Kumkapi Cafe restorant nargile

"This might sound crazy but I actually have booked the hotel for my next trip to Istanbul strictly because it was close to this restaurant. This place is excellent. The family who runs it isn't going to up charge you for being a foreigner, they won't try to double charge you for being a tourist, and the prices on the menu are MORE than reasonable. Everywhere else I went to during a long weekend in Istanbul did at least one of those three things so this restaurant was a haven for me. The food is great - it's not Michelin quality but it tastes good, it looks good, and there's big portions. There's plenty of seating and there's always at least one or two Turkish families hanging out. If I had to guess I'd say the clientele is 50/50 tourists and locals. Try the hummus, milkshakes, honey butter appetizer (I can't remember the name of it), and the lentil soup! OH, and whatever you do, DON'T order the mint lemon tea. It's MENTHOL, not "mint lemon." I've heard other people say they like it but I was not ready for a little cup of hot menthol juice. "