Showing 1-21 of 21 results
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Asitane
It's not often that you'll get the opportunity to sample Ottoman dishes devised especially for a 16th century royal circumcision feast, but this is what's on offer at this popular restaurant. The food is magnificent - try the vişne yalanci dolmasi (vine leaves stuffed with morello cherries) and yufkada kuzu incik marmarina'li (baked lamb with pureed spinach and cheese on a plate of flaky pastry).
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Balıkçı Sabahattin
The solid stream of chauffeur-driven limousines stopping outside Balıkçı Sabahattın is testament to its enduring popularity with the city's establishment. One of the few top-notch restaurants in Sultanahmet, it's set in a restored wooden Ottoman house tucked away in a ramshackle street just near the train line. The menu comprises a limited range of mezes and top-quality fresh fish, and there's also a delicious buğlama (fish soup).
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Canim Ciğerim İlhan Usta
The name means 'my soul, my liver', and this small place behind the Ali Hoca Türbesi specialises in grilled liver served with herbs, ezme (spicy tomato sauce) and grilled vegetables. If you can't bring yourself to eat offal,you can substitute the liver with beef if you so choose. Locals rate this place highly and no wonder, as this is fabulous cheap food served in a really friendly atmosphere. No alcohol, but ayran is the perfect accompaniment.
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Cankurtaran Sosyal Tesisleri
Literally built into Theodosius' walls, with views over busy Sahil Yolu to the Sea of Marmara, this terrace restaurant and çay bahçesi near the Cankurtaran train station is very popular with families. It's set in a landscaped garden and has a small playground. Simple dishes such as soup, salads and kebaps feature.
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Çiğdem Pastanesi
Customers have been ordering tea and baklava here since 1961. Çiğdem serves a cappuccino that could hold its head high on the Via Veneto in Rome, well-priced portakal suyu (fresh orange juice) and a wide range of cakes, pastries and puddings. No wonder it's always crammed with students from nearby İstanbul University.
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Çinar
With loads of outdoor tables and waiters running around with loaded trays, this long-standing favourite resembles a busy French brasserie. The views over the water and of the bustling square are great, and the food is quite good, too. Seafood mezes feature and you can choose your own fish for mains. The perfect place to spend a summer's evening.
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Çiya Sofrasi
We're going to go out on a limb here, and say that this is our favourite lokanta in the city. We love the simple modern interior and ever-friendly staff, and we adore the food - everything from the yogurt soup to the stuffed artichokes to the perde pilavı (traditional chicken dish). The self-service meze array is a fabulous idea (and so cheap!) and the milk puddings and crystallised fruit are perfect finales to a meal. No alcohol.
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Java Studio
Celebrating the 'fine art of coffee', this laid-back café in the shadow of the Blue Mosque is run by Canadian Jennifer Gaudet, who takes her beans and brews very seriously. You can choose from an extensive list of coffees, teas, milkshakes and lassis, accompanying your choice of tipple with a slice of freshly baked lemon poppy-seed cake or a chocolate brownie. There's comfortable seating, free wi-fi and a book exchange. A true traveller's haven.
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Kafe Ara
In the Beyoğlu popularity stakes one café stands head and shoulders above the rest - Kafe Ara. A converted garage with tables and chairs spilling out into a wide laneway opposite the Galatasaray Lycée, this is boho central, a casual and welcoming place where you can sample well-priced paninis, salads and pastas in a convivial atmosphere. There's no alcohol.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Sofyalı 9
Tables here are hot property on a Friday or Saturday night, and no wonder. This gem of a place serves up some of the best meyhane food in all İstanbul, and does so in surroundings that are as welcoming as they are attractive. It's a bit like eating in a close friend's home, except here you're offered a large array of meze and a wealth of grills and fresh fried fish along with the bonhomie.
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Sultanahmet Fish House
If you're the fishy type, traditionally there have been only three viable dining options in the Old City: heading down to Kumkapı, grabbing a fish sandwich on the dock at Emininönü or booking a table at the pricey Balıkçı Sabahattin. But now there's this casual restaurant in Cağaloğlu. What makes this joint distinctive are its prices, which are remarkably low for what's on offer. Wine is also well priced, and everything is squeaky clean. Wow.
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Zeyrekhane
This restaurant beside the Zeyrek Camii (mosque) has an outdoor garden with cushioned couches on which to recline and soak up views of Süleymaniye Mosque and the Golden Horn. It serves tasty mains like quail kebab with eggplant, as well as snacks. In winter it's possible to order the strange local drink boza , made from fermented bulgur with water and sugar.
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Zinhan Kebap House At Storks
Zinhan's regal position next to the Galata Bridge means that every İstanbullu knows it. Here you'll enjoy an excellent meal on one of the most impressive roof terraces in the city - the views from here are simply sensational. You'll sit on comfortable chairs at huge well-spaced tables to enjoy tasty mezes and sophisticated kebab dishes. Also on offer are international dishes and a well-priced wine list.
Showing 1-21 of 21 results
