🚩 Red flags
⚠Host actively pulling tourists in from the street in English
⚠Menu shows no prices, or only a handwritten "today's special" card
⚠Food photos on the menu (legitimate Istanbul places almost never use them)
⚠English-only menu in a heavily Turkish neighborhood
⚠Empty dining room at 8pm Friday in a busy area — locals know
⚠"Complimentary" appetizers landing on the table without being ordered
🛡️ How to protect yourself
✓Photograph every page of the menu the second you sit down
✓Confirm prices on anything "fresh," "special," or "market" — get a written number, especially for fish
✓Refuse unsolicited appetizers: "We didn't order this — is it included?"
✓Ask for the bill in TL on a printed fiş with the vergi numarası (tax number)
✓If billed wrong: dial 155 (Tourism Police) — most owners recalculate fast
✓Already paid by card? Dispute the charge with your bank — banks see this scam constantly
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This is not legal advice. Last reviewed: May 19, 2026. Patterns and red flags above are observed in real expat reports compiled by SettleIn. If you have a story we should know about, write to us via the chat.