Pera Antakya
Istanbul
Reviews
From the moment I walked in, I was welcomed with open arms. The staff were incredibly friendly, attentive, and genuinely committed to providing excellent service. The food was exceptionally fresh, full of flavor, and prepared with great care. Every dish reflected the authentic tastes of Antakya, making the experience truly special. Everything was outstanding, and I wholeheartedly recommend this place to anyone looking for delicious, authentic cuisine!
This is THE PLACE to try if you’re in Istanbul. Is it pricer than other places? Yes. But is it the best Kebab you will have here? Also yes! I’ve been to Istanbul 7 times but never tasted a kebab that lasted like this. We also had the lahmacun which definitely impressed us. A little heavy on the green pepper, and I would’ve liked a little spicy, but the freshness and crispiness of their bread and the taste of their meat is beyond anything I’ve tried here. Their muhammara is also a good light app! Their service is 10/10 we also enjoyed their complimentary dessert and tea! An overall 10/10 experience. It wasn’t packed for lunch, but does get super crowded at dinner time so manage your time wisely.
Without a doubt, one of the best choice in Istanbul. We ordered both beef and lamb. The beef, served as chunky cuts like the one in the photo, was cooked perfectly. The inside was beautifully pink, tender, and packed with flavor. The lamb chops were especially impressive—crispy on the outside, juicy and succulent on the inside, with none of the strong gamy taste that lamb sometimes has. As wonderful as the main courses were, the cheese appetizer and the dessert were truly unforgettable. I ordered the farmhouse cheese after seeing it recommended in previous reviews, and I’m so glad I did. The cheese was served in fragrant garlic butter and accompanied by a toasted bread ring coated with sesame seeds. The crust was wonderfully crisp. My father split the bread ring open, and I tucked the cheese inside. One bite of that combination was pure happiness. The pumpkin dessert was equally outstanding. Topped with tahini, it was rich, creamy, and wonderfully balanced. Each bite combined the smooth sweetness of the pumpkin with a pleasant slight crunch, creating a unique texture and flavor. It paired perfectly with a cup of Turkish black tea. The staff were all friendly, attentive, and professional throughout our visit, making the entire experience even more enjoyable. Excellent food, excellent service, and excellent memories. Highrecommended.
The food was amazing!!!! Let’s start with the farmer cheese from the oven we accidentally ordered! It was delicious! The lagmacun was delicious and the lamb shish was perfectly cooked!!! The spicy flat breads that came with our food was perfect! I will 100% come back here in October! Thanks you! Also, service was great!
The food was good, but this place was definitely preying on tourists. We ordered the half mezze platter under the pressure of the waiter. On top of that I ordered tap water, and the waiter ended up bringing us a €6 water and we did not realize until the bill came. Additionally, we asked for a mixed meat plate, and said we wanted half portion chicken half portion beef. The platter came out with double (though we didn’t realize it) and so we got charged double. Utterly overpriced as the beef was $36, the chicken $25. The chicken was juicy and flavorful and the beef was good. For mezze, the walnut dip and hummus were standouts. They also gave complimentary pumpkin dessert. Although we appreciate the food and the complimentary dessert, we felt pretty scammed by this experience. I attempted to clarify after and he took off the water but still charged us $60 for the plate you see in the photos. The quality was high but I feel like the waiter purposefully pretended not to understand. When conversing with him initially and throughout dinner his English skills were great and we are appreciative of his work, but I do think if he didn’t understand us he should’ve asked us to clarify. I understand we are speaking the non-national language, but that being said I still feel like they capitalized on the fact that they knew we were tourists
