Where to Eat in Istanbul, Turkey
31 October, 2018
restaurant
Mükellef Karaköy
Istanbul, Turkey
This meyhane (a restaurant specialising in wine, mezze and good times) in Karaköy, the waterfront district known for its coffee shops and art galleries, is known for its inventive offal and sweetmeat dishes. A great place to kick back in and enjoy good company.
Address
Kemankeş Karamustafapaşa Mahallesi
Maliye Caddesi 8/A
Karaköy
34425
restaurant
Sunset Bar & Grill
Istanbul, Turkey
One of the leading fine-dining restaurants in Istanbul based in the upmarket Ulus neighbourhood, Sunset Grill & Bar serves a varied menu which features not only seasonal Mediterranean and Turkish dishes, but steaks and sushi too courtesy of Hiroki Takemura of Nobu fame. Views across the Bosphorus and a huge outdoor seating area make this one of the best evening viewing spots in the city.
restaurant
Balıkçı Abdullah
Istanbul, Turkey
An excellent fish restaurant on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. You will need to get a ferry here if you are staying around the Golden Horn as it is beyond the second Bosphorus bridge. Order anything from the grill.
restaurant
Aheste
Istanbul, Turkey
Hidden West of the Galata end of Istiklal boulevard, this hipsterish restaurant hangout serves Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine in a mezze form. It’s the perfect fusion of tradition with a modern twist, offering refined food and a cool ambience.
restaurant
Mikla
Istanbul, Turkey
Opened in 2005, Mikla is the brainchild of Turkish-Scandinavian chef-owner Mehmet Gürs, who was one of the pioneers of the Istanbul restaurant scene in the late 1990s. Offering a wonderful view across Istanbul (the restaurant is at the top of the sleek Marmara Pera Hotel, near the Galataseray Lycee) and a menu which will make you salivate just by reading it, the excellent food is inspired by Gürs’ philosophy of the “new Anatolian kitchen”, infusing traditional products, culture and techniques of with a modern perspective. In case you weren’t convinced, the bar also promises “generously prepared martinis”…
restaurant
Neolokal
Istanbul, Turkey
Set in a grand bank building from 1892, which now houses the SALT cultural centre/library and modern art space, Neolokal promises traditional cuisine with a modern sensibility. Expect excellent views of the old historical area of Sultanahment, in which you’ll find the Hagia Sophia mosque.
restaurant
Yeni Lokanta
Istanbul, Turkey
Seasonal Anatolian produce, effortlessly cool ambience and a white-tiled dining room opening onto the street. Just off the southern end of Istiklal boulevard, the menu is complemented by a good local wine selection too. Most importantly, the locals love this place.
restaurant
Apartiman Yeniköy
Istanbul, Turkey
An airy, sophisticated Turkish gastropub set in an apartment in Yenikoy. Serving seasonal menus, great coffee and beer – Apartiman Yeniköy is a fantastic place to eat and relax. Especially good for breakfast, it is not far from the water. Ideal for a post-prandial dip.
restaurant
Fenix
Istanbul, Turkey
Extremely upmarket, this Peruvian-Asian fusion spot with the occasional nod towards Turkish cuisine in the Etiler neighbourhood. A “be seen” place to hang with Istanbul’s cool cats, expect an impressive interior with high ceilings and a quasi-Moroccan vibe. There’s also a bar which gets livelier later into the night.
Address
Etiler Mahallesi
Hisar Üstü Nispetiye Caddesi 79
Sarıyer
34470
restaurant
Markus Prime Ribs Society
Istanbul, Turkey
If you catch yourself in the north of Istanbul, drop in for some ribs or a rack of lamb at this high-quality modern rib house. Or go full fusion and get a poutine with a side of beetroot kimchi. It’s Istanbul, anything goes.
restaurant
MSA Restaurant, Sakıp Sabancı Museum
Istanbul, Turkey
A restaurant courtesy of the Culinary Arts Academy of Istanbul where the food is prepared by students of the academy overseen by their master instructor chefs and the entire restaurant is staffed by students of the academy. A fun, diverse menu which covers everything from Istanbul street food to dishes from across the world and local favourites.
restaurant
Petra Roasting Co.
Istanbul, Turkey
At the forefront of the Istanbulian specialty coffee movement, this refined café serves some of the best coffee in Istanbul (and that’s saying something). The company supplies hotels with beans and also have a seasonal shop in Alaçatı on the Western coast, the hip beach and windsurfing destination. If you’re there, you’ve made it.
Address
Gayrettepe Mahallesi
Hoşsohbet Sokak Panorama Selenium Residence Mağaza 1
Beşiktaş
34349
restaurant
Dem
Istanbul, Turkey
An excellent modern teahouse based in Karakoy, Dem is the perfect place to relax for a while. Offering over 60 varieties of tea along with an extensive and moreish snack, dessert and breakfast menu, while away the hours at this colourful tea room.
Address
Arap Cami Mahallesi
Arap Cami Mah. Söğüt Sokak 1 Eski Posta Han
Beyoğlu
34421
restaurant
Dürümzade
Istanbul, Turkey
Not everything on a night out has to be refined and expensive; some things can be wholesome, cheap, social and perfectly pleasing. When the night is turning into a big one, go for dürüm at Dürümzade. The staff here know what’s up; they know what you want; what you need. Our one piece of advice – don’t over-order. A dürüm works in mysterious ways, a double dürüm works in doubly mysterious ways. Oh, and just be careful with the little chillies they serve; deceptively delicious but dangerous.
restaurant
Aret’in Yeri
Istanbul, Turkey
After you’ve spent some time smoking nargile and drinking too much Ayran as you roll through the city, drop in to Aret’in Yeri, a rooftop meyhane just off Nevizade street, an area rammed full of heaving restaurants. Aret’in Yeri means the equivalent of “Chez Aret” in French, and the eponymous Aret is a genial figure in red spectacles who is part-Armenian and part-Syriac. He and his staff will feed you and your friends until you can’t move – and then feed you some more. There’s something about mezze which tricks your brain into thinking that eating lots of little dishes doesn’t add up to a lot. But it really does. When it all gets a bit much, the key is to reach for the raki – luckily Aret has plenty of that on tap as well.
Address
Hüseyin Ağa Mah.
Balıkpazarı Kameriye Sokak 9 Nevizade
Beyoğlu
34440