Mangal Keyfi

It’s not on Istiklal Street, but just a street north of it. It’s far enough away from all the busy buzz but still close enough so it doesn’t feel completely sketch. My friends and I ordered 1 mixed kebab dish and 1 chicken dish, a shepherd’d salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley?, herbs) to share. One friend and I ended up sharing the kebab dish, while the other scarfed down the chicken kebab on his own. Meat was perfectly tender, juicy. Shepherd’s salad was refreshing and perfect for the meal. We ended the meal with kunefe. It does take awhile as they do prepare it fresh and in-​house. So worth the wait! Would definitely recommend coming here for a kebab meal. Best part of all this? It was only about 60 liras (roughly translated to $ 20 USD at the time we went).
TLDR: cheap and affordable delicious kebab. large food portions and delicious dessert (get the kunafe!)

Turkish food is not my favorite cuisine, but when you find yourself in Istanbul, what are you gonna do, get pizza? I found Mangal Keyfi last time I was here in February, and decided to go back as I remember it being delicious. My memory served me well! For 14 TL, I was given a feast of chicken, pita, and many vegetables. Sat outside in the great summer weather, and paid with a credit card. This will be my #1 recommended place when people ask me where to go in Istanbul. Well deserved reputation!

Great place luckily right under my apartment. Mixed grill is awesome. Soup is great with a little spice. So glad I tried this place. It’s better than where I have been eating and of course better than the tourist places around Blue Mosque etc. it’s inna cool neighborhood that is buzzing all night long.

The first place I ate on my last trip to Istanbul. The food was good and so were the prices. The place is pretty small and if you are tall, you’ll have a little trouble fitting into some of the seats. Not a bad place though if you find yourself around here.