Taste of Instanbul - Vaughan, Ontario

I am a big fan of Middle Eastern cuisine, this is the main reason why I even got to know about Taste of Istanbul. It was actually recommended to me by a random guy I met (who is also a fan of Middle Eastern cuisine) when I asked about the ... best shawarma restaurant Toronto. I gave it a try a week later and I can tell you it exceeded all the expectations that I had. The restaurant is very professional and ensures that every customer is satisfied. The meals were delicious, this is definitely because they use the best ingredients in the market. To have this amazing experience I didn’t have to part with a significant amount of money. It has become one of my favorite restaurants and I take my family there once in a while to enjoy the quality food. The atmosphere is welcoming and the staff are friendly. Shawarma is not the only food that they serve, they also serve quality seasoned meat and offer sauces in different flavors. If you want to try new foods then Taste of Istanbul is the restaurant to go to. I can assure you that you will keep going back for more. It is the best dining experience I have had in quite a long time. Read more

Good food for sure. Very authentic and prepared with just the right flavors and very fresh ingredients. The interior is cozy and has a very exotic feel to it. We were here for a late brunch on a Sunday and there was no wait at all. Service was also top ... notch, we felt welcomed like we were family. Would definitely eat here again especially since it is so hard to find a good Turkish restaurant in Toronto these days. Read more

We purchased a Groupon deal for this restaurant. Overall Experience (0-10): Service: 1 (waited for an hour before our order is finally in, waited on many things all throughout the dinner, 1 was given for packing up our food nicely) Soup: 5 (nothing spectacular) Cold Appetizers: 7 (quite nice) Hot Appetizers: 9 (really fresh and ... crispy) Entrees: 7 (quite nice) Here is the title of the Groupon deal: $55 for a six-course dinner or Saturday or Sunday brunch for two Here is the description: Guests choose a meat, seafood, or vegetarian tasting menu, then sit back as the chef prepares an artisan slow-cooked six-course Turkish meal. 24 hours in advance reservation was required so we made one the day before @ 2pm. I left my name and the Groupon number to hold my spot. We arrived at 6:20 on Friday for our 6:30pm reservation. There were only two other tables occupied and two lady staff serving tables. I gave them the groupon deal I printed out, and she gave me the regular menu. So I asked, "how do we order?" She said "You just order". At this point we have no idea what to do. 1st time she went to the back, asked around, came back and said "So sorry, you can order any 6 items from the hot appetizers or entrees" --> seriously? 6 entrees? 2nd time she left and talked to some other staff, came back again and said "So sorry, you can order 2 items from 1 hot appetizers, 4 from cold appetizers, and 2 from entree" --> um... what? that's 7 items. At this time, some guy who appeared to be the owner came in, after 15 more mins of discussion, the lady came back and said "So sorry, you order two soups, two hot appetizers, two cold appetizers, two entrees, two drinks and two desserts" --> Oh, now we get it. The owner then came over said, "yes the groupon says 6 course meal yeah? so you choose one of each, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6" as if we were supposed to know what to do, why were we wasting his time and his staff's time. I'm not sure why he doesn't take the time to let the staff know about the new deal and instead, assume the customers should know. By the time we finally put the "final" order in, it was already 7:30. Food wasn't bad, but the staff really need to be trained. Soup came without spoon, when asked for one, took them going back and forth twice to get it. Same thing for plates to share our appetizers on. Overall, we won't be back. We don't enjoy being treated as if we were idiots by the owner. The lady staff was really nice, although she get everything wrong and delayed, she kept apologizing because of all the hassle we have to go through. Read more

Do not be fooled by the pretty food pictures. The attitude of the business owner/Chef was so insulting and rude that I had to leave with my guests and was very embarrassing and awkward situation in front of my guests. Finding the whole restaurant empty, I had asked the ... owner that they had entertained my request to come at 6:30pm rather giving me the only option for any early dinner at 5:30pm. The owner has raised his voice on me and said that he knows how to run his business and if you do not want to eat then you must leave. He went on and on and then went inside without giving me a chance to speak. He was kept on speaking something loud in his own language and I heard loud stomping noise. It was the first time I had gone there taking my guests with me and it was so embarrassing and insulting in front of my guest that we had to leave without eating. Read more

Place was eerie empty, not a very good sign. Some of the menu items we asked were not available. I asked for bulgur pilaf as a side side order, but I got potatoes instead. Adana kebab was only so so. The potatoes were hard and under-cook. While ordering, they had ... to check availability of Adana kebab first, then we were advised it will be long time. They were honest about that, it took long time. This is first Turkish place in Toronto charges for Turkish tea. Please be advised, not noted in menu, small traditional clear tea glasses will cost you $2 each one. Read more