Dinner with a Bosphorus View: Dilruba Istanbul
Dilruba Istanbul is an alcohol-free kebab restaurant in Fethipaşa Grove, Üsküdar, serving guests from the same address since 1996. Dinner is served until 23:00 every day except Monday. There is free parking for around 100 cars, and every dining room and terrace faces the Bosphorus.
We are a kitchen approaching thirty years old. In all that time we have worked in the same grove, looking at the same water. The menu has grown and the team has changed, but the core of the work has not: good meat, the right fire, a quiet table.
What thirty years in one kitchen means
When we opened in 1996, Fethipaşa Grove was not the well-known spot it is today. Since then we have served three generations of guests — people who first came here as children now arrive with children of their own.
The clearest evidence of that time is in the kitchen. How the lamb is chopped for kebab, where the fire needs to be, how many hours the lamb rests in the stone oven — none of this comes from a book. It settles through repetition. We have worked with the same head chefs for years and we do not change the recipes.
Dining rooms and terraces with a Bosphorus view
The restaurant has four separate sections, each with a terrace in front of it. All of them look onto the Bosphorus. In summer, dinner is served mainly on the open terraces; when the weather turns, we move into the air-conditioned indoor rooms. Either way, the view stays with your table.
Because we sit on the slope of the grove, you are among the trees and facing the water at the same time. In the evening, when the lights come on along the opposite shore, you get the view guests photograph most.
On being an alcohol-free restaurant
Dilruba does not serve alcohol, and outside alcohol is not permitted. This has been a deliberate choice for thirty years.
In practice it means the evenings here are as calm as the mornings. It makes us a comfortable address for families with children, for older guests, for anyone who prefers an alcohol-free setting, and for corporate dinners. We also do not play loud music — out of consideration for our neighbours, amplified music is not permitted indoors or outdoors. If you are looking for somewhere you can hold a conversation over dinner, this is it.
Instead of alcohol, the table gets red basil sherbet, homemade lemonade, ayran, şalgam and freshly squeezed orange juice. After dinner, dibek and menengiç coffee are on the menu alongside Turkish coffee.
What is on the menu
Kebabs: Adana and Urfa kebab, both hand-chopped; Ali Nazik with lamb cubes or with kebab; çökertme kebab with beef fillet or meatballs; beyti kebab.
From the stone oven: Slow-cooked lamb tandoori and lamb shank. Also Antep lahmacun and a range of pide — with cheese, chopped lamb, beef, or mixed.
Grills: Lamb şiş, lamb chops, grilled saddle of lamb, lamb fillet, beef medallions, lamb liver, grilled meatballs, chicken kebab and crispy wings. For larger tables, the Ottoman copper tray is prepared for two, three or four people.
Starters: Hummus, spicy ezme, haydari, cacık, dried eggplant dolma and homemade sour yoghurt; on the hot side, grilled eggplant, fried stuffed bulgur balls, oyster mushrooms baked in butter, spicy stuffed vine leaves and paçanga börek.
Desserts: Künefe, baklava, semolina halva with pistachios, rice pudding, and the daily cakes in our cabinet.
Children's menus are available.
Family meals, corporate events and special occasions
We take group bookings for company dinners, engagement and wedding meals, birthdays and memorial dinners. Two separate Bosphorus-facing rooms are reserved for these events; both have air conditioning, a sound system and a microphone.
Getting here and parking
We are in Fethipaşa Grove, Üsküdar, Istanbul — a few minutes by car from Üsküdar Square, close to the Marmaray station and the ferry pier. Free parking is available for approximately 100 cars, which makes us one of the few places on the Asian side where dinner does not begin with a parking problem.
Visitor information
- Opening hours: Every day except Monday, 08:00 – 23:00
- Closed: Mondays
- Address: Fethipaşa Grove, Üsküdar / Istanbul
- Reservations: +90 (216) 492 15 00
- Parking: Free, approximately 100 cars
- Alcohol: Not served; outside alcohol is not permitted
- View: All dining rooms and terraces face the Bosphorus
Frequently Asked Questions
How long has Dilruba Istanbul been open? Since 1996 — close to thirty years at the same address in Fethipaşa Grove.
Do you serve alcohol? No. Dilruba is an alcohol-free restaurant and outside alcohol is not accepted.
Is this a place for dinner with a Bosphorus view in Üsküdar? Yes. All of our dining rooms and terraces look onto the Bosphorus.
How late are you open in the evening? Until 23:00, every day except Monday.
Are you open on Mondays? No, we are closed on Mondays.
Do I need a reservation? On weekdays you can usually come without one. For weekend evenings and larger groups, we recommend booking ahead on +90 (216) 492 15 00.
Is there parking? Yes, free parking for around 100 vehicles.
Is it suitable for families with children? Yes. The alcohol-free setting, the open grove and our children's menus make it comfortable for families.
Can you host large group or corporate dinners? Yes. Two Bosphorus-facing rooms are reserved for events.
Can we play loud music at an event? Out of consideration for our neighbours, amplified music is not permitted indoors or outdoors.
Do you cater for vegetarian or special diets? Yes. Please let us know at the time of booking if any guests are vegetarian, vegan, diabetic or coeliac.