Matbah Restaurant
Istanbul
At a glance
Reviews
On a recent 3-night Istanbul stopover I stayed at the comfortable Ottoman Hotel Imperial overlooking the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque. Their Matbah restaurant is one of Istanbul's best dining venues. Here chef Kadir Yilmaz specialises in the royal Ottoman cuisine of the Sultans. Floor to ceiling windows meant I could watch the light change over the skyline while feasting on vine leaf dolma of spiced lentils and chickpeas, zucchini in olive oil with onion and red pepper (kabak bayıldı) and a dip of roast eggplant and walnuts with Tulum cheese, a pungent goat/sheep milk cheese aged in the animal’s skin – a little goes a long way, but I found this dish addictive and ended up wiping out the bowl with the delicious flatbread. The other standout dish was Ballı Gemici Böreği (Sailor’s Börek) a rolled börek that originated next door in Topkapi Palace and is filled with 7 different cheeses (including that addictive Tulum) and served with a drizzle of raisin honey. I especially liked pieces of it wrapped in the large soft rocket leaves it came with. Braised lamb neck in a thick apricot and Damson plum sauce was very tender and tasty, with a good balance of salt for the sweetness of the fruit, served with delicious buttered rice. A small refreshing dish of blancmange in a light syrup with rose sherbet, fruit, nuts and mint was all I needed for dessert. Service is friendly and efficient, Maitre d' Muharrem Güldemir speaks excellent English and does a great job of guiding guests through the menu and wine list which features Turkish varietals.
Elegant surroundings, wonderful staff and delicious food. Refreshingly regional and executed with precious, without pretension. Will be back to try the other dishes. The small plates were heavenly - particularly the courgette and the vine leaves. The pumpkin dessert though left us all impressed and satisfied. Thank you chef!
Matbah was great, definitely upscale and fancy, food was well presented and overall very good, we ordered a bread filled with cheese and also shared the lamb shank which the waiter recommended (although good we confirmed we really don’t like lamb shank). The dolma (grape leaves filled )were really good and presented well. Overall great experience and had a great view out.
An exceptional dining experience from start to finish. The setting is absolutely beautiful, with a stunning view that really elevates the whole atmosphere. The staff is very welcoming and professional, making you feel comfortable right away. The food is refined, beautifully executed and full of flavor, you can tell there is real attention to detail in every dish. The service was impeccable throughout the evening, smooth and attentive without ever being overwhelming. A special mention to Sevgi, who was incredibly attentive and made the experience even more enjoyable. I truly loved this place and would highly recommend it !
For a Michelin recommended restaurant, I guess the expectations were high. Food was great, not to discredit, but we're expecting a wow.. we ordered quite a bit on the menu and everything is good. Service was also quick and attentive. Staffs were proactive to change out plates and refill out bread. Worth trying i guess but price is definitely on the steep side
