Istanbul Restaurants

Boncuk Restaurant

#468 of 471 things to do in Istanbul

#99 of 101 restaurants in Istanbul

1 reviews | Write a review

  • Address
    • Nevizade Sokak 19
  • Transport
    • Kabataş, then funicular to Taksim
  • Phone
    • 212 243 1219
  • Price
    • meze TL5-10, fish TL18-30
  • Hours
    • noon-2am

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Lonely Planet review for Boncuk Restaurant

Armenian specialities differentiate Boncuk from its Nevizade neighbours. Try the excellent topik (meze made with chickpeas, pistachios, onion, flour, currants, cumin and salt) and the very tasty börek. To ensure that you get a table on the street, where all the action is, get there early or call ahead and book.

 

Traveller reviews for Boncuk Restaurant (1)

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    Cigarette Smoking Permitted

    nvcbj does not recommend this,

    As Boncuk is listed in both the Lonely Planet and Time Out guides, my wife and I decided to eat at this restaurant on April 12, 2011. The weather was cool, so we asked to sit inside, and chose the second floor. Upon arriving at the second floor we should have known this was not going to be a good dining experience: the lighting was fluorescent and the tables were in long rows, reminiscent of a camp cafeteria, with a group of about 25 younger people sitting at a long table on the far side of the room. We were seated at one end of a table that would accommodate 10, and were then almost simultaneously presented with menus and a tray of plastic-wrapped starters; with the waiters hovering over us expecting immediate orders for the starters. We selected a “Russian” salad and stuffed mussels, both of which were mediocre. We then ordered a green salad, kalamari and “bass fish”. The green salad was large, but nothing more than lettuce and tomato. The kalamari and fish were fine, but before their arrival a group of four customers was seated at the table immediately behind, and in close proximity to, my wife. Upon being seated these four lit cigarettes [smoking in restaurants in Turkey is prohibited] and smoked almost non-stop. Our bill was 72 TL (including a 375 ml bottle of wine), to which a 8TL service charge had been added. Before leaving the second floor I asked the waiters why they had allowed the four customers to smoke when it is against the law, but only received shoulder shrugs in return. I then asked the four customers (who were British) why they thought it appropriate to smoke in a restaurant when it was against the law. They acknowledged that there were aware smoking was prohibited, but said the law was not enforced [we did not see anyone else smoking in a restaurant during our three days in Istanbul]; and went on to say that before entering the restaurant they asked the “greeter” at the entrance if they could smoke and were told they could if they did so on the second floor [this statement was believable since they had been supplied ashtrays by the restaurant]. At the entrance to the restaurant I asked the “greeter” why smoking was permitted and only received a shoulder shrug as an explanation. Overall, a very poor dining experience.

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