Çiya Kebap 2

This restaurant has been a go to location for me for years when I visit Kadikoy. Everybody knows them by the name. They have plenty of good choices for Kebabs. The staff is attentive and helpful with options, explaining each quite in detail. If you are starving some delicious original Turkish kebab then don't miss this place. Price are average or slightly above for a good dish that they serve.

The service was really good and we felt really welcome from the start. All the different staff helped us through to process. The falafel and pepper chicken were really good so much so that the table beside us ordered the pepper chicken and falafel after they saw us order it. It was a nice mix of kebabs and mixed dishes of traditional Turkish food Very solid experience

Çiya Sofrası is one of the most authentic and unique dining experiences in Istanbul. The restaurant offers an incredible variety of traditional Anatolian dishes that you won’t easily find elsewhere. Every dish feels like a journey through different regions of Turkey, with rich flavors and high-quality ingredients. The food is absolutely delicious, especially their homemade stews, kebabs, and vegetarian options. The menu changes frequently, which makes every visit exciting and different. The staff is friendly and helpful, always ready to explain the dishes. If you’re in Kadıköy and want to try something truly local and memorable, Çiya Sofrası is a must-visit!

Local cuisine at it's best. You can order from the menu or use the bain-marie. Menu is in both English and Turkish. The meatballs were fantastic as well as the filled cabbage (meat with a touch of cumin). Kids loved the lahmacun (slightly spicy) and the chicken wings which were grilled on coals (a substantial portion). The olive salad with walnuts and pomegranate mollases was new to me but just as delicious as the rest. The desert, kunefe (fried cheese and dry noodles covered in sugary syrup) is the best we had thus far. We also decided to try the sweet pumpkin (seemed almost glazed) with almond - a combination that worked quite well together. You should also try the sherbet drink. Great experience overall. We also had tea and an entre - all coming to about 4000 lira or 140 AUD.

The lentil soup is the best I’ve ever tasted. The baked celery root was also amazing, I just wanted to keep eating it. All the food was outstanding. We are vegetarian, so it was nice that they had so many vegetarian dishes. The staff was friendly and helpful when we had questions about the menu. Our server was the one who recommended the dessert mix, and we’re so glad he did! It came with baklava and a bunch of candied fruits and vegetables. My favorite was the candied tomato, even though I normally don’t like tomatoes. It tasted completely different when candied, almost like a cherry. Many of the fruits were unrecognizable, and their textures were all surprising and delicious. The atmosphere of the restaurant was low-key, perfect for a relaxing dinner.

Tourist TRAP! Got recommended by ChatGPT this because the original restaurant we wanted to go closed early. First of all I was with a Turkish friend so he heard that not really any customers are Turkish, we heard English, Spanish, but not Turkish. This already says something. Then we ordered a few dishes, including Khash soup, at the beginning I thought its just not my cup of tea as it had a strong, lamb smell and it is very oily and spicy, but my friend tried it and he says it’s not properly done and is way too spicy. It also is not salty at all, so you could imagine a bowl of oily, spicy, stinky soup with meat and no flavours. The khash soup is an absolute NO. I have had lamb before and I liked it, but this is just poorly executed. We ordered also some other side dish which are okayish, but some of them are way too spicy like the eggplants. They are not freshly made and just lukewarm / cold pre-made dishes. In the end they charged around 2000 liras so around €40. with this price I expect much greater quality of food. The service was okay, they gave us two small cups of fruit drinks, and the environment was kind of ‚traditional‘ style which feels nice, but the food is definitely underwhelming and not worth the price. I believe some other customers in the place must have been directed to here by AI but it’s really a scam. My Turkish friend said the food here is NOT authentic and cannot represent the greatness of Turkish food.

Highly recommended. The food is very interesting, something entirely new to me. Unique flavors that won me over on the first try, which is why I had to come back for a second visit. I especially highlight the Firik Pilavı for its distinct smoky wheat flavor, and the Teleme dessert, which is a fascination in itself—it’s incredible what you get from just two ingredients (milk and fig) when the process is executed correctly. A perfect ten for taste and efficiency.

The food is definitely the best part of Çiya. I found the service to be pleasant for the most part but there was a girl working there who kept smirking and was obviously talking about me in Turkish to her colleague which felt quite unprofessional and immature. It’s great that they serve such a broad range of regional dishes and showcase that Turkish food is about far more than kebabs and pide. I highly recommend the stewed aubergine with tomato, it’s truly gorgeous. Best to go in a group as Turkish food is definitely meant for sharing! Eating alone is not easy when it comes to portions, however they kindly served half portions in my case.

Absolutely unforgettable meal at Çiya! We came in hungry and left amazed. Our waiter Rahman walked us through the entire menu and personally crafted a perfect three-course meal for us — every dish better than the last. Hammit never left our side and made sure we were taken care of the whole night with incredibly attentive service. The food itself is out of this world. Everything is fresh, sourced from local farms, and you can taste the difference in every bite. Their chef is famous for a reason — the flavors are unique, seasonal, and unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere in Istanbul. They create new dishes every night, so every visit feels special. We loved it so much we’re even buying their cookbook. If you come to Kadıköy, don’t miss Çiya. Just come hungry — you’re going to want everything.

We had an absolutely enjoyable time here. It was a very educational evening, after spending an entire day eating "just desserts" this was a real highlight. We were warmly welcomed and our curiosity entertained with a selection of sweets. I'd recommended the herbal tea to cleanse your palate. Our highlits were the pumpkin with tahini and the "biscuit with meringue".