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

+90 212 243 0304 Go to website

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.

Address

Kuruçeşme Mahalle Yol Sokak 2 Ulus Park Beşiktaş 34345

+90 212 287 0357 58 Go to website

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.

Address

Paşabahçe Mahalle Barboros Caddesi 18/B Beykoz 34805

+90 216 425 0721 Go to website

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.

Address

Mesrutiyet Caddesi 107/F Beyoglu 34430

+90 212 243 2633 Go to website

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”…

Address

The Marmara Pera Meşrutiyet Caddesi 15 Beyoğlu 34430

+90 212 293 5656 Go to website

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.

Address

SALT Galata Bankalar Avenue Karaköy 34420

+90 212 244 0016 Go to website

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.

Address

Kumbaracı Yokuşu 66 Beyoğlu 34433

+90 212 292 2550 Go to website

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.

Address

Yeniköy Mahallesi Köybaşı Caddesi 153 Sarıyer 34464

+90 212 223 4477 Go to website

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

+90 216 666 6808 Go to website

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.

Address

Maslak Mahallesi Atatürk Oto Sanayi Sitesi 3 Sarıyer 34485

+90 212 286 4404 Go to website

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.

Address

Emirgan Mahallesi Sakıp Sabancı Caddesi 42 Sarıyer 34467

+90 212 323 3030 Go to website

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

+90 212 356 1053 Go to website

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

+90 212 293 9792 Go to website

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.

Address

Hüseyinağa Mahallesi Kamer Hatun Caddesi 26/A Beyoğlu 34435

+90 212 249 0147 Go to website

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

+90 212 292 1010 Go to website