From the streets of Istanbul to the streets of San Francisco, nothing is more authentic than the astutely crafted cuisine of Taksim. Open for the past three years and located on the corner of 4th and Freelorn Streets in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood, Taksim comes from Chef Daniel Gribble, formerly of French Laundry and Atelier Crenn, and co-owner Serkan Sozen. Taking over the space that Cockscomb ruled for so many years, Taksim, which is named after a popular neighborhood in Istanbul takes a modern approach to traditional Mediterranean dishes all within an industrial-chic space revolves around an oven with wood-fire that churns out their signature savory meats, seafood, and breads to their strong and loyal audience. I have wanted to venture to Taksim since their opening, never more so since I have managed to visit Istanbul in the past six months and have been craving the delicate pastries and savory bites that I enjoyed there ever since coming back to San Francisco. When a friend, who ironically I traveled with to Turkey, suggested that we try out our Taksim as they had a instituted a relatively new 7 course Tasting Menu for 59 dollars, which was intended to showcase some of their very best dishes from their a la carte menu, I was sold as sixty dollars is very reasonable in this day and age, and seven courses is a lot of food. Making reservations via the OpenTable website was very easy to make as they had plenty for the time that my friend and I wanted to dine. One of the challenges may be the neighborhood that Taksim exists in, as it is still up and coming, and a simple walk from downtown can be challenging for some, but I managed to make my way down with no hassle. Upon being sat at our table for two, our server was ready to promote their signature tasting menu, and there was no need to promote as we came for this menu and we were committed to trying this sampler of sorts. To start our meal, we both enjoyed two signature cocktails, I sipped on their Mr. Roboto which had vodka, domaine de canton, yuzuri, lemon and pomegranate liqueur, while my friend enjoyed their Esmeralda, which had Brut, creme de violette and raspberry. From the start of our tasting menu experience, every dish with plated with thought and panache, beginning with their two cold appetizers including their Ezme Crunch, which were two tarhana chips topped with tomato ezme and served on a drizzled whipped feta, and our second course Patlican, which was eggplant topped with onion, walnuts, olive paste and sundried tomato. But it was with our next course, their Blackened Cauliflower served with tahini, crispy garlic and mushroom demi that our tasting meal really took off. Cooked to perfection with an abundance of flavor, I couldn't imagine where our meal would head to next. That unexpected journey would continue with their Crunchy Shrimps, which were two of the plumpest crustaceans that are wrapped in shredded kadaif, and sit over a combination of muhammara and pomegranate molasses. It was simple yet sublime and the tastiest meal that each of us have had in quite some time! Just when we thought our meal could be any more flavorful, our fourth course Manti, which are their signature homemade lamb & beef dumplings served on a bed of tomato sauce, whipped garlic labneh, parsley and urfa oil. With their take on the classic dish, the addition of carrot makes what should be a traditional tomato sauce ever so slightly sweeter, and extra umami is brought out with the addition of garlic flavor to the yogurt. A mix of lamb and beef as their filling makes sure the dumplings remain juicy on the inside. These five dishes only allowed us to enjoy our main course even more with my selection of the Shish Kebab, which were grilled beef tenderloin chunks served on a flat metal BBQ barbecue skewer, served with grilled sumac onion, a tomato slice, and a piece of lavash bread. My friend enjoyed their Branzino, which was served with grilled sea beans and glazed turnips. The perfect way to end the perfect meal, we enjoyed their Taksim Donuts, served with dollops of five spice chocolate, mascarpone chantilly, homemade chocolate ice cream, which in turn was served on a bed of chocolate sand. We enjoyed glasses of the 2020 Sevilen Syrah which was sourced from Turkey, and an extra helping of their Wood Fired Flower Bread which was topped with black onion seeds and served with sumac butter. The food and libations we enjoyed this evening came in at around 105 dollars a person before gratuity was added in, which I consider affordable and well worth the price. Sometimes the service didn't match the elegance of our meal, when our plates and utensils should have been changed out, and water refilled, and the ambience was quite lively even with the high ceilings, but the food is the real star at Taksim, and it makes me want to forget ever returning to Istanbul and head straight to 4th Street for another round of elevated Mediterranean cuisine!

Taksim is solid spot partially hidden away in a SOMA alley. There's a lot of seating on the two floors. The two cocktails, Mr. Roboto and Peach Bazaar, are quite nice and balanced. The Crunchy Shrimps (quite expensive for 4 shrimp lol) stays true to its name, providing a pleasant crunch from the kadaif wrapped around the perfect buttery poached shrimp. The Shish Kebab had a really nice grilled flavor and the beef was tender. The Wood Fired Flower Bread was salty and fluffy. The Manti was just alright; the dumpling skin was a little thick. At least it came with a good amount of sauce. The Australian Lamb Chops were pretty solid. Unfortunately, the Taksim Donuts were a let down, super bland, doughy, and tasteless.

Searching for the perfect wedding reception venue? Look no further! Birkan was an absolute professional and a pleasure to work with. My husband discovered this spot, and we decided to try their tasting menu to get a feel for the food--everything was chef's kiss! The dishes were phenomenal. We also selected the wines we wanted for our wedding dinner, and despite having only a month to plan, the team made the process seamless. We handpicked the dishes for our guests and were even allowed in 45 minutes early to set up two long tables. With 21 guests, the private dining room upstairs was the perfect setting. Everyone raved about the food--again, chef's kiss! If you're looking for an elegant venue with exceptional cuisine, this is the place!

Went here last night to try the tasting menu with my parents whom were visiting from out of town. The food was spectacular on the Turkish tasting menu, I'll definitely be back here with friends in the future. Food had great presentation and variety.... Drinks were also well made. Service top notch. Would add this to my rotation of places for a business dinner as well with clients.

I returned to Taksim with some friends for an intimate, celebratory dinner because I knew that Taksim would be the perfect spot - excellent, shareable mezze and a sleek yet cozy ambiance. I reserved a table for an early dinner (~5:30 PM) on a Friday, which turned out to be the right call because all of the tables and bar seating were full by the time we finished our meal. Upon being seated, we were treated to glasses of bubbly to celebrate our friend's engagement. In Taksim's signature style, our meal began with a cup of tangy, purple vegetable soup. We each ordered a cocktail - I tried the Esmeralda, a crisp brut with raspberry. To share, we ordered the following mezze favorites: manti, wood fired flower bread, panisse, trio dips & pita, crunchy shrimps, and patlican. Everything was as delicious as I remembered from my first time dining at Taksim. My favorite dish was still a tie between the pillowy pita & dips and the manti. We saved room for dessert because I was determined to try the Turkish donuts. These donuts were lighter than a typical donut and were served with rich chocolate marscapone chantilly, chocolate ice cream, 5-spice chocolate sauce, and something called "chocolate sand." This was truly the best way to end our meal and memorable evening on a sweet note.

Taksim is a lovely and vibey Mediterranean restaurant with great offerings of food and attentive staff. FOOD [4/5] ========= + Taksim Trio Dips & Pita (5/5) SO YUMMY. The dips were all really unique and yummy! Sad that it costs extra to add more bread. :( + Lettuce Salad (4/5) Good portion size and fresh lettuce! The sauce was pretty flavorful but not overwhelming. + Guvec for Two (4/5) Really great presentation. I thought the soup was good but very limited and little hard to eat; this was more like potatoes and beef drenched in a little sauce. + Turkish Coffee Martini (3.5/5) I've had turkish coffee before and this just tasted like a normal espresso martini. Presentation was beautiful!

Lovely dinner here with girlfriends! Reservations made on OpenTable about a month in advance. We had a table in their parklet outside on a chilly January evening, but the heating lamps were more than sufficient, and when one of them went out, someone came by to revive it before we even noticed. Our server was very friendly and helpful. The cost was $72.84 total per person. Six of us split 6 drinks, 6 appetizers, 3 entrees, and 2 desserts. COCKTAILS * Nevizade ($16) - 3.5 stars. Not super interesting, a bit strong. MEZES * Gazpacho (free) - 3.5 stars. * Trio Dips & Pita ($19) - 4 stars. All 3 very tasty. * Pita ($1.50 each) - 4 stars. Very fluffy and soft. * Lamb Carpaccio ($19) - 3 stars. * Crunchy Shrimps ($19 + $4.50 for 5th piece) - 4.5 stars. * Manti ($18 + $3.50 for 6th piece) - 4 stars. * Patlican ($15) - 4.5 stars. ENTREES * Blackened Cauliflower ($28) - 4 stars. * Branzino ($34) - 4 stars. * Lamb Chops ($49) - 4.5 stars. DESSERT * Taksim Donuts ($14) - 3.5 stars.

Food: 4.5/5 Service: 5/5 Ambience: 5/5 We had such a great time at Taksim! We got there pretty late on a Monday night and were a little surprised to find that they close early (8:45 PM), so be aware We started with the beet salad, shish kebab, and lava bread, and for mains, we ordered the lamb chops and Guvec. For desert we had tea and baklava, which I really liked. My favorites were the shish kebab, lamb chops, and baklava. The Guvec was okay, but I personally enjoyed the other dishes more. The vibe was really cozy, and the staff were super friendly. The bill come out to about ~$100 per person, which is a bit on the pricier side; i would be going back for sure.

My friends surprised me with a dinner at Taksim and we had a great experience! A reservation for our party of 8 was easy to make, and my friend was able to snag one just a few days in advance. The interior had simple but nice decor and a cozy ambiance. We were seated in the upstairs area, which was kind of secluded but had a great view of the lower level. Our server was super attentive and helpful with his recommendations. For drinks, I chose the Tunnel mocktail, which was delicious. It was both fruity and refreshing and I loved the combination of pomegranate, rose water, and raspberry. For appetizers, we ordered the Manti, Crunchy Shrimps, and Taksim Trio Dips to share. Portion sizes were pretty small but the server made sure to bring enough for our whole party. The Taksim Trio Dips was probably the most forgettable item, but my favorite dip was the babaganoush. It came with plenty of pita, as well. The Crunchy Shrimps were a huge hit and had an awesome texture. They went great with the urfa sweet chili sauce! I also loved the Manti, which were homemade lamb & beef dumplings. The combination of tomato sauce and whipped labneh and was fantastic. For my entree, I shared the Australian Lamb Chops with my friend, since we were too full to get our own. The meat was very well cooked and went great with the smoky eggplant labneh. However, I actually enjoyed the appetizers more than the entree. We also got the Baklava Story for dessert (tasty, authentic) and our server brought out a surprise Raki Palace Pudding with a candle, as welcome back gift for me. Overall, stellar service and very good for dinner!

I ate at Taksim during a recent work trip to San Francisco, when my team had dinner here. It. Was. Phenomenal. From their sweet and quaint little bar to their over-the-top, amazing food, this is one of those places I would happily visit again and again if I could. And while they're billed as a Mediterranean restaurant, this is not your typical Mediterranean food. Everything is fresh, elevated and unique. We started with an appetizer of their Crunchy Shrimps, which are wrapped in the thinnest little strips of a phyllo-type dough, fried, and served with a house-made sweet chili sauce. To be honest, I could have eaten two or three plates of these by myself! We also ordered some fresher-than-fresh oysters which were soooo good. For an entree, I enjoyed their Wheatberry Risotto, which was phenomenal. The vibe of this place was so elegant. I would even call it romantic, except I was there with co-workers! The service was amazing and we never felt rushed, even though we ended up staying a bit past closing because we were all very chatty. What a wonderful experience. I hope I can go back on my next trip to the city!