Dinner in Istanbul: First Night

We did some research in the hotel lobby (using our tablets) and found a restaurant that seemed like a good idea: Grill Hause. As we approached the restaurant, we were enthusiastically greeted by an employee. He ushered us upstairs to a table and I almost felt like I was being kidnapped only to be fed copious amounts of food, then released. I wasn't so far off. We ate lamb, chicken, stuffed eggplant and hummus. It was all so good.

What I didn't anticipate is that this man who greeted us in the street is not unique. As we asked after dinner, we were approached by a man outside each restaurant and cafe encouraging us to come inside for dinner. This happened even as we were exiting the Grill Hause. It's very difficult to politely decline with a language barrier and the solicitor staring you down in the street. Now we know what to expect though and I'm sure we will come up with new techniques to brush off the advances as the week continues.

Planning out a fun day for tomorrow. Stay tuned!