Open since February 2012, Ops Café is one of Karaköy’s hottest cafes. This cozy venue, which offers a limited menu (featuring few salads, pastas, sandwiches, and wraps), is owned and managed by a retired captain, which explains the elements of nautical décor and sailor’s knots in the venue.

Decorated much like a lounge area, with its center featuring an inviting couch and a coffee table, it’s the details that make Ops Café special, like the succulent plants that adorn each table, the small bookcase by the couch, and the rope ladder hung to the ceiling with a hook. You’ll also see artworks adorning the walls. We suggest you take a good look (and ask for the price if you like what you see) because they’re not the permanent décor but a short-term exhibition of works by creatively inclined, passionate people.

Many frequent Ops Café for its breakfast platter, which comes with a variety of cheese, dried meat, olives, and honey, and that’s why the venue is always crowded on weekends. Ops works on a first-come first-serve basis, so if you want to start your Sunday with a breakfast at Ops, go as early as you can to secure a spot.

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Okka has the menu of a traditional kebab house but with a more stylish setting. They even have a resident belly dancer, but Okka’s version is in fact a 3D hologram image reflected in the center of the room, while the marble bar and turquoise tiled walls add to the swank décor.

When it comes to the menu, there is a relatively small meze selection which includes a couple of different items for those who want to try something unique, like the black eyed peas served with a tahini and mustard sauce, or the julienned celery root served with yogurt sauce. These are all served with delicious freshly baked puf pide.

The menu also offers a number of warm appetizers including grilled halloumi cheese, steamed pastırma served in parchment paper and mini lahmacun. However, if you would prefer to not fill up before the grilled meat dishes, there are number of excellent salads such as the Toros salad of various chopped greens and herbs served with a pomegranate dressing, and çölelekand roka salad in which roka and farmer’s cheese is served on a bed of ribbon thin zucchinis.

Of course the headline attractions are the kebabs, with a wide variety on offer. Along with many classics such as Adana, Urfa, fıstıklıand çöp şiş kepap, there is also the house specialty of friend semolina stuffed with minced lamb. There are also several chicken options, such as the tavuk şiş.

To accompany your meal you can choose from the wine list which is exclusively Turkish, dominated by major local producers, or you can opt to try one of the many rakıs on offer. In fact, Okka offers the unique Self Pour Rakı service which allows you to sample from a range of rakıs without committing to buying the whole bottle, for you only pay for how many servings you consume.

For dessert, the tahini helva ice cream comes highly recommended.

Recommended Dishes:

Çökelekli Roka Salad

Tavuk Şiş

Helvalı Dondurma

Like the other esnaf restaurants in this area, Bahar offers casual surroundings and speedy service, while the food is particularly noteworthy. Bahar is located in Yağcı Han,an old caravanserai just outside the Nuruosmaniye gate and is the sister restaurant of the better-known Havuzlu Restaurant, serving up the same excellent home cooking. However, being lesser-known and less centrally located than Havuzlu, Bahar’s clientele are still predominantly locals. A few intrepid tourists do also manage to find the restaurant, which is often recommended by local shopkeepers. What sets Bahar apart from many of the other esnaf restaurants is the quality of the food – all of the dishes that we sampled were delicious. Bahar also offers a number of traditional Turkish desserts, including kemal paşa (a soft pastry dessert soaked in syrup), fırın sütlaç(baked rice pudding) and sweet pumpkin served with cloated cream and crushed walnuts.

Recommended Dishes

Barbunya Pilaki (kidney bean salad)

Yoğurtlu Patlıcan (grilled eggplant cubes with yogurt)

The restaurant offers a warm setting of red tablecloths and flickering candles, an extremely friendly and attentive wait staff, and of course Rakı with a constant rotation of ice to keep it cool.

Recommended Dishes:

Pazı Kavurma (roasted swiss chard dish)

Curry Chicken

Pilaki (cold white beans vinaigrette)

Located just across the street from the Ulus exit of Akmerkez at the helm of the Yeni Yol, ZerafEt is an addictive kebab restaurant that specializes in Antep cuisine.

The restaurant feels nothing like a typical kebab eatery: the décor is quite modern featuring pink, brown, and white; the venue smells of flowers not meat; lots of sunlight comes through the floor-to-ceiling windows that show off the green garden; and the soft instrumental music just adds that final touch. The wait staff, it must be noted, adds a few stars to this establishment with their knowledge, eagerness to help, and sincerity.

The food is a whole different story - everything on the menu is a specialty in its own right, from the salads to the grand kebab dishes. This restaurant is an ideal place for lunch or dinner, for small as well as large groups, for business people as well as tourists

Recommended Dishes

Yuvalama çorbası (a yogurt-based soup with chickpeas, bits of lamb, tiny gnocchi-like dough balls, and mint)

Muammara (a paste made with walnuts, garlic, red pepper paste, and bread crumbs)

Antep pirpirim salatası(made with fresh purslane, fresh onions, cucumber, green olives, tomato, sumac, flaked red pepper, oregano, dry mint, and topped with virgin olive oil andpomegranate molasses)

Çingene salatası(made with a mix of 14 different greens, beetroot, cucumber, green onions, topped with virgin olive oil and pomegranate molasses)

Lahmacun(Turkish pizza with minced meat)

Pastırmalı humus(hummus with cured beef)

Sebzeli Kebap(a kind of kebab made with lamb, best enjoyed wrapped in lavaş bread)

Terbiyeli Kuzu Şiş(a kind of spicy kebab made with lamb)

Katmer (an Antep dessert made of very thin baklava dough,Turkish clotted cream, covered with a generous bed of crumbled pistachios, and served with vanilla ice-cream)

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The restaurant’s owner, Sıdıka Hanım, is a devotee of the slow food movement (about which there are books available in the restaurant) and is conscientious about environmental issues: a sign announces that the restaurant does not serve çinekop or sarıkanat, i.e. immature bluefish which have not reached spawning age.

Recommended Dishes

Balık çorbası (Fish Soup)

Ahtapot ızgara (Grilled Octopus)

Fava (Fava Bean Puree)

Fıstıklı peynir ezme (Pistachio & Cheese mixture)

Asma yaprağında levrek (Sea Bass wrapped in Grape Leaves)

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The food is very good, and the menu is quite extensive, with a focus on fish and seafood. The house specialties include mussel stew with ouzo, sea bass stew with saffron, and shrimp sauté with cognac. The highlights of our lunch when we visited include saganaki (pan-fried cheese), dolma (vine leaves stuffed with rice), caciki (yogurt with cucumbers), crab salad, and the vegetable platter (broccoli, potato salad, beetroot, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower).

Tip:

On Friday and Saturday nights Yorgo the Greek entertainer takes the stage and turns Kalabalık into a full-blown Greek tavern. Be warned that the venue gets very crowded on these nights, and the quality of service and food significantlydescreases. So we strongly suggest that you go there during lunch.

Recommended Dishes

Saganaki (pan-fried cheese)

Dolma (vine leaves stuffed with rice)

Crab salad

Vegetable platter

Sea bass stew with saffron

Located in Nişantaşı on a side street off of Valikonağı Caddesi, PiPa is an Italian restaurant that entered Istanbul’s restaurant scene at the end of 2011. The restaurant boasts a unique décor and is often filled with the stylish Nişantaşı crowd. The menu is quite extensive and the wait staff is very friendly. But note that the food is overpriced for what it is.

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The menu at Morro is solidly Italian, no fusion twists or surprises here. All meals are prepared with fresh local ingredients and breads are freshly baked in house. Appetizers include grilled asparagus, a cheese and prosciutto plate, and various salads, topped with goat’s cheese, grilled chicken, or sea bass. Main courses include rosemary chicken, grilled seafood skewers and sirloin steak, and sea bass cooked in beet leaves (a very popular option). Pasta dishes include linguine with seafood, a four cheese tortellini, and saffron risotto.

With a wood burning oven at the back, it comes as no surprise that the restaurant’s specialty is pizza, with a wide selection offering something for everyone, including some with a clear Turkish influence. Toppings include a range of cheeses and vegetables, smoked meat, smoked cheese, olives, and caramelized onions. There are also a few that offer prosciutto, cotto ham, and chorizo for those who really enjoy their pork products. The wine list includes a nice selection of both local and international bottles at reasonable prices. The dessert menu once again offers a selection of Italian classics, such as Panna Cotta, Tiramisu, and Napoleone.

Recommended Dishes

Pizza Pidos

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Recommended Dishes

Chicken with cognac sauce served on toasted bread

Roasted red pepper with honeyed almonds

Sangria

Lavanda Boutique Hotel & Restaurant’s restaurant offers refined Mediterranean cuisine within the peaceful setting of the hotel, which is located 45 minutes away from Istanbul in a small village called Ulupelit.

The restaurant is ideal both for winters and summers – you can enjoy your food at the indoor dining area by the fireplace when it’s cold or by the garden during warmer months.

A tasting as well as an a la carte menu is on offer, with a wide selection of delicious dishes (starters, salads, pasta & risotto, and main courses), such as mushroom and chestnut soup, lamb chops with pistachio and wild mushroom risotto, and sword fish with cauliflower puree and sautéed Swiss chard.

One of the reasons why all the dishes at Lavanda are so delicious is that only the best ingredients are used. The Black Trumpet Mushroom is picked in Ulupelit village, chestnuts come from Zonguldak, artichokes make their way from Çeşme, and foie gras comes all the way from France. Chef Emre Şen even has a spice garden where he grows basil, rosemary, tarragon, and a variety of other spices.

The young and talented chef behind the mouth-watering food is Emre Şen, the eldest son of the Şen family who own and manage Lavanda Boutique Hotel & Restaurant. A graduate of the Mutfak Sanatları Akademisi, Emre has worked with Mehmet Gürs at Miklaand Michelin-starred Maurilio Garola in Italy before joining his family at Lavanda.

Recommended Dishes

Chestnut and mushroom soup

Tuna tartar (with sourdough crisps, wild thyme, and pine nuts)

Mushroom & goat cheese fondue topped with slow poached egg

Prosciutto-filled home-made ravioli with pear, gorgonzola, and walnuts

Chevon (slow-cooked for 10 hours), with grainy mustard mashed potatoes and asparagus

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Egg & Burger is a cozy, American-style diner that has become a favorite among locals. This second branch is small, much like its Nişantaşı counterpart, with two tables and a few bar stools inside. If you’re craving for some tasty fast food, try their special Egg & Burger – even if you’re a classic at heart, give this one a chance. The fried egg, the special sauce, the caramelized onions make the burger very flavorful. If going with a group, make sure to try the onion rings, too!

Recommended Dishes

Egg & Burger

Although it’s pricey, the food at Le Fumoir is well worth the splurge. Everything is made from the highest quality ingredients (such as meat from Nusr-Et and smoked salmon from Delicco). The brick walls, brown leather couches, white table runners, and dim lighting blends together to create what is truly chic, urban, and elegant.

Le Fumoir is ideal for lunch or dinner, or just for drinks at the champagne bar, rubbing elbows with the crème de la creme. There’s also soft jazz playing in the background. All you need is an imaginary cigar to complete the picture!

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The menu is refined, offering haute cuisine, and it is clear that a lot of thought has been put into each plate. When it comes to the dishes, they are all beautifully plated, almost like works of art, and are all very well executed. Appetizers include Grouper Carpaccio with Vanilla, Goat Cheese with Tomato Confit, Sauteed Sea Scallops and Ravioli with lobster.

The main course options are equally sophisticated, including Organic Duck Breast served with Damson plum purree, Jumbo Shrimp with pumpkin cream, Lobster Back, Medallion of Beef and Lamb Rib Eye served with vegetable couscous. There are a number of ambitious dishes on the dessert menu which includes Date Ice Cream, and Mascarpone Cheese & Raspberry Ice Cream, Olive Oil Chocolate Mousse and the recommended Melon and Rakı sorbet.

For those who prefer lighter fare, a snack menu is also available to enjoy with drinks, and live on stage entertainment.

Recommended Dishes:

Grouper Carpaccio with Vanilla

Goat Cheese with Tomato Confit

Homemade Lobster Ravioli

Lamb Rib Eye

Melon and Rakı sorbet

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Recommended Dishes

The Robespierre Pizza

Lasagna alla Bolognese

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The décor in the restaurant is very minimal and spare, contrasting with the classic architecture of the building itself, which was designed by architect Alexandre Vallaury and opened in 1892 as the official state bank of the Ottoman Empire. The restaurant’s modern interior was designed by Han Tümertekin, and is spread across two floors, with a café section downstairs and a more formal restaurant upstairs (the menu at both sections is the same). In the cafe cool grey tones dominate, with marble floors, lights hanging from tubes, and a wall full of books behind Plexiglas – the collection of the late artist, writer, curator Hüseyin Bahri Alptekin. The slightly cold feel is lightened up a bit by the warm wood furniture and large staircase leading up to the more formal dining room with sweeping views across the Golden Horn.

When it comes to the food, the menu offers a little bit of everything, without overextending itself. The breakfast offerings are mostly traditional Turkish, while the rest of the menu veers a bit more towards fusion, such as the Hamsi Tava (fried anchovies), which is served with a harissa aioli sauce. The menu includes a selection of sandwiches and pide, mains such as eggplant gratin, fish and chips, schnitzel and köfte (meatballs), as well as salads. Given the limited size of the menu, the dessert list is surprisingly long, and again offers a number of Turkish items with a twist, such as the kadayıf (shredded pastry with pistachio filling) with caramelized pumpkin. The restaurant also has a weekend brunch menu, offered between 10:00am - 04:00pm.

The atmosphere is quite casual downstairs in the cafe area, whereas the main restaurant area upstairs tends to be quite sophisticated with well-dressed groups dining under dim lighting. Overall, Ca`d`Oro makes for an ideal break before or after taking in the artwork at SALT Galata.

Dream Day is a catering and event organization business as well as a café. They offer a range of dishes that are made with local and organic ingredients. For example, they bring olive oil from Ayvalık, honey from Trabzon, and strawberry from Kazdağları. They also sell organic tomato paste and home-made pickles.

Their menu includes a variety of quiches, cheesecakes, brownies, pies and cakes, cookies, as well as wraps and Turkish specialties likebörek(pastry with a variety of fillings) and lentil balls.They also have a special kid’s menu that features fun food items, such as cupcakes and sandwiches that come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

The venue can be used for special occasions, such as birthdays, corporate events, Halloween, and New Year’s Eve. In addition to food and drinks, they can also arrange live music for your events depending on your taste.

Reservation is required for groups of 10 or more people.

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Maromi Japanese Restaurant, located in the Divan hotel in Elmadağ offers authentic and delicate Japanese cuisine in a calm and minimal atmosphere. The Maromi menu consists of traditional Japanese dishes rather than the American-style fusion dishes many of us are familiar with. There is a selection of hot and cold appetizers, as well as soups and tempura dishes. For main courses, there are a limited number of meat dishes, as well as a sushi menu, bento boxes, and three different traditional multi-course kaiseki tasting menus available.

The service at Maromi is excellent, with the wait staff all very attentive and well-trained, and able to properly answer any questions you may have about the menu, and can offer substitutions. As in traditional Japanese restaurants, a great deal of attention is paid to the presentation of the dishes, which are all served on beautiful plates and arranged just so.

The menu highlights are certainly the sushi and maki dishes which are very fresh and tender, with great, subtle flavors. Maromi offers an excellent dining experience, with high-quality food in a low-key and pleasant atmosphere. It is a wonderful addition to Istanbul’s culinary scene, and well worth repeated visits.

Recommended dishes

Agedashitofu(For this dish squares of tofu are thinly battered and deep fried, then served in a dashi (fish stock) broth and topped with grated daikon radish, thinly sliced green onion, and bonito flakes)

Miso soup (This simple staple dish offers delicious flavors, with lots of subtle layers.)

Maki rolls(The barbequed eel and cucumbers, pickled vegetables and salmon skin rolls are all recommended.)

Green-tea ice cream(Served with red bean sauce.)

Not the type of place you go for the music, atmosphere, or décor: the star here is simply the delicious food.

Upper Crust specializes in thin crust pizzas and calzones, with a wide range of toppings and tailor-made flavor combinations. Their pizzas come in two sizes, large and extra-large, and unlike most places in Istanbul, you can get a single slice of pizza to have as a snack or light meal.

Some of their most popular pizzas include the Pedro’s Steak and Gorgonzola (a plain pizza topped with marinated steak and gorgonzola cheese), the Harvard Street (a classic combination of fresh tomato, basil, mozzarella, and garlic), and the White Spinach (a white pizza topped with fresh spinach, mozzarella, feta cheese, and fresh garlic). There are also a number of more unusual and ambitious combinations, such as the Uncommon Pizza (a combination of bacon, fresh pineapple, and jalapeno peppers), which is no doubt aimed at the city’s expat population. While Upper Crust has many fans, one criticism is that the pizzas can be a bit dry as they often go light on the toppings. Nevertheless, this remains a local favorite, particularly with the area’s students.

Nusr-Et Burger Bebek, the second and more casual branch of Nusr-Et Steakhouse, is designed more like a fast-food joint, and serves the famous Nusr-Et meat, just quicker and in between buns for those on the go. The menu is made up of three burgers, all of which are served with delicious French fries.

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One of the best steakhouses in Istanbul, Nusr-Et is a carnivore’s paradise no doubt, with a wide selection of meat, such as Lamb T-bone, T-Bone Steak, Lamb Chops, two kinds of meatballs, Fillet Mignon, and more. All steaks are served with potatoes and spinach puree. There are just three vegetarian options on the menu, all of which are salads, so this is strictly a meat-lover’s eatery. The service here is top-notch, and owner and resigned butcher Nusret Gökçe is always around interacting with customers.

Tips:

- The venue is quite small and demand is quite high, so make sure to make reservations beforehand.

- If you can’t decide what to have, leave the decision up to the waiter, who’ll pick the best meat available for your preference.

Recommended Dishes

Lokum (velvety sirloin steak)

Article

Dining in Samatya; byMadeleine Pelletier

Molly’s Café in Galata is owned and operated by (you guessed it) Molly, a Canadian expat who’s made Istanbul her home. This cozy restaurant, now in its third location since it first opened three years ago, offers Canadian style home-cooked meals. The menu features soups, salads, carrot cake, cheesecake, apple pie, and a variety of vegetarian dishes.

The venue, which is frequented by expats as well as locals, hosts poetry readings, book talks, special dinners (like Thanksgiving), and various other events in her homey restaurant.

It’s quite easy to find the café – just get to the Galata Tower, keep the entrance on your right, and turn left to Camekan Sokak. You’ll find Molly’s Café tucked in the corner.

Musa Dağdeviren is the intrepid food pioneer behind the super successful Ciya. He hails from Gaziantep and has scoured Turkey and culinary hot spots further afield to find the best recipes for his eclectic repertoire of dishes. The menu changes every day, testament to the sheer scope of his visionary cuisine. On a typical day, you will find delicacies from Syria, Georgia, southern Iran and all parts of Turkey featuring on the menu.

Expect to find interesting versions of favorite staple dishes, for example stuffed artichoke rather than the usual stuffed pepper, grilled loquats filled with rice and minced meat mixtures or caramelized onions atop the classic dolma. Mr Dağdeviren is also a master of juices, involving tamarind to add a certain je ne sais quoi, and often prepares the popular candied pumpkin which rounds off a typical Turkish meal.

Çiya is to be found on the Asian side of town, which is usually an off-putting factor in deciding on restaurant choice, but even the laziest of European dwellers make the effort to come to Çiya for a decidedly above average meal. The place has kept its original, modest atmosphere while grappling with many hungry and appreciative customers every day. Join the throng.

Musa Dağdeviren is the intrepid food pioneer behind the super successful Ciya. He hails from Gaziantep and has scoured Turkey and culinary hot spots further afield to find the best recipes for his eclectic repertoire of dishes. The menu changes every day, testament to the sheer scope of his visionary cuisine. On a typical day, you will find delicacies from Syria, Georgia, southern Iran and all parts of Turkey featuring on the menu.

Expect to find interesting versions of favorite staple dishes, for example stuffed artichoke rather than the usual stuffed pepper, grilled loquats filled with rice and minced meat mixtures or caramelized onions atop the classic dolma. Mr Dağdeviren is also a master of juices, involving tamarind to add a certain je ne sais quoi, and often prepares the popular candied pumpkin which rounds off a typical Turkish meal.

Çiya is to be found on the Asian side of town, which is usually an off-putting factor in deciding on restaurant choice, but even the laziest of European dwellers make the effort to come to Çiya for a decidedly above average meal. The place has kept its original, modest atmosphere while grappling with many hungry and appreciative customers every day. Join the throng.

Article

Dining in Samatya; by Madeleine Pelletier

Datlı Maya is the latest offering from Dilara Erbay, the chef behind Abracadabra, the now defunct restaurant in Arnavutköy. With Datlı Maya Erbay has gone back to basics in terms of both the dishes on offer, and the venue in which they are served. Located in what used to be the neighborhood bakery in bohemian Cihangir, the restaurant has taken over one of the city’s largest and most historic stone ovens. The menu here is limited, offering a selection of traditional village food and freshly baked goods such as lahmacun, pide and simit, as well as Turkish stewed vegetables, and a variety of guveç (dishes cooked in clay pots). The desserts however are considerably more European in influence, such as the flourless chocolate cake and the seven spice cheesecake. The drinks menu is even more limited with just water, ayran, gazoz (sweet soda) and tea available.

Upon entering this tiny venue you place your order at the entrance where the bakers are hard at work churching out fresh and crispy treats. Next you make your way up the narrow winding staircases past the open kitchen to the small seating area - be sure to mind your head along the way. The seating area is cramped and cozy, the decor rustic shabby chic. Here you will find communal tables and a view out onto the square and the Firuzağa mosque. The self-service concept continues upstairs with cutlery and bottles of water on the table, and a tea samovar at the back where you can help yourself. The food arrives all at once, on a large wooden cutting board, served fresh and piping hot. The service concept is very much ‘all-hands on board’, with Erbay herself usually around to lend a hand. While there is a very relaxed and homey vibe, it should be noted that Datlı Maya is not a place to spend hours chatting away with friends, but a great place to have a basic and delicious meal at reasonable prices.

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Dining the Royal Way; by Talya Arditi

A great spot for a quick bite, Dürümzade is a local favorite, especially among expats living in the Beyoğlu area. Located right by the Nevizade fish markets, this humble eatery offers dürüm (wrap filled with meat) with a whole new level of flavor. By replacing the thin lavaş bread with a thick pita-like bread, rubbing it with a special red pepper mix and heating it over the meat, the Adana, Urfa, chicken, and liver wraps take on a newly addictive flavor.

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Dining in Samatya; byMadeleine Pelletier

The menu is small but diverse, and you’ll find a new soup and daily menu on each visit. You might find yourself eating tasty chili con carne one day and tagliatelle the next. Chef Doğrusöz carefully considers the balance of every meal, not just in terms of flavors but also in terms of healthfulness, and his food contains a complexity of flavors not normally found in café fare. With so many small eateries dotting the side streets of Beyoğlu, what really sets Tag Café & Bistro apart is the freshness and quality of the food.

Baylan is one of Istanbul’s oldest patisseries, and its modern branch in Bebek includes a three-story restaurant, a patisserie, and a bar that is perfect for after-work drinks. The menu, which was designed with the consultation of the three Michelin starred French Chef Alain Ducasse, is not extensive, instead focusing on a select number of dishes. A number of items on the menu are cooked using the “sous vide” method in which the food is sealed in an air-tight bag and cooked immersed in water for long periods at relatively low temperatures. This cooking method creates a particularly tender consistency. There is also a noteworthy wine list, with a nice selection of both Turkish and international wines.

Baylan’s interior is rich and tasteful with lots of dark wood, cream colored linens, and marble floors in a herringbone design, with a wonderful view over the Bosphorus. Particular attention has been paid to the table setting, with fine linen table cloths, Limoges china and silver flatware, as well as beautiful double walled glasses.

Baylan’s classics include Kup Griye (made with ice-cream, caramel sauce, and crocan), Trüf (dense chocolate cake), and Karamel (caramel and chocolate cake topped with profiteroles filled with caramel). In addition, Baylan’s menu includes a variety of desserts, such as mille-feuille, tiramisu, macaroons, and mousse au chocolat, as well as pastry products like quiche lorraine and croissant. You will also find a variety of coffee, tea, fruit juices, and alcoholic drinks.

A little bit of history

Founded by the Albanian immigrant Filip Lenas in 1923, Baylan is one of the oldest and most established patisseries in Istanbul.Its first branch was opened in Beyoğlu in 1923 under the name Loryan, which was changed to Baylan in 1934. In 1961, a new branch in Kadıköy was opened—and this branch is still in operation to this day. In 2010, a very modern branch opened up in Bebek and renovations began taking place in the Kadıköy branch to keep the glory of the old days.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Baylan was frequented by many poets, painters, writers, and actors, such as Atillâ İlhan, Behçet Necatigil, Haldun Taner, Cemal Süreya, and Orhan Kemal. In fact, nearly 40 writers who were referred to as the “Baylancılar” were part of the social-realist literary movement that became known as the “Baylancılar movement.”

Located on the top floor of the stylish Tomtom Suites hotel, La Mouette means the seagull in French, and surely derives its name from the many birds that continually glide past. The restaurant offers a minimal décor which lets you focus on the mesmerizing view of the seagulls and the city, including the Old Town. La Mouette’s menu could be described as a fusion of traditional Turkish cooking with a French influence, with a focus on fresh and seasonal ingredients. For lunchtime a casual bistro style menu is available, while at night, more gourmet options including an a la carte menu are on offer. The menu includes inventive dishes such as duck pastırma, slow cooked Aegean rock bass, and for dessert ayran panna cotta served with Earl Grey sherbet. This creative take on cooking has helped make La Mouette a favorite with local foodies looking to try something new.

The meat is served with homemade lavaş (thin flatbread) or in a sandwich, but owner Özcan Yıldırım, who is a native of Erzurum, insists that the only way to eat cağ kebabı is straight from the skewer. This would be almost self-explanatory if we only knew Azerbaijani, as cağ means skewer in Azerbaijani.

At Şehzade Cağ Kebabı, the only things on the menu, except for the kebab, are manda yoğurdu (yogurt), acılı ezme (spicy paste), and çoban salatası (shepherd’s salad)—all of which compliment the meat perfectly. A meal at this restaurant is only complete with another Erzurum specialty—the kadayıflı dolma, a dessert filled with walnuts, wrapped with shredded pastry, and dipped in syrup.

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Susam Cafe is one of the Cihangir area’s most established café/bar. Full of cozy mismatched furniture, this café offers a warm atmosphere with a casual and unpretentious charm. As is the case with most Cihangir café’s, the crowd here is a bohemian mix of hipsters, expats, and artists/freelancers, hanging out with friends or working away on their laptops. While there is a menu available, with typical café fare such as pastas, salads, sandwiches and snacks, this venue is most popular for drinks. A favorite with locals, it gets full on weekends, with the crowds spilling out onto the sidewalk on warm summer nights, which also makes it good for people watching.

With comfy sofas, coffee tables, bookshelves filled with interesting books and magazines, Journey is truly a home away from home. And, accordingly so, both first-time customers and regulars feel relaxed and at ease.

The venue is often filled with familiar faces from Turkish TV shows and the big screen, as well as expats and locals who have apparently made Journey their second home.

There is something for everyone on the menu, from classic Turkish home-cooked meals with a twist to homemade pastas and pizzas, salads, and meat dishes. Although Journey is strictly a restaurant, meaning it doesn’t turn into a bar after hours like many of Istanbul’s restaurants, their cocktails are delicious. Journey could be your new stop before you head down to Kiki or another Cihangir bar.

Recommended Dishes

çimlendirilmiş mercimekli ılık patates salatası(warm potato salad with sprouted lentils)

ev usülü yaprak sarma (home-made stuffed vine leaves)

keçi peyniri, fesleğen pesto, domates, roka(goat cheese, basil pesto, tomato, and rocket) pizza

fıstıklı sebze ve bulgur pilavı(vegetables and bulgur rice with pine nuts)

fırında ballı kuzu budu(roasted lamb shank with honey)

dana pirzola (beef chops)

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Decorated like an Arabic house, Nomads’s menu is focused on Arabic and Moroccan cuisine, and the dishes are cooked with a variety of spices including mint, parsley, oregano, lemon, coriander, and tarragon. A meal at Nomads is made up of your choice of cold and hot mezes that are served with Lebanese and Iraqi breads.

After dinner, Nomads turns into a club with male and female belly dancers performing in a central space by the bar. The venue is ideal for bachelorette parties and birthday celebrations.

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Located in the Maçka neighborhood, the colorful venue’s walls are covered with graffiti by the famous Lebanese artist Yahya Muhakkin. Another huge plus of the venue is its fantastic views of the Bosphorus.

The menu focuses on Middle Eastern fare, with plenty of meze options, few mains, and a variety of desserts. After dinner, the venue becomes a club; the DJ plays a mix of music from oriental Arabic pieces to Turkish pop to rap, keeping the energy high. Arabesque also offers belly dancing performances every night.

The venue is ideal for bachelorette parties and birthday celebrations. A fix menu is available to make life easier for large groups.

Keep in mind that the venue gets quite crowded even on weeknights so make sure you make reservations in advance.

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Recommended Flavors

Lemon

Hazelnut

Bitter chocolate

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Recomended Flavors

Tahina-and-walnut

Pistachio

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Recommended Flavors

Melon

Strawberry

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Spread over two floors and a small outside seating area, Carlotta can be summarized with three words: healthy, delicious, and reasonably-priced. They offer a variety of dishes to cater to a wide range of diners. The menu includes sandwiches, wraps, salads, tarts, desserts, and baked goods—including simit (Turkish version of bagel), croissants, muffins, and Turkish-style savory buns. They also sell jams, granola bars, biscotti, and Belgian chocolate.

As you enter Carlotta, you’ll see a deli-style display on your right where you can have a look at what’s on offer. You can either eat at the small, round tables by the left of the entrance, go upstairs for a more spacious setting (although the view is not much of a sight), and during warm days you can enjoy your food on the benches and tables outside.

Recommended Dishes

Annemin Buğday Salatası (made with wheat; nuts; pomegranate seeds; and dried figs, apricot, and cranberry)

Fidji (made with wild rice, almonds, capers, pomegranate seeds, and fresh oregano)

Osaka (made with marinated chicken, Mexican beans, Edamame, almonds, walnuts, and cherry tomatoes)

Izgara Sebze (mixed grilled vegetables with balsamic vinegar)

Akdenizli Orzo (made with orzo, dried tomatoes, and fresh basil)

The BBQ Tavuk Pita (made with grilled chicken, pickle, tomato, greens, and BBQ sauce)

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The restaurant is exclusively indoors, which makes for a comforting, albeit dark, nest. The menu features Indian-inspired small plates, salads, soups, entrees, and sweets that never venture above the 10TL mark. While affordable, many of the menu items are fried, which may be a letdown for those seeking lighter fare but a cause for celebration for those unaccustomed to vegan fare. Be sure to order the restaurant’s fragrant and filling yogurt and fruit-based lassi, which is a traditional Punjabi beverage.

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Saf’s food is exceptionally crafted, creative, and flavorful. In addition to its healthy and decadent salads and extensive list of cleansing and nourishing vegetable and fruit juices and smoothies, Saf also offers entrees, such as gluten-free dürüm (wraps) and pasta. Don’t expect a high-end atmosphere to match the caliber of the raw food cuisine—the restaurant is casual and patrons from the upstairs sports center often enjoy their meals in gym attire.

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The menu features Ottoman cuisine with some modern twists by executive chef Hakan Arslan and creative culinary artist Bryon Ayanoğlu. In terms of appetizers, you can try the Istanbul Appetizer Plate which includes dips and spreads, or the Plate of Anatolian Olive Oil Vegetable Specialties, a selection of olive oil braised seasonal vegetables. The mains are quite meat heavy, with a couple of fish and chicken dishes also available. As for desserts, there are several traditional Turkish and more European-inspired items on offer, but the star of the menu is the “Levzine” a type of almond helva served with a sweet sherbet, flavored with cinnamon.

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"Zeytinyağlı" (Vegetable in olive oil) dish of the day

Traditional pastry with ground meat, spinach and cheese

Sliced roast fillet of beef with a red wine sauce and truffled patatoes

Profiteroles

Who needs enticement to spend a night in Asmalımescit, one of the most lively and vibrant parts of Beyoğlu? Just in case you haven’t been amazed by the nightlife in this fantastic part of the city, Up Lounge should be the tip of the iceberg for anyone on the edge.

Up Lounge focuses on Spanish cuisine and boasts a gorgeous view of the Golden Horn that only Istanbulites can sample. Take a seat by the deck and try some of their signature Paella dishes on the updated menu. Even if you want to make this spot a stop on your nighttime trek instead of a destination, give a try to the tapas or grilled dishes. The lounge is also proud of their creative cocktail selection, and we challenge you to find the perfect drink-tapas combination. Keep in mind that Friday nights take on a special atmosphere with live music courtesy of ethnic performer Brenda Berrin.

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Juno’s motto is: Eat – Drink – Chill. Just like the motto suggests, Juno is a place where you can go with a group of friends for a relaxed afternoon or after-work drinks, but at the same time a little getaway from the city’s hubbub for those who want to quiet their minds for a while.

The large garden is ideal for chillaxing during summer. The indoor area is colorful yet simple, with marble and wooden tables and a bar area.

The menu boasts both comfort foods, such as French fries, burgers, pizza, and pasta, as well as healthier and lighter options like salads, grilled salmon, and wraps. Juno’s comprehensive alcoholic drinks menu includes cocktails, local as well as international beers and wines, liqueur, and more.

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Anjelique is one of Ortaköy’s waterfront clubs that is as famous for its impressive location as for its high-society atmosphere. If your ambition is to spot the Turkish glitterati on a night out, this is certainly the place to do it with prices to match. In fact, you are likely to witness celebrities approaching with their yachts to enter the venue through the attached pier.

DJs are often flown in from around the world and there is always plenty of space for dancing within the 2-storey venue, even when it’s packed with Istanbul’s bright young things. Resident DJs Doğuş Cihan, Burak, and Kerem play house on one floor and popular Turkish and international songs on the other floor. While there is no entrance fee, a bottle of beer costs around 15 TL. The club is open all year but there is no food service in the winter months.

Nar Lokanta offers traditional Turkish food at its freshest and lightest, run by the team that used to manage the Feriye restaurant, including chef Vedat Başaran, The décor inside is very classic, featuring lots of marble and paintings from Turkish artists. At the back of the restaurant there are beautiful turquoise tiles surrounding the traditional stone oven where they bake their fresh pide bread (Turkish challah bread). The most striking aspect of the décor is the vertical garden hanging down to the floor below, covering two stories of the building. There is also a large terrace, surrounded by plants and ivy, with a gentle breeze keeping things cool.

Located below the restaurant on the fourth floor of the building is the YESAM Culinary Arts Center, whose mission is to preserve Turkey’s rich culinary heritage by reviving lost dishes and cooking styles in order to ensure that the country’s culinary history continues to be passed down to future generations.

The menu at Nar Lokanta features familiar Turkish classics as well as a number of less common regional dishes, covering everything from Ottoman palace dishes to humble village fare. All dishes are prepared using Nar’s own olive oil, which comes from the Ayvalık region on the Aegean coast—widely considered to be the best regions for olives in the country. These olive oils have an exceptionally low level of acidity, giving them a very pure and almost sweet flavor.

A meal at Nar Lokanta starts with a basket of their freshly baked bread, served with a selection of Nar’s olive oils. The list of mezes features a variety of regional olive oil dishes, while the mains focus mostly on lamb and beef, with a few chicken dishes also on offer. There is also a salad buffet available at lunchtime. The extensive wine list features Turkish wines exclusively, including a number of bottles from boutique vineyards.

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Combining International cuisinewith Turkish undertones, the menu is relatively well-mixed between the cultures, making your options much more expansive. It’s frequent to see live music at the wide rooftop terrace and indoor bar. No Istanbul spot is complete without a signature cocktail list and 5. Kat boasts everything from Bailey’s coffee for an after dinner drink to the well-known Manhattan for those wishing to lengthen the evening.

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The restaurant has a modern-loft feeling and the tall windows coupled with the high-ceilings make this relatively small space look and feel much more spacious than it actually is.

The inventive menu features classic Italian and Mediterranean dishes, as well as modern takes on traditional Turkish dishes and Turkish takes on classic café fare. Their homemade breads are to die for!

Recommended Dishes:

Narlı Buğday Salatası(Wheat Salad with Pomegranate)

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Even though it doesn’t have a view of the sea, its soothing garden, covered with leafy trees, is just as revitalizing as sitting by the waterside. In addition to a variety of fresh fish, Asmaaltı also boasts regional Black Sea specialties, such as mıhlama (a dish made with cornmeal, string cheese from the Black Sea region, and butter). You can come for breakfast to enjoy their wide selection of cheeses, olives and omelets, or head there for lunch or dinner to enjoy fresh fish accompanied by tasty appetizers.

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This down-to-earth and casual eatery is a great lunch spot and the dress code is pretty much inexistent: you can go with whatever you feel comfortable in. You’ll find a mixed crowd here, from families and young adults to students from nearby universities.

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The restaurant’s main building has vaulted ceilings with skylights, giving the space a very light and airy feel. There are plenty of warm wood and broad floor boards painted white, with both modern and retro furniture. The interior design is by Deniz Duru, who covered the walls with black and white retro photographs and installed an open bar/espresso bar at the back. This is the type of place that you would sooner expect to find in trendy Asmalımescit, although the crowd is very Bebek. Backyard is definitely cool, but not too cool, and still manages to be warm and inviting.

The menu focuses on natural and organic produce and many of the ingredients are sourced from co-owner Zeynep Moroğlu’s family farm in Çatalca. The menu ranges from Turkish classics to more international fare. The mains include lamb chops, steak, grilled salmon, several pastas, and other fairly standard dishes, as well as the more innovative “mini tastes”.

Meals start with a basket of Backyard’s own freshly baked bread, which included an olive loaf, mini cornbread muffins, and slightly sweet walnut bread, all delicious and served with a plate of olive oil and tomato paste for dipping. One of the menu highlights is the excellent wheat risotto with porcini mushrooms. Another noteworthy dish was the oven-baked mücver. Traditionally deep-fried and made with zucchinis, Backyard’s baked version also included carrots. Sprinkled with chopped lettuce and fresh mint, this was a light and refreshing take on the traditionally heavy dish. The daily specials usually include seasonal vegetables straight from the Çatalca farm and are definitely worth a try.

While the mains are certainly very satisfying, be sure to leave room for dessert, with the day’s goodies displayed in a glass case. Highlights include the red velvet cake topped with cream cheese frosting and decorated with blueberries, and Backyard’s freshly made sorbets. The grapefruit is very tasty, a bit tart, and perfectly refreshing on a hot summer day.

The quality of the food is matched by the music and atmosphere, which is cool and also a bit loungey, while the service is attentive and professional. There is also a nice selection of magazines and books to peruse, inviting you to spend the afternoon here. Backyard is the perfect place to spend a leisurely afternoon with some friends, eating good food al fresco and enjoying the fleeting warm days of summer.

Every Sunday an organic bazaar is held at Backyard between 4pm to 6pm. The bazaar is made up of a small stand where they sell what they grow at their garden as well as at co-owner Zeynep Moroğlu’sfamily farm in Çatalca. The products on sale include fresh spices, beans, a variety of cheese, jams, freshly-squeezed fruit juices, freshly-baked breads, and much more.

Recommended Dishes:

Fırın mücver (Baked vegetable patty)

Grilled steak sandwich

Devil's Food Cake

Red Velvet Cake

Homemade sorbet

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If not for the food, go for the music:

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Kaşıbeyaz offers Istanbul dinners a very rare thing indeed – a seaside restaurant that does not serve seafood. Instead, Kaşıbeyaz is a kebab house specializing in traditional Turkish cuisine from Gaziantep. It has become very popular with locals and visiting tourists who want to enjoy traditional Turkish food with a wonderful view of the Bosphorus. Housed in a large building on the Yeniköy neighborhood on the European shore, Kaşıbeyaz features a glitzy interior spread out over three floors, which includes an outdoor terrace and a private dining area.

As you peruse the menu you can enjoy their freshly baked pide bread, which are paper-thin puffs. A good way to start your meal is with the Fındık Lahmacun, flat bread that is kind of like a mini pizza, topped with a mixture of spiced ground meat and nuts. This goes very nicely with a thick and creamy strained yogurt, and the Gavurdağ Salata, a mixture of chopped tomatoes, onions, peppers and walnuts, dressed with olive oil and a generous dose of pomegranate sauce.

Being a restaurant specializing in Gaziantep cuisine, main event here is the grilled meats. You can enjoy classics such as Döner or Iskender Kebap, or try one of the regional southeastern specialties, such as the Fıstıklı Kebap served with pistachios, or the Sadrazam Kebabı which is served with sweet and sour pomegranate sauce. The grilled meats are prepared in the style of the region, with lots of spices and grilled onions and peppers. For those who prefer not to eat red meat, the tasty Piliç Köfte prepared with chicken, is also a nice option.

While all this meat can be filling, you must leave room for the famous desserts which are heavy on buttery, flaky pastry, crushed pistachio and walnut, and clotted cream, all doused in a generous serving of syrup. Kaşıbeyaz is famous for their Baklava (which can be purchased in the shop by the entrance) while the Katmer, with layers of thin phylo dough filled with sweet pistachio, also comes highly recommended.

Although there is an indoor area, the restaurant is possibly more enjoyable during warm spring and summer nights. Accompanying your dinner, there is old Turkish songs whispering from the speakers—we wish the volume was set higher as we couldn’t really hear the music most of the night. The waiters with cowboy hats are friendly and attentive but as the venue gets crowded you might need to test your patience—which is not that difficult with the ever-filling rakı glasses.

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The menu features Italian, Mediterranean and Turkish cuisine, with a wood-burning oven that allows Bloom to turn out tasty, thin-crust pizzas. The menu also features pastas, burgers, salads and light options, as well as a range of classic and exotic cocktails. An open-buffet brunch menu is available on Sundays from 10:00am to 02:00pm, with a wide selection of homemade jams, freshly baked breads, eggs, and freshly-squeezed juices. They also offer a special lunch menu everyday between 12:00pm and 03:00pm for those looking for a homemade meal around Ortaköy.

Smokers will be happy to note that there is also a large terrace, with plenty of outdoor seating available. With the same cool vibe and colorful/industrial décor at its sister establishments, Bloom is a great option for those who don’t want to make the trek to Beyoğlu to enjoy a chilled night out, making this a very welcome addition to the area’s dining and nightlife scene.

The restaurant also offers delivery service in the Ortaköy, Ulus, and Kuruçeşme areas.

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With four tables inside and two tables outside, the eatery is quiet small but the decoration creates a comfy and homely setting. Pizano plays up a cozy Italian feel with its red and white checkered tablecloths, wooden décor, and of course it's brick oven.But the main attraction here is their thin and crisp-around-the-edges pizzas, topped with fresh, homemade tomato sauce and melted mozzarella.

More than 25 signature pizzas are on offer, but if you want to design your own pizza, you can do so by mixing up the topping selections (and there are over 20 on offer).

Recommended Dish:

Solo Carne (topped with ham,sucuk(spicy sausage), beef and jalapeno peppers)

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In Turkey and abroad, the best-known Circassian dish remains “çerkez tavuğu” a creamy dish made with shredded chicken, puréed walnuts, and garlic, and drizzled with a mixture of melted butter and paprika. Naturally, this can be found on the menu, with Fıccın’s version very rich and creamy. Another Caucasian classic is the tasty tulen chicken soup, made with shredded chicken and garlic and served in a clear broth.

The namesake fıccın is a kind of flat, baked minced-meat pie, which is lighter and more flavorful than expected. The Caucasus region is known for its dumplings, and Fıccın makes the Circassian version of mantı, which is offered stuffed with either meat or potatoes, which was much like a cross between Turkish mantı and a Polish pierogi. Far bigger and plumper than your standard Turkish mantı, Fıccın’s version is similarly slathered in a thick garlicky yogurt sauce and drizzled with red pepper-infused oil. Fıccın is a great option for sampling Circassian dishes, which are delicious, hearty, and simple, perfect in the cold winter months.

Recommended Dishes

Mantı

Fıccın

Çerkez tavuğu

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A welcome entrant to the Istanbul cuilnary scene, Girandola offers authentic Italian ice cream in the form of gellato and sorbet. The menu changes on a daily basis, with over 40 varieties of creamy gellato and refreshing sorbet available. As well as classics such as chococate and caramel, Turkish favorites such as kaymak (clotted cream) and sakiz (mastik) can also be found. In the summer month, fresh fruits such as strawberry, melon, cherry and lemon dominate, while in the winter months, pumpkin, fig, chestnut and apple appear.

Apart from seasonal varieties, a number of unusual recipes also make the menu, such as crème brûlée, marscarpone, bitter chocolate with whiskey, and sour cherry with green apple. With such variety and flavors, picking a favorite is certainly no easy task. If hard pressed, I would have to go with the minty-creamy After Eight which is heavenly, while the Mojito, with its tart lime flavor spiked with mint, is delightfully refreshing on a hot summer day.

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Vonalı Celal specializes in cuisine from Turkey’s Black Sea coast, an area inhabited by the Laz ethnic group. The Laz have their own distinct language, cultural practices, and cuisine, as reflected by their food, which is very different from what one normally associates with Turkish cuisine. Vonalı Celal has two branches, one on the coastal road in Sultanahmet and the other in the Saffire shopping center. While the branch in Sultanahmet is most often frequented by tour groups, the Saffire location is popular with the area’s business people.

Laz cuisine is famous for its use of cornbread, sardines, pickles, and stewed vegetables, such as kale and beans. For starters you can try the pan-fried cornbread, which is drier and less sweet than the American variety, and a number of interesting vegetable dishes. When eating at Vonalı Celal an absolute must is the gooey dish known as “kuymak” or “mıhlama”. An indulgent mixture of goat cheese, butter, and corn flour, it is like a Black Sea fondue, and served in the same manner, with pieces of bread used for dipping, while hamsı, or sardines, are an essential part of any Black Sea meal. For Vonalı Celal’s “hamsi tava” the sardines are butterfly filleted, breaded with corn flour, and deep fried, resulting in a lovely crispy coating. Pide is another one of the region’s most well-known dishes, served open with various toppings. Unlike other parts of Turkey, where grilled meat is very common, in the Black Sea region, meat does not feature heavily and is usually minced.

A common dessert is the classic “Laz böreği”. Unlike most börek dishes, which are savory,“Laz böreği” is sweet, filled with custard instead of cheese or meat, and served with syrup. Another highly recommended option is Vonalı Celal’s version of “kabak pastası”, a delicious pumpkin dessert. What makes Vonalı Celal’s cuisine so interesting is the use of unusual regional ingredients not often found in other parts of the country, providing a whole new perspective on Turkish food.

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Sur Balık is a popular seafood restaurant, with two branches, the original in Sarayburnu and a second in Arnavutköy, which is currently being expanded, with plans to also open a third branch on the Golden Horn. Located in one of the historic Ottoman mansions that line the seaside, known as yalı, Sur Balık specializes in fresh seafood and original dishes.

At Sur Balık you can dine on Turkish seafood and meze classics, such as tender salted bonito, served with fresh red onion slices and seasonal salad. But if you are in the mood for something different, you won’t be disappointed. Sur Balik offers a range of classic Turkish dishes but with a seafood twist, as well as a number of unusual items that you won’t likely find anywhere else.

A real stand-out is the sea bass in fresh pesto sauce (levrek fesleğen), a dish that is bursting with flavor. The Swiss chard stuffed with fish (pazı sarma), and the fish balls (balık köfte) are both an interesting and light take on Turkish standards. While balik manti, might sound odd, the result is surprisingly tasty, as these fish-filled dumplings are, just like the original, slathered in a garlic-yogurt sauce and dusted with herbs.

Meanwhile, if its more standard seafood meal that you’re in the mood for, there is plenty on offer. The grilled octopus is very tender and highly recommended, or any of the fresh fish of the day. A great accompaniment to a seafood meal is their salad with ruby red tomatoes and wilted onions that is incredibly juicy and flavorful (surprisingly, soy sauce is the secret ingredient). To end the meal, again you can chose go with a more classic item, like the volcanic chocolate cake, which spews a rich warm chocolate filling. Or you can try something different, like the profiteroles served with a tahini sauce.

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Sur Balık is a popular seafood restaurant, with two branches, the original in Sarayburnu and a second in Arnavutköy. Located in one of the historic Ottoman mansions that line the seaside, known as yalı, Sur Balık specializes in fresh seafood and original dishes.

At Sur Balık you can dine on Turkish seafood and meze classics, such as tender salted bonito, served with fresh red onion slices and seasonal salad. But if you are in the mood for something different, you won’t be disappointed. Sur Balık offers a range of classic Turkish dishes but with a seafood twist, as well as a number of unusual items that you won’t likely find anywhere else.

A real stand-out is the sea bass in fresh pesto sauce (levrek fesleğen), a dish that is bursting with flavor. The Swiss chard stuffed with fish (pazı sarma), and the fish balls (balık köfte) are both an interesting and light take on Turkish standards. While balık mantı might sound odd, the result is surprisingly tasty; these fish-filled dumplings are slathered in a garlic-yogurt sauce and dusted with herbs.

Meanwhile, if it’s more standard seafood meal that you’re in the mood for, there is plenty on offer. The grilled octopus is very tender and highly recommended, or any of the fresh fish of the day. A great accompaniment to any seafood meal is their juicy and flavorful salad with ruby red tomatoes and wilted onions (apparently, soy sauce is the secret ingredient). To end the meal, again you can choose to go with a more classic item, like the volcanic chocolate cake, which spews a rich warm chocolate filling. Or you can try something different, like the profiteroles served with a tahini sauce.

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Recommended Side Dishes

Haloumi Stick

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Recommended Side Dishes

Haloumi Stick

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Recommended Side Dishes: Pickles (Ankara Çubuk Turşusu)

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A popular rooftop restaurant that serves home-cooked meals and has an amazing view of the Bosphorus, Topkapı Palace, Blue Mosque, and Haghia Sophia. Reservations are suggested.

Although all the dancers are very good, the star of the night is usually an exquisitely lithe male dancer, dressed almost exactly the same as the girls with the addition of glittery body paint on his naked torso. One of the best acts is his entrance in the costume of a Rio carnival dancer: a bright orange, wedding cake-shaped hooped skirt, which later opens to reveal a girl. She sneaks out of her cage to perform a perfectly choreographed duet with her counterpart to wild applause.

The atmosphere is decidedly festive, and, in the breaks between acts, revelers get up to try out some dancing themselves.Keep in mind that Beyrouth is famous for bachelorette parties, so you might come across a room full of ladies.

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Recomended Flavors

Mastic

Sour Cherry

Caramel

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Situated in a small villa, the venue is spread over three floors. The first floor is decorated with black and white checkered floors, black leather chairs, and a long, red sofa. The small mezzanine floor features a similar look, minus the checkered floors. There is a private salon located on the third floor, reserved for parties of twelve. Tastefully-decorated with an oval mirror and candles, this private room features a large, rectangular table and a lounge area perfect for drinks before or after dinner. This area feels more like the living room of a home than a private room in a restaurant, which makes it ideal for hosting a get-together with close friends and family.

Decorated by Turhan Kaşo, Antica Locanda is owned by Ms. Beldan Erkkul-Talerico and her chef husband Gian Carlo Talerico. The menu is not extensive, but all that is on offer is scrumptious. (Tried and verified thrice by our publisher!) Unlike most Italian restaurants, the menu is not overcome by an extensive list of pasta but rather offers a balanced mix of pastas, pizzas, and main dishes. Make sure to inquire for the day’s special. A select wine menu consisting of Turkish and Italian wines is on offer.

Recommended dishes:

Jerusalem artichoke soup with white truffle oil

Calamari stew with tomato sauce, olives, and fresh basil (Guazzetto di calamari alla Ligure con salsa di pomodoro, pesto di olive e basilico fresco)

Caramelized chicken breast with shallots and apricot sauce (Petto di pollo caramellizzato al forno con scalogno dorato e salsa di albicocche)

Venetian style fettucini with orange flavored duck sauce

Tiramisu

Limoncello Sorbet

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In case you get a sudden and strong urge to indulge in Asian food, that’s easy too. Chilai has a sushi bar to silence your craving. This multi-floor locale also contains a Godiva chocolate store for chocolate addicts and an art gallery for those who think that art is the food for the soul. This is the all-in-one venue where you can pursuit different pleasures facing the beautiful view of the Bosphorus.

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Located in W Hotel in Akaretler, Minyon is a hip and young venue that boasts an elegantly decorated interior and a rich menu, which includes soups, starters, sandwiches, pasta, pizza, fish, and meat dishes. Minyon’s music selection is wide and varied, and includes classics, covers, lounge, and chillout music.

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The ICI is a great establishment, providing top-notch training to young budding chefs, and the opportunity to actually put their work into practice as they progress to serving customers the fruits of their endeavors. The best ingredients and equipment are provided for the students, which show in the preparation and execution of their dishes.

The cuisine on offer is mostly Turkish and Mediterranean, with some international dishes on offer. The unexpected combinations include the almond and walnut Norwegian salmon, excellent seasonal soups, such as cauliflower with dill crostini, and delicious deserts like peach fruit compote. The menu changes daily to allow the students full artistic scope and includes a variety of appetizers, main courses & desserts.

Breakfast is available until 11:00am and there is a take-out & cafe section on the first floor. Wine is served.

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Enstitü Shop

Istanbul Culinary Institute

Enstitü (Catering)

British burger chain Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) opened its first Istanbul outlet in 2008 and has quickly established itself as a favorite among burger lovers. Unlike most international chains that significantly modify their menu for the Turkish market, the options here are nearly identical to those in their UK counterparts.

GBK takes the classic burger and elevates it to a true culinary experience. While the setting at both GBK branches is casual, it is nevertheless more similar to a restaurant than a diner, cutlery and all. The meat used in the burgers is high quality Angus beef or beef from cattle farms in Turkey’s Gönen district.

Yet what makes GBKs really stand out is not just the quality of beef, but the wide variety of burgers available and the range of ingredients on offer, many of which are hard to find in Turkey. While traditionalists will be satisfied with a classic burger served on freshly baked buns, there are many variations available, including the Cajun burger with a spicy sauce, the Thai Beef burger served with a green curry sauce, the Avocado Bacon burger, and the very popular Blue Cheese burger that comes slathered in a creamy, rich blue cheese sauce.

There are just as many options when it comes to chicken burgers, including the Chicken Satay burger served with a sweet and sour sauce, the Thai Chicken burger, and—a personal favorite—the Chicken Camembert & Cranberry burger that has the perfect blend of sweet and tart flavors.

Despite such a meat heavy menu, there are also a number of options available for vegetarians, such as the Puy Lentil burger, Aubergine & Goat’s cheese burger, and the Portabella burger where the ‘patty’ consists of grilled mushrooms. There are also a number of tasty appetizers, such as falafel and Cheese & Berry (fried goat’s cheese balls served with cranberry sauce), which is a favorite for many, not just vegetarians. Prices are reasonable given the portions and the quality of the ingredients used, making GBK a great option for when you want a top quality burger.

Recommended Side Dishes:

Cheese & Berry

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International ice cream chain Cremeria Milano now has four branches in Istanbul. Established in the 1930s, Cremeria Milano specializes in traditional Italian ice cream and continues to make its products using traditional recipes and natural ingredients and flavors, free of artificial flavoring.

Cremeria Milano opened its first Turkish branch on the busy pedestrian Istiklal Street and quickly became very popular for its rich flavors and creamy texture. Today there are three more branches in Nisantaşı, Bağdat Street and most recently in Bebek. A wide variety of flavors are on offer with availability depending in part on the season, with melon, peach and watermelon flavor available only during summer months. Menu favorites include Baileys, tiramisu, rum-raisin, coconut, pistachio, coffee, yogurt, lemon, Nutella with biscuits and mint-chocolate. Apart from ice cream, deserts such as Mascarpone tiramisu and white chocolate profiterole are available, as well as a variety of crepes stuffed with ice cream, fruit and various sauces. Home delivery is also available.

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Cremeria Milano opened its first Turkish branch on the busy pedestrian Istiklal Street and quickly became very popular for its rich flavors and creamy texture. Today there are three more branches in Nisantaşı, Bağdat Street and most recently in Bebek. A wide variety of flavors are on offer with availability depending in part on the season, with melon, peach and watermelon flavor available only during summer months. Menu favorites include bitter chocolate, Baileys, tiramisu, rum-raisin, coconut, pistachio, coffee, yogurt, lemon, Nutella with biscuits and mint-chocolate. Apart from ice cream, deserts such as Mascarpone tiramisu and white chocolate profiterole are available, as well as a variety of crepes stuffed with ice cream, fruit and various sauces. Home delivery is also available.

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In fact, Çukurcuma 49 specializes in wines from Bozcaada, including their ‘Desperate House Wine’ which is produced exclusively for Cukurcuma 49 by the Yunatçılar winerie on the istalnd. There is even a wine cellar in the basement which can be seen through the glass floors and accessed by a specially desgined lift. The atmosphere at Çukurcuma 49 is very relaxed, as this is the type of place that invites you to settle in and read a book or chat with friends. The walls are exposed brick and the furniture is all warm wood and comfy chairs, with everything from the furniture to the decorations available for sale.

Recommended Side Dishes: Pickles (Ankara Çubuk Turşusu)

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Located right by Taksim Square, Musafir is one of Istanbul’s best Indian restaurants. It’s owned by İram Rana, the son of an Indian father and a Pakistani mother, who is an Indian-cuisine aficionado with such great Turkish language skills that you could easily mistake him for a native. The menu at this casual eatery includes all-time favorite Indian dishes, like samosas, raitas, chicken tikka, butter chicken, lamb rogan josh, and more. They also have nearly 10 varieties of bread to satisfy all your naan cravings.

Tips:

Musafir gets quite crowded during dinner, so plan ahead and make reservations before going.

Recommended Dishes

Chicken Tikka

Chicken Tikka Masala

Saffron Biryani rice

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Clementine Suada is closed during winter. Opens around May and usually closes around the end of September. Please call ahead to make sure that the venue is open.

The menu is ever changing, getting updated according to seasonal availability as well as popularity of the dishes. Head chef Coşkun Uysal blends both Turkish and international flavors to create delicious dishes with rich flavors. The House Café is an ideal place to go with a large group, as everything from Turkish classics to international favorites can be found. Grilled meats, pastas, pizzas, and salads are all on the menu, and some branches also feature special menus of the week.

While many menu items do change with the season, certain classics are almost always available. Menu highlights include the couscous with mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, spinach, and caramelized onions, the lentil and goat’s cheese salad with grilled peppers, and the grilled haloumi in vine leaves. The pizzas with their thin crispy crusts and unusual flavor combinations are always winners. The weekend brunch menu is also very popular with eggs Benedict, pancakes, and smoked salmon dishes, as well as a buffet option.

The staff here is professionally trained, with attention given to details and presentation. The lounge music playing in the background and fresh flower arrangements add to the tasteful environment. House Café now has ten branches throughout the city that all feature the same menu and stylish décor.

The Tünel branch is located in a historic passage and is one of the most popular spots in this trendy neighborhood, particularly during the summer months when you can sit in the courtyard. The basement floor, which is a converted wine cellar, can be reserved for private parties.

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Egg & Burger is a cozy, American-style diner that has become a favorite among locals, especially those living in Nişantaşı. If you’re craving for some tasty fast food, Egg & Burger is a great choice with its 50s style diner experience.

Their special Egg & Burger comes highly recommended – even if you’re a classic at heart, give this one a chance. The fried egg, the special sauce, the caramelized onions make the burger very flavorful. If going with a group, make sure to try the onion rings, too!

Recommended Dishes

Egg & Burger

The chefs Gencay and Gulabi have obviously spent years perfecting their imaginative and mouthwatering versions of each dish, and will make sure you aren’t just well-fed, but also well-educated about each and every item on the menu. Situated directly across from the historic Pera Palace Hotel, the creative cuisine, cozy atmosphere, and multilingual staff will make you feel simply a ‘MEZE’ing.

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Although the majority of dishes on the menu are inspired from Aegean and Mediterranean cuisines, the menu is varied enough to include specialties from other regions of Turkey, such as hamsi (anchovy) from the Black Sea Region. The décor is quite minimal with rustic tables giving the venue quite a homey feel.

Recommended Dishes

Mücver, salatalıklı yoğurt sos(fried vegetable patties with yogurt-mint-cucumber sauce)

Çıtır hamsi (fried anchovy)

Home-made lemonade

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For brunch, you’ll find the classic Turkish breakfast fare. They also carry organic breakfast dishes, including cheese, eggs, honey, marmalade, olives, butter, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Make sure to try their homemade lemonade. Surprisingly so, they play classical music in the mornings! We don’t know why but it surely adds to the relaxing feel of the venue, making it an ideal place to read a book or a newspaper. And you don’t need to bring your own—you can grab a book from their collection.

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Riserva is a unique venue designed for wine and music appreciation. When entering Riserva, it does not feel like you are stepping into a restaurant, but in rather, it feels like the welcoming, cozy home of a friend who has extensive knowledge of both music and wine. Riserva eludes any easy classifications. Owner Aydın Yazıcı emphasizes that this is not a restaurant, but rather a place for wine appreciation.

Located in the seaside district of Tarabya, Riserva is not a traditional wine bar, but a contribution to Istanbul’s wine culture. The layout is more like a home than a restaurant—in fact, Riserva is neither a home nor a restaurant but something in between; it is an unclassifiable and unique venue. Spread out over flour floors, which are open depending on the number of guests, it is illuminated with soft, red lights, with CDs and records scattered throughout the rooms.

Mr. Yazıcı is determined to offer only the finest and freshest produce; therefore, full meals are available only with advanced notice. In fact, reservations are essential to enjoy this unique experience. A wide selection of cheese and cured meats (such as prosciutto) are always available, while the rest of the menu varies depending on reservations. Although Mr. Yazıcı underlines the fact that Riserva is a place to enjoy wine first and foremost, it should be noted that the food is also excellent.

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Ya&Re is situated in Asmalımescit near Babylon among all the other buzzing meyhanes, bars, and clubs so there is a great atmosphere in the area with much nightly revelry. Although there is no live music, you’ll hear classical Turkish music (Türk Sanat Müziği) all through the night—a perfect pairing for rakı and meze!

At Ya&Re lunch as well as dinner is served, making it a lively venue all day long.You’ll find classic cold and hot meze dishes, with an emphasis on seafood and fish. Main courses feature meat and fish dishes, char-grilled and in some cases fried. Pricing is fairly reasonable, with appetizers starting at 10 TL and main dishes ranging between 15 and 30 TL. A range of set menus are also on offer for around 70 TL.

Although the venue can hold up to 250 people, it gets quiet packed especially on weekends.

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Meals start with a selection of mezes that are brought to your table for you to pick from. Highlights include the fried calamari, deniz börülcesi (samphire), semizotu(purslane in a yoghurt and garlic sauce) and köpeoğlu (eggplant and tomato with yoghurt and garlic). While the Arnavut ciğeri (fried liver) is also very popular, it is a bit of an acquired taste. The different börekvarieties, filo pastries filled with cheese and meat, are also favorites. With so many hot and cold appetizers to choose from, many people don’t have room for the mains of grilled fish or meat, saving room instead for dessert. The sweet and gooey melted helva, which is served with a side of bread for sopping, is a great end to a meal.

Because drinking is an integral part of the meyhane experience, plenty of rakı, beer, and wine are consumed, with patrons sometimes breaking out into song. As Sofyalı 9 is usually very crowded, service can be a bit slow at times, but this is more than outweighed by the quality of the food, as well as the lively atmosphere and its central location. Be sure to book ahead.

The two-story venue’s decoration is quite simple; its walls carry the history of the past few decades, with photographs and newspaper clippings adorned all over the walls. During the summer, frequenters enjoy their drinks outside at the tables on the street; although customers may sometimes complain about the noise coming from adjacent streets. The music is that of traditional Turkish, matching the mellow mood of rakı aficionados.

Refik is frequented by intellectuals, artists, and anyone who appreciates good company, accompanied by traditional tavern fare and atmosphere. Although the arnavut ciğeri (Albanian-style liver), kuzu sarma (stuffed lamb), kağıtta pastırma (dried beef en papillote), and patlıcan salatası (eggplant salad) are the must-trys of what’s on offer, food is a second-thought at Refik, as it is more a drinker’s meyhane.

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The menu changes daily, but lunchtime favorites often include the hünkar beğendi, a dish of slow-cooked beef served on a bed of smoky eggplant puree, and ızgara süt kuzu pirzola (grilled baby lamp chops). For dinner,there is a wide variety of mezes on offer, as well as grilled fishand meat dishes, and avery tender grilled octopus. Karaköy Lokantası makes their own yogurt that is rich, creamy, and slightly tangy, and comes served in small clay pots. For desserts, a number of classic Turkish options are available, including baklava,and vişne soslu muhallebi(milk pudding topped with sour cherry sauce).

Karaköy Lokantası moved from its original location to two doors down in 2009, but the quality still remains top-notch. The décor is subtle and the service attentive, which, combined with the excellent food, continues to make this a favorite with locals.

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Kalamata Meyhanesi is a stylish Turkish tavern in the heart of the elegant Akaretler district. Decorated with chandeliers; large, framed photos; white walls, table cloths, and curtains, Kalamata Meyhanesi offers a modern take on traditional taverns.

The venue offers outdoor seating at the garden in the back and a few tables on the street at the front. Live music, typical of Turkish taverns, is played every night (except for Mondays). A good selection of tavern fare is on offer, from cold and hot mezes to main dishes, including the day’s catch. The aged white cheese and the liver from Ezine are particularly good, as are the pickles and salted fish. Rakı is obviously the drink of choice, but wine is also available. Excellent food and atmosphere, with the additional attraction of music, makes this a spot-on choice of meyhane.

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Galatea Residence is a good option for those looking for comfort and convenience, particularly for business travelers. The units here are very spacious, with separate bedrooms, full kitchens, study areas, sofas that pull out as extra beds, and large terraces. Some of the rooms also offer amazing views across the Bosphorus to the Asian side of the city. Add to this the fact that it is literally just a stone’s throw away from the metro, and this could be a good option for long-term businesspeople working in Istanbul, with the large rooms and level of practicality likely to appeal to American business travelers in particular.

In fact, many well-known musicians and artists frequently come here, making Despina the place to be. The prices are low, with dishes that match the prices. The fasıl (traditional Turkish music) and classical Turkish music played each night livens up the space. This is one of those places to go not for its food but because it is reminiscent of a time long gone.

The first two floors of this venue offers Turkish classical music played from the radio, and the top floor offers live fasıl (traditional Turkish music). Classic tavern foods are on offer, from tasty hot and cold mezes, to fish, seafood, and meat dishes. This unpretentious meyhane adorned with framed newspaper clippings and photos is a classic of Beyoğlu and is definitely worth a visit. Make reservations in advance to secure a spot. Aim for a table on the top floor next to the window for a nice view.

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The menu includes both Turkish and international dishes, but stick to the tried and tested Turkish favorites unless you’re not a purist when it comes to specific national cuisine. White Mill is particularly popular as a bar, and it really comes alive at night – try some of the eclectic cocktails, like “Gypsy” - vodka with blackberry and mulberry juice. Come to chill out with a coffee during the day, or for a bit more excitement after work.

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The menu is ever changing, getting updated according to seasonal availability as well as popularity of the dishes. Head chef Coşkun Uysal blends both Turkish and international flavors to create delicious dishes with rich flavors. The House Café is an ideal place to go with a large group, as everything from Turkish classics to international favorites can be found. Grilled meats, pastas, pizzas, and salads are all on the menu, and some branches also feature special menus of the week.

While many menu items do change with the season, certain classics are almost always available. Menu highlights include the couscous with mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, spinach, and caramelized onions, the lentil and goat’s cheese salad with grilled peppers, and the grilled haloumi in vine leaves. The pizzas with their thin crispy crusts and unusual flavor combinations are always winners. The weekend brunch menu is also very popular with eggs Benedict, pancakes, and smoked salmon dishes, as well as a buffet option.

The staff here is professionally trained, with attention given to details and presentation. The lounge music playing in the background and fresh flower arrangements add to the tasteful environment. House Café now has ten branches throughout the city that all feature the same menu and stylish décor.The Caddebostan branch is located in a two-story venue with beautiful views of the Princes’ Islands from the upper floor terrace.

The menu is ever changing, getting updated according to seasonal availability as well as popularity of the dishes. Head chef Coşkun Uysal blends both Turkish and international flavors to create delicious dishes with rich flavors. The House Café is an ideal place to go with a large group, as everything from Turkish classics to international favorites can be found. Grilled meats, pastas, pizzas, and salads are all on the menu, and some branches also feature special menus of the week.

While many menu items do change with the season, certain classics are almost always available. Menu highlights include the couscous with mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, spinach, and caramelized onions, the lentil and goat’s cheese salad with grilled peppers, and the grilled haloumi in vine leaves. The pizzas with their thin crispy crusts and unusual flavor combinations are always winners. The weekend brunch menu is also very popular with eggs Benedict, pancakes, and smoked salmon dishes, as well as a buffet option.

The staff here is professionally trained, with attention given to details and presentation. The lounge music playing in the background and fresh flower arrangements add to the tasteful environment. House Café now has ten branches throughout the city and, while they all feature the same menu and stylish décor, most people count the Ortaköy branch as their favorite. With a large sunny terrace overlooking the Bosphorus and fantastic view of the bridge and local mosque, this location is always packed.

Recommended Cocktails

Apple Martini

The menu is ever changing, getting updated according to seasonal availability as well as popularity of the dishes. Head chef Coşkun Uysal blends both Turkish and international flavors to create delicious dishes with rich flavors. The House Café is an ideal place to go with a large group, as everything from Turkish classics to international favorites can be found. Grilled meats, pastas, pizzas, and salads are all on the menu, and some branches also feature special menus of the week.

While many menu items do change with the season, certain classics are almost always available. Menu highlights include the couscous with mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, spinach, and caramelized onions, the lentil and goat’s cheese salad with grilled peppers, and the grilled haloumi in vine leaves. The pizzas with their thin crispy crusts and unusual flavor combinations are always winners. The weekend brunch menu is also very popular with eggs Benedict, pancakes, and smoked salmon dishes, as well as a buffet option.

The staff here is professionally trained, with attention given to details and presentation. The lounge music playing in the background and fresh flower arrangements add to the tasteful environment. House Café now has ten branches throughout the city that all feature the same menu and stylish décor. The Istiklal branch is housed in the historic Mısır Apartment, located right on this busy pedestrian street. This is a large and spacious venue with a workshop area reserved for cooking courses and workshops at the back of the restaurant.

The menu is ever changing, getting updated according to seasonal availability as well as popularity of the dishes. Head chef Coşkun Uysal blends both Turkish and international flavors to create delicious dishes with rich flavors. The House Café is an ideal place to go with a large group, as everything from Turkish classics to international favorites can be found. Grilled meats, pastas, pizzas, and salads are all on the menu, and some branches also feature special menus of the week.

While many menu items do change with the season, certain classics are almost always available. Menu highlights include the couscous with mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, spinach, and caramelized onions, the lentil and goat’s cheese salad with grilled peppers, and the grilled haloumi in vine leaves. The pizzas with their thin crispy crusts and unusual flavor combinations are always winners. The weekend brunch menu is also very popular with eggs Benedict, pancakes, and smoked salmon dishes, as well as a buffet option.

The staff here is professionally trained, with attention given to details and presentation. The lounge music playing in the background and fresh flower arrangements add to the tasteful environment. House Café now has ten branches throughout the city that all feature the same menu and stylish décor. The Teşvikiye branch is the original, housed in the ground floor of an old beautiful building, covering two floors. Unfortunately the lovely large garden at the back is now closed, but a small balcony overlooking the garden is still open.

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The menu offers a wide selection and consists of burgers, pastas, pizzas, salads, sandwiches, grilled mains, and deserts, as well as a range of appetizers and snacks for sharing. Essentially, this is American-style comfort food prepared for a Turkish audience. However, what Numnum lacks in sophistication, it makes up for with fun and flavors, with the salads and pizzas in particular winning rave reviews.

Numnum has established itself as a favorite with both families and young professionals, and has become a meeting spot for young Turks meeting their friends for a meal or drinks. With several restaurants located in shopping malls, Numnum is also a good place to stop by before or after a movie. With its massive portions of tasty food, fast service, and cheery atmosphere, local celebrity chef Mehmet Gürs has certainly come up with a winning concept. Branches are located in Kanyon shopping mall, Maçka, Meydan shopping mall, Astoria shopping mall, and on Bağdat Caddesi.

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The menu offers a wide selection and consists of burgers, pastas, pizzas, salads, sandwiches, grilled mains, and deserts, as well as a range of appetizers and snacks for sharing. Essentially, this is American-style comfort food prepared for a Turkish audience. However, what Numnum lacks in sophistication, it makes up for with fun and flavors, with the salads and pizzas in particular winning rave reviews.

Numnum has established itself as a favorite with both families and young professionals, and has become a meeting spot for young Turks meeting their friends for a meal or drinks. With several restaurants located in shopping malls, Numnum is also a good place to stop by before or after a movie. With its massive portions of tasty food, fast service, and cheery atmosphere, local celebrity chef Mehmet Gürs has certainly come up with a winning concept. Branches are located in Kanyon shopping mall, Maçka, Meydan shopping mall, Astoria shopping mall, and on Bağdat Caddesi.

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The menu offers a wide selection and consists of burgers, pastas, pizzas, salads, sandwiches, grilled mains, and deserts, as well as a range of appetizers and snacks for sharing. Essentially, this is American-style comfort food prepared for a Turkish audience. However, what Numnum lacks in sophistication, it makes up for with fun and flavors, with the salads and pizzas in particular winning rave reviews.

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All pizzas are made fresh in the brick oven, with a delicious thin and crispy crust. There are 22 varieties of pizzas and calzones available to suit every taste palate, with a wide range of toppings including prosciutto, gorgonzola, porcini mushroom, and truffle oil. Recommended dishes include Pizza Crudo with smoked bacon and arugula, and the Pizza Pesto with zucchini and ricotta cheese on a pesto sauce base. For those looking for something a bit different, the Pizza Honey is a white pizza with topped with mozzarella, honey, and toasted pine nuts. While this could be too sweet for some, others rave about it.

Miss Pizza was established by Elif Tokatlıoğlu and Selen Akınal Balcıoğlu who studied traditional pizza making techniques in Italy before returning to Turkey with the dream of opening an authentic Italian pizzeria. Following the success of the first restaurant, a second branch was opened in 2010 in the up-and-coming Şişhane neighborhood. This new branch is larger and more modern in its décor, and also offers an expanded menu including a wider selection of salads and cheese plates, as well as deserts, such as lemon tart and biscotti.

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All pizzas are made fresh in the brick oven, with a delicious thin and crispy crust. There are 22 varieties of pizzas and calzones available to suit every taste palate, with a wide range of toppings including prosciutto, gorgonzola, porcini mushroom, and truffle oil. Recommended dishes include Pizza Crudo with smoked bacon and arugula, and the Pizza Pesto with zucchini and ricotta cheese on a pesto sauce base. For those looking for something a bit different, the Pizza Honey is a white pizza with topped with mozzarella, honey, and toasted pine nuts. While this could be too sweet for some, others rave about it.

Miss Pizza was established by Elif Tokatlıoğlu and Selen Akınal Balcıoğlu who studied traditional pizza making techniques in Italy before returning to Turkey with the dream of opening an authentic Italian pizzeria. Following the success of the first restaurant, a second branch was opened in 2010 in the up-and-coming Şişhane neighborhood. This new branch is larger and more modern in its décor, and also offers an expanded menu including a wider selection of salads and cheese plates, as well as deserts, such as lemon tart and biscotti.

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Recommended Dishes

Mütevazi (a spaghetti dish made with tomatoes, olives, cheese, and basil)

Meksikalı (tacos filled with black beans and sautéed minced meat)

Kapalı Zarf - Tavuklu (tortilla filled with spices,sautéed vegetables, melted cheddar cheese, and chicken)

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American dishes feature heavily on the menu, including upscale pizza and burgers, as do seafood options, such as salmon tacos and tuna tartar. This is also a popular option for brunch and is always packed to the brim on weekends, with the brunch menu including eggs benedict, fruit pancakes, omelets, quesadillas, and more, all served in very generous portions. The bakery section offers fresh cakes and pastries made daily, including croissants and sugary cupcakes in a range of pretty pastels.

Outside you can find large communal tables where the Istanbul elite often read through the society pages as they sip their cappuccinos. Inside, the décor is light, modern, and airy, with the brick walls and wooden floors painted white, with colorful pillows and soft girly touches in the form of floral porcelain plates. With its tasty food and great location, Happily Ever After is a good place to spend a lazy Sunday, particularly in the summer months.

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Breakfast is notably available – a perfect option if you have come too early for your Havaş to the airport (the stop is just across the square), or if you are meeting friends in the square before a day of sightseeing. The homemade cakes and brioche are particularly recommended, and customers come specifically to buy these up in bulk for a tea party or just a solo sugar binge.

Recommended Drinks:

Salep (Rice pudding flavored drink)

Hamburger

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Turkish Coffee

The music at Den Cafe changes every day: Tuesdays are reserved for lounge music, Wednesdays for soul and funk, Thursdays for acid jazz (with DJ Hasan Köseoğlu behind the deck), Fridays for soul and funk, and Saturdays for jazz and happy house. In fact, Thursdays are special at Den Cafe; they hold what they call “Den Aperitivo” between 06:00pm and 09:00pm during when customers get wraps, mozzarella sticks, mini pizzas, pickles, and popcorn—all on the house.

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The extensive list of menu items is its strongest point, with a hefty selection of sandwiches, juices, smoothies, salads, and entrees to choose from. It also has a rustic, vintage décor that deems the place laid-back, quiet, and convenient for a solitary meal. While there is no outdoor seating, the venue’s high ceilings and large, often open front windows provide Cuppa with an airy feel. The kitchen is flexible, readily altering menu items to taste and the staff is notably friendly.

This zesty juice joint is resplendent with any possible fruit you could imagine, and any possible combination. Cuppa’s own suggestions come with entertaining names that may or may not fulfill what they claim – Maximiser, Slimmer and Clean-Up Juices – as well as more ambiguous combinations – Fantastic Juice! Super Juice! and I Want That Liqueur (misleadingly, not involving alcohol – just apple and wheatgrass).

Fruits include carrot, kiwi, apple, strawberry, orange, lemon and watermelon, as well as unexpected vegetables for the more health conscious (or anti-sweet tooth): avocado, broccoli and beetroot. The place is best known for its wheatgrass – a must-have ingredient on the streets of L.A and now blessing the affluent area of Cihangir.

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İstinye: IstinyePark Shopping Mall; (0212) 345 62 36

Brownie

Cupcakes

The menu is very French, with salmon, beef carpaccio, and great summer deserts although a variety of the best European dishes are on offer as well. The French Onion Soup and the Sole Fish with Butter and Lemon are among their most popular dishes. A fair choice of wine compliments the French experience. Classic French desserts on the menu include profiteroles and pear tart.

Recommended Dishes:

French Onion Soup

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Best Dishes:

Chicken Wings

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The breakfast choices in particular are impressive – traditional Turkish (a variety of cheeses, olives, tomato, cucumber, honey, cream cheese and delicious breads with a choice of egg (omlet or menemen (scrambled with tomato and peppers) are the most popular options), Italian or French continental are all on offer, with a range of coffees and teas. The interior of the café is decorated with pictures and interesting furniture, giving it a homely feel (albeit the home of a certain socio-economic status).

Recommended Dishes

Boeuf Straganoff Salad

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It has its own little space by the camii (mosque) by the waterfront, and is a wonderfully tucked away place for a leisurely breakfast, particularly on Sunday. The breakfasts are particularly good here; alongside the usual trappings of a Turkish feast of honey, olives, cheese, etc, there a nice additions, like the fresh simit, toasted and sprinkled with red chili flakes, to have with your cheese and olives, or the kaymak (clotted cream) and honey. There is also a choice of egg – omlet, menemen (Turkish scrambled egg with tomato and peppers), or egg cooked with pieces of sucuk (beef sausage), brought sizzling to your table. But the classical thing to eat here is always a kaşarlı simit (a ring of crusty bread covered in sesame seeds and cheese)along with tea.

A very relaxed place where you can enjoy the vieweither to eat or just to sit and sip your tea or coffee – highly recommended.

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Tulum peynirli salata

Aşşk Tost

Tulum peynirli salata

Aşşk Tost

The cafe also features catering services as well as a baking service called “Bakery’Z” which bakes pastry to order. (Depending on the type of pastry required, 24 to 48 hours’ advance notice is necessary). The catering menu features a wide variety of desserts like cakes, tarts, cheesecakes, muffins, and cookies, plus savory offerings like quiches and crepes, pierogies, a number of specialty breads and dips, and dozens of appetizers including everything from Cajun chicken to mücver (squash patties) to blini with salmon and caviar.

The cafe also features catering services as well as a baking service called “Bakery’Z” which bakes pastry to order. (Depending on the type of pastry required, 24 to 48 hours’ advance notice is necessary). The catering menu features a wide variety of desserts like cakes, tarts, cheesecakes, muffins, and cookies, plus savory offerings like quiches and crepes, pierogies, a number of specialty breads and dips, and dozens of appetizers including everything from Cajun chicken to mücver (squash patties) to blini with salmon and caviar.

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When it comes to toppings, there is an incredible selection on offer. Fruit toppings include strawberry, banana, grape, cherry, pineapple, pomegranate, melon, peach, kiwi, fig, mango, blackberry, raspberry, cranberry, and even lychee. When in season, blueberries can even be found. Apart from fruit, you can also get nuts, honey, coconut, chocolate chips, crushed cookies, and candies. Coffees and other snacks, such as fresh fruit cocktails, are also available and come highly recommended.

Despite the popularity of yogurt in Turkish cuisine, this is one of the few places where you can find good frozen yogurt in Istanbul. The branches are small, clean, and bright, playfully decorated with colorful toys and designs. There are currently three Yoort branches, in Istinye Park Mall, on Bağdat Caddesi, and in Ortaköy by the waterfront.

Wienerwald is a German-based fast food chain that has an increasing presence in Turkey, with many branches now open throughout Istanbul. The restaurants are all fast food style, and while they have an eat-in option, many people choose to order to their homes.

Wienerwald specializes in rotisserie chicken, which is cooked with a 55-year-old special recipe.Using a steam cooking method, WienerWald’s rotisserie chicken is cooked without adding oil, resulting in chicken that is juicy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. And they serve the chicken within 40 minutes of cooking so it’s always fresh and tasty.

Apart from rotisserie chicken; wings, legs, and chicken schnitzelare also available. Side dishes includebulgurrice,potato wedges, potato salad, steamed vegetables, and Mediterranean salad. The desserts carry on the Germanic theme, with apple strudel, chocolate mousse, and berry pudding.

Wienerwald is the perfect place if you are in the mood for roasted chicken, but don’t want to make the effort of making one yourself.

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Wienerwald specializes in rotisserie chicken, which is cooked with a 55-year-old special recipe.Using a steam cooking method, WienerWald’s rotisserie chicken is cooked without adding oil, resulting in chicken that is juicy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. And they serve the chicken within 40 minutes of cooking so it’s always fresh and tasty.

Apart from rotisserie chicken; wings, legs, and chicken schnitzelare also available. Side dishes includebulgurrice,potato wedges, potato salad, steamed vegetables, and Mediterranean salad. The desserts carry on the Germanic theme, with apple strudel, chocolate mousse, and berry pudding.

Wienerwald is the perfect place if you are in the mood for roasted chicken, but don’t want to make the effort of making one yourself.

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Upper Crust specializes in thin crust pizzas and calzones, with a wide range of toppings and tailor-made flavor combinations. Their pizzas come in two sizes, large and extra-large, and unlike most places in Istanbul, you can get a single slice of pizza to have as a snack or light meal.

Some of their most popular pizzas include the Pedro’s Steak and Gorgonzola (a plain pizza topped with marinated steak and gorgonzola cheese), the Harvard Street (a classic combination of fresh tomato, basil, mozzarella, and garlic), and the White Spinach (a white pizza topped with fresh spinach, mozzarella, feta cheese, and fresh garlic). There are also a number of more unusual and ambitious combinations, such as the Uncommon Pizza (a combination of bacon, fresh pineapple, and jalapeno peppers), which is no doubt aimed at the city’s expat population. While Upper Crust has many fans, one criticism is that the pizzas can be a bit dry as they often go light on the toppings. Nevertheless, this remains a local favorite, particularly with the area’s students.

Other Locations:

Beyoğlu: İstiklal Caddesi No.173, (0212 292 34 34)

Osmanbey: Halaskargazi Caddesi No.303, Şişli, (0212 246 47 79)

Teşvikiye: Teşvikiye Caddesi No.105, (0212 236 16 17)

Bakırköy: Yakut Sokak Zeytinlik Mahallesi No.7, (0212 570 34 34)

Bağdat Caddesi: Bağdat Caddesi No.486, Çatalçeşme, (0216 445 34 34) Ataköy: Galleria AVM, Ataköy Sahilyolu, (0212 559 00 60)

Fatih: Fevzi Paşa Caddesi No.1, (0212 521 05 05)

Feneryolu: Cemil Topuzlu Caddesi No.10, Çiftehavuzlar, (0216 356 45 45)

İstinye: İstinye Park AVM, İstinye Bayırı Caddesi No.73, (0212 345 55 55 )

Bakırköy: Carousel AVM Karşısı No.20, (0212 559 34 34)

Kadiköy: Palladium AVM, Barbaros Mahallesi Halk Caddesi No.6, (0212 663 10 10)

Suadiye: Suadiye Mahallesi Bağdat Caddesi No.397, (0216 359 78 78)

Güneşli: Mahmutbey Mahallesi Taşocağı Caddesi Tansu Sokak No.11, (0212 999 28 38)

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You can create simple salads with classic Turkish ingredients, such as tomato, cucumber, olives, feta cheese, and haloumi cheese, while more exotic salads are also available, such as the Moroccan salad with raisin and curried chicken, the Asian salad with Japanese noodles and peanuts, and the Mexican salad with black bean salsa, tortilla chips, and red pepper. Toppings include a variety of vegetables, nuts, meats, and cheeses, everything from standards to numerous harder-to-find toppings, such as cheddar, Roquefort, fresh mozzarella, grilled salmon, grilled prawns, avocado, dried cranberries, and pickled ginger. The dressings and sauces offer almost as much of a selection, including pesto, honey-mustard, caesar, and raspberry balsamic vinaigrette. Soups are also available, as are sandwiches and wraps, which can either be ordered off a menu or made specially to order.

This is a great place for health-conscious individuals and salad lovers in search of a tailored combination of their favorite ingredients. The setting is clean and utilitarian, and while pleasant enough, this is not the place for a long and lingering lunch with friends, but ideal for a quick and casual bite.

A look at the menu makes apparent that the establishment sits atop strong health principles and is devoted to its founding intention, down to the detail as minute as making sure that the water it serves is highly alkaline—8.22 pH. It offers a complete list of raw juices and smoothies, colorful and meal-worthy salads, raw and warm soups, paninis with a healthy twist, and a house-made rejuvelac, which is a fermented beverage that enhances digestion. The counter also has on display various supplements, honeys, and kombucha (effervescent tea-based beverage) for a pick-me-up. Don’t leave without a taste of MaxGreen.Co’s signature raw desserts—take a guilt-free spoonful (or ten!) of the green pudding (made green by the addition of a nutritional supplement called spirulina) or banana ice cream.

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GBK takes the classic burger and elevates it to a true culinary experience. While the setting at both GBK branches is casual, it is nevertheless more similar to a restaurant than a diner, cutlery and all. The meat used in the burgers is high quality Angus beef or beef from cattle farms in Turkey’s Gönen district.

Yet what makes GBKs really stand out is not just the quality of beef, but the wide variety of burgers available and the range of ingredients on offer, many of which are hard to find in Turkey. While traditionalists will be satisfied with a classic burger served on freshly baked buns, there are many variations available, including the Cajun burger with a spicy sauce, the Thai Beef burger served with a green curry sauce, the Avocado Bacon burger, and the very popular Blue Cheese burger that comes slathered in a creamy, rich blue cheese sauce.

There are just as many options when it comes to chicken burgers, including the Chicken Satay burger served with a sweet and sour sauce, the Thai Chicken burger, and—a personal favorite—the Chicken Camembert & Cranberry burger that has the perfect blend of sweet and tart flavors.

Despite such a meat heavy menu, there are also a number of options available for vegetarians, such as the Puy Lentil burger, Aubergine & Goat’s cheese burger, and the Portabella burger where the ‘patty’ consists of grilled mushrooms. There are also a number of tasty appetizers, such as falafel and Cheese & Berry (fried goat’s cheese balls served with cranberry sauce), which is a favorite for many, not just vegetarians. Prices are reasonable given the portions and the quality of the ingredients used, making GBK a great option for when you want a top quality burger.

Recommended Side Dishes:

Cheese & Berry

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Apart from seasonal varieties, a number of unexpected flavors also make the menu, such as crème brûlée, mascarpone, bitter chocolate with whiskey, and sour cherry with green apple. With such variety and flavors, picking a favorite is certainly no easy task. If hard pressed, I would have to go with the minty and creamy After Eight or the Mojito, with its tart lime flavor spiked with mint, delightfully refreshing on a hot summer day.

While there are small indoor and outdoor seating areas, most people prefer to enjoy Girandola’s gelatos and sorbets while having a leisurely stroll along the Bosphorus. Once you’ve had a taste, you’ll surely be coming back for more.

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A cheap but good option to enjoy Middle Eastern dishes, like hummus, tabbouleh, and falafel sandwiches, is Falafel House, located in the heart of Beyoğlu just a few blocks from Taksim Square. The restaurant has quickly become a favorite among vegetarians and those looking for an on-the-go lunch besides the traditional kebabs and dürüm (roasted lamb in a wrap).

Recommended Side Dishes: Pickles (Ankara Çubuk Turşusu)

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Recommended Side Dishes: Pickles (Ankara Çubuk Turşusu)

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Cremeria Milano opened its first branch in Turkey on the busy pedestrian Istiklal Caddesi and quickly became very popular for its rich flavors and creamy texture. Today there are three more branches in Nişantaşı, Şaşkınbakkal, and most recently in Bebek.

A wide variety of flavors are on offer with availability depending in part on the season, with melon, peach, and watermelon flavors available only during summer months. Menu favorites include Baileys, tiramisu, rum-raisin, coconut, pistachio, coffee, yogurt, lemon, Nutella with biscuits, and mint-chocolate flavors. Apart from ice cream, desserts such as Mascarpone tiramisu and white chocolate profiterole are also available, as well as a variety of crepes stuffed with ice cream, fruit, and various sauces.

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Çorbacı is a serious soup spot, with an inventory of more than 600 different kinds of soups. Located in the vicinity of the Galatasaray Highschool, this budget eatery offers something for each palate, with a menu that includes pea soup, onion soup, meat-based soups, and Turkish classics like lentil soup. This place is a great choice for a quick bite at an affordable price, especially during cold winter days.

Recommended Side Dishes

Haloumi Stick

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Recommended Side Dishes:

Falafel

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The venue, which is usually filled with the city’s glitterati, offers authentic Japanese fare (often with a twist) prepared by Chef Rainer Becker. The venue features five different dining areas: the main dining area features round tables and is dominated by the open-plan kitchen; the sushi & robota counter allows customers to watch the craft of talented chefs; the sofas at the lounge area offers a more casual dining space; the sake bar offers a comprehensive list of cocktails in addition to top-quality imported sake; the summer terrace, which is directly on the water’s edge, has a private jetty allowing guests with boats direct access from the water.

Recommended Dishes:

Gyu No Tataki (Seared beef with soy, ginger, lime and coriander)

İka No Kari Kari Age (Crispy fried squid with green chilli an

Nasu No Miso Yalki (Grilled aubergine with miso and sake glaze)

Black Cod

Recommended Cocktails:

Lychee Martini

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Having moved across the street to a larger location due to its growing popularity, Zencefil is now housed in an airy venue, with exposed brick, skylights, and a leafy courtyard. All you need to do to find this oasis is to take the first right after the French Consulate building on Istiklal Street, then take the first left. You'll see the pretty green sign for Zencefil on your right.

At Zencefil, lunch and dinner starts with a delicious basket of homemade breads and herbed butter. In fact, many items on the menu are homemade with fresh, seasonal ingredients. The menu includes many wholesome dishes including salads, quiches, and pie. There are also several international options, such as vegetable lasagna or Indian vegetable stew, while a number of Turkish classics, such as mücver (vegetable fritter or pancakes) are also available. The desserts also come highly recommended, including the pumpkin pie and wine-poached figs.They also offer breakfast on a daily basis, featuring classic Turkish breakfast fare.

The menu and daily specials have also been accurately translated into English, which helps to make this a favorite with expats and tourists alike. With its flavorful and healthy vegetarian dishes, reasonable prices, and friendly and helpful wait staff, one can see how Zencefil has managed to last so long in a city better known for its kebabs than its kale. While there are several more veggie options available in the city today, Zencefil continues to remain the original vegetarian’s delight.

Recommended Dishes:

Ayran Aşı (Cold soup with corn, chickpea and yogurt)

Beans with tarragon

Eggplant with goat’s cheese

Green Lasagna

Recommended Drinks:

Lemonade

Ginger ale

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Yüksel 2 is a branch of Yüksel Balık, opened in 2009 and catering for even more diners – up to 800 in summer with the garden terrace open, with magnificent views of the sea. There are the same governing principles of fresh fish and vegetables prepared with care and expertise, as dictated by the mother ship restaurant. The place is popular with local families as well as businessmen and celebrities, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to book ahead, especially in summer, for large parties.

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This is a stylish restaurant, with an eclectic décor befitting a venue affiliated with IKSV; at X Restaurant, it’s all about the details; the plates are colored with the designs of Güngör Taner, and the food is beautifully presented.

The Turkish and Mediterranean fusion menu includes such delicacies as pumpkin soup (with pumpkin seeds and mini meatballs) and Homemade Smoked Salmon Slices with Beetroot Puree and Quail Eggs Pane.

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Another member of the excellent Istanbul Doors group, Wan-na is an elegant and upscale restaurant. The menu here is pan-Asian, with a fusion of Chinese, Thai, Japanese, and Vietnamese dishes on offer, along with a drinks list of various exotic cocktails with a Far Eastern twist.

Formerly located in the Pera district, Wan-na moved to the upscale Kanyon shopping mall in Levent in 2010. The space was formerly home to the Istanbul branch of the London restaurant Hakkasan, and Wan-na made only very minimal changes to the interior design. The look at Wan-na is sleek and elegant, having won praise from Wallpaper magazine for its décor, with lots of black lacquer and origami inspired shapes. There is also a large outdoor seating area, although this gets rather breezy, especially during winter.

The pan-Asian menu features a number of hits, such as the Chinese spicy prawns, which are delicious, tender, and flavorful, and the tasty vegetable fried rice. However, other dishes miss their mark, such as the beef pad-thai, which is a bit bland, under-seasoned, and rather disappointing given its price.

The patrons keep returning to Wan-na not only for its food but also for its party atmosphere, as this restaurant morphs into a trendy club after 11:30pm. This is a favorite venue among the Istanbul elite who, after a meal of sushi or dim sum, like to dance the night away, cocktail in hand.

Vonalı Celal specializes in cuisine from Turkey’s Black Sea coast, an area inhabited by the Laz ethnic group. The Laz have their own distinct language, cultural practices, and cuisine, as reflected by their food, which is very different from what one normally associates with Turkish cuisine. Vonalı Celal has two branches, one on the coastal road in Sultanahmet and the other in the Saffire shopping center. While the branch in Sultanahmet is most often frequented by tour groups, the Saffire location is popular with the area’s business people.

Laz cuisine is famous for its use of cornbread, sardines, pickles, and stewed vegetables, such as kale and beans. For starters you can try the pan-fried cornbread, which is drier and less sweet than the American variety, and a number of interesting vegetable dishes. When eating at Vonalı Celal an absolute must is the gooey dish known as “kuymak” or “mıhlama”. An indulgent mixture of goat cheese, butter, and corn flour, it is like a Black Sea fondue, and served in the same manner, with pieces of bread used for dipping, while hamsı, or sardines, are an essential part of any Black Sea meal. For Vonalı Celal’s “hamsi tava” the sardines are butterfly filleted, breaded with corn flour, and deep fried, resulting in a lovely crispy coating. Pide is another one of the region’s most well-known dishes, served open with various toppings. Unlike other parts of Turkey, where grilled meat is very common, in the Black Sea region, meat does not feature heavily and is usually minced.

A common dessert is the classic “Laz böreği”. Unlike most börek dishes, which are savory,“Laz böreği” is sweet, filled with custard instead of cheese or meat, and served with syrup. Another highly recommended option is Vonalı Celal’s version of “kabak pastası”, a delicious pumpkin dessert. What makes Vonalı Celal’s cuisine so interesting is the use of unusual regional ingredients not often found in other parts of the country, providing a whole new perspective on Turkish food.

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These offer dim lighting at night to complement the twinkling lights littering the Bosphorus view, easily one of the best in Istanbul. As mentioned, the food is traditionally Turkish, although there is excellent International cuisine also available, including sushi, lobster and pizza. Another noteworthy mention is the award-winning and impressively varied wine list prepared according to import availability, including wines from Turkey, Italy, France, Australia, Argentina, Chile and much more.

Of the Turkish food, the lahmacun is a particular favorite. In stark contrast to the usual heavy topping of lamb, Ulus 29's version is far lighter, using lean beef, making the traditional lahmacun more like an elegant pizza. Another winner is the delicious crispy borek, filled with duck rather than the usual minced meat or cheese. The accompanying pomegranate sauce is reminiscent of Chinese sweet and sour sauce, perfectly complementing the duck.

The desserts are also well worth trying, with the sütlaç (milky rice pudding) flavoured with mastic getting a special mention. All in all, the restaurant is deservedly very popular, with many Istanbul residents taking their foreign guests here for the view and choice of excellent Turkish or International cuisine, depending on how adventurous they are feeling!

Recommended Dishes

Truffle Scented Jerusalem Artichoke Soup

Bone Marrow Crusted Beef Tenderloin and Foie Gras

Lahmacun (Turkish style pizza)

Köfte (Turkish meatball)

Sütlaç (milky rice pudding)

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Unlike most Japanese restaurants in the city that stick to a menu of sushi and some basic hot dishes, Udonya serves a broader menu. While you can find the expected items of sushi, sashimi, maki rolls, tempura, and teriyaki, here you will also get a number of hard-to-find dishes, with around 180 items on the extensive menu.

One highlight is takoyaki—a traditional Japanese street food that consists of fried balls of dough filled with squid, ginger, and green onion, and topped with a special sauce and dried bonito flakes. Udonya is possibly the only restaurant in Istanbul that serves this favorite Japanese snack. As indicated by the name, the noodle dishes are also a specialty here, with thick, chewy udon noodles dominating the menu.

Opened with the aim of serving authentic Japanese food in the atmosphere of an izakaya, a traditional Japanese drinking establishment where food is also served, Udonya is a great place to go if you are looking to experience traditional Japanese cuisine, in a relaxed, unfussy atmosphere.

Recommended Dishes

Goat Cheese Soufflé

White Tomato Soup

Gold Marinated Smoked Salmon (with salad and mango-yogurt sauce)

Duck liver Crème brûlée (apple and ginger emulsion, served with Brioche)

Grilled Sea bass on Skewers

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The cuisines are complemented by Ottoman décor, and there is a beautiful terrace from which to overlook the Bosphorus in summer. Live classical Turkish music is played, and the menu includes very traditional specialities like Lamb Külbastı and Testi Kebab.

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Hamsi Tava (Fried Anchovies)

The menu includes specialities such as Kashmiri lamb chops (chops boiled in milk and then fried with spices), as well as the crowd-pleasing dahls, curries and rice. The restaurant has received good press and is one of very few Indian restaurants in Istanbul.

Best Dishes:

Samosa

Tarka Dal

Lamb Korma

How to get there:Take the metro and get off at the Şişhane stop.

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The menu, which focuses on Mediterranean and Turkish cuisine, is prepared by Chef Ali Ekber Sarıgül. Although classic dishes remain unchanged, the menu gets updated every 2 months. An extensive wine list consisting of Turkish and international wines complements the delicious dishes.

The décor is minimalistic and chic, featuring white tablecloths and dark leather chairs. The first floor is reserved for dining and carries formal characteristics, whereas the upper floor, which features a lounge area for happy hour, has a more casual feel with its bar, tall mirrors and curtains, and long rustic tables. The garden area serves an ideal setting for warm spring and summer months.

In addition to offering catering services, Şans restaurant also hosts private parties. Even though the venue is closed on Sundays, such special events can be held on Sundays.

Recommended Dishes:

Fresh asparagus sautéed with butter and lemon, served with parmesan cheese

Pan seared blue fin tuna, steamed vegetables

Dry aged grilled bone in ribeye steak, french fries

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The sushi bar and Chef Takemura’s specials are unquestionably outstanding and are the highlight of Sunset’s menu. Sunset also has probably the largest and most extensive International wine list with rare and expensive wines alongside the more moderately-priced ones. Cigar selections are also available.

The enormous outdoor dining-area and bar are covered with white, triangular canopies, while the lofty indoor dining-area features floor-to-ceiling glass windows. An excellent choice for a business lunch (20\\\\\\\% discount offered during lunchtime), a casual afternoon with friends, or an exquisite dinner.

Sunset is definitely one of the best that Istanbul has to offer with its delicious food, top-quality wines, great service, and spectacular views of the Bosphorus.

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Even though there is no menu and what's on offer is quite limited, the select options are very good. The mezes are tasty, but the highlights are surely the fresh fish, the salad, and the calamari.There is no music here, and alcohol is not served, but if you say the magic word, you may just get what you wish for!

Tip: If not for the great food, go here for the amazing sunset.

Best Dishes:

Kalamar Tava(Fried Calamari)

Hamsi, tekir veya gümüş tava (Fried anchovies, mullet, sand smelt)

Homemade baklava

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Recommended Dishes

Levrek Sarma (Stuffed Sea bass)

Rokfor peynirli somon (Salmon with Roquefort cheese)

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Recommended Cocktail:

Margherita

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Housed in a 5-storey historical building, the restaurant includes an indoor-seating area, a garden, and a bar. A VIP room is also available for those looking for a private area for their special occasion lunches and dinners.

There are two separate menus available at the restaurant. If you’re a meat fan, you can order from Peymane’s menu, which ranges from kebab dishes and mezes to salads and desserts, while your pasta-loving friend eats a classic pasta from La Cucina’s menu, which focuses on classic Italian dishes like pasta, risotto, and pizza.

The restaurant offers a respite from the meat-heavy fare gracing Istiklal, which runs parallel to Kurabiye Sokak. The menu has plenty of options even a meat-lover would enjoy, as most dishes are paired with rice and yogurt. Entrees are decidedly Turkish-inspired and include the restaurant’s own take on veggie, soy, and mushroom burgers. Even before the complementary basket of warm bread with herbed olive oil is served, the waiter is sure to ask if there are any special dietary circumstances of which the kitchen should be aware. Little thought is put into presentation, though, making most of the dishes seem more or less simple and uninventive, but the taste is comforting, satisfying, and all the while guiltless, leaving the skeptical wanting a taste for more.

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This fine-dining restaurant serves excellent Turkish & international cuisine, and is consistently first-rate. It has been open since 1981, long before the area (Nişantaşı) developed its current crème de la crème status. Park Şamdan is very popular with locals, particularly for special events (like birthdays and other celebrations) and business lunches. The red carpet and candles by the entrance, leather stools by the bar, the white tablecloths, and beautiful garden views create a very appealing and upscale setting, making Park Şamdan a fine choice for an elegant lunch or dinner.

Recommended Dishes:

Paça Çorbası (Leg of lamb soup)

Risottolu Dana Kaburga (Beef rib with risotto)

Keşkül(Almond-based milk pudding)

Kaymaklı ekmek kadayıfı (Crumpets with syrup and clotted cream)

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The founding principle of Papermoon is to offer light, flavorful, and fresh dishes with impeccable presentation. And that’s exactly what they’ve been doing. Papermoon’s menu, which features classic Italian dishes prepared by Chef Giuseppe Pressani, changes twice a year to offer the best dishes made with seasonal ingredients. The “Lo Chef Consiglia” (roughly translated as the day’s special from the chef) is on offer every day, with two choices of antipasti, two choices of main courses, and two choices of pastas.

The venue boasts a very chic bar, which makes it an ideal spot for after-work drinks. It’s also a very popular spot for business dinners and lunches, as well as family dinners and special occasions.

Keep in mind that it’s quite difficult to get a table – especially on the weekends!

Recommended Dishes

Baby octopus with polenta

Penne with shrimp, zucchini and pink sauce

Paccheri (a type of pasta) with swordfish and eggplant

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Otto Santral is literally a work of art. This performance space-cum-restaurant/bar is designed to the nth, from the dishes to the bathroom stalls. The menu is no exception: a wide array of salad starters complements the meat mains, both foreign cuts and riffs on Turkish classics. Accent your meal with a glass of caipirhina, the Brazilian national cocktail. Parents rest easy – there are plenty of options for the kids! Lucky diners can catch a performance afterwards at Otto Santral’s massive concert hall.

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The food here is very good, and is prepared by chef and owner Esra Muslu, the same talented woman behind Auf, 67, and Backyard. The menu offers a mix of international and Turkish dishes, and includes sea bass ceviche, stuffed capsicum, spring rolls, mini lahmacun (Turkish-style pizza), pesto orecchiette, grilled salmon, steak, mushroom risotto, a few pizzas, and more.

After dinner, Nuteras transforms into a crowded club with a glass dance floor in the middle.

Recommended Dishes

Fıstıklı köfte (meatballs with pistachio)

Dana bonfile (steak)

Izgara somon (grilled salmon)

Deniz tarağı (clam)

Recommended Cocktails

Rose Mojito(made with white wine, red wine, Absolut vanilla, lime, and mint)

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Although known primarily as a Japanese restaurant, Ninja also serves Thai cuisine, with two Japanese and two Thai chefs on board. A range of Japanese dishes are on offer, including sushi and sashimi, a wide range of maki rolls, tempura dishes, sukiyaki, and a variety of noodle dishes, including udon and ramen. A number of traditional Thai dishes are also available. While Ninja already offers one of the broadest Japanese menus to be found in Istanbul, the staff will also go out of their way to prepare items that are not listed on the menu.

The décor is very minimalistic and traditionally Japanese, with several tatami rooms available for private groups. The consistent high-quality of the fish as well as the talent of the chefs help ensure that Ninja remains among the best Japanese restaurants Istanbul has to offer.

Recommended Dishes

Squid ink couscous with calamar

Çikolatalı Lokma(Turkish donut with chocolate)

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Located within the Sakıp Sabancı Museum complex, overlooking the waters of the Bosphorus, müzedechanga is a contemporary Turkish-Mediterranean restaurant, offering a range of creative dishes, such as maşpiyazı ve ev yapımı isli somon (in-house smoked salmon chunks with mung bean salad).

Ideal for any occasion, müzedechanga is best enjoyed on an artsy day, before or after walking around the museum.

Recommended Dishes

We’d like to give a list of recommended dishes, but everything at müzedechanga is unrivalled, so we suggest that you go there with a few friends and try a variety of their delicious dishes.

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The restaurant offers open-buffet international breakfast every morning from 7:00am to 10:00am. Make sure you make your reservations beforehand.

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The food is prepared with delicious herbs specially brought from Ayvalik, which is also where the chef hails from. The restaurant is unpretentious and simply decorated, with a sweet little garden seating area. Go and gawp at the fish in an open tank before your choice is brought to your table.

Recommended Dishes

Kalkan Tandır (Tandoori style Turbot)

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The quality of the food is excellent, and in combination with the inspired vision of Gürs, the resulting masterpieces are enticing creations that lure clients to return for more. The prices are not modest, but the food is worth it.

To demonstrate Gürs’ creative fusion of Turkish and Scandanavian elements, the Gravlax with cacık(yogurt with chopped cucumber)and dill is a perfect example of complimenting ingredients; both with distinctive national taste. Nothing could be more Scandanavian than Gravlax, and the creaminess of Turkish cacıkmixed with dill is the perfect accompaniment.

Alongside this, other delicacies which can be found on the menu are molasses-glazed lamb with apricot and mustard-seeded mashed potato, and a very impressive array of cheeses presented with walnuts, quince jam, fig and other excellent condiments.

The wines list is also very solid. The restaurant itself is on the top floor of hotel with breathtaking views, making it a perfect date venue (especially during summer), with the food sure to not disappoint.

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The menu here is classic Turkish seafood fare, including a range of mezes, fried calamari, shrimp cooked in earthenware pots, and fresh fish that is either grilled or fried. The house specialty is whole fish cooked in rock salt and served with sautéed tomatoes, mushrooms and herbs, which comes highly recommended. With good service and consistently high-quality food, Marina is a favorite with well-to-do locals.

Best Dishes:

Menemen (Scrambled eggs with tomatoe and peppers)

Eggs Benedict with bacon or prosciutto (for breakfast)

Balık Ekmek - fish sandwich

Open sandwich and bruschetta selections

Double Chocolate browni

Baileys Mudcake

The extremely rich and varied menu is divided into five categories: starters and zeytinyağlı (cold vegetable appetizers cooked with olive oil); meats and kebabs; Gaziantep specialties; desserts; and international fare such as salads, sandwiches and crepes. The meats and kebabs are then subdivided into three sections: 15 traditional kebabs, 5 seasonal kebabs and 14 different grills. In addition to a year round list of 15 traditional kebabs, including kuzu şiş, ali nazik, eggplant, Adana, Urfa and döner kebabs, Mabeyin serves five kebabs made with seasonal ingredients: quince, truffle, onion, garlic and loquats.

Mabeyin also boasts a stunning range of hot and cold appetizers (meze) and salads including soups, lahmacun, içli köfte, three varieties of humus (with pastrami, walnuts or pine nuts), çiğ köfte, pickles from Gaziantep, and gavurdağı salad. Rather unusual for a Gaziantep kebab establishment, Mabeyin also serves a range of olive oil (zeytinyağlı) dishes that are more equated with Istanbul Ottoman cuisine. Mabeyin is also deservedly proud of its baklava varieties, one of a mouthwatering array of Turkish desserts.

In Ottoman times, a 'Mabeyinci' served as a kind of public relations manager for the sultan. It also was the name of the area between the harem and the selamlık in Ottoman villas and palaces. In modern Turkish, it means 'space between' or intermediary. Appropriately, Mabeyin serves as an intermediary for Turkish cuisine, presenting a wide range of Turkish, Arab and Ottoman fare to its guests. Besides their mouth-watering kebabs, Mabeyin offers brunch on Sundays which consists of Antep breakfast specialties such as katmer (crispy flaky pastry with sugar), liver kebab and suböreği (layered pastry filled with cheese).

Apart from this, the breakfast at Mabeyin is also a worthy endeavor beginning with a freshly squeezed glass of orange juice and warm pide to a buffet of regional offerings like fresh tomatoes, fresh fruit, cheese varieties, olives and more. Hot dishes are also served including omelettes, soup, and börek varieties. The restaurant is also a great place for families because of a children's playroom and a babysitter on site to take care of the children.

Best Dishes:

Spring kebab with vegetables

Keme kebab

A restaurant has to be pretty good to cut it with the locals in Bebek and Lucca certainly does. The venue features high ceilings and a minimalist décor and its cuisine is Turkish-American fusion with a fair sprinkling of world cuisine, including pad Thai, an extensive range of tapas, eclectic seafood dishes, and sushi and sashimi varieties, all under the ministrations of a Spanish head chef. The menu changes every few months to offer the best of the season. Brunch is offered every Sunday between 10am-3pm fromSeptember to June, while the summermonthsfeature an extensivebreakfastmenu.Lucca is famously hip, winner of several awards for best brasserie-café, best bar and “Istanbul’s Hip Restaurant” (Conde Nast Traveler Magazine) since its opening.

Chief Bartender Cevat Yıldırım, winner of many national and international awards, is most famous for his Satsuma Vodkas and Mojitos. Lucca’s wine list features about 60 wines with 18 wines by the glass. An ideal place for an all-excellent night out with great food, atmosphere, and drinks to carry you onto a fun night out.

Recommended Dishes:

Lemon Sebass

Duck Papparde

Grilled Salmon with Orange Sauce and Sauteed Fennel

Recommended Tapas:

Duck Roll

Prawn Roll

Crab&Avocado Bruschetta

Recommended Cocktails:

Satsuma Vodka

Brazilian Cooler

Pear&Ginger Vodka

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Best Dishes:

Levrek Lokum (sebass wrapped in roasted eggplant)

Baklava

Open since December 2009, this innovative restaurant offers an extraordinary culinary experience in a small yet vivacious space. Asymmetric shelves and tables as well as original ceiling décor set off the quirky atmosphere. Unsurprisingly, LilBitz offers tapas-style food. Each packed with intense flavors, these portions are 1/3 of a regular portion. The concept is to sample small portions of fine food without compromising your budget in a hip and sophisticated environment. The menu changes every month to reel back existing customers and keep the feel of the place fresh. After dinner, LilBitz turns into a lively club featuring different DJs. The music is not confined to one genre; you will dance to pop, hip hop, house, the 80s, and some Turkish music (usually played towards the end of the night).

Note: Closed for the summer.

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There is live DJ music on Friday & Saturday nights at the Kumbaracı and Richmond locations. The Rumeli branch is designed for specially catered events - business meals, banquets, etc. There is also a small private dining space available at the Kumbaracı branch.

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This lively restaurant opened in 1997 in the enclosed side walk near Tünel, which is very picturesque with its wrought iron chairs and potted plants. They serve great Tukish food with a selection of pizza, pasta and some French dishes. There is live jazz all week, with pianists, bassists and vocalists on the weekend.

Best Dishes:

Toros Salad

Şaşlık Kebab

Tarsusi Kebab

Atom

Best Dishes:

Toros Salad

Şaşlık Kebab

Tarsusi Kebab

Atom

Best Dishes:

Toros Salad

Şaşlık Kebab

Tarsusi Kebab

Atom

The Kanyon restaurant is obviously a less formal dining experience and conveniently located in the mall, with a terrace area and a kitchen open to view, busy with steaming copper pots and engrossed chefs. The menu is very Turkish, with specialities such as tandır (slow cooked lamb) and aubergine dishes. The şerbet is particularly popular, and there is an extensive wine list.

Much attention is paid to the heritage of the restaurant and the passage of time, which results in little details like the menu still being printed on a typewriter, even in the midst of the overwhelming modernity of Kanyon mall. How times (don’t) change.

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It serves an excellent selection of appetizers, most of which are fish or seafood-based, with a few other options like the delicate, cheese-filled sigara böreği (deep-fried pastry rolls). The mains are mainly fresh fish, with a few meat options like steak to suit those who have been dragged to a fish restaurant against their will.

Various desserts are available, including chocolate soufflé and baked quince, and there is a decent variety of wine. Great food, excellent service, and a warm atmosphere on the waterfront – an all-round winner.

Recommended Dishes:

Asma yaprağına sarılı çinekop(Blue fish wrapped vine leaves)

Bomba Fasulye(Beans in tomato sauce)

Kaymaklı Ayva Tatlısı(Quince dessert with clotted cream)

Kılıç Şiş (Swordfish on a skewer)

The food is very traditional, excellently presented and particularly strong on items such as dolma (stuffed vine leaves), with the prune-filled variety standing out beyond the other varieties (chestnut, meat, fava bean and mixed - all delicious too).

There are many fresh salads and meat dishes to tempt you, of which the slow cooked lamb cooked in a clay dish with rice deserves special mention. There are also a few shelves in the entrance with pots of jam, pekmez ( mulberry molasses) and other treats for sale.Note that the restaurant is especially inviting on Saturday nights with live music.

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Recommended Dishes:

Vişneli Ekmek Tatlısı (Bread pudding dessert with sour cherry syrup)

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It's not just the glittering views of the Bosphorus that makes this place a favorite. It's also the excellent food, prepared by chefs Nuri and Mehmet, who have been there since the founding of the restaurant 20 years ago.

A variety of meze, followed by fresh fish, topped off with chocolate soufflé. A fine meal indeed!

The menu includes the usual suspects: cold and hot meze, a variety of whatever fish is in season, salads and a wide choice of deserts. What is unusual is the innovation in the menu – instead of normal dolma in the meze section (usually vine leaves stuffed with mince, rice and herbs), you are offered sardine-filled dolma, and in the hot section the usual fried calamari is served with soy sauce.

The dessert menu is much fuller than average, with choices like dried fig with sauce and banana split alongside the usual warm halva and baked sweetened quince. All in all, a predictably expensive yet unpredictably good choice for a fish meal.

Over the years many more Italian restaurants have opened in the city, causing Il Padrino to somewhat lose its competitive edge. Nevertheless Il Padrino remains a favorite with local residents and is still considered as one of the best Italian restaurants on the Asian side, thanks in part to the friendly yet professional service.

With its tables covered with white tablecloths and its interior elegantly decorated with wood paneling, memorabilia, and Ottoman art on the walls, Hünkar creates a modern atmosphere.At Hünkar, meals can be ordered from the table or can be selected from the open display.

At Hünkar, meals traditionally start with a bowl of soup, of which there are three varieties available daily. Appetizers consist of mezes and traditional Turkish olive oil dishes (zeytinyağlılar). Main dishes tend to be centered on meat, but there is a wide variety of vegetarian dishes as well. In fact, Hünkar is the only restaurant in Istanbul to be approved and registered by the Vegan Society in the States.

Hünkar is particularly famous for its Beğendili kebap (eggplant puree with lamb chunks). Their yogurt is in a class of its own and is definitely a must-try.For dessert, there are a number of scrumptious options, including komposto (fruit compote), rice pudding, şekerpare (mini cakes in syrup), and aşure (wheat pudding with nuts and dried fruits).

Specializing in high-quality food that is unpretentiously served, Hünkar is very popular with locals with branches in Etiler and Nişantaşı. The Nişantaşı branch is frequented by families living in the area and tourists, while the Etiler one, which has an outdoor seating area tastefully decorated with hanging dried vegetables like eggplants and corns, is more of a business-lunch spot.

As of March 2011, the Nişantaşı branch of Hünkar began offering tasting menues for those who want to get a proper introduction to Turkish cuisine in one sitting.

Recommended Dishes:

Hünkar Beğendi (Lamb served on smoky eggplant puree)

Nohutlu Pilav (Rice with chickpeas)

Aşure (Turkish pudding with grains and fruits)

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Founded in 1950 and owned and managed by the Ügümü family, Hünkaris an upscale version of a classic tradesman restaurant (esnaf lokantası) thatspecializes in home-style Turkish and Ottoman cuisine.

With its tables covered with white tablecloths and its interior elegantly decorated with wood paneling, memorabilia, and Ottoman art on the walls, Hünkar creates a modern atmosphere.At Hünkar, meals can be ordered from the table or can be selected from the open display.

At Hünkar, meals traditionally start with a bowl of soup, of which there are three varieties available daily. Appetizers consist ofmezesand traditional Turkish olive oil dishes (zeytinyağlılar). Main dishes tend to be centered on meat, but there is a wide variety of vegetarian dishes as well. In fact, Hünkar is the only restaurant in Istanbul to be approved and registered by the Vegan Society in the States.

Hünkar is particularly famous for itsBeğendili kebap(eggplant puree with lamb chunks). Their yogurt is in a class of its own and is definitely a must-try.For dessert, there are a number of scrumptious options, includingkomposto(fruit compote), rice pudding,şekerpare(mini cakes in syrup), andaşure(wheat pudding with nuts and dried fruits).

Specializing in high-quality food that is unpretentiously served, Hünkar is very popular with locals with branches in Etiler and Nişantaşı. The Nişantaşı branch is frequented by families living in the area and tourists, while the Etiler one, which has an outdoor seating area tastefully decorated with hanging dried vegetables like eggplants and corns, is more of a business-lunch spot.

As of March 2011, the Nişantaşı branch of Hünkar began offering tasting menues for those who want to get a proper introduction to Turkish cuisine in one sitting.

Recommended Dishes:

Hünkar Beğendi(Lamb served on smoky eggplant puree)

Nohutlu Pilav(Rice with chickpeas)

Aşure(Turkish pudding with grains and fruits)

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Because of the small staff, order ahead for special dishes like topik, a mound of tahin and chickpeas which is wonderful if you can cope with the intense flavors (some people simply cannot). They also offer other Armenian specialities like stuffed spleen (dalak dolma), as well as dishes which you assume are Turkish until you realize that most Turkish food is pinched from Armenia – many of the meze dishes, including the ubiquitous yaprak sarma (stuffed vine leaves). Definitely somewhere to check out, even make an excursion to, for the excellent food at cheap prices.

There is a takeout restaurant on theirground-level floor, anda smallerbranch of Hamdia few doors down servingköfte(meatballs) and other inexpensive fare. Their websiteis very helpful, with an onlinemenuproviding photos,cooking times, and ingredient lists.

Best Dishes:

Beyti Kebap (Kebab wraps served with tomato sauce and yogurt)

Patlıcan Kebap(Kebab with eggplant, cooked on a thick metal skewer)

Fıstıklı Kebap (Kebab with pistachio)

Baklava

Künefe (Shredded pastry with cheese)

Tips:

- If you want to try Hamdi’s testi kebabı (a kebab cooked in an earthenware jug), you need to order it when making a reservation, at least four hours in advance.

- If you’re holding a big party, you can order Hamdi’s ceremonial kolbaşı, a kebab that can reach up to one meter in length.

- Döner kebap and İskender kebap are only available between 12 PM and 2:30 PM.

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Established in 1876, Hacı Abdullah Lokantası has long been a fixture in Beyoğlu restaurant sceen. Very proud of its history, Hacı Abdullah serves Turkish and Ottoman cuisine, usually featuring 150 varieties daily of hot and cold meze, soups and main dishes. The décor ation at the entrance is pleasant, with large jars of pickled fruits and vegetables lining the walls. However, the large room at the back is a bit more glitzy, verging on tacky.

Not surprisingly, the focus with the main dishes is on meats, with a wide range of grilled dishes available, including hünkar begendi (pureed aubergines with lamb) and kuzu tandir (lamb cooked tandoori-style) .Yet vegitarians will never be at a loss for something to eat here, with a wide variety of hot and cold olive oil meze,soups and salads available. The restaurant is also famous for its fruit deserts, specifically its baked quince, served with a side of clotted cream, and fuit compotes like those that line the restaurant shelves.

Because alcohol is not served, this restaurant is also a favorite with families and traditional Turkish couples. Despite its ongoing populartiy, recent reviews suggest that this restaurant seems to be resting on its laurels. A significant drop in both the quality of the food and the service has been noted by a number of recent visitors, who complain that the food is now bland and overrated, not to mention over-priced.

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Recommended Dishes:

Mixed meze plate

Borscht soup (beet soup)

Meat/vegetable/cheese blini(crêpes)

Hingal mantı (meat dumplings)

Çakapuli (lamb stew with tarragon and plum sauce)

Ostri (veal goulash with pepper, tomato, mushrooms, and coriander)

Baje (stewed chicken thighs with walnut and saffron)

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Gaja Restaurant, located on top of the Swissotel The Bosphorus Istanbul hotel, is one of Istanbul’s premium fine dining venues. Located on the 14^th floor, with a beautiful view, during the summer months the restaurant migrates up to the terrace for open air dining. In late 2011 William Mahi came on board as the new executive chef at Gaja. The gorgeous view, understated décor and impeccable service remain, but now Chef Mahi has brought his own unique touch to the Gaja kitchen.

Gaja offers international haute cuisine, while Chef Mahi is clearly a fan of molecular gastronomy. The tasting menu, which is paired with a selection of top quality wines, is a good option if you want to experience a variety of dishes and cooking techniques, and allows the chef to show off his personal cooking style and philosophy. A meal at Gaja is a memorable experience, where you are sure to experience a range of innovative cooking techniques using high quality ingredients. Gaya is also most definitely a splurge, with a meal here certain to cost a pretty penny.

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Best Dishes:

Buffalo Mozzarella

Neapolitan style pizzas

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The venue is elegantly decorated with candles and large paintings featuring Indian women and various aspects of Indian culture. The top floor of the five-story venue affords a wonderful view of the Old City, with a particularly imposing view of the Haghia Sophia. However, it must be noted that the climb up requires some effort; the stairs are too steep and narrow, making the climb up especially difficult for the elderly. Still, the view, which is especially moving at nighttime, is definitely worth the climb.

Recommended Dishes

Raita

Gosht korma

Kashmiri pulao

Begumi biryani

Dal tarka

Naan

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This restaurant is decorated in traditional Chinese style, with red lacquer, paper lanterns, and silk screens, the only complaint being that the atmosphere can be a bit overly formal. The service is excellent, while the prices are what you would expect from an upscale restaurant located in a high-end hotel.

Best Dishes: Eggplant (patlıcan) kebab

Kebab with Pistachios (fıstıklı kebab)

Künefe (shredded wheat pastry with pistachio nuts dipped in honey or sugar)

Best Dishes: Eggplant (patlıcan) kebab

Kebab with Pistachios (fıstıklı kebab)

Künefe (shredded wheat pastry with pistachio nuts dipped in honey or sugar)

In 2005 the restaurants were listed in the Observer's Top 100 Restaurants in the World. Develi only uses local ingredients: pistachio, red pepper paste, pomegranate molasses and bulgur from Gaziantep, pepper from Kahramanmaraş and meat mainly from Thrace, Konya Karapınar and Bandırma. Starters include çiğ köfte (raw meat patty), gavurdağı salad (salad with tomatoes, parsley, hazelnuts with pomogranite syrup) , hummus, muhammara, içli köfte (meatballs stuffed with cracked wheat and greens), two varieties of lahmacun (Turkish style pizza with spicy meat filling), maş piyazı (a member of the soya family made with parsley and spices) and Antep-style dried eggplant dolma.

All meat is fresh and seasonal. Specialties include simit kebab made with fine bulgur and mixed spices, an Antep dish, ala nazik (which they point out is wrongly known generally as ali nazik), and kebab made with keme, the Antep word for truffles. Develi is the creator of Pistachio Kebab, a famous Antep kebab variety, which is also the house specialty. You can also try a mixed plate of all the popular Develi kebabs.

Best Dishes:

Yuvalama (Soup with chickpeas and wheat)

Kuru Patlıcan Dolması (Dried eggplant dolma)

Patlıcanlı Kebap (Eggplant kebab)

Fıstıklı Kebap (Pistachio Kebab)

Yaprak Söbiyeti (Rolled baklava with pistachio and cream)

Künefe (shredded wheat pastry with pistachio nuts dipped in honey or sugar)

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There are many authentic touches to both the food and presentation, for example, the very high quality olive oil served with the warm bread. Constant reaching for this bread is tempting but must be avoided in order to make room for the excellent starters and main dishes, not to mention the desserts. These are also special to the Southern Italian region and venture beyond the typical tiramisu to the Napolean - a pastry shell open and filled with cream, bitter chocolate sauce and lemon zest. Inspired. The link between dish and name is obscure and will no doubt keep the historians among you guessing throughout the meal.

Da Vittorio is located in the very trendy Tünel district, and it is not cheap. However, good Italian restaurants are fairly hard to find in this city, and you will be paying not only for the food but the very pleasant atmosphere, which comes courtesy of candles on each table, little flowers, black and white prints on the walls and two dining spaces, in total seating 45 people. An excellent date venue, or a great place to come with a group of friends or family.

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Expect to find interesting versions of favorite staple dishes, for example stuffed artichoke rather than the usual stuffed pepper, grilled loquats filled with rice and minced meat mixtures or caramelized onions atop the classic dolma. Mr Dağdeviren is also a master of juices, involving tamarind to add a certain je ne sais quoi, and often prepares the popular candied pumpkin which rounds off a typical Turkish meal.

Çiya is to be found on the Asian side of town, which is usually an off-putting factor in deciding on restaurant choice, but even the laziest of European dwellers make the effort to come to Çiya for a decidedly above average meal. The place has kept its original, modest atmosphere while grappling with many hungry and appreciative customers every day. Join the throng.

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The ÇIPA Restaurant serves modern Turkish cuisine as well as a great a la carte menu. An American breakfast is also available. For dinner, there is a well-chosen wine list. Light meals, snacks and a range of drinks can be enjoyed in the Anchor Bar/Lounge and the Yacht Club Bar. If you are staying at the hotel, in-room private dining is available with 24 hour room service, which you can enjoy on the balcony of your room.

Open since 1999, Changa is the recipient of a “Best New Restaurant” award (Wallpaper – Design Awards 2007) and has been featured in numerous local and international magazines and newspapers. It is under the consultancy and supervision of world renowned chef Peter Gordon, alongside Civan Er, a highly talented Turkish chef. As a team they consistently show great taste and judgment.

The food is excellent from the sweet quince, earthy chestnuts and Brussel sprouts in the rich and satisfying main course – ‘Roasted Chicken with Port Sauce’, to the earthy celeriac and pears in the zeytinyağlı (olive oil dishes). There is also a wonderful ambiance, with considerable excitement elicited from the glass ceiling of the kitchen, which you can walk over to watch the expert chefs at work.

The Changa menu is chockfull of fresh, locally produced food items. Almost everything on the menu is seasonal and they adapt popular dishes when the seasons change. Changa’s menu consists of “contemporary” international dishes with a Turkish flair and deals largely with Asian flavor components to compliment Turkish food items that are in season. Besides the a la carte menu, a tasting menu (for two or more people) is available. Changa also has a private dining room, with a capacity for a minimum of 12 guests and up to 30 guests. Their “sister” restaurant Muzedechanga opened in 2005 and is located at the Sakıp Sabancı Museum.

Recommended Dishes

We’d like to give a list of recommended dishes, but everything at Changa is unrivalled, so we suggest that you go there with a few friends and try a variety of their delicious dishes.

The menu features many Ottoman and Süryani (Syrian Orthodox) dishes, with plenty of lamb, bulgur rice, dried fruit, nuts, and spices. If you want to sample a variety of starters, the meze platter is recommended and includes 12 varieties, such as the Alluciye(a mixture of lamb, greens, squash, and herbs) and Incasiye (a lamb dish with chickpeas, plums, and pomegranate molasses). The main dishes are very large and meant to be shared by two people. These include Içli Köfte a la Mardin, which are bulgur balls filled with minced meat and walnuts, served with garlicky yogurt sauce, and Kaburga Dolması, a slow cooked lamb rib.

Desserts include homemade ice creams in traditional flavors and candied fruits and nuts, including some unusual offerings, such as candied tomato and eggplant. Cercis Murat Konağı also produces their own wine, which is served in copper decanters. Meals are ended with traditional Middle Eastern coffee called mırra served theatrically in copper pots with a serving of Turkish delights. Service is attentive, with a number of nice touches, such as copper bowls filled with rosewater and warm towels to clean your hands.

This establishment serves as an oasis to serve their needs, with very fresh liver in small cubes grilled on skewers and brought to the table as soon as they are cooked. They are served with various sides of onions, tomatoes both chopped and in spicy paste form, arugula salad, plates of mint, parsley, chard and sides of any spice you might wish for. A basket full of hot pieces of flat bread are brought to the table with the piping hot liver pieces, so you can make your own wraps by pulling off the liver pieces into the wrap and adding a selection of greens, tomato and spices to create the combination exactly suited to your own taste or whim. The best drink to have with this meal is ayran (yoghurt drink), although all kinds of soft drinks are available.

Canım Ciğerim is an unpretentious place - what you see is what you get, and don't come expecting liver soufflé with sauted gizzards or liver terriyaki. You can choose to eat outside if weather permits, or in the slightly smoky interior among fellow liver lovers.

Even though Caladdo is a marvelous venue for all occasions, it is certainly an attraction for the party-crowd around Pera. Since it is open 24 hours a day, it serves as an after-hours spot for those who would rather nibble on delicious dishes rather than grab a quick bite at a fast-food restaurant. The bar within the restaurant is also worth a try with its delectable wines and cocktails. American, Turkish, and continental breakfast options are also on offer for early-birds.

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There is a Topaz restaurant in Gümüşsuyu, providing the inspiration for a sister branch at Reina, specializing in meze and fish. As can be expected from Reina, an extremely swanky club complex with restaurants and several bars where clubbers are hosted pre-party hour, Blue Topaz is ambitious and attracts a certain privileged clientele. Prices remain fairly fixed, fluctuating slightly in line with what is on offer on an ever-changing menu.Even though it’s mainly a seafood restaurant, they offer a few options for meat-lovers, such as steak with coffee sauce (Kahve Soslu Bonfile) and chicken with artichoke (Enginarlı Tavuk).

Bistro 33 is a great option for either breakfast or lunch, or just for a causal afternoon coffee with friends. It is located on Bağdat Caddesi and attracts a fair scattering of smart professionals and ladies-who-lunch, with its wide selection of Italian coffees (it is known especially for its espressos), including iced coffees, fruit juice coolers, hot chocolates, and other beverages.

Their international cuisine includes pasta, pizza, and a variety of mains along with delicious desserts—their luscious and fruity French pastry mille-feuille (meyveli Milföy Aşkı) are quiet popular among their regular customers. The prices are very reasonable considering the chi-chi location, and it is a good, solid choice for a nice lunch or coffee date.

The dining space has two tables for smokers. The food is very good and includes a selection of dishes from International & Turkish cuisine along with Asian Fusion treats, meat and fish grills. The meat is particularly good, and there are light protein based salads as well as snacks for vegetarians or grazers.

Around midnight on Friday and Saturday the restaurant transforms into a crowded and dimly lit bar with the clientele sipping on cocktails and swaying to the beats produced by the live DJ.

Reservations can be made between 12-7pm from the following number: (0532) 556 4356

Recommended Cocktails:

Bird Mojito

Recommended Dishes:

Avocado, Goat Cheese and Tomato

Guacamole with Shrimps

Tom Yam Kung (Spicy shrimp soup)

Thai Style Spicy Tenderloin

Oven Baked Lamb Shank

Thai Seabass

Note: Closed for the summer.

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It is full of memorabilia from notable customers, and the decoration is largely in the old Ottoman style. It is extremely popular, serving around 100 customers a day, both for lunch and dinner. The restaurant owes its reputation for good meat to the use of prime choice cuts, the application of special marinating techniques and instant serving from the charcoal-grill. There is an extensive wine list and the service is excellent.

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Balıkçı Sabahattin is housed in a wonderfully restored Ottoman mansion, nestled behind Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque on a quiet side street. It started off more than 40 years ago as a small fish shack and has since developed a reputation as one of Istanbul's top seafood restaurants, popular among both Turks and foreigners. It is still a family-run business, handed down from the original owner Sabahattin. The space is decorated with colorful kilims and plants, giving the impression of dining in a cheerful family dining room.

A delicious range of cold and warm starters, salads, and fish are available, to be rounded off with light deserts and drinks. The menu leans more towards seafood than fish - octopus, mussels, prawns, and calamari are served alongside a select range of fish, which are priced by weight.

Especially famous for its deliciouskalkan tandır(turbot tandoori), Balıkçı Kahraman is a plain yet charming fish restaurant decorated with fisherman’s nets, hanging turbots, photos of celebrity clients and their thank-you notes. Balıkçı Kahraman offers great service, which is evident in the fact that waiters actually cut and bone the turbot for the novice fish-lovers. Their tomato salad, arugula salad, creamy turbot liver, calamari, and warm breads are raved due to their freshness.

There are also some interesting combinations on the menu, like anchovies with thyme and red pepper.Even though some argue that the prices are not modest, especially considering the location and the lack of sea views, many argue that the turbot is worth the splurge and the trip. To make sure that you get a table, go on a weekday or make a reservation as the restaurant is frequented by celebrities (mostly on Sundays).

Best Dishes:

Turbot tandouri

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Interestingly, the recipes for these royal dishes were closely guarded secrets, known only to members of the palace cooking guilds and passed on, not through books but by word of mouth. Consequently, this knowledge was eventually lost. After studying records from meals and celebrations held at Topkapı and DolmabahcePalace, the chefs at Asitane have succeeded in recreating several hundred dishes.

The menu is ever-changing, using a range of seasonal ingredients. You will immediately notice that the flavors on offer are much more diverse than what is available in contemporary Turkish restaurants, with a combination of sweet and savory that is not typically found in modern Turkish cuisine. Indeed, the recipes incorporate flavors from the Middle East, Balkans, Central Asia and Anatolia; all territories that were once ruled over by the Ottomans.

Another one of Asitane’s unusual characteristics is the location in Edirnekapı, which is off the beaten path and far from the central Beyoğlu district or the waters of the Bosphorus, where you can find most of the city’s upscale restaurants. Nevertheless, this part of town still manages to draw a significant number of tourists with its wealth of historical buildings. Asitane is located next to one of the most noteworthy of these buildings, the Byzantine St. Savior in Chora Church,which is famed for its incredible mosaics and frescos. Asitane’s large garden which is open during the summer months, has a lovely view of the neighboring church.

Inside, the décor is tasteful and subtle, if not a bit unremarkable, with starched white table cloths and Ottoman calligraphy adorning the walls. The real “wow” factor lies with the food. On the menu, each dish has a listing of the date of origin and all of the recipes are prepared using the cooking methods of that period. Many of the dishes on the menu originate from the special Feast of 1539, celebrating the circumcision of Suleiman the Magnificent’s son, including the famous almond soup that was served at this celebration. At Asitane, the waiters are all very knowledgeable and ready to make suggestions and guide you towards the dishes you may enjoy the most.

On our visit we enjoyed Asitane classics, such as the Stuffed Quince (1539), which is one of Asitane’s signature dishes, where quince is baked after it has been stuffed with a blend of lamb, beef, rice, pine nuts, and currants and topped with grape molasses. Served with melon in the summer, this is a play on a traditional dolma dish, with the quince so perfectly cooked that each bite melts in your mouth, and the meat serving as a counter-balancing the sweetness of the quince. Another popular dish is the“Mahmudiyye” with Dane-i Sarı (1539), stewed chicken in a creamy sauce that included apricots, almonds and Razaki raisins. This dish is flavored with cinnamon and cloves, and served with a side of saffron pilaf rice, with the flavors well-balanced and the chicken very tender and tasty.

Throughout the meal, the waiters bring over complimentary glasses of sherbet, the sweet and syrupy drink that is the main ingredient in sorbets. The house specialties are pomegranate blossom and cinnamon, which has a nice subtle bite due to the cloves and chili that are used. However, while these are delicious, they can become a bit overwhelming and sugary, when accompanying a meal.

You can finish your meal with the obligatory cup of Turkish coffee and one of their desserts, such as the Levzine (1539). Although this is described as an Almond Halva, the texture and flavor are much closer to a sugary marzipan, which made for the perfect ending to a delicious and unusual meal. With its focus on the Ottoman past, Asitane provides a very different and very welcome take on Turkey’s culinary history, an experience not to be missed.

Recommended Dishes:

Ottoman Hums (Hummus)

Ciğer Köftesi (Liver meatball)

Stuffed vine leaves with sour cherries

Beyza Be Cihet-i Börek-i Makiyan (Puff pastry filled with chicken, eggs and fresh spices)

Stuffed Quince or Melon

Helatiye(Pudding infused with gum mastic, served with almonds, pistachios, seasonal fruits in rose water syrup)

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The restaurant, which is frequented by businesspeople, ladies-who-lunch, and anyone who appreciates good taste, overlooks the outer courtyard of İstinyePark shopping mall, and is ideal for people-watching. The menu, which changes every three months based on seasonal ingredients and the chefs’ inspirations, is a combination of traditional Italian and modern Mediterranean dishes, all made from the freshest, purest, highest quality ingredients.

The kitchen is under the command of award-winning Turkish and international chefs. Executive Chef Yener Özden is a member of the World Association of Chefs Societies, the winner of more than 40 medals from gastronomic competitions, and one of the representatives of the slow food movement.Sous-ChefMusa Şener is the chief assistant of the Turkish National Culinary Team. The restaurant’sChef de Cuisineis Cristiano Cameli, who laid the groundwork for the Emporio Armani Ristorante with his expertise in pastas, risottos, and original Italian flavors.

Recommended Dishes

Insalata di Gamberetti(prawns deep fried in five grains served with mixed greens in olive oil and lemon sauce)

Risotto Ai Funghi Porcini(Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms)

Tonno Scottato(Tuna Steak with Red Onions Cooked in Balsamic Reduction)

Tiramisu

Baverese(Bavarian White Chocolate)

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Located on a street in trendy Asmalımescit, surrounded by bars and clubs, Antiochia is very popular with both locals and tourists. The décor is modern and minimal, and the menu is equally spare, offering a limited selection of mezes and grilled meat dishes.

While the kebab dishes are all recommended, so are the various meze, and for those who want to sample the variety the meze plate is a good option. The generous use of herbs and spices for which the Hatay region is known is reflected in the meze selection, with contrasting textures and flavors that combine sweet, savory, and sour.

There are just two desserts on the menu, which are both unusual and also rather sweet, and may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Antiochia is an excellent choice for those who want to try Turkish food with a spicy kick.

Recommended Dishes

Kekik salatası (crushed green olives marinated in thyme)

Ev yapımı otlu yoğurt (thick and creamy freshly made yogurt)

Nar ekşili cevizli közbiber (grilled red and green peppers mixed with walnuts and sour pomegranate sauce)

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The Ajia Restaurant features Mediterranean cuisine and has been awarded the ‘Five Star Diamond Award’ by the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences. This elegant restaurant has excellent views over the water and spills out onto the outdoor terrace during the summer months. With its small scale and intimacy, Ajia hotel is an ideal venue for weddings and private parties. If you are looking for a unique experience away from the hectic pace of the city, the Ajia Hotel is an excellent option.

All the fish on offer is very fresh and expertly prepared, and certain specialities like the fish balls on the hot meze menu, crisp and succulent in their hot, deep-fried batter, have devoted fans coming back for more. In winter, there is a Sunday lunch menu which features excellent fish soup, another crowd puller. Other meze dishes worth mentioning are the fresh, expertly battered calamari, the holy grail of seafood, and the fresh shepherd's salad, which provides a cool respite from the fishy overtones of the meal.

An unexpected addition to the menu is stuffed pumpkin flower, which is surely worth ordering for the sheer joy of it. Of the main dishes, the lemon sole stands out as a rare sighting on Istanbul's seafood restaurant menu, along with many other well done dishes (sea bream, John Dory, sardines) which are easily found elsewhere. There is no wine list as such, but this is not somewhere to booze anyway - come and worship at the altar of pescetarian perfection.

Recommended Dishes

Balık Çorbası (Fish Soup)

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All of the meat she uses on her menu is locally sourced and seasonal, both the beef and lamb procured from a small farm in the Trakya region. All of the vegetables she uses in her zeytinyağlı (olive oil dishes) recipes are grown in the Bolu region in fertile meadows and are one hundred percent seasonal. Ece’s mother used to say ‘Eat the vegetables that drinks in the sun’ in the summer and ‘eat the vegetables that kiss the snow’ in the winter, and this shows in Ece’s cooking. Her restaurant is well worth a visit if you like good fresh food that is prepared with love and care.

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The staff is also longstanding: chef Mustafa Yener (there are two chefs) has been in charge of the kitchen since 1992 and restaurant manager Mehmet Karanfil has been ‘on the job’ since 1971! One particular challenge the venue presents is that since it is a historical building, renovations are not allowed and the kitchen cannot be expanded. Even so, roughly 40 dishes (8 of which are chilled olive oil dishes) are available daily and consist of meat, chicken, vegetable and fish that are boiled, stewed or oven baked, with the soup and dessert selection changing daily. "

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The tables are adorned with ‘chemin de table’ tablecloths and the wait staff wears uniforms according to their rank. Chef Osman Kıraç has been in charge of the kitchen since 2002 and works with his 4 assistants preparing about 20 hot and cold dishes daily. Additionally, döner is served. Desserts include the traditional şekerpare and kemalpaşa (soft pastry desserts in syrup) along with fırın sütlaç (baked rice pudding) and krem karamel (crème caramel). The ayva tatlısı (quince) dessert is one of the menu highlights, but is available only in the winter. Due to their location, Mr. Sarışen says that 60\\\\\\\\\\% of his customers are tourists, with the remaining 40\\\\\\\\\\% merchants at the Bazaar and Turkish shoppers.

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The day starts at 8:30am with a different soup served daily throughout the week. For lunch and dinner, about 12-14 hot dishes, a variety of kebabs and 4-5 chilled olive oil dishes are prepared. Some favorites include Hünkâr Beğendi (Sultan’s Delight – prepared with lamb and eggplant), keşkek (pounded wheat and meat dish), beğendili köfte (Turkish style meatballs served on a bed of eggplant puree) and galaçoş (lentil, onion and yogurt dish). But, the list is much longer and includes many more delicious Ottoman cuisine dishes worth trying. The dessert specialties are the Osmanlı Tatlısı (prepared with shredded wheat, walnuts and yogurt) and Padişah Tatlısı (prepared with semolina halvah and cream).

Best Dishes:

Hünkar Beğendi

Osmanlı Tatlısı

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At Fasuli, service begins with a type of soup: strained lentil, spicy bean, or kale. Besides their most famous dish kuru fasulye & pilav, the menu offers a few olive oil dishes and meat dishes, including ızgara köfte (grilled meatballs). All the dishes are from the Black Sea Region and favorites include Hemşin Mıhlaması (prepared with corn flour, butter, and cheese) and Karalahana Sarması (stuffed kale). Desserts include tel kadayıf (shredded wheat in syrup), baklava, and Laz Böreği (Black Sea region specialty – layered pastry with a creamy filling). Also, their pickles, yogurt, and ayran (yogurt drink) are specially prepared and must tries.

All the major ingredients that are used to prepare the dishes at Fasuli are from different parts of the Eastern Black Sea region: the rice from Gönen, lentils from Gaziantep, meat from Uşak, butter from Vakfikebir, and tel peyniri (a type of cheese) from Trabzon.

Recommended Dishes

Kuru fasulye & pilav (beans and rice)

Hemşin Mıhlaması (prepared with corn flour, butter, and cheese)

Laz Böreği (Black Sea region specialty – layered pastry with a creamy filling)

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The menu changes daily and consists of approximately 10 hot dishes, 6 olive oil dishes and a variety of classic Turkish desserts. What sets Aslan apart from most tradesman restaurants is the fact that fish is served. Depending on the season, sea bass, gilt-head bream, salmon and blue fish are some of the choices offered – grilled or stewed. Tea and Turkish coffee is on the house.

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Starbucks offers an array of muffins, cakes, cookies and sandwiches to enjoy with your beverage. Additionally, coffee beans, tea bags, coffee mugs and a variety of other coffee paraphernalia are sold under the Starbucks brand.

Starbucks also gives ‘coffee tasting’ seminars to all interested customers. Based on availability, one on one tastings can also be organized, but in most cases, small group sessions (6-8 people) are the norm. If you are interested in attending a tasting, just speak to an employee at your Starbucks location. Turkish coffee is also served at Starbucks… and it is prepared the old fashioned way… with a cezve and individually to order!

Who goes to Starbucks? Everyone! They do not have just one kind of customer… during the morning hours, businesspeople queue up for their ‘take out’ coffee; grandparents come with their grandchildren in the early afternoon; students pop over after school - so Starbucks is really for all age groups! Smoking is not allowed in the indoor sections of Starbucks and only available if the venue has an outdoor section.

Other Locations:

Erenköy: Bağdat Caddesi No. 363/1; (0216) 467 42 20

Etiler: Nispetiye Caddesi No. 28; (0212) 263 66 06

Levent: Kanyon Shopping Mall; (0212) 353 06 26

Nişantaşı: Nişantaşı Mahallesi Vali konağı Caddesi No. 30; (0212) 248 02 82

Yeşilköy: Atatürk International Airport - Domestic Departures; (0212) 465 01 25

İstinye: IstınyePark Shopping Mall; (0212) 345 53 58

Sit down service is available at all Kahve Dünyası locations, however, take-out is available upon request. With each order of coffee, a piece of their own chocolate is offered. They offer a wide selection of hot and cold coffees and their prices quite moderate. A large variety of coffee beans and chocolates are sold for take-out. Kahve Dünyası prides themselves on serving traditional Turkish coffee and using their own blend of coffee to prepare it. All orders are served with a small bottle of water and a small piece of chocolate on the side. Hot chocolate lovers will also love Kahve Dünyası… they have a special machine which is constantly churning the hot chocolate to keep it creamy and fresh. Additionally, you can enjoy a variety of salads, sandwiches, quiches and desserts with your beverage.

Other Locations:

Eminönü: Asmaaltı Caddesi Kızılhan Sok. No. 18/1; (0212) 520 02 04

Levent: Gonca Sokak No. 13; (0212) 284 79 63

Nişantaşı: Güzel Bahçe Sokak Gül Apartmanı No. 21; (0212) 219 82 24

Göztepe: Bağdat Caddesi No. 233/B; (0216) 467 00 05

Akaretler: Vişnezade Mahallesi Şair Nedim Caddesi
No: 13-15-17-19; (0212) 327 42 34-35

An upscale eatery that consistently performs above expectations, Da Mario is located in a lovely, secluded, two-story villa in Etiler with indoor and outdoor dining areas.It has a clean, modern aesthetic with crisp table cloths and a marble-topped bar. Its great service, spectacular presentation, and delicious Italian cuisine keep Da Mario as one of the preferred Italian restaurants in Istanbul. Although a frequent meeting spot for business lunches, Da Mario is also favored for small group gatherings by friends and family.

Recommended Dishes:

Wild mushroom risotto

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