wanted to try was because I heard great things about the bread. --and the bread lived up to expectations. It was YUMMY! But the meat of the mixed grill was just ok. A little dry. And the salad was forgettable. I normally wouldn't comment on the salad in a review. But when Acropolis is just a block away...well...they know how to do a mixed grill and salad waaaay better. And that seems to be the loud consensus because when we walked down the street afterwards, Acropolis was PACKED and LIVELY. We should have gone there instead, but we wanted to try something new. And with that, living the truth of Seinfeld.
(2)M S.
I walked here in a weekday , don't like the tables with chairs , my meal was a chicken adana , the chicken wasn't good , I didn't like it , they should to chose a good place to buy there chicken
(1)Tiffany H.
-Sigh- I've been a little disappointed with my last couple experiences at Istanblu. Ever since my first visit (which was fantastic), I have tried to get the kunefe every single time and it's always "sold out." Bummer. They also changed the bread that come
(3)Elina L.
Every single thing was terrible! We were ignored by the wait staff, food took too long, flavors were below average.
(1)Michael G.
This review is not for the food, although we walked by it one day between Christmas and New Years, during lunch time and tourist season, and there was literally NO ONE in the restaurant. My review, however is of the platinum blonde waitress, who quite possibly could be the poster girl for dumb blondes. The reason we were walking up and down the Ybor strip was because we were on a mission to find the best Cuban sandwich in Ybor. So when we stuck our heads in here, and she approached us, I asked her if she knew where to get a great Cuban sandwich. Her reply, "Unfortunately we don't really have any Cuban restaurants in this area." WHAT !!!!!!!!! Asides from Miami, this is the most Cuban neighborhood in the UNITES STATES, lol. experience.usatoday.com/…
(3)Kyla V.
This place is fantastic. Have walked past in Ybor many times but never stopped. I'm glad we did today as we had an excellent lunch. They don't normally serve their lunch menu on the weekends, but we didn't know that so the manager offered to let us order off of it, and continued to serve us the rest of the meal. He was very attentive. The food was great, you could tell all of the ingredients were so fresh. I had a wonderful salad with oil and fresh lemon juice and my boyfriend had a chicken wrap and fries, which he deemed the perfect french fry. We were sad when Sundays moved out of this location, but Istanblu is a great replacement and we will be back again!
(5)Kathy S.
Went to Istanblu last night with some friends with the intent of having dinner and drinks. I honestly don't know how the restaurant is in business given their horrendous table service. I've had some pretty bad experiences in the past, but this one absolutely takes the cake. We walked in and there was only one 4-top being serviced on the main floor. So they weren't busy at all. However, given how long it took for the (Columbian) server to take our drink order, you would've thought it was their busiest day ever. My friend ordered a Tonic-based drink, and she made it with sparkling water instead. (Yes.. She was both our Server and Bartender, despite there being two male employees doing absolutely nothing.) She made the drink again, but this time with soda water. After sending the drink back a second time, she claimed the Tonic "wasn't working." Then one of the male employees not doing anything heroically found a can of Tonic. Finally, she got the drink right. After getting us our drinks, we didn't see her for at least another 25-30 minutes. During that time, we decided we weren't staying for dinner. Rather, we'd drink our drinks, have a few appetizers, and go somewhere else for dinner. When we placed our appetizer order, we asked for more bread while we wait. Our server told us promptly that more bread would be an additional charge (first I've ever heard that..) - $0.99. If you're only going to charge me a buck for more bread, why charge me at all? Anyway. I noticed that a 5-top came in 10-15 minutes after we did, had their drinks, AND their food already. WTF. Finally, after waiting another 20-25 minutes or so, we finally got our appetizer order - almost AN HOUR after walking in! I must admit, the Tea of the Gods was good, albeit made with sweet tea. And the appetizers were good - even the $0.99 bread. But that's definitely NOT enough to make me want to come back. Clearly, they care more about their nightly bar business than they do about their restaurant business. It shows in their gross lack of table service. If they had someone show them how to properly tend to their guests, this place could be a smash hit. But they are far from that now.
(2)Mark P.
although I arrived a couple minutes after their lunch had ended at 3pm, I was given the dinner menu which is significantly pricier...the food itself was pretty good, however, what I found odd was the description doesn't match what they give you. I got a gyro which you would think would be lamb wrapped in pita bread. But what they do is here is put the lamb on top of a couple pieces of another kind of bread, not pita, and not wrapped. Before I ordered I had even asked what I was getting and was told how it was prepared. I told her I wanted a gyro wrap. She had told me she would accommodate me although she said something like "pita was only served at lunch". But another waitress brought out my order and it wasn't prepared as I had asked. Also strange that it didn't come with tzatziki sauce. It was just plain ole lamb. So I asked for it and they didn't have any. Took 15 min to whip some up, which is when I was finally given ketchup for my fries after I asked. waitresses were hiding in the kitchen most of the time (or smoke break?) while the couple customers were just left to themselves. The waitresses were nice enough when present and food was decent, hence the 2 stars but I can't get myself to give it 3 stars - maybe if I got lunch prices. if you asked me, would I go back? I would say no unfortunately.
(2)Vibha C.
Reasonable food. Unfortunately the service is so bad it almost makes you forget the food by the time you walk out. They need to coach their waitresses better. The belly dancer is very friendly!
(1)Gale F.
Great place. If you have vegan and vegetarian tastes (or friends) this is fantastic. If you love great bread, fresh food and a little of this and a little of that, try this place. The staff were knowledgeable about what was spicy and what wasn't and they have lots of sharing-dishes. You can pick and nibble and chat and ask for more of things you like, and feel that sense of relaxation and being alive. I tend to find the silver and blue decor a bit cold, but most people love it. Great.
(4)Omur T.
We had dinner here last night. Food was authentic and delicious. We had Shepard's salad, eggplant salad, sigara borek. Unfortunately we didn't leave room for desert. Next time.
(5)K M.
Very good authentic Turkish cuisine in the middle of Ybor City. Don't get confused and go to the Columbian restaurant; this by far exceeds their offerings. Instanblu is definitely the best in Tampa. Recommend the mixed platter, it's a lot of good kabobs for under $40. Enough for two to have a hearty meal and take extras home for either a midnight snack or lunch the next day. Plenty of seating, nothing is rushed. With that being said, don't go expecting a donar kabob in 10 minutes like some places; here the food is far from fast which means it's excellent.
(5)Noelle L.
Istanblu was a wonderful experience. Our server was fabulous and we were able to sit outside and enjoy the cool January air (and people watch). I had a glass of their Torrontes which was crisp and very enjoyable. My boyfriend enjoyed a Blue Moon. We did not have a reservation, but the place was sadly empty :( There was another couple there, and midway through our meal another party of four arrived. PLEASE my fellow yelpers, come support this local restaurant! The food is fantastic, which is what I'll get to in a moment. I do not want to see this restaurant leave Ybor. We ordered their homemade hummus, which came out adorned with a kalamata olive and a few sprinklings of chick peas. It came with fresh wood fired flat pita bread and in about 5 minutes, we were part of the appetizer "clean plate club". We shared the mixed grill for two, priced very reasonable at $34.95. It offered chicken, steak, and lamb prepared two ways (gyro meat, as well as a lamb meatball). It came accompanied with more pita bread, their house salad (olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice with shaved carrots, red cabbage, and iceberg lettuce), and their house rice (with vermicelli bits). The meat was all savory and very well seasoned. One of my biggest gripes at restaurants is that the chef doesn't have a heavy enough hand when it comes to seasoning their entrees. The chef here did not disappoint! It also came paired with two sauces to dip the meat in: a hot sauce and a cucumber yogurt sauce. Both were terrific! Will we be back? Yes, and with company to boot. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!
(4)Derek N.
Went out on a late lunch Sunday looking for an adventure. We have seen this place many times while we drove through Ybor and decided to stop in and see what it was about. We were quickly greeted and sat at a table outdoors. Our server looked nervous but we did not care. She took our drink order (two waters) and even offered us some free tea, i declined because I am not a huge fan of tea. She returned quickly with our water and we order two apps. When she returned she brought to bread rolls. They we seasoned very well, and the butter was room temperature so it was easy to spread (hard to find soft butter) The Haydari and the Hummus were our apps. The Haydari reminded us of Tzatziki, and was delicious. I recommend saving some of this to put on your main dish. The Hummus was also very tasty. Compared to other concepts in Tampa, these apps had them beat. We did have to wait for about 5 minutes for them to bring pita bread for these apps. They did offer us a substitute while we waited, but we wanted PITA!!! We split a main dish, Rib eye Shish. It was served with a small salad on the plate with a vinaigrette, flavorful rice, and 1/2 of grilled tomato and one small grilled pepper. The rib-eye was WELL DONE. We were never asked how we would like our steak but well done would have been on the bottom of the list. Could have been seasoned a little more, it was a little tough, and of course overcooked. For 17.75$ it wasn't bad, increase the seasoning and not over cook the meat it would be worth it. Next time I would skip the salad on the plate and ask for more rice. The Apps helped out filling us up and were the best part of our meal. I wont check this place off my list because I feel they have more to offer. Our server was very nervous becuase it was her second day but she did a great job.
(3)Jacob T.
Great place to eat. Though the seating could be a little nicer for how much they charge. I got zucchini pancakes, great, a little greasy but yum. Then lamb shish kabop... Beautifully cooked medium, so tender and flavorful.
(4)Mario C.
Overall, food was good but I was disappointed in the ribeye kabobs. Steak was very well done (and i am more of a medium type guy w/ my steak). That said we had the appetizer sampler, with hummus, baba gaganush, tzatziki, eggplant, an a whole lot more. This sampler was really good, along with the Mediterranean bread. Definitely coming back.
(3)Marie P.
Love love love. . Portions are big so you may want to share. ..server was attentive. The flavors are clean and fresh. .. highly recommend and a must try!
(5)Jonathan T.
Went with my girlfriend here on a date and thought the restaurant looked very nice. The service was on point and the food was pretty good. I'd recommend anyone to check it out if they are in the mood for something different.
(3)Thomas C K.
A bit of a disaster! Arrived at 6pm - ordered our appetizer which was ok - then waited for our entrees for 1 hr and 15 minutes - at which time we were no longer hungry and asked to take the food home. The waiter was pleasant but that does not make up for the extraordinary long wait....overall food quality was 3 stars, wait service 3 stars but overall experience was only 2 stars. We will not go back.
(2)Ufuk G.
i went to with my coworker after Busch Gardens. Great ambiances but not a great food!! Especially baklava (if you don't know how to make it right don't make it)
(3)Carolyn C.
First, the baked goods (Ecmec and phyllo dough) were very tasty and made in house. However, the Borek had almost no filing, everything was overcooked (except for the rice, which was crunchy and undercooked), and lamb kebab was served instead if Adana kebab due to the server's error. To apologize, we were served complementary baklava, but would have liked to try the Adana. The restaurant was empty the whole time and we should have seen that as a sign. If we return in the future it will be for some Ecmec- To go.
(2)Ricardo W.
I came here in Dinner time wow the food was Delicious Delicious ! I will come again.
(5)Megan W.
Wow is all I can really say right now. One of the best things about living in Ybor city is our close proximity to amazing restaurants. With that said, we've gotten a little bored after living here for a year and a half. We are always looking for a new great find. And boy did we find it today at lunch. I randomly stumbled across Istanblu Restaurant and Bar which is located in the old Sunday's Fine Dining Restaurant. When we walked in at lunch, we were the only table. We were told they were in the process of their soft opening and not yet advertising. I was beyond impressed with the result. My boyfriend and I split the Mixed Grill Kebabs which I will suggest to anyone trying out Turkish food for the first time so you get to try a little of everything. Our plate consisted of Doner (homemade Gyro), Chicken Shish Kebab (Tavuk Shish), Adana Kebab (chopped lamb), Beef Tenderloin Shish Kebab and Chicken Chops. This was served with rice and grilled tomatoes. I can honestly say that this may be my new favorite restaurant in Ybor City. The flavors were incredible. The atmosphere was amazing. It was romantic and trendy. Over the next few weeks, they will have live music and belly dancers. We are looking forward to our next visit and I encourage all you Yelpers to give this place a try. I want to see this restaurant succeed.
(5)Jim S.
AUTHENTIC TURKISH CUISINE is Great and this place does it right. I made my first trip here and was pleasantly surprised. Having lived in Turkey for some time I really wasn't expecting it to be as authentic as I always had in Turkey but it was a wonderful experience that brought back so many wonderful memories of Turkey. The Adana kebab (lamb) was as good as it gets. Ayran or laban is a Turkish cold beverage of yogurt mixed with cold water and sometimes salt was so good and refreshing. The prices were very reasonable for authentic Turkish Cuisine. I can't wait to visit again.
(5)Andrew S.
My wife and I wanted to try this place a couple weeks ago but we remembered on the way there that it was the evening of the Gasparilla night parade so we decided to wait for another weekend. One thing to note as well ... my wife and I eat out QUITE often and of all different cuisines, it so happens that Mediterranean and specifically Turkish is one of our favourites. She has lived in NYC and had some of the best Turkish here in the states from there and we make it a point to try new Turkish places throughout central FL if they open. All that said ... With my parents in town and it my wife's birthday this coming week, my wife decided she wanted to have a birthday dinner at Istanblu, Sat Feb 16th. With that we had a party of 6 of us and arrived for our reservation. The ambiance of the place hasnt changed a whole lot from what it has been for years ... I recall going to a restaurant that was in the same venue some 10-12 years that was a sushi place and it was pretty much identical. The Food / Meal Quality As far as meals go, we had multiple apps and everyone had their own entree. We had the zucchini pancakes, shepherds salad, some babagunash and the sigara boregi (cheese pastry thing). For entree's different members of the party ordered the Beyti Kebap, Doner Kebap, the chicken shish and shrimp kebap. CATEGORICALLY ... I would say of ALL of these apps and entrees, THEY ALL SUCKED compared to the competition. Gengiz Khan which is off of MacDill and Interbay is 1000x better for all the same dishes. Do note, this is even with us not really "loving Gengiz Khan" ... it just happens to be very close to our house so we eat there frequently because of ease. Moreover, while Byblos is Lebonese, not Turkish ... the cuisines are so close that its hard not to compare them ... Byblos blows Istanblu out of the water, they arent even in the same league. The Service The service quality was worse than the food by a million times. The place was not especially busy when we came in. That said it was an extended time before any of the apps made their way out. When the waiter brought the bottle of wine that we had requested, my brother in law requested 3 times to have me try the wine to make sure the bottle was okay ... instead the waiter didnt even bother having someone check the wine, he just started pouring the glasses. Thankfully it was fine but it was irritating nonetheless. Once the apps finally made their way out they were hohumm, nothing special (as already noted in the food quality). Then was the highlight (from a comedic sense) and lowest point from a service perspective ... Two of entree's were brought out to members of our party. Neither of the individuals wanted to get started without the other members of the party having their meals, thinking that everything was on its way out. At which point our waiter disappeared for upwards of roughly 5 minutes. He then reappears (not with any of the additional meals) and explains that "the other dishes should be up soon, that you shouldnt wait ... that in Turkey its customary for dishes to be brought out as they are done and everyone might be served at different times" ... we all sat in disbelief as this guy just pulled this cr@p out of his @ss. Regardless, we chuckled and didnt rock the boat. About 5-10 minutes later 3 more meals came out (by this time the 2 that had already been delivered were almost done). Not only that but they were brought out lukewarm at best, definitely not hot. It was easy to tell that they had been sitting for a while. That left us still waiting on 1 meal, my mothers meal. Having already been fed the line of cr@p about dishes coming at different times, my mother thought like all of us that hers would be right out in another minute. Long story short, our waiter never checked back in and after another 10-15 minutes I flagged down some other waiter and said "find our guy". Once he showed up, again minutes later, he went to the back to check on it only to find that ... "ooooopppps, I'm sorry, I forgot to put your order for the Doner Kebap in". By this point, everyone at the table was done essentially and none of the food was memorable in a good way anyway so there was no desire to wait on that or another dish to be made. For this cr@ppy service level what was offered???? "do you want a desert on us"!? You've got to be kidding ... meanwhile, nothing was offered / done as part of us having a big birthday party there such as any of the other Mediterranean restaurants in the area. Needless to say, we'll never be back and I cannot in anyway recommend this place over the other establishments here in Tampa. Gengiz Khan is 1000% better than this place and Byblos is 10000000% times better. I give Istanblu at most 6 months then they'll probably be gone.
(1)Ross R.
It was our first visit to Ybor so we decided to check out Istanblu. We traveled to Turkey last year and we really enjoyed the country, food and culture. Unfortunately Instanblu was a disappointment. The owner has put an effort to decorate the place and create a great atmosphere, however the service was poor. We selected our drinks just to be told they don't have these vines in stock. The waitress did not know any of dishes and couldn't answer any questions. We ordered the Soslu Patlican (grilled eggplant) appetizer, the waitress brought us an appetizer that looked and tasted like gaspacho soup. I looked at the menu again and found out that we are having Ezme - the veggie dip. The waitress insisted that we are having the eggplant, although clearly we got something completely different. We ordered the stuffed peppers and chicken kebap. The food came after 40 min, but for some reason was not hot. It looked like it has been sitting somewhere for a while. The quality and taste were mediocre. We did not order desserts. Since it was Friday night we expected live music, but they didn't have it on that night but had a Ipad connected to a speaker playing some Turkish music. For the premium prices we paid ($9 for a glass of wine, $19 for a few pieces of grilled chicken) we expected more. Needless to say we won't be back here again.
(1)Ilona C.
I was in the area for the holidays with my parents, and I wanted something other than Columbia (which they go to all the time because they are Latin). Luckily, Istanblu did not dissapoint! I started off with the hummus- FRESHLY MADE! There is nothing I detest more than paying for processed hummus that comes out of a plastic tub. The portion was not as large as other places, however once again- it is REAL and so delicious! My dad ordered the Chicken Adana, and he was quite pleased the portion. My Latin dad tends to eat anything and criticize it later, however he enjoyed every bite. My mom ordered the Lamb gyro dinner (although it seemed to not have come with the advertised Bulgar pilav, that's why I deducted a star- she was really looking forward to that) and I ordered the Istanblu Kebap with also had lamb. The lamb was seasoned well and as I mentioned before it tasted very fresh and not processed. My favorite part of my dish with the pita that was mixed with the lamb and that absorbed the sauce- I would definitely order again! The waiter was friendly and mentioned that as of the new year, they will have a belly dancer on premises during certain weekdays- I only wish I lived closer to check that out! What would only make it better is if they also gave lessons...something to think about. I highly recommend this place for someone who wants to enjoy a great cultural dinner and for people who appreciate fresh food and appropriate meal portions, which is hard to come by in the USA these days. I hope to visit next year when I am back in Florida.
(4)Dominic S.
My girlfriend and I had come into Istanblu for a new place to try. When we walked in there was maybe two tables with people. Keep in mind it was a late lunch during a week day. Now the service was a bit slow but it was a new manager doing the work of two servers. With that being said we were not in a hurry or upset at the situation. Their food is made fresh and it reminded me of the food I had eaten when I was deployed overseas to Iraq. I was quite impressed and can not wait to go eat there again!
(5)Gerardo L.
I really like the bubble bread they have. Probably service needs to be faster, but they were really nice and the place has so much potential. The hummus was good, and the veggies were great. It was really a good meal. I will give them a try if I'm in Ybor.
(4)Roberto A.
I really loved this place. The appetizer sampler was fantastic and we followed that with shrimp kebabs and moussaka. I liked the Turkish version better than the Greek. We had a very interesting, fruity Turkish wine and followed it with baklava and Turkish coffee. I heartily endorse this restaurant.
(5)Matt F.
Nice change of pace in the Tampa area. It's nice to see the Ybor area bringing in some new restaurants and add a little more variety to the Tampa area. The food was great and seemed very authentic. The staff was good but for some reason the service was exceptionally slow. This was particularly the case when we wanted to pay and head out. We'll definitely give it another try though.
(4)Donald H.
Used to live in Istanbul & enoyed this place immensely...! Good lamb dishes....very good service...! I will return...often!!!
(5)Melissa G.
My friend raved about how amazing this place was, but when we went the service was terrible. When we approached the hostess station, a woman walked up and asked if she could help us (obviously we want to eat). When we said we wanted a seat, she looked at us like she was confused. The manager stepped up and seated us. That same woman ended up being our server & her attitude didn't get better. We had to ask 3 times from 2 different servers if we could get drinks & napkins. Dinner came before our napkins or the drinks. Then about half way through dinner they turned the music up for the belly dancer. It was so loud it was impossible to have a conversation. We had to walk downstairs & find someone to get our bill because the server never came back after she dropped off the food (so we didn't get refills on drinks either). The food was decent but not worth the price or the attitude. I will not be coming back.
(1)Ahmed B.
They now have the Turkish Lavash bread. The experience is complete. Not sure about the Hazy Turk martini.
(4)Robby M.
The restaurant is in the old Sundays Fine Dining location. We were greeted by the owner when we walked in that was really nice then our server wandered over brought us water and the menu and never asked us again if we wanted anything else to drink. We ordered the cheese appetizer really good feta but that was all you got. I ordered the stuffed cabbage decent flavor and quite a lot to eat my wife ordered the Donner it was not so pleasant. The meat was tough and not hot did not come out with any sauce and was very bland to begin with. We will not be going back.
(2)Alaena H.
I dined here this evening and was extremely pleased with the experience. The interior is clean, open and trendy with light music and a great view of passerby. Our waiter Chris was attentive and went out of his way several times to accomodate our questions and requests. Food took me back to my Lebanese grandmother's cooking - homemade yoghurt with cucumber, shepherds salad with a perfeclty spiced dressing and grape leaves with caramelized onions. Ribeye was grilled perfectly and accompanied by basmati rice and tangy sweet vegetable salad. Definitely bringing family and friends back to this authentic family-owned establishment. So much fresher and healthier than popular Greek American restaurant down the street.
(5)Christy S.
Had a lovely dinner outside with friends. Weather was perfect & took advantage of their half off happy hour on beer & wine, very attractive! Service was excellent, they were friendly, eager but didn't rush us out. We had the calamari and lamb liver as appetizers, both very tasty! Also had the lamb as a dinner entree and it was well cooked and tasty. We will be back. It's a nice change from your usual cuisine.
(4)Kelley B.
They we're out of everything we wanted to order, the food we did get was cold when it shouldn't have been. Nice looking restaurant, but for the same amount of money you can get much better food elsewhere in Ybor.
(2)Susan M.
I was really exited to try Istanblu, I love Turkish food. Unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations. The space is beautiful, but still looks very much like it's days as Sunday's Fine Dining. We went in on a Friday night and there were only 2 other people seated. When our server came over and introduced himself he told us he was new and apologized for not knowing how to pronounce any of the dishes. Things didn't really get any better from there. We ordered a cheese plate as an appetizer. I'm pretty sure the description said it was a "selection" of cheeses. We got a plate of feta. It was good feta, salty and fresh tasting, but it was only one type of cheese. My husband ordered the stuffed cabbage and I ordered the doner. His stuffed cabbage was good, good flavor, good sauce, and lucky for him it arrived hot. My doner on the other hand...was almost inedible. It came out cold. The meat had been so overcooked (before it got cold) that it was like chewing on crunchy shoe leather. I asked for some yogurt sauce to drown it in to try and soften it up. It literally left a bad taste in my mouth. And I hate that because I really really wanted to like this place. It's not cheap either. Unfortunately we won't be back.
(2)Ashley N.
I don't know how there are so many good reviews for this restaurant. I went here with some friends and it took an hour to get our food. The server was very rude and slow, and didn't seem to have a clue what he was doing. I ordered the doner and it was very dry, and not cheap! I couldn't even eat it. Terrible service, terrible food. For the money, you can find somewhere better to eat!
(1)Michael G.
Great place and great food! -authentic foods, great selection, and good portions. Service was all good ...even the owner came to our table. The cheesy, honey desert (forget the name) is definitely a must.
(4)Jo G.
I had an early dinner here last night with friends and family. Perfect time to go since it was a weekday and not busy. We ordered the appetizer sampler, which had eight small dishes of different main appetizers. The dolma was on point! Then we all ordered the same thing, which was the Adana kebob as we had an Adana native in our party. She was pleased with the food and said that this was the closest thing to authentic Turkish food. The inside is gorgeous and large with outdoor seating as well. Our waiter was super friendly too!
(4)Hi Face S.
This place is awesome, great food, great service, great crew we had so much fun. They are very friendly and polite, We had a blast. If you like Mediterranean food you should try this place! The belly dancer is perfect and friendly!
(5)Anthony P.
Adana Kebab was full of flavor - was on the mild side. No longer offer bulgar - only rice with dish - not a deal breaker - the rice was good. Will visit again. The service was great! They make the best Baklava I've tasted. It's made in house - not shipped in!
(4)M S.
I walked here in a weekday , don't like the tables with chairs , my meal was a chicken adana , the chicken wasn't good , I didn't like it , they should to chose a good place to buy there chicken
(1)L R.
First time there - toss up between trying some place new or going to Acropolis. So glad we picked new! This place is fantastic and authentic. Very friendly staff. We will be back!
(5)Kim Z.
It was ok, but not great. We ordered the zucchini pancakes for an appetizer, which were delicious. And then we split the mixed grill dinner, which was just ok. We were THE ONLY table in the restaurant the entire time we were there. This was on a Friday at 7:45pm. Our server was fantastic--very friendly and attentive. (Not hard to do since we were her only customers.) But what was unbelievable was how bad the overall service was of the overall experience.There were three other staff members standing around in the back, not doing anything, which was a bit frustrating to us. We ordered our drinks--one of which was a sangria. Our server had to also play bartender, which meant she had to make the sangria. It wasn't like it was in a jug and all she had to do was pour. So that took time away from us being able to put in our appetizer order. Yet--three staff members were just standing around, doing nothing. Then when our main course came out, it took her three trips to bring out the food and plates-- again, none of the other staff members could help her carry items??? Meanwhile, the timing of the bread that she "just put in the warmer" was terrible, as it came out just as we were nearing the last bites of our meal. Who eats bread after the meal is finished??? The food was just ok. This was our first time here, and the reason I wanted to try was because I heard great things about the bread. --and the bread lived up to expectations. It was YUMMY! But the meat of the mixed grill was just ok. A little dry. And the salad was forgettable. I normally wouldn't comment on the salad in a review. But when Acropolis is just a block away...well...they know how to do a mixed grill and salad waaaay better. And that seems to be the loud consensus because when we walked down the street afterwards, Acropolis was PACKED and LIVELY. We should have gone there instead, but we wanted to try something new. And with that, living the truth of Seinfeld.
(2)Tiffany H.
-Sigh- I've been a little disappointed with my last couple experiences at Istanblu. Ever since my first visit (which was fantastic), I have tried to get the kunefe every single time and it's always "sold out." Bummer. They also changed the bread that come
(3)Elina L.
Every single thing was terrible! We were ignored by the wait staff, food took too long, flavors were below average.
(1)Michael G.
This review is not for the food, although we walked by it one day between Christmas and New Years, during lunch time and tourist season, and there was literally NO ONE in the restaurant. My review, however is of the platinum blonde waitress, who quite possibly could be the poster girl for dumb blondes. The reason we were walking up and down the Ybor strip was because we were on a mission to find the best Cuban sandwich in Ybor. So when we stuck our heads in here, and she approached us, I asked her if she knew where to get a great Cuban sandwich. Her reply, "Unfortunately we don't really have any Cuban restaurants in this area." WHAT !!!!!!!!! Asides from Miami, this is the most Cuban neighborhood in the UNITES STATES, lol. experience.usatoday.com/…
(3)Chris M.
Went there with my girlfriend who is Turkish-she loved the food. Very authentic. Service was great. Nice quiet place to get some food and enjoy a night in ybor city
(5)Kyla V.
This place is fantastic. Have walked past in Ybor many times but never stopped. I'm glad we did today as we had an excellent lunch. They don't normally serve their lunch menu on the weekends, but we didn't know that so the manager offered to let us order off of it, and continued to serve us the rest of the meal. He was very attentive. The food was great, you could tell all of the ingredients were so fresh. I had a wonderful salad with oil and fresh lemon juice and my boyfriend had a chicken wrap and fries, which he deemed the perfect french fry. We were sad when Sundays moved out of this location, but Istanblu is a great replacement and we will be back again!
(5)Steve P.
This place is wonderful. I don't know what authentic Turkish is but, this food is totally unique and delicious. We will definitely be back!
(5)Cher T.
Stopped into Istanblu Restaurant and Bar for a quick snack before heading over to the Orpheum to see my son and his band perform. We had some hummus, cheese plate and a veggie tray for three of us and it was just delicious. The hummus was served with a nice warm bread which was a treat from the standard cold pita bread. The prices are moderate but you don't get very much food for the money. The place, however, is gorgeous. There's beautiful front window seating, an upstairs private loft for more intimate dining, great art on the walls and there is a small mart up front where you can purchase belly dancer gear (scarves and belly wraps with bells and jingly thingies) and jewelry. It's very charming. What turned me off about the restaurant was the back parking lot and all the LIVE chickens running around out back, in and out of the kitchen. It was truly nauseating me knowing those chickens were running around, crapping all over the place. Had I seen that FIRST before going in, I probably would not have gone in there. For that, I wanted to give the place two stars, but I threw in an extra star to make it three stars because the service was really great. It is a nice place to go to for a romantic dinner because the ambiance is very cozy and conducive to a romantic dinner...but I am really having a hard time getting past the live chickens, and wondering which one of them would end up on my plate. I don't know that we will go back...but it IS a nice place. If you don't mind meeting your potential dinner in the parking lot before you go in, then go for it. I'm still a little bothered by it.
(3)Michelle S.
We happened to stop while visiting from out of town because my Husband saw Doner on the menu. The food and service was amazing!!!! Met the new owner and she is the most beautiful person! Definitely visit this restaurant! You will not be disappointed!
(5)Geraldine G.
Delicious food. The grape leave concept was delicious. Loved the music playing in the restaurant, very ethnic. More people should try new types of cuisine and definitely try this place. I left one star out because I believe the service could improve.
(4)TC Birsen R.
Amazing food. Fresh,tasty and original..Turkey has the most rich food culture in the world for thousands of years. I would recomend this place to everyone. Try it you won't be dissapointed.
(5)Omur T.
We had dinner here last night. Food was authentic and delicious. We had Shepard's salad, eggplant salad, sigara borek. Unfortunately we didn't leave room for desert. Next time.
(5)K M.
Very good authentic Turkish cuisine in the middle of Ybor City. Don't get confused and go to the Columbian restaurant; this by far exceeds their offerings. Instanblu is definitely the best in Tampa. Recommend the mixed platter, it's a lot of good kabobs for under $40. Enough for two to have a hearty meal and take extras home for either a midnight snack or lunch the next day. Plenty of seating, nothing is rushed. With that being said, don't go expecting a donar kabob in 10 minutes like some places; here the food is far from fast which means it's excellent.
(5)Greg A.
This place is beautiful inside and they have an actual pianist playing for nice mood music..making it feel like an upscale place. The food is average and the service is not very good. Why? The menu does not describe the actual food that you are served. For example. We asked for pita bread to go with a gyro dinner that. The woman (seems to be possibly one if the owners) said this is pita bread and pointed to a dinner roll that we had been served. That roll was very good and warm but a pita is was not. We said no that is not pita bread and she said this was their pita bread. We didn't argue further as my cold gyro was getting colder. A few minutes later we heard another waitress as a nearby table if they wanted pita bread to go with their meals and they said yes and returned with it. When we Asked our waitress again if they had pita bread she said no...so we asked about the other server offering it to her customers she said she was new n didn't know why she asked that. She mumbled about going to check to see if there was any in the kitchen. A few minutes later she returned with one piece of pita n walked away. Earlier the table behind us was obviously upset as the food they were served was not as described in the menu. The placed has a sign outside that says the best Mediterranean food in town. I would think with a billing like that they would have pita bread...I'm just saying. Oh one more thing...they have a belly dancer that stands in the open entrance in her outfit to entice people to enter...could help but feel I was in a strip bar and the stripper were outside teasing the public to come in and see the show while all the time clicking her castanets... I felt dirty as I left. I would have given a higher star rating if the problem was just at our table and if the server didn't feel the need to argue with her customers.
(1)Jen Y.
Dorado was great. We stopped by randomly to just have desert. We had the cupra, gape leaf, ayran and kunefe. It was great food and as a Turk tjis should count more...
(5)Lori V.
The hummus is out of this world. The salad dressing so good. The chicken is flavored very well. I mainly go here for lunch but have also been for dinner once. It is a favorite of mine due to the authentic flavors and good service. Ask your server for help ordering. They are educated on the menu.
(4)Rebecca E.
Went here because I missed being in Turkey and enjoying their fabulous food. Not quite as good as the real deal, but definitely hit the spot. I definitely recommend the Mezze platter... Eight samples of deliciousness!
(4)Heather V.
If I could give a 1/2 star, I would. We arrived when they were not busy and sat outside. We ordered the hummus, which the waiter raved about being "fresh ground". Apparently they just ground the chick peas and added olive oil without seasoning it more; it was bland and desperately needed lemon juice and salt! Then my red lentil soup came out... luke warm, so I sent it back to be heated. Should have had them keep it: again, bland and completely lacking in the thick, silky texture I've come to expect of red lentil soup! We waited for another 30 mins, and the restaurant was getting busier. A table of 4 sat down next to us. They got their appetizers and drinks... and then the waiter, the same waiter who was serving us, served them their entrees before we had gotten ours! We stopped him and asked what the deal was, and rather than check to see, he chose to guess and say he didn't know but they may have given our food away. Wait... WHAT? In what universe is that an acceptable answer to give customers that are already upset, especially without checking? It turned out he was wrong, the kitchen was plating our food right then, but it was too late. My daughter and I walked down to the El Grecco cafe down the street while my boyfriend "handled" the situation. I will definitely NOT be back.
(1)Martic R.
I was very very impressed with the food. I decided to go during the week at lunch time, it was pretty empty. We ordered the appetizer sampler .. And what a great selection. I was expecting a small few items but there was hummus, tomato dip, white beans, tabouli and enough to make it a full plate. We each order a lunch plate also and like always I had to take half of it home. I ordered the beef kebabs and the taste was great unfortunately the meat was not as tender as I expected. Overall great food, I will definitely be back. It's great to visit Ybor during the day and parking it's also a breeze.
(4)Anastasia M.
Great food! Get the tea of god cocktail and their shush kabobs!
(5)Lisa G.
It was a very nice restaurant and the service was really good. It was my first experience with Turkish food and it was a-okay. I had the stuffed cabbage which was ok. But I would try a different dish next time. They also had a belly dancer, which was interesting. I'll let you judge that yourself. But it's a good date place, swanky and sheik.
(5)Cory N.
Came for lunch on a Sunday. Service was pretty slow but overall the food was good. I had the stuffed cabbage. Came with bread which was nice for dipping in the sauce
(4)May Z.
Was really looking forward to this place, considering I'm from Egypt and have traveled all over the Middle East and the Mediterranean, and my boyfriend recently came back from Turkey. We love Turkish/Med cuisine, and have noticed Instanblu on our trips to Ybor many times, making a point to finally try it. Meh is basically an accurate summation of the entire experience. The food was ok, nothing to write home about and certainly no where near the quality of the cuisine that it should be. We were disappointed. The one dish that was above average were the potato cakes appetizer, which were honestly delish. Everything else - I got Mussakka and my boyfriend got a Gyro Platter - was sub-par. To boot, the environment/atmosphere: WAY too loud. Like, as in, freakin screamin with the music on the speakers outside. I know this is Ybor, and we frequent Ybor on the regular, but class it up a bit and turn down the volume so that people can at least avoid screaming at the waiter to order. And speaking of ordering: holy crap, could there be any less consideration to the actual timing of food? We ordered our apps and entrees and they not only took forever to come out (the place was NOT at all busy), but they came out together, at the same time. What is the point of getting apps if they're going to be coming out WITH the food?? Not to mention, bread for the love of God. Bring bread with dips. This isn't rocket science and it's typical Turkish/Med cuisine policy, as a matter of fact. Anyway, will never go back. Glad we tried it so we know, but there are tons of better Turkish/Med places in Tampa. This was seriously a disappointment.
(2)Bob B.
Betty and I came here this evening and liked the fact they have al fresco dining. While walking down 7th Ave I was in the midst of enjoying a stogie so we sat outside. One off putting thing was that it is right next door to a club and the club had a lot of patrons loitering outside. Next time I would choose to dine inside. The inside was quite inviting with brick walls and table cloth lined tables. It was obviously much more intimate. It is Ybor though, so it is what it is. On to the food. Betty and I started with the stuffed grape leaves which were a bit more larger and more decadent than your average stuffed dolma type dish. The extra virgin olive oil with lemon was a nice touch. We then shared the mixed grill which came with a small side salad and a basket of flatbread. The mixed grill had a few large chunks of roasted tomatoes and green bell peppers. This is all for show for all the glorious meat. There were a couple different types of lamb and a couple types of chicken. All were very good and had good grill flavor, I would say my favorite was the ground chicken on a skewer. Service was attentive and friendly. Overall, we would definitely come back, just sit inside.
(4)Lisa G.
It was a very nice restaurant and the service was really good. It was my first experience with Turkish food and it was a-okay. I had the stuffed cabbage which was ok. But I would try a different dish next time. They also had a belly dancer, which was interesting. I'll let you judge that yourself. But it's a good date place, swanky and sheik.
(5)Cory N.
Came for lunch on a Sunday. Service was pretty slow but overall the food was good. I had the stuffed cabbage. Came with bread which was nice for dipping in the sauce
(4)May Z.
Was really looking forward to this place, considering I'm from Egypt and have traveled all over the Middle East and the Mediterranean, and my boyfriend recently came back from Turkey. We love Turkish/Med cuisine, and have noticed Instanblu on our trips to Ybor many times, making a point to finally try it. Meh is basically an accurate summation of the entire experience. The food was ok, nothing to write home about and certainly no where near the quality of the cuisine that it should be. We were disappointed. The one dish that was above average were the potato cakes appetizer, which were honestly delish. Everything else - I got Mussakka and my boyfriend got a Gyro Platter - was sub-par. To boot, the environment/atmosphere: WAY too loud. Like, as in, freakin screamin with the music on the speakers outside. I know this is Ybor, and we frequent Ybor on the regular, but class it up a bit and turn down the volume so that people can at least avoid screaming at the waiter to order. And speaking of ordering: holy crap, could there be any less consideration to the actual timing of food? We ordered our apps and entrees and they not only took forever to come out (the place was NOT at all busy), but they came out together, at the same time. What is the point of getting apps if they're going to be coming out WITH the food?? Not to mention, bread for the love of God. Bring bread with dips. This isn't rocket science and it's typical Turkish/Med cuisine policy, as a matter of fact. Anyway, will never go back. Glad we tried it so we know, but there are tons of better Turkish/Med places in Tampa. This was seriously a disappointment.
(2)Bob B.
Betty and I came here this evening and liked the fact they have al fresco dining. While walking down 7th Ave I was in the midst of enjoying a stogie so we sat outside. One off putting thing was that it is right next door to a club and the club had a lot of patrons loitering outside. Next time I would choose to dine inside. The inside was quite inviting with brick walls and table cloth lined tables. It was obviously much more intimate. It is Ybor though, so it is what it is. On to the food. Betty and I started with the stuffed grape leaves which were a bit more larger and more decadent than your average stuffed dolma type dish. The extra virgin olive oil with lemon was a nice touch. We then shared the mixed grill which came with a small side salad and a basket of flatbread. The mixed grill had a few large chunks of roasted tomatoes and green bell peppers. This is all for show for all the glorious meat. There were a couple different types of lamb and a couple types of chicken. All were very good and had good grill flavor, I would say my favorite was the ground chicken on a skewer. Service was attentive and friendly. Overall, we would definitely come back, just sit inside.
(4)Anastasia M.
Great food! Get the tea of god cocktail and their shush kabobs!
(5)Jen Y.
Dorado was great. We stopped by randomly to just have desert. We had the cupra, gape leaf, ayran and kunefe. It was great food and as a Turk tjis should count more...
(5)Lori V.
The hummus is out of this world. The salad dressing so good. The chicken is flavored very well. I mainly go here for lunch but have also been for dinner once. It is a favorite of mine due to the authentic flavors and good service. Ask your server for help ordering. They are educated on the menu.
(4)Martic R.
I was very very impressed with the food. I decided to go during the week at lunch time, it was pretty empty. We ordered the appetizer sampler .. And what a great selection. I was expecting a small few items but there was hummus, tomato dip, white beans, tabouli and enough to make it a full plate. We each order a lunch plate also and like always I had to take half of it home. I ordered the beef kebabs and the taste was great unfortunately the meat was not as tender as I expected. Overall great food, I will definitely be back. It's great to visit Ybor during the day and parking it's also a breeze.
(4)Rebecca E.
Went here because I missed being in Turkey and enjoying their fabulous food. Not quite as good as the real deal, but definitely hit the spot. I definitely recommend the Mezze platter... Eight samples of deliciousness!
(4)Heather V.
If I could give a 1/2 star, I would. We arrived when they were not busy and sat outside. We ordered the hummus, which the waiter raved about being "fresh ground". Apparently they just ground the chick peas and added olive oil without seasoning it more; it was bland and desperately needed lemon juice and salt! Then my red lentil soup came out... luke warm, so I sent it back to be heated. Should have had them keep it: again, bland and completely lacking in the thick, silky texture I've come to expect of red lentil soup! We waited for another 30 mins, and the restaurant was getting busier. A table of 4 sat down next to us. They got their appetizers and drinks... and then the waiter, the same waiter who was serving us, served them their entrees before we had gotten ours! We stopped him and asked what the deal was, and rather than check to see, he chose to guess and say he didn't know but they may have given our food away. Wait... WHAT? In what universe is that an acceptable answer to give customers that are already upset, especially without checking? It turned out he was wrong, the kitchen was plating our food right then, but it was too late. My daughter and I walked down to the El Grecco cafe down the street while my boyfriend "handled" the situation. I will definitely NOT be back.
(1)Hoda B.
I tried the donner with burgul, it was delicious, but the portion is on the small size. The staff were very friendly.
(4)Mario C.
Overall, food was good but I was disappointed in the ribeye kabobs. Steak was very well done (and i am more of a medium type guy w/ my steak). That said we had the appetizer sampler, with hummus, baba gaganush, tzatziki, eggplant, an a whole lot more. This sampler was really good, along with the Mediterranean bread. Definitely coming back.
(3)Aaron R.
Delicious lunch! I came here with a friend this afternoon for lunch. We had a mezze platter and a couple donner plates. Instead of the typical doner of ground and pressed meat, it was whole cuts of beef, a fresh salad, toasted bread and grilled veggies. The prices were very reasonable with most of their generous lunch plates falling in the $8 - 12 range. The casual outdoor patio seating and quick service topped it off. A+
(5)Megan W.
Wow is all I can really say right now. One of the best things about living in Ybor city is our close proximity to amazing restaurants. With that said, we've gotten a little bored after living here for a year and a half. We are always looking for a new great find. And boy did we find it today at lunch. I randomly stumbled across Istanblu Restaurant and Bar which is located in the old Sunday's Fine Dining Restaurant. When we walked in at lunch, we were the only table. We were told they were in the process of their soft opening and not yet advertising. I was beyond impressed with the result. My boyfriend and I split the Mixed Grill Kebabs which I will suggest to anyone trying out Turkish food for the first time so you get to try a little of everything. Our plate consisted of Doner (homemade Gyro), Chicken Shish Kebab (Tavuk Shish), Adana Kebab (chopped lamb), Beef Tenderloin Shish Kebab and Chicken Chops. This was served with rice and grilled tomatoes. I can honestly say that this may be my new favorite restaurant in Ybor City. The flavors were incredible. The atmosphere was amazing. It was romantic and trendy. Over the next few weeks, they will have live music and belly dancers. We are looking forward to our next visit and I encourage all you Yelpers to give this place a try. I want to see this restaurant succeed.
(5)Ilona C.
I was in the area for the holidays with my parents, and I wanted something other than Columbia (which they go to all the time because they are Latin). Luckily, Istanblu did not dissapoint! I started off with the hummus- FRESHLY MADE! There is nothing I detest more than paying for processed hummus that comes out of a plastic tub. The portion was not as large as other places, however once again- it is REAL and so delicious! My dad ordered the Chicken Adana, and he was quite pleased the portion. My Latin dad tends to eat anything and criticize it later, however he enjoyed every bite. My mom ordered the Lamb gyro dinner (although it seemed to not have come with the advertised Bulgar pilav, that's why I deducted a star- she was really looking forward to that) and I ordered the Istanblu Kebap with also had lamb. The lamb was seasoned well and as I mentioned before it tasted very fresh and not processed. My favorite part of my dish with the pita that was mixed with the lamb and that absorbed the sauce- I would definitely order again! The waiter was friendly and mentioned that as of the new year, they will have a belly dancer on premises during certain weekdays- I only wish I lived closer to check that out! What would only make it better is if they also gave lessons...something to think about. I highly recommend this place for someone who wants to enjoy a great cultural dinner and for people who appreciate fresh food and appropriate meal portions, which is hard to come by in the USA these days. I hope to visit next year when I am back in Florida.
(4)Ross R.
It was our first visit to Ybor so we decided to check out Istanblu. We traveled to Turkey last year and we really enjoyed the country, food and culture. Unfortunately Instanblu was a disappointment. The owner has put an effort to decorate the place and create a great atmosphere, however the service was poor. We selected our drinks just to be told they don't have these vines in stock. The waitress did not know any of dishes and couldn't answer any questions. We ordered the Soslu Patlican (grilled eggplant) appetizer, the waitress brought us an appetizer that looked and tasted like gaspacho soup. I looked at the menu again and found out that we are having Ezme - the veggie dip. The waitress insisted that we are having the eggplant, although clearly we got something completely different. We ordered the stuffed peppers and chicken kebap. The food came after 40 min, but for some reason was not hot. It looked like it has been sitting somewhere for a while. The quality and taste were mediocre. We did not order desserts. Since it was Friday night we expected live music, but they didn't have it on that night but had a Ipad connected to a speaker playing some Turkish music. For the premium prices we paid ($9 for a glass of wine, $19 for a few pieces of grilled chicken) we expected more. Needless to say we won't be back here again.
(1)Matt F.
Nice change of pace in the Tampa area. It's nice to see the Ybor area bringing in some new restaurants and add a little more variety to the Tampa area. The food was great and seemed very authentic. The staff was good but for some reason the service was exceptionally slow. This was particularly the case when we wanted to pay and head out. We'll definitely give it another try though.
(4)Donald H.
Used to live in Istanbul & enoyed this place immensely...! Good lamb dishes....very good service...! I will return...often!!!
(5)Thomas C K.
A bit of a disaster! Arrived at 6pm - ordered our appetizer which was ok - then waited for our entrees for 1 hr and 15 minutes - at which time we were no longer hungry and asked to take the food home. The waiter was pleasant but that does not make up for the extraordinary long wait....overall food quality was 3 stars, wait service 3 stars but overall experience was only 2 stars. We will not go back.
(2)Ufuk G.
i went to with my coworker after Busch Gardens. Great ambiances but not a great food!! Especially baklava (if you don't know how to make it right don't make it)
(3)Dominic S.
My girlfriend and I had come into Istanblu for a new place to try. When we walked in there was maybe two tables with people. Keep in mind it was a late lunch during a week day. Now the service was a bit slow but it was a new manager doing the work of two servers. With that being said we were not in a hurry or upset at the situation. Their food is made fresh and it reminded me of the food I had eaten when I was deployed overseas to Iraq. I was quite impressed and can not wait to go eat there again!
(5)Jim S.
AUTHENTIC TURKISH CUISINE is Great and this place does it right. I made my first trip here and was pleasantly surprised. Having lived in Turkey for some time I really wasn't expecting it to be as authentic as I always had in Turkey but it was a wonderful experience that brought back so many wonderful memories of Turkey. The Adana kebab (lamb) was as good as it gets. Ayran or laban is a Turkish cold beverage of yogurt mixed with cold water and sometimes salt was so good and refreshing. The prices were very reasonable for authentic Turkish Cuisine. I can't wait to visit again.
(5)Andrew S.
My wife and I wanted to try this place a couple weeks ago but we remembered on the way there that it was the evening of the Gasparilla night parade so we decided to wait for another weekend. One thing to note as well ... my wife and I eat out QUITE often and of all different cuisines, it so happens that Mediterranean and specifically Turkish is one of our favourites. She has lived in NYC and had some of the best Turkish here in the states from there and we make it a point to try new Turkish places throughout central FL if they open. All that said ... With my parents in town and it my wife's birthday this coming week, my wife decided she wanted to have a birthday dinner at Istanblu, Sat Feb 16th. With that we had a party of 6 of us and arrived for our reservation. The ambiance of the place hasnt changed a whole lot from what it has been for years ... I recall going to a restaurant that was in the same venue some 10-12 years that was a sushi place and it was pretty much identical. The Food / Meal Quality As far as meals go, we had multiple apps and everyone had their own entree. We had the zucchini pancakes, shepherds salad, some babagunash and the sigara boregi (cheese pastry thing). For entree's different members of the party ordered the Beyti Kebap, Doner Kebap, the chicken shish and shrimp kebap. CATEGORICALLY ... I would say of ALL of these apps and entrees, THEY ALL SUCKED compared to the competition. Gengiz Khan which is off of MacDill and Interbay is 1000x better for all the same dishes. Do note, this is even with us not really "loving Gengiz Khan" ... it just happens to be very close to our house so we eat there frequently because of ease. Moreover, while Byblos is Lebonese, not Turkish ... the cuisines are so close that its hard not to compare them ... Byblos blows Istanblu out of the water, they arent even in the same league. The Service The service quality was worse than the food by a million times. The place was not especially busy when we came in. That said it was an extended time before any of the apps made their way out. When the waiter brought the bottle of wine that we had requested, my brother in law requested 3 times to have me try the wine to make sure the bottle was okay ... instead the waiter didnt even bother having someone check the wine, he just started pouring the glasses. Thankfully it was fine but it was irritating nonetheless. Once the apps finally made their way out they were hohumm, nothing special (as already noted in the food quality). Then was the highlight (from a comedic sense) and lowest point from a service perspective ... Two of entree's were brought out to members of our party. Neither of the individuals wanted to get started without the other members of the party having their meals, thinking that everything was on its way out. At which point our waiter disappeared for upwards of roughly 5 minutes. He then reappears (not with any of the additional meals) and explains that "the other dishes should be up soon, that you shouldnt wait ... that in Turkey its customary for dishes to be brought out as they are done and everyone might be served at different times" ... we all sat in disbelief as this guy just pulled this cr@p out of his @ss. Regardless, we chuckled and didnt rock the boat. About 5-10 minutes later 3 more meals came out (by this time the 2 that had already been delivered were almost done). Not only that but they were brought out lukewarm at best, definitely not hot. It was easy to tell that they had been sitting for a while. That left us still waiting on 1 meal, my mothers meal. Having already been fed the line of cr@p about dishes coming at different times, my mother thought like all of us that hers would be right out in another minute. Long story short, our waiter never checked back in and after another 10-15 minutes I flagged down some other waiter and said "find our guy". Once he showed up, again minutes later, he went to the back to check on it only to find that ... "ooooopppps, I'm sorry, I forgot to put your order for the Doner Kebap in". By this point, everyone at the table was done essentially and none of the food was memorable in a good way anyway so there was no desire to wait on that or another dish to be made. For this cr@ppy service level what was offered???? "do you want a desert on us"!? You've got to be kidding ... meanwhile, nothing was offered / done as part of us having a big birthday party there such as any of the other Mediterranean restaurants in the area. Needless to say, we'll never be back and I cannot in anyway recommend this place over the other establishments here in Tampa. Gengiz Khan is 1000% better than this place and Byblos is 10000000% times better. I give Istanblu at most 6 months then they'll probably be gone.
(1)Gerardo L.
I really like the bubble bread they have. Probably service needs to be faster, but they were really nice and the place has so much potential. The hummus was good, and the veggies were great. It was really a good meal. I will give them a try if I'm in Ybor.
(4)Roberto A.
I really loved this place. The appetizer sampler was fantastic and we followed that with shrimp kebabs and moussaka. I liked the Turkish version better than the Greek. We had a very interesting, fruity Turkish wine and followed it with baklava and Turkish coffee. I heartily endorse this restaurant.
(5)Melissa G.
My friend raved about how amazing this place was, but when we went the service was terrible. When we approached the hostess station, a woman walked up and asked if she could help us (obviously we want to eat). When we said we wanted a seat, she looked at us like she was confused. The manager stepped up and seated us. That same woman ended up being our server & her attitude didn't get better. We had to ask 3 times from 2 different servers if we could get drinks & napkins. Dinner came before our napkins or the drinks. Then about half way through dinner they turned the music up for the belly dancer. It was so loud it was impossible to have a conversation. We had to walk downstairs & find someone to get our bill because the server never came back after she dropped off the food (so we didn't get refills on drinks either). The food was decent but not worth the price or the attitude. I will not be coming back.
(1)Ahmed B.
They now have the Turkish Lavash bread. The experience is complete. Not sure about the Hazy Turk martini.
(4)Robby M.
The restaurant is in the old Sundays Fine Dining location. We were greeted by the owner when we walked in that was really nice then our server wandered over brought us water and the menu and never asked us again if we wanted anything else to drink. We ordered the cheese appetizer really good feta but that was all you got. I ordered the stuffed cabbage decent flavor and quite a lot to eat my wife ordered the Donner it was not so pleasant. The meat was tough and not hot did not come out with any sauce and was very bland to begin with. We will not be going back.
(2)Alaena H.
I dined here this evening and was extremely pleased with the experience. The interior is clean, open and trendy with light music and a great view of passerby. Our waiter Chris was attentive and went out of his way several times to accomodate our questions and requests. Food took me back to my Lebanese grandmother's cooking - homemade yoghurt with cucumber, shepherds salad with a perfeclty spiced dressing and grape leaves with caramelized onions. Ribeye was grilled perfectly and accompanied by basmati rice and tangy sweet vegetable salad. Definitely bringing family and friends back to this authentic family-owned establishment. So much fresher and healthier than popular Greek American restaurant down the street.
(5)Carolyn C.
First, the baked goods (Ecmec and phyllo dough) were very tasty and made in house. However, the Borek had almost no filing, everything was overcooked (except for the rice, which was crunchy and undercooked), and lamb kebab was served instead if Adana kebab due to the server's error. To apologize, we were served complementary baklava, but would have liked to try the Adana. The restaurant was empty the whole time and we should have seen that as a sign. If we return in the future it will be for some Ecmec- To go.
(2)Kathy S.
Went to Istanblu last night with some friends with the intent of having dinner and drinks. I honestly don't know how the restaurant is in business given their horrendous table service. I've had some pretty bad experiences in the past, but this one absolutely takes the cake. We walked in and there was only one 4-top being serviced on the main floor. So they weren't busy at all. However, given how long it took for the (Columbian) server to take our drink order, you would've thought it was their busiest day ever. My friend ordered a Tonic-based drink, and she made it with sparkling water instead. (Yes.. She was both our Server and Bartender, despite there being two male employees doing absolutely nothing.) She made the drink again, but this time with soda water. After sending the drink back a second time, she claimed the Tonic "wasn't working." Then one of the male employees not doing anything heroically found a can of Tonic. Finally, she got the drink right. After getting us our drinks, we didn't see her for at least another 25-30 minutes. During that time, we decided we weren't staying for dinner. Rather, we'd drink our drinks, have a few appetizers, and go somewhere else for dinner. When we placed our appetizer order, we asked for more bread while we wait. Our server told us promptly that more bread would be an additional charge (first I've ever heard that..) - $0.99. If you're only going to charge me a buck for more bread, why charge me at all? Anyway. I noticed that a 5-top came in 10-15 minutes after we did, had their drinks, AND their food already. WTF. Finally, after waiting another 20-25 minutes or so, we finally got our appetizer order - almost AN HOUR after walking in! I must admit, the Tea of the Gods was good, albeit made with sweet tea. And the appetizers were good - even the $0.99 bread. But that's definitely NOT enough to make me want to come back. Clearly, they care more about their nightly bar business than they do about their restaurant business. It shows in their gross lack of table service. If they had someone show them how to properly tend to their guests, this place could be a smash hit. But they are far from that now.
(2)Jonathan T.
Went with my girlfriend here on a date and thought the restaurant looked very nice. The service was on point and the food was pretty good. I'd recommend anyone to check it out if they are in the mood for something different.
(3)Christy S.
Had a lovely dinner outside with friends. Weather was perfect & took advantage of their half off happy hour on beer & wine, very attractive! Service was excellent, they were friendly, eager but didn't rush us out. We had the calamari and lamb liver as appetizers, both very tasty! Also had the lamb as a dinner entree and it was well cooked and tasty. We will be back. It's a nice change from your usual cuisine.
(4)Kelley B.
They we're out of everything we wanted to order, the food we did get was cold when it shouldn't have been. Nice looking restaurant, but for the same amount of money you can get much better food elsewhere in Ybor.
(2)Susan M.
I was really exited to try Istanblu, I love Turkish food. Unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations. The space is beautiful, but still looks very much like it's days as Sunday's Fine Dining. We went in on a Friday night and there were only 2 other people seated. When our server came over and introduced himself he told us he was new and apologized for not knowing how to pronounce any of the dishes. Things didn't really get any better from there. We ordered a cheese plate as an appetizer. I'm pretty sure the description said it was a "selection" of cheeses. We got a plate of feta. It was good feta, salty and fresh tasting, but it was only one type of cheese. My husband ordered the stuffed cabbage and I ordered the doner. His stuffed cabbage was good, good flavor, good sauce, and lucky for him it arrived hot. My doner on the other hand...was almost inedible. It came out cold. The meat had been so overcooked (before it got cold) that it was like chewing on crunchy shoe leather. I asked for some yogurt sauce to drown it in to try and soften it up. It literally left a bad taste in my mouth. And I hate that because I really really wanted to like this place. It's not cheap either. Unfortunately we won't be back.
(2)Ashley N.
I don't know how there are so many good reviews for this restaurant. I went here with some friends and it took an hour to get our food. The server was very rude and slow, and didn't seem to have a clue what he was doing. I ordered the doner and it was very dry, and not cheap! I couldn't even eat it. Terrible service, terrible food. For the money, you can find somewhere better to eat!
(1)Michael G.
Great place and great food! -authentic foods, great selection, and good portions. Service was all good ...even the owner came to our table. The cheesy, honey desert (forget the name) is definitely a must.
(4)Noelle L.
Istanblu was a wonderful experience. Our server was fabulous and we were able to sit outside and enjoy the cool January air (and people watch). I had a glass of their Torrontes which was crisp and very enjoyable. My boyfriend enjoyed a Blue Moon. We did not have a reservation, but the place was sadly empty :( There was another couple there, and midway through our meal another party of four arrived. PLEASE my fellow yelpers, come support this local restaurant! The food is fantastic, which is what I'll get to in a moment. I do not want to see this restaurant leave Ybor. We ordered their homemade hummus, which came out adorned with a kalamata olive and a few sprinklings of chick peas. It came with fresh wood fired flat pita bread and in about 5 minutes, we were part of the appetizer "clean plate club". We shared the mixed grill for two, priced very reasonable at $34.95. It offered chicken, steak, and lamb prepared two ways (gyro meat, as well as a lamb meatball). It came accompanied with more pita bread, their house salad (olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice with shaved carrots, red cabbage, and iceberg lettuce), and their house rice (with vermicelli bits). The meat was all savory and very well seasoned. One of my biggest gripes at restaurants is that the chef doesn't have a heavy enough hand when it comes to seasoning their entrees. The chef here did not disappoint! It also came paired with two sauces to dip the meat in: a hot sauce and a cucumber yogurt sauce. Both were terrific! Will we be back? Yes, and with company to boot. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!
(4)Derek N.
Went out on a late lunch Sunday looking for an adventure. We have seen this place many times while we drove through Ybor and decided to stop in and see what it was about. We were quickly greeted and sat at a table outdoors. Our server looked nervous but we did not care. She took our drink order (two waters) and even offered us some free tea, i declined because I am not a huge fan of tea. She returned quickly with our water and we order two apps. When she returned she brought to bread rolls. They we seasoned very well, and the butter was room temperature so it was easy to spread (hard to find soft butter) The Haydari and the Hummus were our apps. The Haydari reminded us of Tzatziki, and was delicious. I recommend saving some of this to put on your main dish. The Hummus was also very tasty. Compared to other concepts in Tampa, these apps had them beat. We did have to wait for about 5 minutes for them to bring pita bread for these apps. They did offer us a substitute while we waited, but we wanted PITA!!! We split a main dish, Rib eye Shish. It was served with a small salad on the plate with a vinaigrette, flavorful rice, and 1/2 of grilled tomato and one small grilled pepper. The rib-eye was WELL DONE. We were never asked how we would like our steak but well done would have been on the bottom of the list. Could have been seasoned a little more, it was a little tough, and of course overcooked. For 17.75$ it wasn't bad, increase the seasoning and not over cook the meat it would be worth it. Next time I would skip the salad on the plate and ask for more rice. The Apps helped out filling us up and were the best part of our meal. I wont check this place off my list because I feel they have more to offer. Our server was very nervous becuase it was her second day but she did a great job.
(3)Michelle S.
We happened to stop while visiting from out of town because my Husband saw Doner on the menu. The food and service was amazing!!!! Met the new owner and she is the most beautiful person! Definitely visit this restaurant! You will not be disappointed!
(5)Steve P.
This place is wonderful. I don't know what authentic Turkish is but, this food is totally unique and delicious. We will definitely be back!
(5)Jo G.
I had an early dinner here last night with friends and family. Perfect time to go since it was a weekday and not busy. We ordered the appetizer sampler, which had eight small dishes of different main appetizers. The dolma was on point! Then we all ordered the same thing, which was the Adana kebob as we had an Adana native in our party. She was pleased with the food and said that this was the closest thing to authentic Turkish food. The inside is gorgeous and large with outdoor seating as well. Our waiter was super friendly too!
(4)Paul P.
Went here with a couple of friends on a Saturday night. One of our friends requires gluten free food and the restaurant was more than happy to accommodate. The restaurant has both upstairs and downstairs seating. We were seated downstairs. We ordered a appetizer sampler which was very good. The bread brought out to the table shortly after you arrive comes in handy with many of these appetizers, which are more like spreads than something you actually eat by themselves. We ordered the mixed grill for two, actually both couples ordered the mix grill for two, and this was a good decision. Especially after chowing down on the appetizer sampler the mixed grill for two was plenty of food. There were different types of meats which came on a plate laced with a flat pita/tortilla. Everything was deliscious and there was plenty to eat for everyone, in fact, we all had leftovers to take home. There was supposed to be a belly dancer, but that didn't happen. Not a big deal however there was someone in the front who was singing. The singing itself wasn't bad but it was loud, overwhelming, and made it difficult to have a conversation. Thankfully the singing started after we were done with our meals and close to being ready to leave. I also found the temperature in the restaurant to be a little on the warm side. The food was good, the service was good, the environment absent the loud singing was good, and the prices were reasonable. If you like Mediterranean food or are looking to try Mediterranean food, I recommend you try this place.
(4)Roberto T.
Amazing food. Tons of options for the meat eaters along with vegetarians (me). I tried the veggie platter and it was on point. The hummus is great. The selection of wines was good. From affordable to really expensive stuff. Turkish coffee was delicious. I wish I could come more often to this gem in Ybor city.
(5)Farah A.
This restaurant has a perfect harmony -- well seasoned food, delightful service, low-key atmosphere, and you get your money's worth. Start your meal with ANY appetizer, trust me, we tried them all in a Sampler Appetizer. It's enough food for 6 at least if you're having drinks with friends. Our personal favorites were the haydari, ezme, and the bean salad. The bread is served hot and you'll end up wanting to take some home with you. All the dishes we selected were made with fresh ingredients, in house, and the chicken kebab was very tender. I am sure you won't go wrong with any selection. Dining in on a Sunday afternoon, when it wasn't its peak busy hour, allowed us to take our time and linger a while after we were done eating. But, even if it's a busy night, you're welcome to do the same! The culture of Turkish dining is to enjoy your meal and the people you're sharing it with, even if that means a 3 hour meal. So, definitely take advantage of all the courses, including tea and sugar cubes at the end if you want a traditional dining experience. Don't forget the baklava! And if you can, ask for the server Rachel -- she will not miss a beat!
(5)Nicole S.
Hubby and I ate here for the first time recently and were so impressed. The place was spotless, the staff was wonderful. The owner even took the time to call me back regarding my reservation (in case it was a special occasion). I'm pretty sure I sampled every type of wine before settling. We ordered Lamb Kebab, Haydari and Instanblu Kebab, and followed up with good turkish coffee an Baklava. Everything was just Delicious. We can't wait to return. ;-)
(5)Hi Face S.
This place is awesome, great food, great service, great crew we had so much fun. They are very friendly and polite, We had a blast. If you like Mediterranean food you should try this place! The belly dancer is perfect and friendly!
(5)Rach S.
The food at Istanblu is high quality, fresh, and delicious. Thanks to the new owner the ambiance and decor (interior and exterior) has significantly changed for the better. If you're looking for great service and Mediterranean food this is the restaurant for you! I highly recommend giving it a try.
(5)Anthony P.
Adana Kebab was full of flavor - was on the mild side. No longer offer bulgar - only rice with dish - not a deal breaker - the rice was good. Will visit again. The service was great! They make the best Baklava I've tasted. It's made in house - not shipped in!
(4)L R.
First time there - toss up between trying some place new or going to Acropolis. So glad we picked new! This place is fantastic and authentic. Very friendly staff. We will be back!
(5)Kim Z.
It was ok, but not great. We ordered the zucchini pancakes for an appetizer, which were delicious. And then we split the mixed grill dinner, which was just ok. We were THE ONLY table in the restaurant the entire time we were there. This was on a Friday at 7:45pm. Our server was fantastic--very friendly and attentive. (Not hard to do since we were her only customers.) But what was unbelievable was how bad the overall service was of the overall experience.There were three other staff members standing around in the back, not doing anything, which was a bit frustrating to us. We ordered our drinks--one of which was a sangria. Our server had to also play bartender, which meant she had to make the sangria. It wasn't like it was in a jug and all she had to do was pour. So that took time away from us being able to put in our appetizer order. Yet--three staff members were just standing around, doing nothing. Then when our main course came out, it took her three trips to bring out the food and plates-- again, none of the other staff members could help her carry items??? Meanwhile, the timing of the bread that she "just put in the warmer" was terrible, as it came out just as we were nearing the last bites of our meal. Who eats bread after the meal is finished??? The food was just ok. This was our first time here, and the reason I wanted to try was because I heard great things about the bread. --and the bread lived up to expectations. It was YUMMY! But the meat of the mixed grill was just ok. A little dry. And the salad was forgettable. I normally wouldn't comment on the salad in a review. But when Acropolis is just a block away...well...they know how to do a mixed grill and salad waaaay better. And that seems to be the loud consensus because when we walked down the street afterwards, Acropolis was PACKED and LIVELY. We should have gone there instead, but we wanted to try something new. And with that, living the truth of Seinfeld.
(2)M S.
I walked here in a weekday , don't like the tables with chairs , my meal was a chicken adana , the chicken wasn't good , I didn't like it , they should to chose a good place to buy there chicken
(1)Tiffany H.
-Sigh- I've been a little disappointed with my last couple experiences at Istanblu. Ever since my first visit (which was fantastic), I have tried to get the kunefe every single time and it's always "sold out." Bummer. They also changed the bread that come
(3)Elina L.
Every single thing was terrible! We were ignored by the wait staff, food took too long, flavors were below average.
(1)Michael G.
This review is not for the food, although we walked by it one day between Christmas and New Years, during lunch time and tourist season, and there was literally NO ONE in the restaurant. My review, however is of the platinum blonde waitress, who quite possibly could be the poster girl for dumb blondes. The reason we were walking up and down the Ybor strip was because we were on a mission to find the best Cuban sandwich in Ybor. So when we stuck our heads in here, and she approached us, I asked her if she knew where to get a great Cuban sandwich. Her reply, "Unfortunately we don't really have any Cuban restaurants in this area." WHAT !!!!!!!!! Asides from Miami, this is the most Cuban neighborhood in the UNITES STATES, lol. experience.usatoday.com/…
(3)Chris M.
Went there with my girlfriend who is Turkish-she loved the food. Very authentic. Service was great. Nice quiet place to get some food and enjoy a night in ybor city
(5)Kyla V.
This place is fantastic. Have walked past in Ybor many times but never stopped. I'm glad we did today as we had an excellent lunch. They don't normally serve their lunch menu on the weekends, but we didn't know that so the manager offered to let us order off of it, and continued to serve us the rest of the meal. He was very attentive. The food was great, you could tell all of the ingredients were so fresh. I had a wonderful salad with oil and fresh lemon juice and my boyfriend had a chicken wrap and fries, which he deemed the perfect french fry. We were sad when Sundays moved out of this location, but Istanblu is a great replacement and we will be back again!
(5)Cher T.
Stopped into Istanblu Restaurant and Bar for a quick snack before heading over to the Orpheum to see my son and his band perform. We had some hummus, cheese plate and a veggie tray for three of us and it was just delicious. The hummus was served with a nice warm bread which was a treat from the standard cold pita bread. The prices are moderate but you don't get very much food for the money. The place, however, is gorgeous. There's beautiful front window seating, an upstairs private loft for more intimate dining, great art on the walls and there is a small mart up front where you can purchase belly dancer gear (scarves and belly wraps with bells and jingly thingies) and jewelry. It's very charming. What turned me off about the restaurant was the back parking lot and all the LIVE chickens running around out back, in and out of the kitchen. It was truly nauseating me knowing those chickens were running around, crapping all over the place. Had I seen that FIRST before going in, I probably would not have gone in there. For that, I wanted to give the place two stars, but I threw in an extra star to make it three stars because the service was really great. It is a nice place to go to for a romantic dinner because the ambiance is very cozy and conducive to a romantic dinner...but I am really having a hard time getting past the live chickens, and wondering which one of them would end up on my plate. I don't know that we will go back...but it IS a nice place. If you don't mind meeting your potential dinner in the parking lot before you go in, then go for it. I'm still a little bothered by it.
(3)Geraldine G.
Delicious food. The grape leave concept was delicious. Loved the music playing in the restaurant, very ethnic. More people should try new types of cuisine and definitely try this place. I left one star out because I believe the service could improve.
(4)TC Birsen R.
Amazing food. Fresh,tasty and original..Turkey has the most rich food culture in the world for thousands of years. I would recomend this place to everyone. Try it you won't be dissapointed.
(5)Omur T.
We had dinner here last night. Food was authentic and delicious. We had Shepard's salad, eggplant salad, sigara borek. Unfortunately we didn't leave room for desert. Next time.
(5)K M.
Very good authentic Turkish cuisine in the middle of Ybor City. Don't get confused and go to the Columbian restaurant; this by far exceeds their offerings. Instanblu is definitely the best in Tampa. Recommend the mixed platter, it's a lot of good kabobs for under $40. Enough for two to have a hearty meal and take extras home for either a midnight snack or lunch the next day. Plenty of seating, nothing is rushed. With that being said, don't go expecting a donar kabob in 10 minutes like some places; here the food is far from fast which means it's excellent.
(5)Ricardo W.
I came here in Dinner time wow the food was Delicious Delicious ! I will come again.
(5)Marie P.
Love love love. . Portions are big so you may want to share. ..server was attentive. The flavors are clean and fresh. .. highly recommend and a must try!
(5)