Aheste - Istanbul

If you book and restaurant got your trip to Istanbul let it be Aheste. I walked in without a reservation but they managed to find me a table and boy, was I happy they did… the menu is better suited to groups as you get to try everything but they kindly offered to serve me half portions so I still got the chance to sample various dishes. I started with the sea bass in yuzu, tuna in a crispy shell and a tomato salad with grilled fennel. All excellent! Then I had the vine leaves and the miso glazed pumpkin, the latter was really out of this world. Finally I had the grilled octopus which was done to perfection. I was convinced to have some dessert and again the pumpkin with tahini was a highlight. They have lovely local wines by the glass, cocktails and don’t let me forget the bread they serve is some of the best I have had this year! Lovely waiting staff as well and this place deserves a Michelin star though it might get harder to find a table then! Loved every minute here.

If you are a tourist with limited days in Istanbul, this should be one of your stops for sure! Also heavily frequented by locals, Aheste is great for an amazing culinary experience. Been here many times on dates, with friends, with bigger tourist groups etc. You can’t go wrong! Realized I don’t have many photos from my last visit but we did the tasting menu. It’s great if you want to taste everything. Obviously the portions are tasting size but you get somewhat full as you spread it over time. They have a nice wine menu and also all cocktails on their menu are their specialty they said. Service is impeccable. All waiters speak fluent English and they know the menu to a T. Before dinner we got cocktails. Amazing. For dinner we chose Kuzubag’s kalecik karasi if I remember correctly. Perfect. Turns out they do 1/2 glasses of wine too which I didn’t know was a thing. All in all, PERFECT for dates and intimate dinners. Works for groups too. The price for the tasting menu is great actually, definitely worth it. Make sure you reserve ahead and enjoy!

The restaurant positions itself as a Turkish cuisine restaurant, but don't expect to find the usual dishes there. The recipes here have their own unique execution. We ordered the tasting menu to try all the items. I won't say that we liked everything; some combinations didn't appeal to our taste. The price is average for this kind of restaurant, and the cocktails are very tasty. The atmosphere sets the mood.

This restaurant is amazing! Everything was just perfect! We went for the tasting many and we were fascinated by each dish! A surprising and tasty combination of flavours, along with a friendly staff and lovely atmosphere. We really enjoyed the dinner and will gladly come back! We also got great recommendations for the wine.

Everything is good about Aeste The “cave” space at the end has a great ambiance. Tables are small but it works Service is attentive and fast Some of our orders were complemented with other small dishes we didn’t order and it was really great Worth ordering wine by the bottle instead of by- the-glass Sea Bass was small and disappointing the rest was great,,, Will come back .. More than 220 euro for two! Look at the menu .. before going We didn’t order the tasting menu