Zübeyir Ocakbaşı

My husband and I loved Zubeyir and it was the best meal we had while in Istanbul! It is conveniently located near Taksim Square — a great tourist spot, and the grilled platter was amazing. The mixed grill platter basically gives you a little of everything on the grill and was tender, succulent, and flavorful. The ambiance was nice, too.

Good: quality, taste, deliciousness, neat atmospheres with open grill
Bad: overpriced (for what they charge you can get at least double elsewhere). Cold shoulder service especially if you are not a big spender. And they charge MANDATORY 10% TIP regardless of party size.
And FYI for you adventurous types who think you want to try the local alcoholic drink Raki (aka lions milk), I hope you have a liking for licorice.

Awesome！Best food I taste in last one week！Gracelful environment，delicious Turkish tea，bread，lamb steak，chicken sishe，banana dessert. Great！I came there 5pm，thanks to the waiter though I had no reservation there and acquired opportunity to enjoy the food. Nice service as well. Marvelous experience.

Good but over rated. Get the lamb chops and the mezzes yogurt with peppers and mountain salad. Skip the Adana kababs ours was 90% fat. Our waiter tolerated us but his attention was on the other tables who were big drinkers and spending more.

I was recommended to this place by our hotel. We arrived on a Friday night and was turned away because we did not have reservations. The next night we tried our luck and they fit us in — we had an hour to eat before the next reservation so we took it. And boy was it delicious. The staff were really nice and really tried to find a table for us. Even though we had an hour it did not feel like they rushed us in any way. For appetizers we ordered the red peppers with yogurt and the special salad (which consisted for herbs and tomatoes and spice) — both were really good and really delicious mixed together with bread. For the mains we got the chicken shish and the lamb shish (chopped small). Best meats we’ve had in Istanbul. Boyfriend tried and liked the raki. Nice atmosphere. Wanted to go here again the next night but decided to expand our horizons some more :)

I had a pretty bad experience here. I was so looking forward to dinner and while the food was good, it’s very overpriced for Istanbul prices because they know they’re famous so they’ll double your price.
Then I got treated so coldly as a single diner. Looking at the other diner’s warm reception compared to mine was startling! My credit card didn’t work because they were having problems with their machines and they took out their exasperation on me. If that wasn’t enough, they also tack on a 4 Lira fee for water (which costs like 1 lira outside …) and for bread service.
Excuse me, but you didn’t even serve me bread since the service was so awful.
I’m disappointed I wasted one of my meals here. Was the food good? Yes. Was the experience awful? Definitely.

Maybe every restaurant in Istanbul is this great, or maybe this one is unique. In either case, it was fantastic. We stopped in here for our first dinner in town. The service was excellent and the host managed to find a table for two in the labyrinth of stairways, chairs, and grills. It was quite busy on a Tuesday night, so I’m guessing reservations are a must for weekends. We ordered two types of lamb, grilled aubergines, and something that appeared to be yogurt with roasted red peppers. I don’t recall the names, but they were all excellent.

We stumbled across Zubeyir thanks to our rambling around Istiklal and of course Unilocal.We ordered the Yoghurt with Red Pepper and lamb kebab and both were out of this world.
Unfortunately we had to rush off but we would definitely recommend sticking around and enjoying the Ockabasi preparation of the food. Much like a sushi bar, the chef prepares the meat in a fire pit right in front of you. Can be a bit stifling on a hot day.

Great meal and nice place to escape a chilly evening. Food was delicious.
We sat at the grill and sampled way too many foods — from the eggplant to the yogurt to the special salad. All the meats were delicious and the Raki was good too.
Love this place and try and get there each time I go to Istanbul.

The place is conveniently located near Taksim Square and decided to check it out on behalf of a local’s recommendation. As you enter the restaurant, there is a view of the cook grilling all sorts of meats and thought that was pretty awesome! The décor also seemed simple and authentic. My friends and I shared the lamb, eggplant and the red pepper yogurt dipping sauce. All three items were pretty good! For dessert, we had a very delicious Ekmek Kadayif (Turkish bread pudding) accompanied by Yeni Raki (Turkish anise-​flavoured spirit). Overall, this place is a must try!

I had kebab at many different places in Turkey, but this is hands down, by far, the best. I had the mixed kebab and it was a delightful mix of flavor, spice and wonder. I still dream of this kebab and am somewhat saddened that I will probably never have such an extraordinary kebab again in my life :(It is truly a dish to be savored and remembered. You are forever in my heart, you magnificent mixed kebab.

One of my favorite stops in Istanbul. The lamb kabob was really expertly seasoned and grilled, coming out with a nice char but still plenty moist. The bread was perfectly warmed and crisped on the grill and soaked up all the juices from the meat, which really made the meal! It’s one of the more popular places (at least for tourists in the know) and I think the meal I had really stands up to that reputation.

Went here on a Saturday night. It was very busy. The restaurant is at multiple levels. They have a ‘grill’ on each floor. The food is traditional kebab style food. It is very tasty and we had a great selection. For dessert we had a selection of fresh fruits, very nice and fresh. Try the Raki with the meal.

SON UNOS LADRONES.
Fuimos porque estaba recomendado y quedaba a la vuelta de nuestro departamento. Bueno, era una terrible cagada.
Llegamos y nos atendieron bien, nos sentamos y nos trajeron agua (creo que es costumbre allá, no la cobran). Pedimos un kebab y unas costillas de cordero. Cada plato salía unas 20TL, lo que es bastante elevado, dado que veníamos pagando cerca de 12TL por plato.
A la media hora trajeron un plato, y cuando nos vieron esperando el segundo, nos dijeron que ahí estaba todo: dos pinchos de pollo y dos costillitas de cordero, acompañadas por un par de aros de cebolla, un poco de tomate y pepino y un morroncito mini.
Gastamos 80TL y nos quedamos con un hambre que tuvimos que comernos un choclo en la peatonal. Unos verdaderos estafadores.

We were in Taksim looking for a restaurant. This had good reviews so we tried it. I was in the mood for some meats!
I believe the restaurant is 3 – 4 levels? Tables are really close to each other. It was super busy but after 5 minutes we got seated. At first I was not too happy because we were sat next to the grill. Which is really hot. And there were runaway fire flickers LOL. But after a while we really enjoyed ourselves. It could have been the raki!
I thought the whole experience was just so cool. Watching the master griller right in front of us. The atmosphere of the place was just like being in a faraway land. It felt so much like a vacation (but it was mostly locals there). I loved it!
Oh and the food! We ordered combination grilled meats– beef, chicken, lamb. Then some veggie sides. So so good. Very flavorful, fresh, delicious.
I very much highly recommend this place! Go and enjoy the experience.

I came here on my second night in Istanbul by the recommendation of Lonely Planet. It was the third restaurant on Lonely Planet’s «best restaurant list,» but I might have to write to the Lonely Planet authors and tell her to move this to #1!
Definitely make a reservation, even if you’re eating solo. This place is packed every night, even on the week nights — I know: I ate there for three nights in a row. By the recommendation of the waiter, I had the lamb sis & shepherd’s salad (30TL and 10TL respectively = $ 14.68). The lamb sis… was probably the best tasting meat I have ever had in my young adult life. It’s marinaded deliciously, incredibly succulent, and grilled to perfection (juicy and pink on the inside). I rolled my eyes back with every bite I took. It was probably one of the best dinners I’ve ever had in my life. I highly highly highly recommend eating at this particular restaurant.
The second night I ate here, I had the chicken sis. Still delicious, but not as amazing as the lamb sis. The third night I came here, I had the lamb sis again! Also, the check already comes with the gratuity included in your bill.
If you’re trying to find this place, here are the directions. Walk down Istiklal Cadessi from Taksim Square. Once you see the Adidas store on your left, make a right turn. (If you pass the McDonalds on your left, you’ve gone too far). Walk down the street and pass the first intersection. Zübeyir Ocakbasi is on your right.

Terrific food!

A nice restaurant but left us waiting for our food. We dined here on a whim hence no reservations but we were lucky enough to get seated. The host told us they were booked but they can accomodate us only for an hour. We did not plan on lounging or hanging out the restaurant so we jump on the proposal. They sat us down and gave us the Bazlama to munch on with our yogurt dip. Time passed…20 minutes…30 minutes… and 40 minutes went by with no kebab! The last 3 days at different restaurants, our food were ready in 15 – 20 minutes max. What took so long? I am unsure. The food was good but nothing extraordinary. Just as good as the other restaurants we visited while in Istanbul. With a long wait, perhaps not worth it. As for the restaurant, it was cozy on a rainy winter evening having the grill in the middle of the dining rooms. Yeep they have the upper dining room to accomodate the guests. However, I could imagine the ambiance during summertime.
Overall, good restaurant but the kitchen can facilitate the cooking of the food quicker. If you decide to check it out, make sure you make a reservation.

The best kebab place for sure! The way they treat lamb is just unbelievable. Must try kidneys and liver!!! And this desert Semolina is just piece of heaven!
Service is descent, great atmosphere with open grill in the middle of the eating room.

Pour terminer ce séjour à Istamboul, je me devais d’aller visiter un «ocakbaşı» qui signifie plus ou moins «coin du feu». On appelle ce genre de restaurants les endroits où l’on sert principalement des viandes grillées.
La plupart de ces établissements ont donc dans leur nom le terme «ocakbaşı» afin de bien qualifier ce que l’on vient y manger. Parmi ceux-​ci, il y en a moins d’une demi-​douzaine qui ont une énorme réputation et parmi eux, «Zübeyir Ocakbasi «se trouve par chance non loin de la place Taksim et est même ouvert le dimanche ce qui n’est pas toujours le cas pour d’autres tables.
Si vous demandez à un autochtone ce qu’il en pense, il y a de fortes chances qu’il vous dire que c’est l’un des meilleurs de la ville ! On vous y servira toutes les formes de «kebabs «existants tels que le Adana, le Urfa et le Beyti. Mais aussi des brochettes de foie «Ciğer şiş «et d’agneau «Kuzu şiş «parmi d’autres grillades.
Situé donc dans une petite ruelle descendante de Itslikal, vous né pourrez manquer l’enseigne dans la rue, à quelques mètres du boulevard Tarlabaşi.
Une table sur plusieurs niveaux où l’on entre tout d’abord par la porte principale et l’on arrive directement en face de l’énorme grill derrière lequel notre «grilladeur «officie en tournant et retournant les brochettes et également en s’assurant que les braises soient bien chaudes.
Sur la droite les cuisines avec les vitrines frigorifiées ou se trouvent viandes et mezzés. Au vu de la chaleur qu’il faisait, nous avons préféré manger au premier.
Ici aussi se trouve un grill mais qui lui était éteint. Probablement qu’en cas de grosse influence les deux fonctionnent dans l’établissement. Par chance se trouvait en face de celui-​ci le «préposé aux brochettes «…On s’en serait bien douté mais il y a une personne qui passé sa journée entière à préparer des milliers de brochettes et nous avons eu le loisir de pouvoir l’observer.
Les viandes hachées ou non et épicées, sont préparées dans une autre section et ensuite ce monsieur passé sa journée à enfiler les morceaux sur ces longues brochettes. Les viandes sont marinées 24 heures avec des épices dont principalement du piment, du sel, du poivre et de l’ail. On y ajoute aussi entre les morceaux des bouts de gras d’agneau pour rendre juteux le tout.
La salle de restaurant est plutôt classique avec des peintures ou des photos de la clientèle. Les tables sont joliment dressées de nappes blanches.
On démarre généralement ce type de repas avec des mezzés et pour une fois nous déciderons de prendre une petite bouteille de raki pour accompagner le repas.
Nous prendrons pour commencer du «patlican közde «, des aubergines écrasées avec de l’huile d’olive, des herbes et du piment.
Un simple yoghourt mais comme à l’accoutumée, exceptionnel.
Une fantastique salade maison «gavurdağı salatası «avec des tomates découpées en cubes, et salade ciselée, nappée de sa sauce à l’extrait de grenade.
Tout ceci accompagné d’un excellent «pide «fait sur place.
Arrive par la suite un mélange de brochettes avec les classiques accompagnements de piments vert, tomates, oignons et sumac, ainsi que le pain saupoudré de piment doux et de persil plat.
Les brochettes d’agneau et shish kebabs sont simplement grillés à la perfection, la viande très tendre. Difficile de faire mieux dans le genre !
Pour terminer avec une note de douceur, un étonnant et délicieux dessert; un gâteau de semoule imbibé dont je n’ai pas retenu le nom. Normalement il s’agit d’un «revani «mais ici le tout est recouvert d’un caramel et la texture imbibée est plus laiteuse.
Un repas vraiment très satisfaisant avec d’excellentes viandes préparées selon les traditions. Les mezzés sont classiques et eux aussi parfait. Une adresse à né pas ignorer dans sa catégorie.

Simply one of the best grilled kebabs I ever had. So simple but amazing and true TURKISH cuisine.

While my husband and I were in Istanbul, we met up with my good friend from New York’s brother and his wife. They told us they had the perfect place to take us– one of their favorites– Zubeyir Ocakbasi!
They did the ordering– first a big place of assorted cuts of meat, all perfectly cooked. (They have an exposed grill where you can watch the cook in action). They insisted we try the lamb liver, to which C and I chuckled because we’d had lamb liver overload the night before. But they insisted this is the BEST in town– and it really was even better than what we’d had the night before at Asmali Cavit. A must try for sure!
The spicy eggplant dip was the perfect accompaniment to the very thin flatbead they serve, and they also ordered what might’ve been the best grilled onions I’ve ever had. (I know, right? How on earth could simple grilled onions be so delicious? I still wonder!) We also got a seemingly simple salad with tomato, and onion tossed in pomegranate molasses and topped with tons of shredded parsley. UNBELIEVABLE. I immediately got some pomegranate molasses when I returned to the States.
A few glasses of raki later, we emerged onto the street and I understood why they call the stuff lion’s milk…
I’d say this is one of my top recommendations from our time in Istanbul!