Istanbul Blue

4.3 (423)

$30 and under

Turkish

523 Maple Ave W, Vienna, VA 22180

About this restaurant

Neighbourhood gem
Romantic
Good for special occasions

At Istanbul Blue Restaurant, you will instantly feel as though you walked into the city of Istanbul. We offer a variety of Mediterranean and Turkish dishes, all served within a comfortable, warm setting. The restaurant provides generous portions, while maintaining modest prices. Our specialty is authentic Turkish cuisine. Each dish is prepared with fresh ingredients and is hand made with care. When you are looking for something different yet delicious come visit Istanbul Blue Restaurant!

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

There’s more to explore

Discover countless more restaurants like this one with our app.

Scan the QR code to discover countless more restaurants like this one with our app.

Open app

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Turkish
Hours of Operation
Lunch Daily 11:00 am–5:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(703) 938-8948
Website
http://istanbulbluerestaurant.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress

Location
523 Maple Ave W, Vienna, VA 22180
Area
Vienna
Cross street
Nutley St. NW
Parking Details
Public Parking
Additional
Beer, Delivery, Gluten-free Options, Kosher, Non-Smoking, Takeaway, Wine

LENTIL SOUPUSD 5.50
Our signature soup.
- BowlUSD 7.50
ARNAVUT CIGERIUSD 13.50
Sauteed liver with onion, pepper, tomatoes and Mediterranean spices. Served with lemon.
IMAM BAYILDIUSD 10.50
Whole grilled eggplant topped with sautéed onion, pepper, garlic and tomatoes. *Contains nuts.
CIGARI BOREKUSD 10.50
Deep fried phyllo pastries wrapped with feta cheese, parsley and dill.
EZME SALADUSD 10.50
Spicy blend of chopped tomatoes, onion, walnuts and parsley served with a piece of lemon. *Contains nuts.
YAPRAK SARMAUSD 11.50
4 pieces of marinated grape leaves stuffed with rice, pine nuts and black raisins.
FRESH HUMMUSUSD 10.50
Chickpea puree with tahini, garlic, fresh lemon juice and olive oil.
FALAFELUSD 11.50
Deep fried chickpea balls with onion, cilantro & garlic. Served with hummus.
FETA CHEESE PLATEUSD 12.50
Served with tomato and greens.
- BreadedUSD 13.50
ISTANBUL BLUE PLATTERUSD 22.00
Appetizer tasting plate with 3 cigari boreks, 3 dolmas, hummus, feta cheese dip, falafels and ezme salad.
BABA GANOUSHUSD 11.00
Grilled eggplant with tahini, garlic and olive oil.
CALAMARIUSD 14.50
Deep fried calamari served with Istanbul Blue sauce.
LAHMACUNUSD 11.95
Round thin & crispy bread topped with chopped beef & lamb, vegetables garnished with onions, tomatoes. Served with greens and lemon.
CACIKUSD 7.95
Yogurt, cucumber and garlic dip topped with dry mint.

Salads

TURKISH COBAN SALADUSD 11.95
Diced tomato, pepper, cucumber and onions topped with olive oil & lemon dressing.
GREEK SALADUSD 13.95
Garden salad topped with feta cheese, dolma, black olives and boiled egg with house dressing
MIXED SALADUSD 10.95
Mixed salad with onion, cucumber, tomato and olives
SALMON SALADUSD 17.95
Grilled salmon served on a bed of mixed greens, tomato and cucumbers with house dressing.
GRILLED CHICKEN SALADUSD 16.95
Grilled chicken breast served on a bed of mixed greens, tomato and cucumbers with house dressing.
FALAFEL SALADUSD 14.50
Fried falafel served on a bed of mixed greens, tomato and cucumbers with house dressing.

Pides

Traditional Turkish Flatbread

KASAR PIDEUSD 11.95
Turkish flatbread topped with kasar cheese, tomatoes and green pepper. 'Vegetarian'
SPINACH PIDEUSD 13.95
Turkish flatbread topped with kasar cheese, feta cheese, spinach, garlic and green pepper. 'Vegetarian'
MEDITERRANEAN PIDEUSD 13.95
Turkish flatbread topped with kasar cheese, tomato, parsley, black olives, onion, eggplant and green & red pepper. 'Vegetarian'
SUCUKLU PIDEUSD 14.95
Turkish flatbread topped with kasar cheese, tomato, green pepper and spicy Turkish sausage.
GROUND BEEF PIDEUSD 14.95
Turkish flatbread topped with kasar cheese, ground beef sauteed with onion, tomato and green pepper.
DONER PIDEUSD 14.95
Turkish flatbread topped with kasar cheese, doner(shawarma/gyro), tomato and green pepper.
BEYTI YOGURTUSD 22.50
Turkish flatbread wrapped w/ Adana kebab topped with yogurt and tomato sauce.

Kebabs

Cacik-style dishes are served on a bed of bread chunks, topped with tomato and yogurt sauce.

ADANA KEBABUSD 23.95
Skewer of ground beef & lamb, mixed with red pepper and onion. Served with rice or cacik-style.
- LargeUSD 24.95
LAMB SHISH KEBABUSD 26.95
Two grilled skewers of lamb marinated with olive oil, yogurt and garlic. Served with rice or cacik-style.
- LargeUSD 27.95
CHICKEN KEBABUSD 21.95
Two grilled skewers of chicken marinated with olive oil, tomato and pepper. Served with rice or cacik-style.
- LargeUSD 22.95
KOFTE KEBABUSD 22.95
Grilled beef and lamb meatballs. Served with rice & cacik sauce.
DONER KEBAB / SHAWARMAUSD 23.95
Beef & Lamb cooked on a vertical rotisserie. Served with rice.
BEEF SHISH KEBABUSD 28.50
Two grilled skewers of beef marinated w/ olive oil, yogurt and garlic. Served with rice.
VEGETABLE KEBABUSD 18.95
Two grilled skewers of eggplant, green squash, onions and peppers. Served with rice.
ISTANBUL BLUE MIXED GRILLUSD 34.95
Combination of grilled beef, chicken, lamb chops & doner kebab. Served with rice.

Specialties

MUSAKKAUSD 19.95
Eggplant & potato lasagna with ground beef, tomato sauce and ricotta cheese.
HUNKAR BEGENDIUSD 20.50
Chunks of beef served over smoked and mashed eggplant with a bechamel sauce.
INCILK KEBAB / LAMB SHANKSUSD 36.95
Baked lamb shanks served with rice.
ISKENDER KEBABUSD 25.95
Toasted bread topped w/yogurt, doner kebab, tomato butter sauce.
LAMB CHOPSUSD 39.95
Juicy chops, marinated in olive oil, garlic, and spices. Served with rice.

Seafood

SALMON FILLETUSD 25.00
Grilled salmon fillet served with rice.
FRESH SEA BASSUSD 32.95
Mild, meaty, whole fish grilled and served with rice.
BRANZINIUSD 41.95
Light, flaky, whole fish grilled and served with rice.
CATCH OF THE DAYUSD 26.95
Subject to availability. Ask your server.

Desserts

SUTLACUSD 8.95
Rice pudding
BAKLAVAUSD 9.95
Sweet pastry baked with pistachio and finished with honey syrup.
- RegularUSD 9.95
- ChocolateUSD 10.95
KUNEFEUSD 10.95
Shredded Turkish phyllo stuffed with special cheese and finished with honey syrup.
KAZANDIBIUSD 8.95
Rich creamy custard with golden brown caramelized top.
CAKE OF THE DAYUSD 9.95
Ask your server!
ICE CREAMUSD 8.95
Vanilla or Chocolate

Sandwiches

Only available at lunchtime

ADANA SANDWICHUSD 14.95
Served with french fries
DONER SANDWICHUSD 14.95
Served with french fries
KOFTE SANDWICHUSD 14.95
Served with french fries
CHICKEN BREAST SANDWICHUSD 14.95
Served with french fries
FALAFEL SANDWICHUSD 13.95
Served with french fries
VEGETABLE SANDWICHUSD 13.95
Served with french fries

Sides

GRILLED VEGETABLE SKEWERUSD 8.95
FRENCH FRIESUSD 6.95
RICEUSD 5.50

Kids

HAMBURGERUSD 14.50
Served with french fries. Add cheese 1.00
- CheeseUSD 1.00
CHICKEN TENDERSUSD 11.50
Served with french fries.
KID'S PIDEUSD 11.50
Baked Turkish pizza boat with kasar cheese.

Beverages

HOMEMADE ICED TEAUSD 4.50
SPARKLING WATERUSD 6.50
SODAUSD 4.50
Coke / Diet Coke / Sprite / Ginger Ale
JUICESUSD 4.50
Turkish Juice / Orange / Cranberry
AYRANUSD 4.50
Turkish yogurt drink
TURKISH COFFEEUSD 4.50
TURKISH TEAUSD 3.50
AMERICAN COFFEEUSD 4.50

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at Istanbul Blue.

4.3

(423)

4.4Food
4.2Service
4.0Ambience
4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

411 Reviews

B
BJ Gold
Washington, D.C. Area82 reviews
5.0
Dined on 17 July 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Loved the iskender kebab and the Baklava is perfection!
Is this helpful?
C
Celia
Washington, D.C. Area2 reviews
5.0
Dined on 8 June 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I really enjoyed the food and the warm welcome. The food was great.
Is this helpful?
N
Nancy
Washington, D.C. Area14 reviews
4.0
Dined on 4 June 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
I went with 4 other people. Everyone’s food was delicious, hot and made just for us. And very abundant. My diner sandwich was excellent. Waitress was a young woman. Not great. She forgot people’s drink orders. Couldn’t keep straight who ordered what food. Served each person’s meal separately so they either ate alone when it was served or waited for everybody to be served while their food got cold.
Is this helpful?
a
adele Gold
Miami - Dade32 reviews
5.0
Dined on 11 May 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Food and service were excellent even with a busy restaurant.
Is this helpful?
D
David
Baltimore / Maryland37 reviews
3.0
Dined on 11 May 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
Went for Mother’s Day Brunch late morning - it was prominently advertised on their website, and when seated, also on their menus. Alas, they weren’t serving brunch, only sandwiches or dinner. Food was a solid 3 stars. Service was iffy (20% automatically added to all bills), especially as the upstairs began to fill.The chairs are massive wooden seats, quite comfortable but using a lot of space between tables. The upstairs quickly became a maze of patrons, chairs and tables as the servers tried to accommodate large parties. As far as I recall, the menu said nothing about an automatic service charge, and the server’s card reader conveniently suggested _additional tips_ of 20, 25, or 30% on top of the cost of meals,state & local taxes, and the 20% automatically added in. in all, there are several other better Turkish restaurants nearby in Arlington & McLean.
Is this helpful?
R
Ranny
Washington, D.C. Area6 reviews
5.0
Dined on 29 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We used to dine at the predecessor restaurant frequently, but had moved away. In passing thru Vienna last week we noticed the new sign and made note. Made reservations and drove 20 miles to discover it was the same chef, just now he is the owner and he had owned it for some time. Waiter admitted it was his first week, but he was excellent and knowledgable. Bread, hors d’oeuvres and main course all very good. The home made cheese cake and tea were a welcome ending. Will return.
Is this helpful?
T
Tamara Gold
Washington, D.C. Area15 reviews
4.0
Dined on 25 February 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Went to Istanbal Blue with two girlfriends for lunch - it was our first visit. It's a charming restaurant with a very nice vibe. I appreciated that they still use white tablecothes! The atmosphere felt a tad elevated but far from stuffy or fancy. The service was prompt and effecient, The food came quickly and was very good. My only minor complaint was that the music seemed too loud for the small space. I would have preferred that it be turned down as I found it distracting.
Is this helpful?
M
Mark Gold
Washington, D.C. Area57 reviews
5.0
Dined on 22 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This was an excellent dining experience! Everything was great and reminded us of some of the fine meals that we experienced in Turkey when which we visited last year. The lack of customers on a Saturday night was concerning and I hope this was an anomaly. Istanbul Blue deserves to thrive!
Is this helpful?
A
Alan
Washington, D.C. Area10 reviews
5.0
Dined on 15 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Absolutely wonderful! Five stars across the board. The chef/owner came out to talk to us and recommended his specialty, salmon with crab stuffing. The flavors were amazing - subtle, unique, and delicious. On a cold rainy day the atmosphere and warmth of the restaurant created a marvelous dining experience. We have dined here several times and are always amazed how ordinary ingredients can be turned into something so special.
Is this helpful?
R
Rosario Gold
Washington, D.C. Area12 reviews
4.0
Dined on 15 February 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 3
The food at this place was good, but the service was awful. It was not the servers fault, they were clearly understaffed. One couple even got tired of waiting and left before their order was taken. You’d think they would‘ve made more of an effort on Valentine’s Day.
Is this helpful?

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Turkish
Hours of Operation
Lunch Daily 11:00 am–5:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(703) 938-8948
Website
http://istanbulbluerestaurant.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress

Location
523 Maple Ave W, Vienna, VA 22180
Area
Vienna
Cross street
Nutley St. NW
Parking Details
Public Parking
Additional
Beer, Delivery, Gluten-free Options, Kosher, Non-Smoking, Takeaway, Wine

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

Istanbul Blue

About this restaurant

Permanently Closed

There’s more to explore

Additional information

Appetizers

LENTIL SOUPUSD 5.50

ARNAVUT CIGERIUSD 13.50

IMAM BAYILDIUSD 10.50

CIGARI BOREKUSD 10.50

EZME SALADUSD 10.50

YAPRAK SARMAUSD 11.50

FRESH HUMMUSUSD 10.50

FALAFELUSD 11.50

FETA CHEESE PLATEUSD 12.50

ISTANBUL BLUE PLATTERUSD 22.00

BABA GANOUSHUSD 11.00

CALAMARIUSD 14.50

LAHMACUNUSD 11.95

CACIKUSD 7.95

Salads

TURKISH COBAN SALADUSD 11.95

GREEK SALADUSD 13.95

MIXED SALADUSD 10.95

SALMON SALADUSD 17.95

GRILLED CHICKEN SALADUSD 16.95

FALAFEL SALADUSD 14.50

Pides

KASAR PIDEUSD 11.95

SPINACH PIDEUSD 13.95

MEDITERRANEAN PIDEUSD 13.95

SUCUKLU PIDEUSD 14.95

GROUND BEEF PIDEUSD 14.95

DONER PIDEUSD 14.95

BEYTI YOGURTUSD 22.50

Kebabs

ADANA KEBABUSD 23.95

LAMB SHISH KEBABUSD 26.95

CHICKEN KEBABUSD 21.95

KOFTE KEBABUSD 22.95

DONER KEBAB / SHAWARMAUSD 23.95

BEEF SHISH KEBABUSD 28.50

VEGETABLE KEBABUSD 18.95

ISTANBUL BLUE MIXED GRILLUSD 34.95

Specialties

MUSAKKAUSD 19.95

HUNKAR BEGENDIUSD 20.50

INCILK KEBAB / LAMB SHANKSUSD 36.95

ISKENDER KEBABUSD 25.95

LAMB CHOPSUSD 39.95

Seafood

SALMON FILLETUSD 25.00

FRESH SEA BASSUSD 32.95

BRANZINIUSD 41.95

CATCH OF THE DAYUSD 26.95

Desserts

SUTLACUSD 8.95

BAKLAVAUSD 9.95

KUNEFEUSD 10.95

KAZANDIBIUSD 8.95

CAKE OF THE DAYUSD 9.95

ICE CREAMUSD 8.95

Sandwiches

ADANA SANDWICHUSD 14.95

DONER SANDWICHUSD 14.95

KOFTE SANDWICHUSD 14.95

CHICKEN BREAST SANDWICHUSD 14.95

FALAFEL SANDWICHUSD 13.95

VEGETABLE SANDWICHUSD 13.95

Sides

GRILLED VEGETABLE SKEWERUSD 8.95

FRENCH FRIESUSD 6.95

RICEUSD 5.50

Kids

HAMBURGERUSD 14.50

CHICKEN TENDERSUSD 11.50

KID'S PIDEUSD 11.50

Beverages

HOMEMADE ICED TEAUSD 4.50

SPARKLING WATERUSD 6.50