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Jumping Juniper! Sound the Horns! 🎉🎉You have got to put a pin 📌 on your map to come here. My wife and I drove out to Vienna, Virginia, to eat at this special place. We have a desire for something Mediterranean, something special for our platter today. Then there it was, Istanbul Blue! We walked inside, and our jaws dropped. We were alone and were greeted with a Smile 😃! We had the restaurant to ourselves, yippee! How sweet and soooo romantic it was to find this hidden jewel. Check out the pictures for yourselves. This is a beautiful place that had all kinds of desirable dishes. Check out our pictures. Go by and tell them Harold and Vivian sent you. Our meals were served hot, and the cook who had been cooking for over 40 years ensured our meats were tender and tasty. You gotta go by. They take reservations, which I suggest making to ensure your seats are available during high occasions. We will be returning for sure. Save a seat for us! Don't forget to tip because the service is GREAT! Well, I got to run, give me a like, and follow. Remember, life is short, so don't pass this opportunity by. Give someone close to you a hug and let them know you love them 💗. It will go a long way. Stay cool, and know that I appreciate you taking the time to read my review. Ciao!
This is the most stylish restaurant with characteristic flooring I have seen since I came to America. The location is great, it's a very friendly,warm place. Mr. Ismet, the chef and owner, is a school in his own right. She has prepared meals for many famous people over the years. His experience, his achievements are so many that it is impossible not to admire. Virginia, Washington, D.C. , New jersey, so if you are around here, definitely visit here. The variety is huge, the content is full, the flavor is tremendous when combined with the conversation.
Istanbul Blue is undoubtedly a gem among Turkish restaurants in the DMV area. From the first bite, it's evident that the chef pours heart and soul into each dish, creating an unforgettable experience. The authenticity of the atmosphere adds to the overall charm, making the dining experience truly special. The exceptional management and delightful staff contribute to the restaurant's success. If you crave genuine Turkish cuisine I highly recommended, you will not be disappointed!
Good place. Stuff is friendly. Food is not perfect. Food quantity is ok.
Delicious food and excellent service. One of our favourite places for me
This restaurant has everything you would expect from a high priced place at reasonable price. Warm, cozy atmosphere with smiling, genuinely happy staff welcoming you at the door. The food is halal and great. The lamb shank, without question, is the best on the east coast (I haven’t tried the west coast yet)!! The chef himself checked on us several times in person. We really felt at home. Definitely recommend this place. We will be a regular there!!
excellent food… delicious and bursting with flavor. chef ismet personally greeted us, which made us feel welcomed!
we started off with lentil soup and the smoked eggplant app.
entree we had lamb shank, mixed grill, and doner pidet!
finished off with turkish tea and kunafa. tasty!
The place is small, clean, neat, and classy. I got the appetize sampler, and its worth every penny. I got overwhelmed with the menu, and I asked the waiter to surprise me. My only regret is that I did not ask him the name of the food and will not be able to order it again. My wife got the " all meat" kebab, and it was awesome. I will definitely go there again. The waiters are very pleasant and respectful.
One of the most authentic Turkish restaurants around.
The atmosphere is very cozy, makes you want to sit down for hours. The food itself really does give you a taste of Turkey without having to travel across the country. The chef knows his work especially when making doner, I’ve lived in Turkey and the doner at this restaurant is still the best I’ve had.
Its a family owned restaurant so it’s always good to support small businesses!
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We were in the mood to try something different. I have only had Turkish food a several times. We decided to give Instanbul Blue visit. This place has received quite few good reviews on yelp. It is a small resturant in a stripmall. The resturant is small and cozy. There were not a lot of customers there when we arrived. We sat at the front by the window against the wall. Very cozy and quiet. The resturant is very nice and clean. I will say the waiter was there when we needed him to be. He let us have space and time to enjoy the meal.
I wanted to try the Instanbul blue mix drink but unfortuanlly they ran out of what was needed to make the drink. We also ordered ice tea but unfortuanlly there were out of tea as well.
There is a nice selection of offerings on the menu.
For appitizers we ordered the Lentil soup and the Instanbul Blue Platter which consisted of a combination of appetizers: 3 cigara boreks, 3 yaprak, dolmas, hummus, feta cheese & falafel. The Lentil soup is rich but flavorful not overly spiced. The waiter also brought our a loaf of bread. I ending up dunking the bread in soup. That could be a meal in it self. Very satisfing. I envjoyed everything on Instanbul Blue Platter. I am not a big flafel person but these were quite tasty.
The main course we had the Fresh Mediterranian Branzini Fish (whole fish). This came with rice or vegtable skewers. We ended up getting the vegtable skewers and a side salad. We love Banzini fish and this was amazing. The spices were just right. Fish was cooked perfectly. We also had the Instanblue Mixed Grill. This was a combination of grilled specialties of beef shish kebob, chicken kebob, lamb chops & doner, served with rices. Every piece of meat on this platter was cooked perfectly, very juicy, well seasoned. I ended up ordering the Doner Kebob / Shwarma togo for lunch the next day.
For dessert we had the Baklava with pistachio. Very delicious and not to sweet.
Overall this resturant did not disappoint. Food was very delicios. Service was great. There is a large shared parking lot. I can see it being full at times there was quite a bit a traffic there. Overall a solid 4 stars. I will definitly be back.
Went here for the first time for my mother's birthday. The waiter was on top of his game and Chef Ismet's food was amazing! If you get the lentil soup, make sure you get the bowl - not a cup! You'll be wanting more!!
Me and my husband went to this restaurant to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. I'm from Turkey and he's American and we met in Ankara (the capital of Turkey) and dated 4 yrs there and had tons of memories before we got married, so we purely wanted to vivify our first memories by eating some real Turkish food on our first anniversary and it's really worth it bcs there's def no difference than Turkey at all. So I truly assure you that if you'd like to try some real Turkish food or miss your homeland you must try this place. I ate much more than my capacity. :,) Thanks a bunch to the chefs and all the staff.
The food was excellent. Everything was fresh, delicious, and came out hot and fresh. We had steak, lamb, donner, and chicken and it was all cooked perfectly. I think it was also a very reasonably priced meal, especially considering how much meat came with each platter. Our waitress was also very pleasant.
Absolutely wonderful place. The service was great and the food will keep you coming back for more. Chef Ismet Gezgec is a true master at his craft. Hands down the best hummus I have ever tried. Mixed grille was outstanding, the lentil soup, I could go on and on...
Great atmosphere! Great experience! We'll be back for sure
The Turkish Pide (pictured) is amazingly tasty, and the lentil soup is wonderful. The atmosphere is relaxed and quiet so conversation is easy. The service is prompt, helpful and kind. This restaurant is a local treasure and has my highest recommendation.
We went for lunch in late April, 2022. I had Chicken Yogurt and my two dining companions both had Adana Yogurt (beef and lamb). I always say that cooking chicken breast just right shows a chef's calibre. If overcooked, the meat would be tough and chewy. My chicken cubes were tender and juicy. It was really delicious with the yogurt sauce. They said their Adana Yogurt were excellent too. This is a place worth revisit again and again.
Chef Ismet always goes out of his way to make sure the food is wonderful. He is one of the finest chefs in the area and the food is always fresh, imaginative, flavorful and the portions are great. His flavors and seasoning are great and his classical approach to the cuisine is very refreshing.
It is a small restaurant and fills up fast, so try to go early. When they get very busy, just like any place, the service can be slow, but this should be expected. He's inviting you into his home and expects you to stay a while.
Take your time, have some wine, enjoy the Sarma, Istanbul Blue Platter, the fresh bread. We always have Doner Kebab, Adana Kebab, Iskender Kebab. Incik Kebab (Lamb Shank). The Lentil soup, Lahmacun and eggplant appetizer are also favorites. We've never had a bad meal - and have been going to his restaurant for almost 2 decades.
A really great place for dine in. Food was super delicious and very flavorful!! The staff was so friendly and helpful. Our favorite was the Adana Kebob. Will return to try other things on the menu.
We are on a limited time/distance schedule so I was looking for a non-chain, special to the area restaurant. I found Istanbul Blue on Google and I'm so glad I did. The staff was friendly and the food choices provided variety. My vegetarian friend was able to order off the menu with ease. We had the pide, and the kabobs. For an appetizer we had the blue sampler and holy smokes was it delicious! The falafel was so good. I also had a couple cups of the Turkish tea. Then we had baklava for dessert and it finished the night wonderfully. Highly recommended.
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