Restaurant Mabou

Me ou is a very special place. This really small restaurant, with just a few tables inside - very cozy and intimate offers a set menu of 4/7/10 dishes of your choice, including a fully vegan menu.

Beautifully presented plates, each dish full of flavour, interesting texture and chefs creativity.

Some of them were very unique, and left a lasting impression.

Service was so attentive and friendly, with patient explanation of each dish.

I highly recommend!

I would have given this place 10 star if the rating system allowed it. How could it not have any michelin star is beyond me (well michelin star has started turning into a joke lately so maybe it's a good thing). All the dishes we tried reflected exceptional standards of sophistication yet still tasty, filling, and more importantly, local. I am saying this as a world traveller living in London that this place is a hidden gem for gastronomic explorers.
You should definitely try the tasting menu they have a separate vegan tasting menu. We went for the non-vegan one. My favourites were sebass and the neck with mushrooms. The chef (Cem) is obsessed with quality so personally selects all the ingredients from the local distributors himself (called hal and you need to be up around dawn to do that).
Oh and special thanks to Deniz for his help to me in arranging a little surprise to my friend :) He's very helpful (and an excellent partner-in-crime lol)

Had a wonderful time here as a parting meal to Istanbul. Reservation is recommended as the place is small (<20 people) and does fill up.

The course menu is affordable for the quality, and the dishes are hearty but well balanced and suitably complex. The pocal scallops and lamb were stand out favorites for me, but all dishes were memorable.

Come for a good meal and leave with a full stomach and heart. The overall restaurant is filled with thoughtfulness and homeyness, from the joyful wait staff to the "open" kitchen in the attic to the exceedingly well stocked bathroom. This is a place you can arrive and feel at home and taken care of.

I will have to come back here to try other items on the menu. The grilled pear salad and the pumpkin I ordered demonstrate the chef’s ingenuity. The dishes were packed with flavors- generous uses of Mediterranean spices elevated the main ingredients and offered an unforgettable combination of flavors - hot, sweet, savory, acidic… the flavors were reminiscent of the Mediterranean cuisine yet wildly imaginative, and the textures were delightfully unique as well. I can’t wait to experience their other dishes next time I’m here. This place was already packed when I arrived so I was lucky to get seated - so if you are trying to visit this restaurant with a party of three or more, you may want to make a reservation.

A real gem! The dishes were all really well executed - a great balance of salt, fat and acid. Enjoyable atmosphere and good vibes all round. Be sure to reserve a table - saw many diners being turned away as the restaurant was full!

This place was recommended to us by several local guys. Small restaurant with 5-6 tables, we arrived at 6pm and were allowed to have dinner until 7pm as the tables were all booked for the evening.

We took Steak with Burata, Pasta with Beef and a couple of glasses of wine. As an aperitif, they brought fresh hot bread and butter and soup for free - it was very unexpected and tasty. The steak was delicious. I liked the pasta less, as it seemed to contain a lot of rosemary. Be careful who doesn't like it, but my boyfriend liked it. The selection of wine by bottle is large, but there are only a couple of wines of each type by glass. Approximately 50-70 lire per glass. We paid for dinner about by 400 lira. Not cheap, but worth it!

The place is perfect for a farewell evening with Istanbul :) So, book your tables in advance and remember that 10% of the tip is included in the bill.

Such an amazing restaurant, Chef, and adorable family. This food is incredible and the dishes are so inspiring! Everything we tried was insanely good. I will always go back and send my loved ones there!

I was delighted to find a place that clearly puts a lot of love and thought into their dishes. Everything is prepared with amazing fresh ingredients containing plenty of options for vegetable and meat-lovers. Probably my favorite restaurant around!

Besides this grilled eggplant and braised beef main the real show stopper was actually the homemade sourdough bread with spiced butter and salt we had as an appetizer. I could just eat that all night long😍

Awesome service and delicious dinner. The atmosphere is familiar and the furniture rather classy elegant. The chef adapted one of meals to our preferences and the swaiters have been very friendly. Would come here anytime again!

Lovely, intimate restaurant, attentive service and food of the highest order, well prepared and exquisitely presented.

Absolutely incredible food. The highlight of my meals in Istambul hands-down. Service was great, atmosphere very chic, intimate and unique. Perfect for a fine dining experience. Couldn’t recommend more.

Delicious, interesting, great atmosphere. We were lucky to get a table without reservation.
Steak tartar was amazing. The best one I ever tried anywhere.

Loved Mabou! It was my favorite restaurant from
our trip in Istanbul, great food and amazing service, would definitely recommend everyone to go and try this place. The staff is great and super friendly, cozy atmosphere and just a few tables so make sure you are lucky enough to get one :) really good tasty vegetarian options too and the creme brulee was perfect.

I can't say enough about our experience here at Mabou. The restaurant is tiny (7 tables), and I wouldn't have it any other way.

The Service:
Very attentive from the waitstaff. Wine service was prompt and always topped off, fresh flatware and plates for every course, descriptions were spot on, and the staff is knowledgeable.

The Food:
The amuse Bouche was the spark the ignited our dinner. A vibrant roasted tomato salad with sumac. I'll be trying to recreate those flavors as soon as I get home. The portions were perfectly sized to easily allow for three per person. Pickup a fourth if you're very hungry.

The Drinks:
The wine list is sizeable and we'll thought out. We had a great bottle of wine followed by some great cocktails with dessert.

The Ambiance:
To put it succinctly: welcoming, intimate, and quaint. It feels like dinner at a family/friends home (if you're friends/family are grew at chefs).

Bravo, Mabou! As traveller's from far away, we hope to be back soon. Keep up the great work!

Small but comfy restaurant with food made with love. All dishes were well made and the menu cater to different dietary requirements.

Excellent small restaurant with very tasty dishes in Turkish/World cuisine influences. Lovely location, great service and good wines.

We both had 5 course choice which even made me forget to take photos of the dishes. Such a talented chef, amazing tastes, very nice atmosphere. Highly recommended. If I would be living in the neighbourhood, I would be eating here every day. Congrats chef.

Nothing short of amazing food and service. The passion shines through every dish and step of the journey at this little gem.

Fantastic! The chicken main dish was the best chicken I ever had in my entire life.

excellent experience. food was amazing. nice simple wine list. good veg options (wife is vegetarian). service was excellent - there was a demonstration during our dinner, and our staff continued to be attentive to us despite commotion outside. we were really impressed. highly highly recommend.