The sophisticated menu featured such dishes as grilled swordfish, pasta, cold and hot appetizers, salads, yogurt soup, and shish kebabs (lamb, chicken, beef and vegetable), among other items. My husband started with a "Fiesta Salad," (4.400 Turkish Lira) an enormous salad which arrived artfully arranged. It was also delicious, filled with fresh cherry tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and white asparagus over greens topped with a light vinaigrette which he described as "top notch." The marinated white asparagus were particularly good - they melted in your mouth! For a main course, my husband ordered Sactava (7,900 million TL), a local dish of grilled beef, onions and peppers which was served in a sizzling skilled over a flame. Once he got over the initial shock of being served a place that was essentially still cooking, he dug in and enjoyed every bit of it (the flame eventually goes out on its own). I ordered chicken shish (7,600 million TL) served with incredible potatoes grilled with a yogurt coating, grilled tomatoes and peppers, delicious rice, and sautéed green beans and carrots. They also served delicious bread with the meal that is well worth mentioning.

The waitstaff at Rumeli are very friendly and attentive without hovering. They also have a pyrotechnic flair. In addition to my husband's incendiary dish, our waiter delivered a meal to a Georgian (Russian) couple at the table across from us and summarily set the dish on fire with a flourish. Flames leapt into the air, effectively silencing the room (including a table of 6 chatty Frenchmen). Fortunately, the fire quickly died out before it hurt anyone, although our Georgian buddy was momentarily stunned by the experience.

We ended our excellent meal with large cups of Turkish coffee and traditional apple tea. In all, our total bill was 29,800,000 Turkish Lira - more than we had spent on any other meal that week, and worth every bit. The romantic atmosphere, attentive staff and terrific food make Rumeli an excellent choice.