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Konyalı
Fabulously positioned in the grounds of Topkapı Palace, Konyalı is usually swamped with tourists but still worth a visit, particularly as it's the only eatery in the palace. Try to get a table overlooking the Golden Horn and Sea of Marmara (book ahead) and consider sampling an Ottoman sherbet with your meal - you'll see their bright colours glinting from the large glass decanters on display. Food is stock-standard cafeteria-style fare.
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Körfez Restaurant
Famous for its sea bass baked in salt, Körfez is the perfect place for a special meal in İstanbul. To make it even more special, organise for the restaurant's own motor launch to pick you up from Rumeli Hisarı across the strait and drop you back after your meal. Book ahead.
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Krependeki İmroz Restaurant
The minute you see the waiters heaving around their enormous meze-laden trays in this popular meyhane you'll know you've made the right dinner choice. With outdoor tables on both sides of the street, you'll also have a slightly better chance of scoring a spot in the middle of the action - book ahead. The food is typical of Gökceada (İmroz) and is top-class; be sure to include the octopus salad and pickled anchovies in your meze choices.
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Lale Restaurant (Pudding Shop)
It's a long time since the Pudding Shop served up fare to the hippies who made it famous, but its fame still drags in backpackers travelling in their parents' footsteps. Appearing for the prosecution: the stodgy, badly cooked food. For the defence: the fact that it has wi-fi and booze.
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Leb-i Derya
The magnificent views are here to stay, but some of our recent meals here have been disappointing. It's still a great spot for a weekend brunch, though, particularly when the food is washed down by a therapeutic Bloody Mary or two.
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Lokal
This funky place is always full of bright young things admiring the Warhol-clone screenprints on the walls. The eclectic menu features number of curries - try the Thai green chicken curry with its creamy coconut base and fragrant herbs or the succulent tandoori lamb chops with yogurt and tamarind sauce. The weekday lunch menus are fabulous value. We concur with the restaurant's slogan: 'Think global, eat Lokal'.
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Mado
Next to Çınar, this branch of the popular ice-cream chain is packed on weekends, when locals stop by after checking out the flea market. The views are great and the people-watching opportunities unrivalled. Oh, and the ice cream goes down a treat. There are also Mado branches in locations such as Üsküdar (Selmanípek Caddesi) and Beyoğlu (İstiklal Caddesi).
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Mangerie
Mangerie has got the Bebek sheen of casual chic, but isn't at all pretentious. The interior is light and white, with soaring ceilings and a decidedly Scandinavian feel, and there's a terrace with Bosphorus views. Food is simple but more-ish, with sandwiches and salads taking centre stage.
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Meshur Kuru Fasülyeci
This popular local lokanta in the former medrese of the Süleymaniye Camii serves its famous spicy fasülyeci (broad beans) and rice to hordes of hungry locals from the theological college and nearby commercial areas.
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Mikla
This sleek operation serves up excellent Mod Med cuisine to a truly international clientele. The chefs here embrace top-notch ingredients and simple execution and the results speak for themselves: try the absolutely delicious grilled tenderloin with roasted garlic potato cream, parmesan baked fennel and goat's cheese butter; or the wonderful lightly smoked lamb loin with pinenut-sauteed French beans, walnut pistou and white bean puree.
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Mozaik
Over the years Mozaik has built a reputation as the most stylish restaurant in this part of town. Housed in a romantic Ottoman building dating from 1878 and with plenty of streetside tables, it has a huge menu that offers pastas and international dishes but specialises in dishes from different regions of Turkey. There's a great salad selection (perfect for lunch), a good wine list and attentive service.
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Müzedechanga
Müzedechanga İstanbul was agog when the relatively new Sakıp Sabancı Museum announced that one of the city's top restaurants, Changa, was going to relocate here during the summer months. Many were dubious that the Changa crew would be happy making the transition from Taksim to this sleepy Bosphorus suburb, but it soon became obvious to all that the curators at the museum know how to present a masterpiece, be it an artwork or a restaurant.
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Namli
As well as being one of the best delicatessens in the city (check out that cheese selection!), Namlı also stocks hard-to-find Asian ingredients, imported tea and other treats. Take away your choice from the impressive salad and meze selection, or grab one of the tables at the front and eat in.
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Nimla Pastirmaci
Nimla's mouth-watering selection of cheese, pastırma (pastrami) and mezes is known throughout the city. The take-away pastırma rolls are delicious and there's also an upstairs cafeteria where you can grab a tasty light lunch.
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Niyazibey
Niyazibey specialises in perde pilavı, a dish that it describes as hen and rooster meat (symbolising the bride and groom) cooked with rice (for blessing) and almonds (for children) and encased in pastry sheets (symbolising the home). Everything at this comfortable place is great, and it's fantastic value as well. There's another branch at Halıtağa Caddesi 5B in Kadıköy - neither sell alcohol.
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Nu Teras
The extraordinary views over the Golden Horn should be appreciated over a pre-dinner drink at the bar here before you move onto a table and make your choice from the menu of huge and very tasty pizzas, a wide array of pasta dishes and mains such as roasted cod with tomatoes, capers, currents and pine nuts served with potato salad. We suggest opting for the pizzas and pastas, as mains can sometimes be disappointing.
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Poseidon
This place evokes class with a capital 'C' - for credit card danger. If you want some of the best seafood in the city served on a stylish deck overlooking the bobbing boats of Bebek Bay, it's the perfect place. You'll be in the company of beautifully groomed women who dote on designer handbags and are often mistaken by their dining partners as said fashion accessory.
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Rami
The favoured spot for dinner here is the rooftop terrace, which has a full view of the Blue Mosque. Make sure you request a table there when you book. Ottoman specialities such as kağıt kebap (lamb and vegetables cooked in a paper pouch) dominate the menu and although the food is nothing to get excited about, the view and the decent wine list certainly compensate. No credit cards.
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Refik
Refik is the original meyhane (tavern) in the Asmalımescit area and it's always full of large groups of liquored-up locals enjoying the convivial (and noisy) atmosphere and decent meyhane food. There are two dining areas (on each side of the street) and loads of streetside tables. Try the excellent çacık (yogurt and mint salad).
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Rumeli İskele
In the old timber ferry terminal building right on the water, this long-standing favourite is a great spot for lunch. Businessmen (sometimes with girlfriend, sometimes with colleagues) are a permanent fixture, ordering delectable meze such as levrek marine (sea bass is a creamy but piquant lemon sauce) or çıroz (salted and dried thin mackerel). The catch of the day is priced by the kilo (prepare yourself for a hefty outlay) and there are good wine choices by the glass and bottle.
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Sade Kahve
Here you have a cheap and cheerful terrace café near the fortress that is a good spot for a tea and snack. It's similar to the Kale Café & Pastane next to the bus stop, which serves Anatolian favourites such as mantı (Turkish ravioli served with a yogurt and tomato sauce), gözleme (Turkish crepes filled with cheese, spinach or potato and cooked on a griddle) and menemen (eggs cooked with tomato, onions and white cheese).
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Saf' Organic Bistro
Supremely stylish Saf's menu is creative and delicious in equal parts, with dishes such as mushroom ravioli with marinated beetroot, wild mushrooms, porcini cream and a balsamic fig compote featuring. There are five- and three-course tasting menus that match each course with a glass of organic wine, as well as a fabulous array of cocktails. All ingredients are organic and vegans are catered for.
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Saray Muhallebicisi d
A muhallebici (pudding purveyor) that's been serving puddings to appreciative sweet-tooths since 1935, Saray is still going strong. You can pop in for a poğaça (breakfast bun) in the morning and a köfte sandwich for lunch, but it's most famous for sweet milk-based puddings such as fırın sütlaç and tavuk göysü (chicken pudding). There's also a recently opened branch in Eminönü.
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Sefa Restaurant
Locals rate this place near the bazaar highly, and after sampling the dishes on offer you'll realise why. It describes its cuisine as Ottoman, but what's really on offer here are top-quality lokanta dishes and kebaps at extremely reasonable prices. You can order from an English menu or choose from the bain marie - the vegetable dishes are particularly appetising and they'll let you order half portions if you ask nicely.
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Şehzade Mehmed Sofrasi
Locations don't come any better than this. You'll find this welcoming restaurant and çay bahçesi in the magnificent külliye (mosque complex) of the Şehzade Mehmed Camii . After a tasty meal of köfte , tavuk kavurma (roast chicken), kebap or pide you can settle back on one of the Turkish couches and relax over a Türk kahvesi (Turkish coffee) and narghileh. Enter from the garden at the rear of the mosque.
