House of Medusa has a friendly staff and good, hearty Turkish fare. Located in Sultanahmet in a pretty yellow traditional clapboard Ottoman house, the restaurant features a pleasant outdoor dining terrace and is a short distance from Aya Sofia. We ate on the terrace on a lovely warm evening in May and had a very good meal of lamb cutlets with roasted vegetables, chicken shish and assorted side dishes. Nothing on the menu was over 6 USD – the highest prices were for seafood dishes.
House of Medusa menu featured a variety of roasted meats and chicken, kebaps (often with yogurt), Turkish-style meatballs, Turkish omelets, and traditional Turkish desserts such as rice pudding and layered pastries with honey. The restaurant offers an interesting choice of salads, in particular the Çoban Salata, or Shepherd’s Salad, which includes plum tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, green and red peppers and herbs tossed with olive oil and red-wine vinegar. The stuffed pepper appetizer is very good. Other appetizers include stuffed grape leaves, marinated green beans, roasted potatoes (which were delicious!), cucumber salad (which my husband loved) and chick-pea salad.
We didn’t eat inside, but when I went in to use the ladies room I saw that the dining room was decorated in traditional Turkish style, with big pillows on the floor and low tables. The restaurant has three levels – including a bar/lounge on the top floor. The outdoor terrace is decorated with lots of potted trees and plants and has a cozy feel. House of Medusa is a great place to take a break from seeing the sights in Sultanahmet.
The restaurant is located over Istanbul's famous subterranean cistern, and is named for the upside-down limestone head of Medusa that is located there.
*We visited Istanbul in the "off" season - reservations may be necessary during the city's "high" tourist season.