Turkey » Dining in Istanbul

Istanbul is getting more colorful with its rich social, cultural and commercial activities. Alongside with Turkish restaurants, the Far eastern and other cuisines are getting large in number and with the newly opened restaurants.

Turks prefer to have dinner with their friends or partners. Before going to a restaurant, they meet in a cafe to have something to drink and around sunset time, they enter a restaurant and order their drinks and starters first. The Turkish cuisine is similar to any European cuisine in the sense that there is a certain order to the courses being served, it does not all arrive at the same time. Having dinner is at least a 2 hour process with its starters, main dishes, desserts and coffee. After dinner, it is very common to go to a nightclub.

Breakfast; the Turks enjoy a variety of local produce at breakfast. You can expect to be served a platter of feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumber and olives as well as jam, honey, butter, fresh baked bread and tea.

Mezes; most Turkish meals start with mezes (appetizers). There are a huge variety of tasty mezes. Popular types include boreks - savory pastries filled with ground meat, spinach or cheese, dolmas - vine leaves, vegetables or mussels stuffed with a savory mixture and purees of fish roe, chick peas, beans or smoked eggplant.  

Sweets; popular ones are, Baklava made with walnuts or pistachio, Firinda Sutlac a baked rice pudding and Asure a combination of dried fruit and beans.

Raki; Turkey's national drink. A strong spirit made of grapes and flavored with aniseed. Served neat or with cold water and ice.

Wine, Turkey has a long history of vineyard cultivation and wine production. Evidence indicates that the Pre-Hitites produced wine 3000-4000 BC and called it "VINO." Today production is centered in the Mediterranean, Aegean and Central Anatolian regions. Turkey produces some good red and white wines. Doluca and Kavaklidere are leading brands.

 

Restaurants

Korfez

Korfez, with its terrace on the banks of the Asian side of the Bosphorus, is one of the most famous, simply because of the high quality of the food. Classic dishes include the tasty salt-baked fish, grouper in spicy Asian sauce and even bonito sushi mackeral burgers. It is worth the long trip - especially if you order their boat shuttle transfer. No lunch Monday.

Korfez Caddesi 78 Kanlica

Tel: (0216) 413 4314.

Tugra

The ideal venue for a special occasion, Tugra has a wonderful array of traditional Ottoman dishes (plus some contemporary additions) and the setting is superb, its terrace overlooking the Bosphorus being the highlight. There is a huge selection of hot and cold mezes (starters), which include vine leaves, soups and seafood, and main courses have chicken, beef and lamb cooked in endless different ways. There are also fish and vegetarian options. The dessert buffet is one of Istanbul's finest and there is live traditional music. Open in the evening only.

Ciragan Palace Hotel Kempinski, Ciragan Caddesi 32 Besiktas

Tel: (0212) 326 4500 or 259 0394.

Website: www.ciragan-palace.com

Cafe Suisse

Two main things make this cafe worth coming to are the open terrace with view over the Bosphorus, and the wonderful buffet. Also with an a la carte menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the cuisine is mainly international with Turkish dishes. The buffet has a huge selection, with seafood, beef chicken and vegetarian dishes, plus soups and a vast array of cold salads and starters.

Swissotel, 2 Bayildim Caddesi, Macka Besiktas

Tel: (0212) 326 1100.

Hi Sushi

A new concept in Istanbul, but nonetheless very popular. This Japanese restaurant has a great range of traditional dishes and its sushi bar, with conveyor belt and dishes of varying colours to indicate price, is high quality. There are set menus for lunch and dinner, otherwise most choose to sit up at the sushi bar and pick whatever takes their fancy. There is a good range of wine available.

Divan Hotel, 2 Cumhurriyet Caddesi, Taksim

Tel: (0212) 315 5500.  

Seasons Restaurant

One of Istanbul's finest restaurants, this is one of the few recommended establishments in the area of tourist-friendly Sultanahmet. Located in an elegant glass-enclosed courtyard and outdoor terrace in the grounds of the Four Seasons hotel, the atmosphere here is as exquisite as the food. With an emphasis on modern Mediterranean cuisine, like roast pumpkin with ricotta soup, its international menu has a good variety of fish, pasta and a good selection of Turkish meat delicacies. Sunday brunch is highly recommended.

Four Seasons Hotel, Tevkifhane Sokak 1

Tel: (0212) 638 82 00.

Website: www.fourseasons.com/istanbul

Cafe Marmara

In the heart of Taksim square's Marmara Hotel, the cafe has a wonderful terrace, great in the summer for people-watching, as long as you do not mind the noise of traffic. Attracting a slightly up-market clientele, its informal style of food ranges from soups, pizzas, salads and burgers, plus a great choice of breakfasts and pastries. A real Istanbul institution, with lively atmosphere.

Marmara Hotel, Taksim Meydani, Taksim

Tel: (0212) 251 4696.

Website: www.themarmaraistanbul.com

Sarabi

A contemporary, dark and sleek interior, Sarabi is a wine-bar/restaurant with a busy European ambience, and situated on the busy Istiklal Caddesi. Although including a good selection of Turkish dishes, its menu boasts a vast range of international cuisine (from sushi to ravioli) which changes every few months. The restaurant is also renowned for its huge range of wines, one of the best in the city, and its imported beers.

Istiklal Caddesi 174, Beyoglu

Tel: (0212) 244 4609.

Viktor Levi

One of the first traditional Greek-style wine bars in town, with faux-Greek murals, Viktor Levi is huge and has a good-natured boisterous atmosphere, very popular with young people. Drinkers can stand at the long tables on the ground floor and dip into mezes; there are also plenty of tables, including some on a lovely balcony overlooking the entrance. The food is hearty stuff, with great mezes, meat dishes, fish in season and salads, and is good value.

Hamalbasi Caddesi 12, Beyoglu

Tel: (0212) 249 6085.

Canim Cigerim

This tiny, simple cafe has just one thing on the menu: liver cooked on a skewer and chopped on your plate, served up with salad and bread. There are several tables on the quiet street and the place, which is popular with local workers at lunch time, is always busy.

Asmalimescit Mahallesi Minare Sokak 1, Beyoglu

Tel: (0212) 252 6060.

Nature and Peace

In carnivore heaven like Istanbul, it is good to know that there are a couple of decent vegetarian places. Although they have recently included a couple of meat dishes on the menu. In a backstreet in the heart of Taksim, Nature and Peace has a warm cozy feel. Its menu, with a good selection of daily specials, includes soups, lentil kofte, falafel and wonderful cakes. The service is often slow because the food is freshly prepared, but it is well worth the wait.

21 Buyukparmakkapi Sokak, Beyoglu

Tel: (0212) 252 8609.

Otantik

Otantik has great dishes which take their influence from basic home cooking. With four floors in traditional decor, this busy venue offers a wide range of chicken dishes, potato dumplings served with yoghurt, kebabs, casseroles of beef and vegetables, and soups. It also makes delicious, fresh gozleme, huge pancakes stuffed with meat, cheese, potato or spinach. It is Cheap and very popular with locals.

170 Istiklal Caddesi, Beyoglu

Tel: (0212) 293 8451.

Saray Muhallebicileri

With several branches over the city, the most famous on Istiklal Caddesi, Saray is something of an institution and has been serving up delicious cakes and pastries to anyone with a sweet tooth since 1935. Although the interior is ornate and the waiters are clad in white jackets, this is a very down-to-earth and cheap restaurant-cafe, most famous for its cakes and traditional Turkish puddings, but which also sells kebabs, soups and savoury dishes. Not surprisingly, it is busy all hours.

102 Istiklal Caddesi, Beyoglu

Tel: (0212) 292 3434.

Hamdi Et Lokantasi

Although the food might not be a great surprise, the view is one of the finest from any restaurant in town. With many floors, and very popular with tour groups, the place to dine is overlooking the Galata Bridge and Golden Horn, so phoning ahead to for a table on the open terrace is highly recommended. Prices are reasonable, service average, and there is a good selection of mezes, kebabs, and the usual Turkish fare.

17 Kalcin Sokak Tahmis, Caddesi Eminonu

Tel: (0212) 528 0390.

Malta Kosku

Converted from an Ottoman house, this restaurant (with a cafe downstairs) sits amidst the peace of the woodlands of Yildiz Park, one of Istanbul's few city-centre parks. The huge house is grand with stunning Rococo interior, and the restaurant is elegant, with good range of Turkish and international dishes. The Sunday brunch and Sunday afternoon barbecue in summer are recommended.

Yildiz Parki Besiktas

Tel: (0212) 258 9493.

Yakup 2

Yakup 2 is one of many meyhanes in this area, down the quaint street Asmalimescit, and has an above-average selection of mezes, great meat dishes, and fish in season. It is lively and very popular with locals, and bound to turn into a drinking-smoking-eating sort of place in the evening. A few tables outside make it ideal for a summer evening.

35 Asmalimescit Caddesi, Beyoglu

Tel: (0212) 249 2925.