Mr Cook

I got the chicken harem and grilled vegetables. The chicken harem is rich, savory and creamy, comes with some rice, I absolutely loved it and never had anything like it. The grilled vegetable dish is more of a casserole almost like a ratatouille, comes on a hot skillet, highly recommend if you want a vegetarian dish. I tried Turkish coffee here for the first time to finish off the meal and and they serve it with the traditional fancy set up, definitely not my usual coffee on the go. I didn’t know what to expect with Turkish coffee but I’m not a huge fan of it. Not sure what’s added in the coffee blend but the texture was not smooth and they don’t give you cream to cut the acidity. Worth a try though.

Don’t be fooled by the name! There is definitely a chef in this kitchen. We walked by Mr. Cook’s a couple of times because it was so near our restaurant. Exhausted after a day of sight-​seeing, we stopped for a quick drink but ended up spending a couple of delightful hours there. One look at the menu and I could see that this place was different. Yes, familiar kebabs and hummus and so forth but also some amazingly different dishes. We were also not harassed or urged to stay but permitted to enjoy a nice outdoor table in a quiet area with few neighbors or passers-​by. We asked our host, Arif, some questions and then ordered a traditional mezze. It was a perfect starter for the two of us, the dishes were better than any other we had in Istanbul and the bread divine. Arif then explained the restaurant concept to us and that they were only 6 months open. Although we had other dinner plans, we smartly changed our minds and stayed. We let Arif order a dish for us from the «Ottoman cuisine» selection and were not disappointed. I don’t know what it was called but the flavors were what I had been hoping to experience in Istanbul. Tender lamb chunks, dried apricots, figs, and almonds in a savory sauce with rice — perfect portion size and just wonderful. Even their baklava was somehow special. I wish it had not been our last night in Istanbul because we would have loved to sample more. Guess we’ll have to return! All our best to Arif and the Mr. Cook team — you have a wonderful restaurant that really stands out amongst the many in the area.

Best food I’ve had in Turkey. Went back twice actually. Good music good food good service. You can’t get better. Chicken harem was amazing. Highly recommend.
The bathrooms are clean so the kitchen must be clean too!