Restaurants in Turkey
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Galata House
This would have to be one of the most eccentric restaurants in town. Run by the utterly charming husband-and-wife team of Nadire and Mete Göktuğ, it is housed in the Old British Jail, just down from Galata Tower. The jail functioned from 1904 to 1919, and has been sympathetically but comfortably restored by Mete, who is one of İstanbul’s most prominent heritage architects. Nadire uses recipes handed down from her Georgian mother to concoct great comfort food – the hingali (meat-filled dumplings in tomato sauce) are absolutely delicious. She also plays the piano for guests.
reviewed
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Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi Selim Usta
This is one of the most famous eateries in the city, and to be frank, we’re at a total loss to understand why. The ever-present queues of locals obviously adore its rubbery ızgara köfte (grilled meatballs) served with bread, white beans, salad and pickled chillies, but we have always been underwhelmed. Why not try it yourself, though? The place has been serving since 1920 and is certainly clean, cheap and cheerful.
reviewed
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Leb-İ Derya
Ask many İstanbullus to name their favourite watering hole and they’re likely to nominate this unpretentious place. On the top floor of a dishevelled building off İstiklal, it has wonderful views across to the Old City and down the Bosphorus, meaning that seats on the small outdoor terrace or at the bar are highly prized. There’s also food on offer.
reviewed
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Sultan Garden Restaurant
This very leafy place, with a terrace overlooking the harbour and a functioning ancient cistern, is a perennial favourite offering excellent service and traditional and inventive Turkish dishes. Try the hünkar beğendı (spiced stewed lamb on aubergine puree; TL22).
reviewed
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Ejder Restaurant
Run by a welcoming husband-and-wife team (Mehmet does the meat, his wife the veg), this popular restaurant is a firm favourite with travellers for its delicious dishes (try chicken şiş or the sizzling Anatolian meat platter) and atmospheric setting under the arches of the Roman Aqueduct. While waiting for your meal, ask to see the 25 tomes of comments left by diners – everyone leaves a note, their signature and a small memento (a metro ticket from their hometown, a foreign coin etc – we even found a parking ticket and human hair!). Careful perusers will find an autograph from the late Steve Irwin.
reviewed
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Erzincanli Ali Baba Fasulyeci
Join the crowds of hungry locals at this long-time institution in the former kütüphanesi medrese (theological-school library) of the Süleymaniye Mosque. It’s been dishing up its signature kuru fasulye (Anatolian-style haricot beans cooked in a spicy tomato sauce) since 1924. Try some with side dishes of pilaf (rice) and pickles, and wash it all down with an ayran (yoghurt drink). Next-door Kanaat Fasulyeci is nearly as old and serves up more of the same.
reviewed
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Ali Kaya Restaurant
The best time to visit this simple licensed restaurant above Amasya is at sunset, when you can recharge after the steep climb with meze while taking in views of town and the tombs. Taxis will ferry you up for TL8.
reviewed
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SOS & Sultan Restaurant & Café
A cheapish option that offers belly fuel rather than gourmet meals.
reviewed
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Kebab House Mehmet & Alibaba
Covered in testimonials from contented customers, this friendly and informal joint dishes out tasty Turkish fare. The smiley owners are eager to please and are happy to educate the uninitiated palate with a variety of local treats such as Adana kebap. Complimentary coffee and yoghurt sides are the norm.
reviewed
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Albura Kathisma
Albura Kathisma is a welcome addition to the otherwise mediocre array of restaurants along Akbıyık Caddesi. Its streetside tables are usually occupied by tourists sampling Turkish dishes such as hünkar beğendi (lamb or beef goulash served on a mound of rich aubergine puree) or mantı (Turkish ravioli topped with yoghurt, tomato and butter). The food is decent, with lots of vegetarian options.
reviewed
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Pierre Loti Café
After visiting the Eyüp Sultan Mosque, many visitors head north up the hill to the Pierre Loti Café, where the famous French novelist is said to have come for inspiration. Loti loved İstanbul, its decadent grandeur and the late-medieval customs of a society in decline. When he sat in this cafe, under a shady grapevine sipping tea, he saw a Golden Horn busy with caïques (long, thin rowboats), schooners and a few steam vessels. The water in the Golden Horn was still clean enough to swim in and the vicinity of the cafe was given over to pasture. The cafe that today bears his name offers views similar to the ones he must have enjoyed. It’s in a warren of streets on a prom…
reviewed
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Moreish
Chefs Cokşun Uysal and Esra Muslu trained in Melbourne and London before returning to İstanbul and opening this intimate restaurant. The sophisticated interior by Milagard Architecture perfectly complements the ambitious menu, which comes complete with amuse-bouche and splendid home-baked bread rolls. An initial perusal of the dishes on offer may make you fear that there is too much happening on each plate, but fear not – everything works wonderfully. Highlights of our last meal included a main course of roasted lamb and braised lamb shank with red cabbage, tahini humus and a cognac-plum puree followed by a dessert of flourless chocolate mousse cake served with rosewate…
reviewed
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Hamdi Et Lokantası
A favourite İstanbullu haunt since 1970, Hamdi has phenomenal views overlooking the Golden Horn and Galata that are matched by great food, professional service and a bustling atmosphere. Try the haydari (yoghurt with roasted eggplant and garlic), the içli köfte (meatballs rolled in bulgur ) and the patıcanlı kebab (lamb kebab with eggplant) and you’ll see what we mean. Any place this good is always going to be busy, so make sure you book, and don’t forget to request a rooftop table with a view (outside if the weather is hot). If you get there early (around 6pm), you might be able to score one of these without booking. Enter through the ground-floor baklava shop.
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A'laturca
Style meets substance at this elegant eatery. The menu here has been thoughtfully and creatively designed and the food is exceptionally well prepared. We enjoyed the classic meze selection and were very impressed by the succulent A'laturca-style lamb şiş kebap served on a perfectly cooked ratatouille. Other visits have introduced us to the delights of the chicken şiş kebap and the wickedly rich Kayseri mantısı (ravioli with garlic yoghurt and spices).
The restaurant has a number of eating areas, the most popular of which are the upstairs terrace and the quirky downstairs garden with its brightly coloured beanbag seating. Highly recommended.
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Haci Abdullah
Just contemplating the sensational imam bayildi (‘the imam fainted’) at Hacı Abdullah’s makes our tastebuds go into overdrive. This İstanbul institution (it was established in 1888) is one of the best lokantas in the city and is one of the essential gastronomic stops you should make when in town. You’ll find all the traditional favourites, as well as a wide selection of desserts, including home-bottled fruit compote and a delicious künefe (shredded wheat pastry with pistachios, honey and sugar). The elegant surrounds feature bottle upon bottle of pickled vegetables and comfortable banquette seating. No alcohol is served.
reviewed
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Erzurum Evleri
A stunner set in an old wooden house near the main drag. It feels like half the paraphernalia from six centuries of the Ottoman Empire has ended up here, with an onslaught of kilims (pileless woven rugs), pictures, weapons, farming tools and other collectibles from floor to ceiling. Surrender to the languor of the private alcoves with cushions and low tables and treat yourself to a soup, a börek (filled pastry) or a tandır kebap (stew). The nearby Daşhane, which has the same management, features live music on Friday and Saturday evenings. If only it was licensed!
reviewed
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Güzelyurt Restorant
This iconic restaurant, in business since 1928, is so adorable because it feels so anachronistic, with shrouded windows, old-fashioned charm and thick carpets. It's also a great place to spill money on a great meal. The mezes are a headliner, with about 20 different specialities, but the menu also features a smattering of mains, including 'Bof Straganof' (no typo), all served by old-school, bow-tied waiters. It's licensed as well.
reviewed
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Khorasani
When considering ocakbaşıs, the word stylish doesn’t often come to mind. Succulent, yes. Smoky, sometimes. But stylish? Hmm. The owners of this new place off Divan Yolu are aiming to challenge preconceptions with Khorasani, and it seems to be working for their predominantly tourist clientele. Here, the meat plays second fiddle to the surrounds, which are extremely attractive. The chef hails from Antakya, and the kebap style is that of southeastern Anatolia, meaning that a few spicy dishes adorn the menu. A welcome addition to the Sultanahmet eating scene.
reviewed
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Orient Restaurant
Göreme's most atmospheric restaurant swoons under the weight of its own reputation as coupled-up diners nestle behind an extensive wine list. Juicy steaks, tender veal clay pots and a stack of flavoursome pasta dishes head the impressive, meaty menu. It's easy to order poorly though, as the cold mezes are oily, and the fish is dry. A safe bet is the decent three-course set menu (TL20). Service is delightful.
reviewed
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Changa
A number of eateries in İstanbul attempt fusion cuisine, but few do it well; this sophisticated restaurant is one that does. Order the 12-course tasting menu (TL124 for two people) and you may score delights such as scallops with hummus and panko crumble, roasted salmon with coconut sauce and a cress-coriander salad with rose petals, or slow-cooked lamb wrapped in vine leaves and served with sour cream and sweet chilli sauce. In summer, the action moves to Müzedechanga on the Bosphorus.
reviewed
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Nazar Börek
This expat and industry hangout joint on the canal serves simple yet delicious meals, and the atmosphere is eternally fun and friendly. Fresh plates of börek (filled pastries), gözleme (savoury pancakes) and sosyete böregi (stuffed spiral pastries served with yoghurt and tomato sauce) are presented by jovial men with can-do attitudes. The canal-side chill-out area is where you'll get the skinny on local people and places.
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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 other international food as well as dishes from different regions of Turkey. Prices are far too high considering the quality of the food (average at best), but the surrounds are welcoming and the service is excellent.
reviewed
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Natur-el
With its dishes cooked to traditional recipes passed down from generation to generation, Natur-el and the family who runs it provide a chance to sample Turkish cuisine at its best. If you haven't yet eaten mantı, then choose from the three varieties (TL12) here. They also served aşure, an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink pudding of dried fruit, nuts and beans.
reviewed
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Göreme Restaurant
The live Turkish music played here every night tends to lure diners off the comfortable floor cushions and onto the impromptu dance floor around the low brass tables. The food is nothing special, but it's well priced and the menu includes 'world kitchen' items such as green curry chicken, stir-fried noodles with vegetables and falafel sandwiches. Beer and rakı (aniseed brandy) flow freely and service is good.
reviewed
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Nazik Ana
Hidden away down a narrow alley but definitely worth hunting out, this simple but atmospheric place is a huge hit locally, particularly with the police officers from next door. With its point-and-pick counter, it's great for sampling different Turkish dishes. Prices are kept so cheap that there's no buyer's remorse – if you don't like something just grab a new plate! It lies off Cevat Şakir Caddesi.
reviewed
