The Bosphorus

Amazing dining experience. Food was delicious, service was superb. Can’t wait to go back.

Bronzini was out of this world… directly from Greece! From appetizers to Turkish coffee everything was presented beautifully! The quality of the food is above average and the pride the family takes in their restaurant is quite lovely! We will return and will probably become a regular if our future visits even remotely resemble last night!

Fresh bread. delicious turkish coffee. amazing fried calf liver… falafel that melts in the mouth. yummy meatballs and gyro. beautiful ambience. out of this world kunefe. and a warm motherly hug as the icing on the cake. cannot ask for more!!!

One of the best dining experiences! Went there on a Sunday with my mom (on a very snowy day) we had the restaurant to ourselves… the hostess was more than welcoming (hugs and took our coats). The restaurant was very clean and you can tell the owner puts love and care into presentation and décor. The food was OUTSTANDING and like a flavor explosion. Clean, spicy flavors that dance on your palette. Appetizers and Dinner were both phenomenal. I can’t wait to bring back my fiancé! Turkish coffee is a must to try!

Fourth visit. Everything was great. We went on a cold Monday night so there weren’t many patrons.
Try the chicken soup. They served it with a lime, flakes of mint and hot pepper on the side. It was very good. A nice variation on chicken soup.
The Bosphorus style filet was excellent as well.
I’ve got to try their breakfast next.

Me and my mom went here for a Christmas dinner. I’ve been looking for a place to go, but on Christmas day we weren’t feeling going anywhere far so we stayed local. I opened Unilocal and the first thing that it recommended was this restaurant – The Bosphorus.
A reservation for two was easy peasy, really hassle-​free. The place is kind of small, but really elegant looking. The food as well as how it is presented is very pleasing to the eye. One thing that I probably love in this place is the Turkish coffee they have. It’s really something else!

This would get way more stars if my entrée had been better. It was gyro smothered in tomato sauce even though there wasn’t a mention of the sauce on the menu. Turkish coffee is on point, and so was their bosphorous salad!

Where do I even begin! I know Mediterranean food and The Bosphorus is THE PLACE to go. Everything from the décor, to the food presentation, to the staff is 5 stars. Extra star for BYOB.
They start you off with warm bread with a crunchy crust and they pour some olive oil and balsamic vinegar on your plate along with some spices to dip your bread in. DEELISSHH.
I highly recommend the lentil soup to start. They give you three little side dishes with spices and croutons so you can add as little or as much as you want.
For entrées you really can’t go wrong with anything. When the plates come out all you can say is «wow» to the presentation and it does taste as good as it looks.
Finally, the number one reason to come here is for the KANAFEH. It’s a sweet cheese pastry with crumbled pistachios. I’m lactose intolerant and I risk it every time because IT’S THAT GOOD. If I could describe it in one word I would choose «orgasmic».
Please try the dessert. You will not regret it. I just finished my food and I’m salivating just writing about it.

This place is def 5 stars! The owner Noura goes above and beyond to make you feel like you’re eating with family. She’s very friendly.
The Resturant has a great atmosphere. The food was delicious and the presentation was beautiful. We will host our business dinner here because of how much we appreciated the service, taste, and freshness of this place.

Don’t bother with delivery.
I tried ordering from here a while ago and they refused my order. The place was «too busy.» My prior review about this has disappeared.
So many fake reviews about this place.

I seldom write reviews but I believe this restaurant deserves one. Went to the restaurant three times for this month alone and I must say their food is consistent. I had lamb shish, lamb chops and chicken adana on separate occasions and they were perfectly done. Well seasoned without overpowering the meat itself. My husband had the branzini and it was superb. The bread they serve before the main course is fresh and the hummus we ordered is definitely delicious.
The place is small but the ambiance and the warmth of the head waitress made up for it. This place is really recommended. By the way, they prefer calling ahead for reservations especially on weeknights.

Amazing! Just went there tonight around 8pm on a Saturday after finding this place on Unilocal.So happy with our decision. Didn’t have to wait to be seated and was immediately impressed with the spot when walking in.
I’m from Central NJ but have never been to Nutley Township, which is North Jersey. It’s a cute town and there’s a lot of restaurants around this one which makes the environment that much nicer.
The food was extremely delicious and each visual detail about the food was perfect as well. We got the hummus appetizer, the mixed platter, a sandwich, and kunefe dessert — way too much food and we left feeling happy and full!
The waitress was very sweet and cared a lot about how we liked the food, and the chef came to our table to ask how we liked everything. He came back again at the end of the meal and liked what I wrote on our to go box — «yummy food» hehe. He came outside and shook our hands as we were walking out of the restaurant too — talk about nice service!
There was a man playing live piano the entire night which made the atmosphere PERFECT for a date or with groups of friends. There were people on dates as well as people in groups of friends/​families (one party celebrating a birthday) — definitely a fun classy vibe at an affordable price. Highly recommend this place if you’re ever in that area!

Imagine 8 «Men of a certain age» on a guys night out with a few bottles of wine and some beer. The owner handled our manly middle-​aged table with aplomb as she graciously walked us through the menu with a smile on her face throughout. Now, this is not an «eat and run» kind of place. This is a full dinner experience. The owner reinforced with us throughout the night that everything is prepared fresh — «enjoy your starter courses and give me your dinner orders now for they’ll take around 30 minutes or so». OK — we’ve got nowhere to go!
Shepherd’s salad, ezme and babaganoush dips, fresh sesame bread, all delicious. For dinner — my Lamb Adana was the right mix of delicious lamb flavor and spices. Accompanied with rice and bulgar, it was just the right portion. Other dishes /​kabobs looked good too and friends seemed satisfied with Bosphorus.
Dessert was a round of Kadefe for all — a phyllo and cheese patty served elegantly and warm. Coupled with Turkish coffee, it was a nice end to a great meal.
And, yes, as other Unilocalers described, the owner hugs you and gives a peck on both cheeks as you leave! How cool is that?!

The Bosphorus is a nice local establishment that always satisfies my craving for some delicious Mediterranean food! Every time I have came here the service has been great and they have treated us with great hospitality. Once you enter this place, you visually see its simplicity and cleanliness of the ambiance.
For the appetizers I have not been disappointed with any of my choices here. Of course I tried the Babaganoush which was good and the Humus is on point here as well. The fried calamari is never a choice you can be disappointed with here and the Puffed Roll Pastry is nice to have if you like feta cheese!
As for the main courses, I also have no complaints as well. All the meats I have had were all prepared very well, whether it was Mixed Grill Plate (which is a generous portion of meat), Adana, Gyro, or Lamb chops! There was also a time I had the meatballs here, which is a combination of lamb and beef that tasted great. I’m very picky with my lamb in general and I am very satisfied with how the lamb is prepared here!
After the meal, I always enjoy having the baklava here, paired with a nice warm cup of Turkish coffee. These days I drink my coffee black and the Turkish coffee here served that way worked for me.

I wasn’t overly impressed with his place. On a random weekday the place was somewhat busy. Our server who was clearly not of their decent was all business.
Their food was just ok. We had their bread which was good and falafel to start. Average.
Our meals were a chicken and lamb dish. Not overly large. In fact a little on the smaller side. The rice was ok. The meat was seasoned ok. We were not wowed by any of our experience — service, food and prices. Yeah it’s a bit expensive.
Overall 2 – 3 stars but I am feeling generous today. Not sure if we would return.

The food here isn’t bad, but the wait is even with a reservation. We waited an hour to sit then dinner took 2 and a half hours because it’s 2 people running the whole place. Nothing spectacular, just standard Mediterranean food. I was surprised that it wasn’t better.

We had a really nice dinner here tonight! This is my first time here and the place made a great first impression!
The service was swift and precise. I had the Lamb Shank special. The presentation was excellent and the meat so tender. The meal was fulfilling and brought back nice memories.
The atmosphere was pleasant and we felt at home.
Upon exiting, the owners thanked us personally with a hug and handshake! It may seem unusual to some but customary for them. A nice gesture that isn’t often seen in most restrourants.
This place deserves the five stars

Took the rents out on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Thanks to Unilocal for letting me know about their location.
Paid the ²⁴⁄₇ meter and walked in to find a very cleanly designed restaurant. Lots of space and a piano in the corner.
Service was excellent. Waited until we all folded up our menu to ask for our order. The menu doesn’t do well in terms of explaining the 3 different chicken and 3 different lamb/​gyro entrees, but the waitress was patient enough to explain the differences.
They also leave all the plates on the table until the last person is done. Some folks like that. Some don’t. Just an FYI.
I’ve been to a few Turkish restaurants, and I always enjoy the bread. The Bosphorus is no different. Crusty, flavorful and toasted warm.
For appetizers, we went with the mozzarella sticks and onion rings (to satisfy my stepdad — a notoriously picky eater). Wet batter for both. Fried to a dark golden brown. Their mozzarella stick game is on point.
For the entrée, I went with the gyro in a traditional style. Slices of vertical spit roasted gyro served on top of pita topped with tomato sauce. White sauce on the side. I think I would have liked the gyro without tomato sauce on top. Overall, the dish was good, but getting the lamb fat and flavor would have given me a better impression.
Their grilled chicken platter is something I have to go back for. Served with rice, cracked wheat and fries — not to mention the chicken was marinated and very juicy.
The baklava was a good combo of ooey gooey and a flaky pastry. It was better than most in that the top wasn’t greasy.
Overall, a very pleasant experience with a staff that ensures you enjoy your dining experience.

I rounded up from what I think is a 3.5 star restaurant. This would be a solid 4 stars if the service was better. I decided to try the Bosphorus from the glowing Unilocal reviews and found the food to be quite good. We sat outside on a warm spring night since there are a few outdoor tables.
**Be aware that this restaurant is on the parking lot side of the block and not on the main Franklin street.
It took about 20−25min for our order to be taken despite trying to flag down the servers a few times. Luckily we were enjoying the warm weather, but if you are in a rush don’t come here! We ordered a sampler of cold appetizers which were all refreshing and tasty. The bread was hot right out of the oven and was complemented by olive oil with pomegranate and spices. My chicken adana was savory and came with some fries, string beans, wheat berries, white rice, and yogurt sauce. All the food was well seasoned and cooked nicely.
Although we were frustrated by the service, the waiter was very nice and added an extra baklava to the desert plate so that all of us could have a piece to try. Overall, this is a an assured great meal if you don’t mind slow service.

I truly cannot say enough good things about this place. This is my second time here and will certainly not be my last. This place can easily go overlooked as it is tucked away behind the nutley diner, but it’s most definitely worth your time.
The ambience is charming and the staff is so nice ! Every response from one of the staff was «my pleasure» which is such a nice touch! Service was prompt and warm. This place is the real deal.
We got the mixed cold appetizer sampler and were blown away. The sauced eggplant was some of the best I’ve ever had. We split the mixed grill for dinner and demolished it. Everything was so fresh and tasty, there was truly no room for improvement. On the way out not only did we have the door opened for us, but they made sure to offer us a mint. Again, just a nice touch. Worth me writing a glowing review and recommending this place to anyone that wants some authentic Turkish cuisine!
I will absolutely be back to the bosphorous ASAP.