Eating Out in Istanbul
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Istanbul Restaurants & Dining in the immediate area of Galata Tower
For a view:
Rooftop bar/restaurant of Galata Anemon Hotel opposite the Tower.
Konak at the corner of Camekan Sokak, just past the Beyoglu Eye Hospital has a lovely rooftop
terrace with a magnificent view -- tasty food and yummy cakes.
For simple, tasty, inexpensive meals:
Adiguzel Lokantasi in the basement of Glorya Apartments on Galata Kulesi Sokak (Lunch only).
Guney Restaurant opposite the Tower, a favorite with many of our guests with tables outside and
an attractive upper level.
Around the Tower: KivaHan (tables outside) for regional Turkish cuisine served with style.
Enginar for a variety of Turkish and international dishes in an attractive space.
For a cozy dinner with specialties from the Caucasus and live piano music the old British Jail:
Galata House down the hill from Glorya Apartments on Galata Kulesi Sokak.
Tunel/Asmalimescit: Just a quick walk from Glorya & Bereket Apartments:
A collection of good value small restaurants and cafes nestled in the streets around Tunel. Try
KaVe in the pleasant garden courtyard of the building opposite the Tunel metro stop and Lokal for
excellent food with an Asian touch at reasonable prices. The popular House Cafe has a good menu
(great for American style breakfast) but the food alas is often not quite as good as it sounds. Leyla
(previously in Cihangir) right at the Tunel piazza, is a good place for breakfast as well as other
meals. A little way down Istiklal is a very pleasant Starbucks with a charming garden in the rear.
Also recommended are several popular meyhanes including Yakup 2, Refik, Yaren & Sofyali.
Click here for a brief guide of restaurants in this area.
Istiklal Caddesi
BalikPazari-Nevizade Street: A group of small fish restaurants and taverns in the Galatasaray
area. Can be a bit on the raunchy side at night. Ask the price of the fish before ordering and eating
to avoid an unpleasant bill when the check arrives. Generally overpriced.
A great variety of cafes, winebars and restaurants van be found along and around the avenue,
including several Starbucks and Gloria Jean’s and Ara for coffee, Burger King and McDonald’s
for fastfood, Zencefil and Nature & Peace for vegetarian fare, Sarabi for winetasting, Lokanta
for excellent food and a sophisticated yet casual atmosphere, Rejans for nostalgia, lemon vodka and
mediocre food, Istanbul 360 for dazzling views, the in-crowd and inventive food. Mikla on top
of the Marmara Pera Hotel is an acclaimed high-budget restaurant with fantastic views. Go for lunch
when it is less crowded. Leb-i Derya on top of the Richmond Hotel has above average food and a
terrific view. The list goes on and on. One of the best is Lokanta on Meşrutiyet Caddesi almost
next door to the Pera Musuem. Bistro style decor. Seriously good food. Highly recommended.
If you follow the road going downhill from Galatasaray Lycee and turn left at the first cross street,
you will com upon La Rue Francaise (Fransiz Sokak) a group of French-themed cafes and bars.
Variable quality for food, but a very lively ambiance. Try Cezayir at the entrance to the street in a
grand old Italian building, a favorite with the affluent intelligentsia. Another favorite is Artiste
Terasse.
Tophane
The Istanbul Modern Cafe serves very good food and offers a spectacular view. Terrace for
outdoor dining. Open until midnight Monday-Saturday. Accessible by its own staircase.
Cihangir: Steps from Belkis & Kadir Apartments
A chic bohemian residential area of Beyoglu with a number of good, reasonably priced restaurants.
To get there from Galata, walk down Istiklal to Galatasaray. After passing the monumental gates,
take first right. Continue along this street past Galatasaray Hamam, Greek Consulate and a cluster
of antique shops. Continue to the right at end of street until you come to Firuzaga Mosque and its
Sadirvan (fountain for washing before prayers). Here turn left uphill and cross the main road
(Siraselviler) where you will see Rafineri, a good cafe/restaurant with imaginative cooking and
tables on the sidewalk in good weather. Proceed along Akarsu Sokak and you will find Kahvedan,
a pleasant cafe with outdoor tables, Meyra, a fashionable bar/restaurant, Cafe Smyrna, an electic
cafe with good food, Porte, a cafe/restaurant with good food. Continue to the left at the end of the
street, taking a right opposite the taxi stand. Walk on to find Cafe Susam, a funky cafe with tables
outside serving homemade pastries, lunch & dinner, a favorite with local expats. On Oba Sokak,
sample the yummy homemade cakes at the tiny Cafe Vena. Around the corner on Soganli Sokak,
just off the main street of Siraselviler Caddesi, the attractive Candela Cafe serves delicious
homemade soups, spicy regional Turkish dishes (many of them vegetarian), wonderful salads and
desserts. On the corner of Soganli and Oba Sokak, you will find 5. Kat, the fifth floor roof cafe
restuarant with a fabulous view. There are many other attractive spots on the side streets of Cihangir
as well such as Miss Pizza and Corba & Ekmek (Soup & Bread)
Taksim Square/Ayazpasa
The Marmara Cafe on the ground floor of the hotel is a pleasant place. Right next to Ataturk
Cultural Center, the home of Istanbul's Opera and Ballet, Gezi Cafe serves delicious cakes
downstairs and full meals upstairs. Walk down the tree lined avenue to the Ayazpasa Russian
Restaurant, a small neighborhood place that serves classic Istanbul Russian dishes. On the other
side of the street, try Pucci Plus for stylish Italian food and good views. There are also two decent
Chinese restaurants along this avenue. On Siraselviler, Changa serves up interesting fusion cuisine
in a chic atmosphere.
Tesvikiye/Macka/Nisantasi/Beşiktaş
A fashionable district with exclusive boutiques and smart restaurants and cafes.
Try the Milli Reasurans courtyard complex for Zanzibar and Cafe Wien, coffeehouses, book shops
and cinema. On Abdi Ipekci Caddesi, try the Beymen Brasserie and Mezzaluna.
This is the Bond Street/ Madison Avenue of Istanbul with the prices and people to match. Very
lively at night with fashionably dressed folk going from bar to bar. Kosebasi (in Macka) and Tike
(in Nisantasi) are branches of the city's best-loved upscale kebab restaurants. Taps Brewery &
Restaurant (Tesvikiye Caddesi Atiye Sokak No: 5) serves its own craft beers in a chic setting.
Popular with the American & British communities. Vogue, on the top floor of an office building off
Spor Caddesi, the road going up from Beşiktaş to Maçka, is one of the city's most stylish restaurants
with a superb view and first-class food. Terrace and bar. Sunday brunch.
Ortaköy: Convenient to Diva Apartments
Feriye Restaurant on the Bosphorus between the Ciragan and Ortakoy offers both a spectacular
setting and an inventive Turkish nouvelle menu. Expensive. Recommended for a special night out
or a business dinner. Guaranteed to impress. Meditrina (Salhane Sok. No 3) in Ortaköy is a
fashionable Italian restaurant with a gourmet menu and great view. JCs Istanbul Jazz Center (next
to the Radisson SAS Hotel) is an upscale jazz supper club with a changing schedule of performing
artists. Better to skip the food though and just have a drink.
The Golden Horn
People in Istanbul prefer to eat fish out rather than preparing it at home. Thus the hundreds of fish
restaurants in the city. A good alternative to sitting in traffic trying to get out to the Bosphorus is to
try one of several good fish restaurants on the Golden Horn, just across the Ataturk Bridge from
Sishane (not the Galata Bridge). Cibalikapi Balikcisi is known for its wide variety of appetizers
(meze) and the freshness of its fish. Good view too. The fish restaurants in Karakoy facing the ferry
terminal and on the lower level of the Galata Bridge are another option within walking distance.
Zeyrekhane, on a hill just before the aquaduct, occupies a splendid location amidst Byzantine
ruins. The view from the wide terrace of Suleymaniye is terrific and the food is well-prepared.
The Bosphorus
For that trip up the Bosphorus, try Iskele in Paşabahçe (just before Beykoz) on the Asian side if you
feel like splurging. Perfect location on the water with a deck, quiet, excellent service, stylish decor
and very good food. Open everyday from 12.00-15.00 and 19.00-00.00.
For other recommendations, click here.
American Airlines Guide to Dining & Drinking in Istanbul.
Bradmans Guide to Istanbul's Best Restaurants
EZTrip's Guide to Eating in Istanbul
Local Online Guide to Restaurants
World 66:Beyoglu Restaurants
.I love good food
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