Common questions
The eleven things first time visitors to Sultanahmet ask most. Every answer is short and every answer can be checked.
- Every price on the menu is in Turkish lira and includes VAT.
- No service charge and no cover charge. A tip is entirely up to you.
- Nothing arrives at your table unless you asked for it, and the bill holds only what you ordered.
- The code on your table opens the menu in fifteen languages, and you can order from it too.
Do I need a reservation?
Usually not. Tables turn over quickly and we are open all day, so if there are two or three of you, walk in.
Call ahead in three cases. If your group is larger than six, if you are arriving between eight and ten in the evening, or if you are visiting in June, July or August. The four step booking takes two minutes and the confirmation appears straight away.
Do you add a service charge?
No. Since January 2026 restaurants in Turkey are not allowed to add a service charge, and we do not add a cover charge either.
The price you read on the menu is the price on your bill. Everything is in Turkish lira and includes VAT.
Am I expected to tip?
No, it is entirely up to you. Around ten percent is a common habit in Turkey if you were happy, but nobody expects it.
What languages is the menu in?
Scan the code on your table and the menu opens on your phone in fifteen languages. You can order from it too.
On this site you can read the menu in Turkish and English.
Do you have vegetarian dishes?
Twenty one dishes. Meze, salads, a few of the oven dishes and the whole vegetarian section carry no meat. Pressing the Vegetarian button leaves forty three items, drinks included.
Press the Vegetarian button on the menu page and only those remain. Each one also carries a leaf mark.
Do you list allergens?
Yes. Allergens are marked under the dish, from gluten, milk, egg and fish to crustaceans, nuts, sesame, soya, mustard, celery, sulphites and molluscs. Where a dish carries no marks it means nothing has been entered, not that it is free of allergens.
Still, tell us before you order. The kitchen shares surfaces, so cross contact is always possible.
Can I come with a child?
Of course. We keep a high chair, so nobody with a baby waits at the door.
The back room is quieter and families usually take it.
How do I get there?
We are on Yerebatan Street, directly across from the Basilica Cistern. Five minutes on foot from the Sultanahmet tram stop.
Hagia Sophia is two minutes away, the Blue Mosque four, Topkapı Palace seven. Most people walk over after the museum.
How late are you open?
Every day from nine in the morning until two at night. The kitchen takes its last order half an hour before closing.
The last booking slot is one in the morning, so that whoever sits down still has time to order.
What do things cost?
To be concrete. Adana kebap and Urfa kebap are 950 lira, lamb skewers 1,390, lamb chops 1,950. A mixed grill for two is 3,900. The spread out Turkish breakfast is 1,900 for two. Turkish coffee is 240 and tea 80.
Meze start at 350 lira and humus is 450. Every price is on the menu and includes VAT.
How large a group can you book?
Up to twelve from the site. For a larger group please call, we put the tables together by hand and work out what we can fit and when.
If your question is not here, call us or write on WhatsApp. We answer the same day.
