Last updated on February 7th, 2025

It’s already been five years since my last visit to Istanbul, Turkey. I was so excited to escape the Americas and get back to a part of the world that overall just suits me better. One of the earlier meals I had upon returning was at Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel. This luxury property was a former Ottoman Palace and reflects this in the level of service. The Bosphorus Grill is located along the Bosphorus Strait with an absolutely stunning view in all directions. My table was actually just a few feet from the water! We were off to a good start.

For the evening, the team at the Bosphorus Grill put together an exciting tasting menu which gave me a great overview of the best items on the dinner menu. From the start I wanted to focus only on authentic Turkish food and drink so went with a glass of Raki to begin. Raki is an anise-flavored, high-alcohol drink which is clear but when mixed with water becomes milky. I’ve had several types of anise alcohol in the past and in the region and love them all!

After this it was time for the Meze course which are a series of small dishes. All of the items in the first course were bursting with flavor. Folks, this is the way to start a meal! To be honest, I could just eat these dishes and drink all night long.

After were two salads, one with prawns and the other with tomatoes and strawberries. Each unique, each refreshing.

One of the courses I was looking forward to most was the traditional doner kebab course. We were served both lamb and chicken along with a few condiments. The best way to eat was combining the meat with all the condiments to create a flavor explosion.

Next up was a seafood course which I paired with a Turkish Karnas Rose Wine. This massive platter included several different types of seafood grilled to perfection. Some items were better than others but overall, all tasted lovely!

Following was a grilled red meat course which I paired with a Turkish Karma Shiraz. It was like they were meant for each other! The meat that was cooked to a lovely medium rare and I ate it with salt and lemon for pure food bliss. With each bite I relaxed deeper into my seat, enjoying the view as the sun went down.

After being sufficiently stuffed there was luckily still a little room left in my stomach for dessert. This turned out to be a tower of dessert which included baklava, cake, fruit, tiramisu, and several others. Just as with every other course, all items were simply delicious. Baklava is super sweet!

Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel’s Bosphorus Grill is a lovely restaurant not to be missed. The service throughout the evening was stupendous, food was exciting and delicious, and all were accompanied with a relaxing  and visually stunning atmosphere. In the future I look forward to staying at this property as well. In conclusion, my evening was delightful and without a doubt I can highly recommend the Bosphorus Grill in Istanbul, Turkey!

Bosphorus Grill

Restaurant

Yıldız, Çırağan Cd. No:32, 34349 Beşiktaş/İstanbul

Phone: +90 212 236 7333