Must-see restaurants in Istanbul

  • Karaköy Güllüoğlu

    Beyoğlu

    This much-loved baklavacı (baklava shop) opened in 1949 and was the first İstanbul branch of a business established in Gaziantep in the 1820s. There are…

  • Balıkçı Sabahattin

    Sultanahmet

    Balıkçı Sabahattin is an enduring favourite with discerning Turks from near and far, who enjoy the limited but delicious menu of mezes and seafood. This…

  • Fatih Damak Pide

    Istanbul

    It's worth making the trek to this pideci overlooking the Fatih İtfaiye Park near the Aqueduct of Valens. Its reputation for making the best Karadeniz …

  • Mürver

    Beyoğlu

    A notable recent addition to the local restaurant scene, this rooftop restaurant at the Novotel is sustaining its initial hype. The menu is dominated by…

  • Neolokal

    Beyoğlu

    Chef Maksut Aşkar has been wowing diners with his exciting rifts on traditional Turkish food since 2014, gaining an entry on the San Pellegrino World's…

  • Hatay Haskral Sofrası

    Istanbul

    In 'Little Syria', this barn-like eatery offers a marvellously varied range of mezes, salads and kebaps. Specialities include tuzda kuzu kol and tuzda…

  • Çiya Sofrası

    Kadıköy

    Known throughout the culinary world, Musa Dağdeviren's lokanta (eatery serving ready-made food) showcases dishes from regional Turkey and is an essential…

  • Küff

    Kadıköy

    Ticking all of the hipster boxes (third-wave coffee, vegan food, tattooed baristas, indoor plants), this hugely popular cafe spreads over spaces on both…

  • Hayvore

    Beyoğlu

    Notable lokantas (traditional eateries serving ready-made dishes) are rare in modern-day Beyoğlu, so the existence of this bustling place next to the…

  • Cafe Privato

    Beyoğlu

    Located in an enclave off Galipdede Caddesi in Galata, this friendly, slightly ramshackle cafe is much loved for its exceptionally delicious and huge köy…

  • Salloura Oğlu

    Istanbul

    Transplanted from Aleppo to İstanbul in 2014, this 150-year-old institution is known for speciality sweet cheese desserts such as kadayıf and peynirli…

  • Zübeyir Ocakbaşı

    Beyoğlu

    Every morning the chefs at this popular ocakbaşı (grill house) prepare fresh, top-quality meat – spicy chicken wings and Adana kebaps, flavoursome ribs,…

  • Bitlisli

    Sultanahmet

    Those keen on robust flavours and the liberal application of chilli in their food will be instantly enamoured of the dishes served at this bustling eatery…

  • Cuma

    Beyoğlu

    Banu Tiryakioğlu's laid-back foodie oasis in the heart of Çukurcuma has one of the most devoted customer bases in the city. Tables are on the leafy…

  • Primi Ballat

    Istanbul

    Primi Ballat has a casual cafe ambience but a serious focus on food. Breakfast is Turkish (and very good), but other meals are emphatically Italian…

  • Antiochia

    Beyoğlu

    Dishes from the southeastern city of Antakya (Hatay) are the speciality here. Cold and hot mezes are equally delicious (try the grilled cheese), pides and…

  • Karaköy Lokantası

    Beyoğlu

    Known for its gorgeous tiled interior, genial owner and bustling vibe, Karaköy Lokantası serves tasty and well-priced food to its loyal local clientele…

  • CookLife

    Istanbul

    Some of the best coffee on the Golden Horn can be enjoyed at this photogenic place in the thick of Balat's fashionable cafe scene, as can well-executed…

  • Borsam Taş Fırın

    Kadıköy

    The thin and crispy lahmacun (Arabic-style pizzas topped with minced meat, herbs and spices and served with a squeeze of lemon) that come out of the oven…

  • Mellow shopfront

    Mellow

    Beyoğlu

    A chilled-out spot befitting of its name, Mellow serves up some surprisingly innovative and very tasty food with Mediterranean influences, including a…

  • Asitane

    Istanbul

    This elegant restaurant next to the Kariye Museum (Chora Church) serves Ottoman dishes devised for the palace kitchens at Topkapı, Edirne and Dolmabahçe…

  • Akdenız Hatay Sofrası

    Istanbul

    Located next to the Historia shopping mall, this huge Syrian restaurant has a devoted following and is known for its mezes, metre-long kebaps and tuzda…

  • Olea

    Beyoğlu

    Photographs of a luminously beautiful Sofia Loren adorn the walls of Beyoğlu's best Italian-style pizzeria. Bases are Naples-style thick and toppings…

  • Hünkar

    Nişantaşi, Bomonti & Harbiye

    If you decide to spend a day or half-day shopping in Nişantaşı, consider taking a break and eating at Hünkar, one of the city's best lokantas (eateries…

  • Galaktion

    Beyoğlu

    This cosy Caucasus kitchen serves up delicious, hearty Georgian favourites: fist-sized khinkali dumplings, divinely gooey khachapuri (cheese-filled bread)…

  • Forno

    Istanbul

    In a bright and informal space dominated by a long kitchen table, Forno serves delicious pide, pizza and lahmacun (Arabic-style pizza). The weekend…

  • Entrance to 1924 Istanbul restaurant, formerly known as Rejans

    1924 İstanbul

    Beyoğlu

    A Beyoğlu institution, the old Rejans restaurant has been reborn as 1924 İstanbul, with much of its nostalgic atmosphere intact. The well-executed menu…

  • Basta street view

    Basta! Street Food Bar

    Kadıköy

    Grabbing a dürüm (grilled meat in a flatbread wrap) on the go in İstanbul is a quick way to refuel, but Basta offers a very different eating experience…

  • Ek Biç Ye İç shopfront

    Ek Biç Ye İç

    Beyoğlu

    Named ‘Sow, Harvest, Eat, Drink’, this mostly vegetarian cafe serves up healthy soups, salads, wraps, smoothies and herbal teas made with locally grown,…

  • Yeni Lokanta exterior

    Yeni Lokanta

    Beyoğlu

    Yeni Lokanta means ‘new restaurant’ in Turkish and chef Civan Er certainly puts his own twist on Turkish cuisine, employing unorthodox ingredients and…

  • Hamdi Restaurant

    Istanbul

    One of the city's best-loved restaurants, this place near the Spice Bazaar is owned by Hamdi Arpacı, who started out as a street-food vendor in the 1960s…

  • Siirt Şeref Büryan Kebap

    Istanbul

    Those who enjoy investigating regional cuisines should head to this four-storey eatery in the Women's Bazaar near the Aqueduct of Valens. It specialises…

  • Sur Ocakbaşı

    Istanbul

    Indulge in some peerless people-watching while enjoying the kebaps and büryan (lamb slow-cooked in a pit oven) at this popular place in the Women's Bazaar…

  • Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi Selim Usta

    Sultanahmet

    Not to be confused with the nearby Meşhur Sultanahmet Köftecisi, this no-frills place near the Sultanahmet tram stop is the most famous eatery in the Old…

  • Sofyalı 9

    Beyoğlu

    Tables at this meyhane (tavern) are hot property on a Friday or Saturday night, when locals flock here to enjoy the tasty food and convivial atmosphere…

  • Asmalı Cavit

    Beyoğlu

    Cavit Saatcı's place is an old-style meyhane (tavern) that, like other old-timers on this street, has stood the test of time and retained a loyal local…

  • Cooking Alaturka

    Sultanahmet

    This hybrid cooking school–restaurant serves a set four-course menu of Turkish home cooking, regional Anatolian specialities and Ottoman classics…

  • Dürümzade

    Beyoğlu

    A staple for Beyoğlu night-owls, this tiny grill shop on a grungy corner near the Beyoğlu Fish Market turns out mouth-wateringly tender kebabs – try the …

  • Özkonak

    Beyoğlu

    Known throughout the city for the quality of its kaymak (clotted cream), which it has been serving for half a century, this no-frills place is a highly…

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