Chef Istanbul in downtown Montreal near Concordia is widely praised for authentic Turkish flavors, generous portions, and homemade bread at good value. Reviewers highlight kebab, lamb and chicken shawarma, doner, and falafel, with the lentil soup and labneh often called standout items and fries noted as excellent. The staff are frequently described as friendly and attentive, with guests recalling thoughtful hospitality such as complimentary bread or tea and a welcoming owner. The atmosphere is cozy and suitable for students and families alike, and the food is consistently fresh and well prepared. Some notes mention occasional service inconsistencies, a few dishes not meeting a diner's taste, and variability depending on who is working, plus practical details like self service, upstairs seating, and accessibility concerns. There is also mention of a temporary closure and requests for updated hours. Overall, it is regarded as one of the city's best Turkish options, with many recommending the kebab and chicken sandwiches and praising the fresh bread and flavorful dips.
Love the fresh bread & tasty sandwiches here-always made with care. Their tea is my favorite; it's the perfect cozy companion. Great spot for a simple, satisfying meal!
Awesome taste of the food. Very healthy meal options. Complimentary turkish kehwa, turkish bread. Amazing food. Mr. Abbas served us very nicely. Highly recommended in Montreal. Baklawa was also tasty.
One of the best halal restaurants in Montréal. Quick service, reasonably priced food & delicious meals. If you order the Turkish'burger' it is very tasty both chicken & lamb I believe for 9.99. I went with one of that & also the plate for 15.99 which was also good. Filling food so you won't leave hungry, satisfying experience & quick service. Oh & the seating area is nice too have plenty of space upstairs which is where I sat with 2 other people. Highly recommend if in downtown Montréal
Chef Istanbul is located at downtown Montreal & right next to Concordia University. This place is accessible easily through public transport by metro & bus.
The food here is delicious - they have a good amount of variety in their menu & all the items we tried were well cooked & tasty.
They bake their own bread which is super soft & goes amazing with the lentil soup.
The meat & the kebab were tender.
The staff are friendly & service is quick. Although this place is self service. Seating is plenty.
Apr 6, 2025
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We got the chicken/beef shawarma plate & the filet mignon sandwich trio. All was fresh & really tasty, although be careful if u don't like dill as they put it as the part of the sauce in the sandwich. But other than that, I believe they have the best fries & dip in Montreal!
The prices are a bit higher than in other similar places in Montreal (40$ for both, excl. tip) but overall it was a very nice place for lunch!!
The food here is very good. They make their bread on site & aren't shy about giving you a lot of chicken. The sandwich had a hint of mint, some Cukes & lots of meat. Very fresh & very tasty & affordable!!! I will return for sure
Jan 10, 2025
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Food was amazing ❤️ buzy hour so maybe tables were not clean but staff & chef was very polite . Loved the Kunafa Everything was tasty definitely recommend & coming back again ❤️
The location & atmosphere is great, but the taste & service is questionable. First of all, Lahmacun is not crispy, & too thick. This is the usual issue of Turkish restaurants in Montreal. They still couldn't make a crispy thin Lahmacun. It is like a "Kiymali Pide" but tasty. Make it thinner, crispier, it is possible with pizza ovens, you just need to work on it. Secondly döner. Why you keep it calling it Shawarma in a "Cuisine Turque" restaurant. Looks like you had the döner, tantuni (even innovative Tantuni Iskender) in your old menu, but it is no longer existing. Döner assiette (it was promoted as Swarma) was an average swarma as its best, not bad, & soft, but not good looking. Prices are not cheap, & service was slow. Propapably will not come back unless they figure it out crispy Lahmacun & thinly sliced juicy & tender döner. I have visited more than 6 or 7 Turkish restaurants in Montreal, & have to admit most of them are disappointing. Will keep looking though. Guys, do it the original way please!
I visited this place for the first time, located in the heart of downtown, had a yogurt tantuni plate & a beef dinner sandwich. I enjoyed both but I prefer the yogurt tantuni. The sandwich lacked flavor but that could just be me. I dipped the sandwich into the yogurt sauce from the other plate lol. I then enjoyed it 😊 The Kunefe with vanilla ice cream was a first for me. It was a pleasant surprise, perfect level of sweetness & becomes rich with the ice cream. It was a perfect meal after a long day at work. I would come back for the yogurt tantuni & kunefe but would also try other items. Round 2: I had the beef plate & it was a real treat. The meat was fantastic, the dipping sauce was amazing, & the bread was fresh out of the oven literally. If you want fresh tasty Turkish kebab, this is the place to go to. I'll try other items soon 😋
