Cafe Istanbul

A rainy Saturday afternoon found me darkening the doorstep of a restaurant on my radar for some time, Decatur's Cafe Istanbul.  Entering the dimly lit restaurant, I was momentarily taken aback by its emptiness.  But hey, it was an early Saturday afternoon perhaps the bulk of their business would occur later in the day and into the evening.  All told, we could of easily made off with the flat screen above the bar and money from the cash register in the time it took for our presence to be acknowledged.  Finally, we were directed to sit where we liked and chose to sit on the floor propped up by a myriad of cushions in the restaurant's large dining area furnished with low lacquer tables, cushions and Persian rugs.  There was also alternate seating in the bar area with stools, tables and booths available.  When our server disappeared again for another 5 minutes, I started questioning my dining choice.  He returned in the nick of time to take our beverage orders and I began to relax.

Unfortunately, my dining companions were not adventurous and wanted to go with the Cafe Istanbul Pizza, a traditional pie covered with tomato sauce, mozzarella and feta cheeses, lamb and onions.  The crust of the pie was exceptional, though I wished that the lamb pieces had been thinly sliced as opposed to straight from a skewer.  I was however able to sneak in an order of stuffed grape leaves which were very good, slightly tangy and served with a side of the freshest tomatoes you ever did see.  We were also brought a basket of warm and delicious pita bread covered in sesame seeds and a hint of lemon and olive oil.  I suppose the place would be a bit livelier in the evening since it has a great date night vibe.  My suspicions were conformed when the cook came out as we were finishing our meal to feast on his own lunch of sliced beef and rice.  I wasn't too jazzed either with the dirty silverware I was given but none of these reasons merit banning Cafe Istanbul from my repertoire.  It definitely calls for another visit and deeper exploration into it's Mediterranean/Middle Eastern inspired menu.

Cafe Istanbul, 1850 Lawrenceville Hwy, Decatur, GA 30054