Istanbul Restaurants & Dining: An Insider's Guide to Eating Out
Around Galata Tower For a view: Rooftop bar/restaurant of Galata Anemon Hotel opposite the Tower. Konak Cafe & Patisserie at the corner of Camekan Sokak, just past the Beyoglu Eye Hospital has a lovely rooftop terrace with a magnificent view -- the food isn't bad and the pastries are yummy. No alcohol though.
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 in the old British Jail: Galata House down the hill from Glorya Apartments on Galata Kulesi Sokak is a favorite of many of our guests. The fomer prison yard offers alfresco dining in the summer months.
Tunel/Asmalimescit: Just a quick walk from Glorya & Bereket Apartments: A cheerful collection of 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) and a larger, very attractive place on Istiklal near St Antuan. Leblon and Otto are both extremely popular. Lokal has a Thai-influenced menu; lunches are an excellent value here. Also recommended are several popular meyhanes including Yakup 2, Refik, Yaren & Sofyali.
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 (the one near Tunel has a pleasant garden in the back) and Gloria Jean’s and Ara for coffee, Burger King and McDonald’s for fastfood, Zencefil and Nature & Peace for vegetarian fare, Hala for gozleme (Turkish style crepes), 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 a panoramic view. Leb-i Derya on top of the Richmond Hotel has an ambitious menu and a terrific view. The list goes on and on. Delicatessen and Moreish on Meşrutiyet Caddesi adjacent to the Pera Musuem serve innovative cuisine, featuring hip, contemporary decor.
If you follow the road going downhill from Galatasaray Lycee and turn left at the first cross street, you will come 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 with a garden in the reat. Another favorite is Artiste Terasse.
Tophane The Istanbul Modern Cafe serves very good food and offers a spectacular view, providing a cruise ship is not tied up in front. Terrace for outdoor dining. Open until midnight except Mondays.. Accessible by its own staircase. Not inexpensive but a satisfying dining experience.
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 popular with the many foreign reidents of Cihangir where event he graffiti is in English(!), Meyra, a fashionable bar/restaurant, Cafe Smyrna, an eclectic cafe with good food, two newly opened bar/cafes and dependable but increasingly mediocre Porte. 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 and film industry types. Nearby Cuppa is a favorite for brunch. Further along on Susam Sokak is the highly-rated, hip White Mill with a peaceful garden in the back. 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 --walk around and you'll find some. New cafes seem to open everyday.
Taksim Square/Ayazpasa Kitchenette on the ground floor of The Marmara hotel is attractive but the service --at least for breakfast -- leaves a lot to be desired. Right next to Ataturk Cultural Center, currently closed for a renovation that is yet to begin, 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 Chinese restaurants of varying quality 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 fashionable Beymen Brasserie or Mezzaluna for excellent Italian fare. At City's shopping mall, It's a Joke serves tasty, overpriced food in a fun atmosphere. 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. Excessively expensive for dinner--go for lunch instead.
Ortaköy & Bebek Along the Bosphorus 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, great view and uncomfortable chairs. Downstairs the ubiquitous House Cafe offers outdoor seating. 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. Bebek, a chic community on the shores of the Bosphorus, offers a variety of places along the water : for breakfast, try the large, laid-back Starbucks, the smaller Cafe Nero or Bebek Cafe next to the park. Get your orange juice from the buffet in the park for 2 TL--a glass of OJ in one of the cafes costs 8TL! Gunes and Bebek Restaurant are both upscale fish restaurants with prices to match.
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. Next door Ottoman serves food from the Antakya region. 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. Mavi in Kurucesme has some of the best seafood in Istanbul. Great view and wide terrace over the water. Be forewarned though: eating fish along the Bosphorus required deep pockets!
Old City Istanbul’s modern gourmet restaurants are located in the affluent and hip districts of Beyoglu and the Bosphorus but the Sultanahmet/Bazaar area offers good value in simple tradesmen’s restaurants and kebap houses as well as more upscale, international fare (and alcoholic beverages) at tourist and hotel restaurants. Pandeli in the Spice Bazaar overlooking the Galata Bridge is great and atmospheric place for lunch but be sure to stay away from their overpriced appetizer plate and order their classic dishes instead- an eggplant borek topped with a slice of doner, seabass cooked in paper and a light pudding made with sour cherries (visne). Tucked between Haghia Sophia and the walls of Topkapi Palace is Cafe Turing part of the Ayasofya Konaklari on Sogukcesme Sokak-- the food is pretty good, prices are reasonable, service is good and the large sunny terrace gives a great view of Haghia Sophia from the rear. In the first courtyard of Topkapi Palace next to Byzantine church (now concert venue) Haghia Irini is the first-class Karakol with tables outside on the lawn and pretty, high-ceiling rooms inside the restored 19th century police station, serving inventive gourmet fare. Be prepared to splurge though; a meal for two will run close to $100 or more.
In the Grand (Covered) Bazaar: daytime only, closed Sundays, no alcohol
Havuzlu: A daily assortment of some 25 dishes, including a variety of meat and vegetable stews. The food is homey, well made, and fresh. Gani Çelebi Sokak 3,
Fes Café: With funky orange Lucite chairs and fresh flowers on the tables, Fes Café provides a shot of modern style in the heart of the Grand Bazaar. A great place to sit back and watch the comings and goings of the bazaar. Halicilar Caddesi 58-62
Bedesten Cafe & Patisserie, one of the best places in the Grand Bazaar to take a short break. The sophisticated food and drinks are served amid the unique melodies of Islamic mystic music. Cevahir Bedesten No: 143-51
Café Life serves various European coffees, daily cakes, cookies, flans, desserts, classical Turkish soups, sandwiches, salads, crepes, hot dogs, hot beverages and grilled sandwiches to its customers. Hot beverages made of various herbs. Halıcılar cad. No:53,
Café Sultan serves crepes, salads and grilled sandwiches with an Italian/Austrian flair. Guests can also choose from more than thirty kinds of coffee and delicious cakes. Halıcılar cad. No:44-46- 48
Traditional home-cooking informal restaurants
Cemberlitaş Lokantası Just down the street from the Cemberlitaş hamam at the Nurruosmaniye entrance of the Bazaar. Tasty simple lunches at very reasonable prices. Vegetarian dishes. Good soups. Point and choose.
Kurucu Ali Baba Kanaat Lokantası Opposite Süleymaniye Mosque. Four generations serving kuru fasülye, a traditional dish of white beans stewed with lamb and served with rice. Prof. Sıddık Sami Onar Caddesi 1/3, Süleymaniye; tel. +90 212 520 7655.
Tarihi Cesme: Located near Byzantine Kucuk Haghia Sophia (Sergius & Bacchus) mosque and the old Sokullu baths, the 3-storey restaurant has a romantic garden with a view on the centuries old fountain and the picturesque streets. Traditional Turkish dishes, kebabs fresh fish and pides.
Asitane: Located close to the 11th century Byzantine church St. Savior in Chora, a pleasant, unique restaurant serving Ottoman specialties prepared nowhere else in Istanbul, following almost forgotten centuries old recipes. Kariye Camii Sok. 18, Edirnekapi