Pudding Shop Lale Restaurant

Very friendly staff, lovely puddings and a really great atmosphere. It was friendly and full of interesting history of the restaurant on the walls and they gave us a postcard of the restaurant when we left.

First time here, very busy at certain times, they welcome u like friends. Very warming and sweet. Attentive service. Prices are decent for tourist area. Great service and food was delicious. Definitely will come back again

We had been looking all over for a reasonably priced restaurant that offered something other than doner kebabs - and finally my husband spotted this. We got two great veggie dishes -sauteed eggplant and spinach - both were well seasoned and very tasty! Quick and easy. Nice, friendly waiters. Reasonable prices, especially for the veg options.

If you are staying in the Sultan Ahmet area and looking for authentic Ottoman cuisine then this is the place. Additionally, unlike all the other restaurants in this touristic area where prices are exorbitant, this restaurant is very reasonable. This place has a buffet menu too. You can select the items of your choice and you will be billed accordingly. The ambience is nice and clean. The staff were very helpful. The service was good and quick. The food was delicious too.
Our favourite was the local fish( from Bosphorus) fry and the meatballs. They serve alcoholic beverages too.
A must visit place for all the food lovers.

Make this a stop for lunch or dinner. We came at 11am and there was no wait. I hear it gets crazy busy later. All the food was delicious and fresh. The grape leaves were different as they were made sweet with raisins and cinnamon. The staff is so friendly and welcoming. It is right near the Blue Mosque.

I love everthing about this restaurant. The food, the busy atmosphere, the mostly elderly waiters who are very friendly and funny. It's just a walking distance from Haghia Sofea and Barsilica Cistern. Highly recommended to try the grill salmon and pilaf rice. Everything is big portion here and delicious that we came back here 2 days in a row during our stay in Istanbul. Price is a bit high if you compare with some road side cafè, but definitely worth the money.

Happy with the vegetarian choices, which can be a challenge to find in the area. Lovely ambiance with an “olde time” feel. Clean ladies room.

Reasonable prices, but pay attention to the bill — ours had a hand-written service charge added. No problem. We are happy to give even more because of the lira crisis and we want to help our Turkish friends.

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So good. The guidebooks are correct. The food is very good served cafeteria style. Don’t have to know Turkish. Just point at what you want. Prices are reasonable.

One of the best food in my life I must say. The kebab is very delicious. I can still recall how good it is.
Unfortunately, the coffee is too strong for us.
We were lucky to eat in this restaurant in our very short visit (transit) in Turkey. It was quite close since we transited at the old airport (mid 2017). I would love to come to this restaurant again, one day!.
I recommend you to visit this restaurant while you are in Istanbul.

This place is an institution and deservedly so.
The food is genuinely superb
The highlight was the rice custard pudding - simply unbelievable.
I forced myself to have one after a fulfilling main and I was so glad I did. It brought back memories of my youth where I was brought up eating rice pudding on a regular basis.
This though was the BEST ever rice pudding i have ever had and I backed it up the next morning for a double dose of rice pudding for breakfast.
Outstanding and a must for anyone in Istanbul, whatever time of day

Possibly the most famous spot on the entire overland hippie trail. At it’s peak more famous than the Taj Mahal, Bangkok’s Atlanta Hotel, Bali’s Poppies Restaurant, Kathmandu’s Pie Alley, or the Blue Mosque. It’s still running. No hippies but the place is a must see. I was here in 78. Don’t miss it!

A fun Turkish restaurant with a lot of history. While it is touristy, the food is decent and there's a lot of options to satisfy all tastes. Reasonably priced.

Nice place, really kind waiter.
You can sit at table and order or better you go to food selection and waiter reccomends and describes every meal.
Really must stop place

Nostalgic trip down memory lane for my husband. He was there in 1971 and some of the wait staff have been there nearly as long. Food is good and reasonably priced. Friendly atmosphere.

Really cool little spot with lots of history! The waiters well good, food was tasty and fresh, but it is a tourist hotspot so definitely time your lunch well otherwise there's a bit of a que.

A solid option if you wish to try something classic Turkish cuisine and specialties, priced accordingly. Fast service, nothing too fancy, just like it should be. Skip the baklava, it’s over-priced.

We had meat skewers, tavuk, doner wrap and crème caramel. Lunch was delicious and enough for 4 including one child. We were treaded very well, with very much attention though it was crowded. I am thankful for the human interaction and highly recommand it either you like meat or chicken.

We really loved it here it was like eating from my mommas kitchen and the hospitality is unbeatable anywhere else. Highly recommended for an authentic breakfast/lunch/dinner experience!!

An iconic restaurant that once marked the beginning of the Hippie Trail
When hippies would travel overland from Europe to India in the sixties, they would often stop here and leave notes for each other. It became a gathering place for travellers who referred to it as the Pudding Shop, as it sold pudding that was beloved of the travellers. Nowadays the Hippie Trail is no more, but it is still a good restaurant, with reasonable prices and friendly waiters, and a nice piece of recent history.

It was recommended by our guide. Authentic local cuisine. We had the meatballs and vegetarian aubergine. Also salad, dessert and tea. It was delicious and savoury. We think the Google rating is under rated.