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Cafe Istanbul
- Hours:
Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
- Attire:
- Casual
2 reviews for Cafe Istanbul
Tucked away in a corner of Newport is Cafe Istanbul a great Mediterranean restaurant specializing in Turkish flavors. I've gone here several times and enjoy it on every visit. It is somewhat hidden, not only from location but by it's own outdoor seating which blocks the entrance. The decor is themed in a Mediterranean style, with faux sandstone arches, hanging candle light arrangements, and intricate wall hung rugs. I personally love the theme, it's completely different than the surrounding restaurants. Can have a cozy feel depending on where you sit (there's "alcove" seating), wouldn't be a bad place to bring a date.
The food is mostly Turkish from what I understand, I usually get a kebab of some sort (the Doner, Chicken, and mixed are all great), with a meze sampler appetizer. The meze sampler gives you a nice taste of the different additives that may come with a meal. And the Chantilly cake is a lovely dessert choice. I've wanted to try their Tiramisu but they weren't able to make it due to being out of ingredients or it taking longer to make than I was willing to wait (not waiting for a dessert? I know, I must have been crazy). The Turkish Tea which comes in a variety of flavors is a fantastic drink choice for iced tea lovers (the mango especially), plus you get a stylish glass bottle to take home with you.
Overall the food is fantastic, like I said before I've always enjoyed my meals here and it's become a staple option for when I'm down at Newport. The service is usually friendly (and timely), some servers seem a bit "shy" and not very talkative, but they'll still let you know what they suggest if you ask. Some servers also seem to speak English as a second language rather than a first, while this has never been a problem for me you may have to explain what you mean if you go too far off the menu in your request. There is a bar and wine, but I've not tried either. Cleanliness is good.
i like this place. a lot. i have only been here a couple times, but it is absolutely delicious, and the atmosphere is fun. there are only two drawbacks - it is loud inside the restaurant, because it's kind of a mediterranean cave; and it's at the levee, which means it can be a pain to park and deal with the crowd.
the cocktails are good (pear pleasure) and the wine is good (i had the white turkish wine, i don't remember what it was called). appetizers included hummus and phyllo dough filled with goat cheese. for dinner, i highly recommend the sultan's pleasure. even though the name is thick with innuendo, it is justified. i never knew pureed eggplant could be so good. and the lamb was moist and flavorful. for dessert, my girlfriends and i shared the hot chocolate cake. it takes 20 minutes to make and has a strange spongy texture i am still debating.
as a bonus, the parking information i was given in the garage had a coupon on it for a free $5 appetizer.
for what it's worth, my godmother lives in turkey and said cafe istanbul was a very good interpretation of turkish cuisine.
