Cafe Istanbul in North Druid Hills

The food was surprisingly good otherise the ambiance is a little shabby. I wouldnt normally feel uncomfortable sitting down but the way the tables are setup, it is a little uncomfortable. The hummus and the naan bread was amazing. I ordered a mix grill entree and every single piece of meat was perfect. I do have to say we had to pay for our water which is not cool at all and I was going to give them 3 stars if not for the amazing food.

We went here to celebrate my friends birthday. Nice experience and good food. Our waiter Dalia was amazing and very attentive as well as knowledgeable.

It was my 1st time ever coming drove 45 minutes too come here. The customer service was a 10 very amazing. The food was so good that I will be thinking about it for days. The hookah is also amazing. I would highly recommend you guys to come out

Took my wife here for here birthday. We had wonderful time. It was a lovely atmosphere. You can site on the flow with soft cushions or on table. DJ played lots of traditional and non traditional music. lots of groups dancing. They had a belly dancer, waiter got out order correctly. The food was not the best but we all had a blast.

Everything is super expensive. They charge for everything valet, water and gratuity 18% for party of 3 also. Staff here is rude, always force you to order more.The old DJ is no more there. New DJ doesn’t play good songs. Over all this place has lost its charm.

I read the reviews and new the food was horrible. However, I was convinced to come and celebrate a friends birthday, so mad at myself. The food was cold and overpriced. When. I told the waitress the food was cold, she gave an attitude. The drink sucked, no alcohol in the drink. Paying $36.02 for 4 pieces of lamb.

Had an awesome time. My family enjoyed the fresh food and seasonings. And our waiter Fito great guy shared stories of his beautiful country Adana Turkey. I leaved there long time of go. Food and entertainment is excellent.

Wow. Awful. They recently lost their liquor license soooo everything else seemed to be marked up in price because there’s no reason that our bottled water, hummus and hookah should have as much as it did AND they were charging $5 for parking in that tiny lot. The hookah wasn’t hitting right, the bottle of water was $2.99 and we were ready to go when they started playing a song from High School Musical THE SERIES over the speakers 😂 We MAY try again once they get that liquor back flowing. For now we’ll continue going to Anatolia. The hummus was good though!

Aweful experience. They lost their liquor license so they are over charging for everything else and pretty much “forcing” you to order food. We didn’t order any food, we only had two hookahs and couple cokes and water and the bill was almost $200 because they included food in the check that we didn’t order!! Customer service was terrible, both the server and the manager were bad and threaten us to call the police if we didn’t pay for the food we didn’t order! After so much argument and lots of screaming from the server to us, we were too nice and paid for the hookah and cokes but we were definitely not going to pay for anything else . Be warned and check your bill before paying !

I’ve seen some posts here about the “service charge” and I feel they’re misleading. Yes, the restaurant is charging a fee when you pay with a credit card. Guess what...many gas stations do, too. In addition, you’re paying these credit card fees every time you use your card. The only difference is that most places just raise their prices to account for the fee they have to pay their credit card processing company and they don’t disclose that to you. Cafe Istanbul, on the other hand, has put the fee on the receipt.On a $48 bill, we paid $1.84 for the credit card fee. So, if you see reviews saying they’re charging a 30% “service charge,” be suspicious of those reviews because there was no 30% service charge on my check and there never has been. The credit card fee is new since the last time I visited, but it wasn’t very expensive and was on par with other credit card fees.I’m making a big deal about this because tonight while dining I watched a customer destroy the server’s (Denisemood over this fee - that SHE has no control over. She provided excellent service to that customer’s table and to mine. The service here is - and always has been - excellent!

This is favorite Hookah bar to visit at I admire the traditional decor and settings! It is simple but yet presentable. The tradition look is refreshing. Whether it is a simple date or group gathering, there is so much room to plan ahead and enjoy a quality times with friends at this place. Though, parking can be challenging during busy days so plan ahead and perhaps ride along or use either Uber or Lyft. Their dishes and excellent as well.

I visited this place with my husband, it was my first time visit here and really loved the place . Beautiful ambience , nice music with hookah and beer. We just loved it , had a great time .I do recommend this place 🙂

My neighborhood restaurant. Such a cool atmosphere. Food is really fresh and good. On the weekends they have great music and a belly dancer. Staff is very accommodating and friendly. Highly recommended.

Weekend are fun here with a energetic crowd. A dancer will be performing mid west belly dance and the music is great.Cost is reasonable but prefer not to order vodka drinks as they are a bit pricier.

Been going here for over 4 years!! It is fun for groups and weekends are the best here. Service is outstanding & the food is rich. Only thing is the hookahs, they could improve. But overall love it, and still come often!

I had a horrible experience the server had a bad attitude. The floor was so uncomfortable. The food was just alright. We did go to celebrate one of my friends who was returning home. That was about 18 before we started ordering we asked could we split the bill we were told yes but at the end of the night. It was onlynot a problem because everybody in our party was grown but the fact that some people didnt have cash on them and we have to cash app each other was a bit of a inconvenience. The belly dancer was amazing. I didnt like the fact that there was a $5 valet parking fee Im already coming to your restaurant to spend money. I would have rather to charge $5 for entertainment fee for the belly dancer. also if you dont pay your bill in cash then there is a $20 charge for using the credit card. I dont know if that charges based off of the amount of your bill our bill was $501. That was including gratuity which was $77 our server definitely did not deserve $77 his attitude was horrible. I think what a party that big server should take notes instead of basing it things off of memory.

An awesome to go and chill with friends, great music taste. They have hookahs with various flavors and drinks and ofcourse this place is 21 and above only. I had a great time there, great crowd and nobody judges you as obvious everyone is drunk. Furthermore, they also have good foods.

I came here two years ago. There was free parking, nice people. Came tonight: 5$ parking that it looks like the attendance dont receive anything from it, made us pay 22% of gratuity, the waiter being rude all night... Guys, treat your own staff how they deserve and everyone will be happy. Peace.

It was a nice vibe, something different to do. I liked the way everyone there was having fun. The food is okay but could be better especially for the price. It was 5 of us.. We all tried something different, we didnt like 3 it but 2 dishes were amazing!

Always a great experience at Cafe Istanbul, especially the Decatur location. What makes it so great is the DJ!! He plays the best music from all over the world to please all customers, so friendly, and gets the whole place dancing every weekend without fail! You’ve got to go if you haven’t yet!

Ive been here many many times. However, last night, the guys was charging extra for the food that we didnt even order. He first sat us down when we got in and never told us that there will be a cover charge. The name of the server was Fikret K. Actually this place never had a cover charge. Anyway long story short we got a hookah and beer which was $45 he charged us $99 by adding all sort of different food we didnt order. He was really mad at me because I didnt want to pay the extra money for the food I didnt even order. At the end, he charged my card twice by adding two $59 transaction. So Ill be reporting this to my credit card company. Just be careful not to pay the extra charges which they will add without telling you and defend themselves that there is a per person charge which they dont take it as cover at the entrance.

We have been going here for years. Yesterday we went for dinner and were served by the best waitress ever. Ask for Denise! She is the sweetest person ever. We enjoyed some lahmacun and a hookah! The food is authentic and the people are the kindest!!

Love this place! I have been coming here for years. The food is amazing and as the night come so does the belly dancing. Customers are welcome to dance along to the music. It’s really a fun time. There are hookah available so do known that this place is smoky. Parking is limited and there is a valet available.

Ive been here a few times. This time we went on a Friday night around 11pm. They have the best hookah, very smooth and flavorful. It doesnt burn your throat or give you a headache like the club hookahs do. The belly dancing is always good and the DJ plays a variety of music. However, the customer service is lacking, even when the place is not busy. Theres about 2 servers, our server was the guy. He took too long to take our order and didnt seem friendly. I ordered 1 hookah and 1 drink and a bottle of water(they only serve bottled apparentlyended up paying almost $60! The hookahs are about $25-$30 I believe the drink was like $8 and $3 for the water. It was only my husband and I and they added about 18% gratuity! I understand gratuity for large parties but thats too high for only 2 people and for what we ordered. Dont think I will be going back there anytime soon.

I came here with my friends from in town and out of town and they loved it. The dancing was exquisite, the staff was amazing especially Denise she made you feel welcomed. Will definitely come back with more people :)

We just left Cafe Istanbul. The food was good. The manager is amazing, he checked in at our table to make sure we were ok. He offered us free tea and baklava. Its a nice place to spend an evening with good music.

I wasnt impressed. The night started off wrong because the guy at the door refuse to give us floor seating, even though there were many open floor tables. He told us we could sit at a table by the door or leave. Then before I could answer, he just walked off. Luckily, a waiter came right behind him and seated us on the floor anyway. The drinks were weak and the hookah was ok. The best thing was the cheese bread. Also this place could use a good cleaning and new pillows. Im not really sure why this place has such a high rating because theres better places to visit around the Atlanta area. Btw the hookahs are 30 dollars.

Our waitress Denise is the best. She will take good care of you. Food is great and the environment is private and comfy. Great belly dancing and variety of music. They even play Latin music. Safe environment and great for drinks and best hookahs in town.

Club atmosphere with lounge accommodations. Best of both worlds and the hookah is a nice touch. Food is traditional and appetizers are more like meals. Drinks arent strong, but the hookah makes up for it. Great party place.

Lounge...club who knows buts on Saturday night its hella fun and laid back at the same time. The staff works hard to accommodate everyone and everyone is really friendly. The type of place where you can be apart of the action or just watch in comfort

Came in on a Saturday around 6pm, and was seated immediately, me and a friend chose the floor seating which is comfy and cute! We had adequate space from the tables near us which was nice.Denise was our waitress and she delivered superb service. She checked on us often enough but didn’t crowd our area, plus she was super sweet!I ordered the mixed grill and my friend ordered the Mediterranean salad, both were delicious. I enjoyed all the meat that came with the mixed grill but I would have to say my favorite was the Adana kebab. It had just enough spice and great flavor.We also ordered a bottle of the Sycamore Pinot noir, the black tea and a red gummy bear mixed with mint hookah. They use coconut coals!!! Usually most places charge extra for these or don’t love heating them because they take a while so I was super happy to see this was the standard!!!We scored parking in the parking lot because we arrived at 6pm but I believe I saw valet when we leaving and also saw some people walking over from across the street.The music was nice and relaxing but still upbeat and the lighting was really chill. We will definitely be back.

I came here with my friend and we both absolutely loved the atmosphere!Denise was our server and she was great!The floor seating is where it’s at!Also, the hookah is awesome.

Great place to chill and have an overall great time! The pizza is delicious and the drinks are great. Our waitress Denise is amazing! We love her customer service and how friendly she is. The DJ mix some great music and the atomosphere overall is great. The women’s restroom is very clean so that’s a plus for me. You don’t find many places with clean restrooms nowadays. Definitely recommend this place. ;)

I love this place! Its so low key. Gorgeous belly dancers. The lamb is to die for and the hookah is on point. I love the set up inside, you sit on the floor surrounded by colorful pillows and small wooden tables. Nice mix of people there. Perfect for hanging out with your friends or a date🙌🏾

The food was good but the service below average. I ordered food through Ubereats and while my order consisted of Soup and Hummus I didn’t receive utensils, most importantly a spoon or two napkins. I hold the delivery driver and the restaurant accountable with more emphasis on the restaurant. The delivery isn’t free and my entire meal while at work was not enjoyable.

Fabulous, exotic, fun! ...from the belly dancing to the line dancing to the good food and even better cocktails. And did I mention how lounging on pillows on the floor just seemed to make us all feel relaxed? Oh yeah, my third time was just as exciting as my first! With different friends each time, but never fails to deliver!

First and last time I will go there! The staff was very rude and prejudice. Server told us our group had to spend $350 on food before we could order anything else. My husband tried to order a water and the waiter refused to bring him one. Our group was the only one being treated like this. We were "different " then the rest of the customers and was treated as such. Terrible place, if I could give no stars I would. It was the Decatur location and didnt get his name. We had a reservation as well and that didnt seem to matter. Our section was given to other people. The server told us to order or get out. So our group of 10 people left.

Second time here. First time was great, this time not so much. $30 for strawberry hookah. Also ordered food which came out cold, requested it to be heated and it came back cold and burned. Service was subpar. Granted it was a little busy because it was Friday night but the waiter wouldnt return and when he did he never brought our orders and we had to remind him every time. There is about an 18% service charge for using a credit card. Which is pretty ridiculous especially when its already overpriced, basically adding an additional $30 to our bill just for using a credit card. The belly dancer was great! Drinks were ok.

Beautiful belly dancers. Great hookah. Nice mix of people. I had a great time. Took a while to be served , but was distracted by he great music so it’s all good.

The place is outdated first notice that when coming in like the pillows and cushions were worn,no comfort like sitting on the hard floor, the falafels didnt have much seasoning like herbs were missing very plain main entree i ordered the combination platter was good and the gyro kabobs, the menu prices are reasonable my only issue is they charge you if using a card! Vs cash first time ive ever came across such a thing! I would go back only if they remolded or if i was ordering out. Ill bring cash! Belly dancer was entertaining

I just had the greatest Pizza ever, always friendly atmosphere and staff.If i am allowed to give more stars i would absolutely select them all.Thanks guys so much you just made my day !!!!

I have been going to cafe istanbul since 1999, the food is great. The service is always outstanding. The belly dancers are great, the music gets a little too clubby sometimes otherwise it is one of kind place to hangout. hookahs are awesome. Owners are very friendly. As for the price of the food, i think it is like any other restaurant in its class.

Pleasant atmosphere, very authentic. Went Saturday early evening with the family. Seated very quickly was not crowded at all. Very spacious. Kids loved the idea they could take there shoes off and sit on pillows to have dinner. Oh and omg the food was sooooooooooooooo good. Especially the menu listed under Vegetarian options named Tims special. I would definitely go back.

Food is very good. Gets pack on the weekend. Parking is very tight. You can chose to sit at the bar, a table or on the floor. They have hookahs at a decent price. Belly dancers come out and perform. Music is entertaimi g. Have been multiple times.

Our waitress was very friendly and welcoming. We had a wonderful time there and was able to meet some great people there. We went for lunch but at night on weekends they have belly dancers there. If you have an issues with smoke you may not like it due to this place offering hookahs. But I love it and will visit again.

I went for a birthday dinner. Not very impressed. We really wanted to see the belly dancer but she came late, then danced two songs and disappeared. Very disappointing. We had heard we can belly dance with her and the food would be awesome but not for us I guess. The food was dry for some of us. The seating was a bit uncomfortable. Then someone threw up and they just swept up the food chunks but didnt sanitize the floor or remove the pillows that were contaminated. I couldnt go back there again :(

This place is so awesome. Ive lived in the Decatur/Emory area for many years. Ive passed by this place an endless amount of times. And my first time eating here was just last year 😱. Ive been back many times since then and I havent been disappointed. The food is good. The staff is nice. The belly dancer is wonderful. The DJ is cool. Its just a really nice place to eat, drink, and hookah. Its also a good place for a date, a celebration, a girls night out, or just dinner.

Osoff was our server and he was great. Huge dinner portions. The drinks were made perfectly. Thumbs up to the dancer too. She did a fantastic job.

First time experiencing Turkish food, and I love it!The spices were everything. I really enjoyed how you sat on couches on the floor, and there were candles on the table. The restraunt was dark, and romantic. People smoked hookah, and drank large cocktails! I will be back.

Very authentic. You have the option to sit on the floor (on pillowsor at a table. The DJ is awesome and plays a good mix of genres to suit the mixed crowd. There is hookah and lovely belly dancers. At 10pm the staff does a traditional dance and customers can join in on the fun. The food is great to. I always get a lamb dish 😊