Restaurants in Istanbul
Beyoglu buzzes with eateries from trendy rooftop restaurants, such as 360Istanbul and Leb-i Derya Richmond, to a fresh fish meyhane (tavern) on Nevizade Sokak. In Old Istanbul, traditional kebab dinners are the order of the day, including Hamdi Restaurant in Eminönü and Sultanahmet Koftecisi in Sultanahmet. In Asian Istanbul, Kadiköy has the best selection. Most restaurants stay open till midnight every night. Service is not usually added, so add at least 10%.
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24 Results
- Turkish
Acik Mutfak
This snug little eatery close to the Galata Tower labels itself as a gay-friendly. The name translates to "open kitchen," and indeed you enter past a tiny kitchen with the day's freshly made meze dishes displayed on the counter. It's a narrow and cozy space, its dim lighting just…$$Galata - Turkish
Akdeniz Hatay Sofrasi
The southeast of Turkey is regarded by many as the mecca of Turkish food. Positioned on the silk and spice trading routes at an important geographical crossroads, the region has incorporated culinary traditions from the Levant, Anatolia, and the Middle East. This restaurant…$$Aksaray - Turkish
Ali Haydar Ikinci Bahar
This friendly restaurant is located a little out of town in one of Istanbul's most famous dining districts, Samatya. It's well worth the trek. This historically cosmopolitan district of the city was home to mixture of Greeks, Jews, Armenians, and Turks…$$Samatya - Ottoman Palace
Asitane
This is normally a bit of an out-of-the-way location, but ideal if you're visiting the beautiful Kariye Museum, a former Byzantine church with an impressive array of mosaics and frescoes. Asitane is set just across the road from the church and offers a a real reprieve from the…$$Sokak - Fish
Balıkçı Sabahattin
Surrounded as it is by the Bosphorus, the Marmara, and the Black Sea, fish is inevitably one of Istanbul's specialties. From the humble fish sandwiches sold from street carts around Galata Bridge, to the fancy fish restaurants lining the Bosphorus coast, there are seafood options to…$$$Sultanahmet - Turkish
Café Privato
One of the biggest and best breakfast spreads in Istanbul—which is, thankfully, available all day—is served on quaintly mismatched floral crockery in a cozy room, with exposed brick walls and antique furnishings, that looks out towards Galata Tower. Along with the usual cheeses,…$Galata - Kebab
Canim Ciğerim
There are two branches of this cheap and cheerful restaurant, one on Istiklal Caddesi and one on Asmali Mescit Sokak. Both serve the same menu, which has just a handful of options: chicken, liver, or lamb. These are either served in wraps or, better yet, on skewers brought to your…$Beyoğlu - Turkish
Çiya
A visit to Çiya is a must for all serious foodies. The ever-changing menu features over 1000 different dishes each year, with more than 100 different rice dishes alone. The proprietor is the humble, smiling chef Musa Dagdeviren, who hails from…$$Kadiköy - Contemporary Turkish
Enstitü
This restaurant is the training ground for the chefs who have completed their studies at the connected Istanbul Culinary Institute (ICI). In 2014, it relocated from Tepebaşı to the Kadır Has University and is now only open for breakfast and lunch. The service is friendly and…$$Eminönü - Middle Eastern
Falafel House
Despite popular conceptions, Turkey is not an easy place to find those celebrated Middle Eastern specialties, hummus and falafel. But it's not impossible. Falafel House was opened by two Palestinians in a backstreet off Taksim Square. This no-frills little café serves delicious…$Taksim - Turkish-Circassion
Ficcin
It difficult to find a reasonably priced restaurant in Beyoğlu that isn't a brassy branch of another soulless chain or a hole-in-wall kebab shop. That's why Ficcin soon becomes something of an old friend to Istanbul's regular visitors. Dependable and affordable with ample …$Beyoğlu - Fish
Fürreyya Balikçisi
In an area strewn with cafés serving up cheap food to go, Fürreyya stands out as being the only fish restaurant in the area (the rest being located down the hill by the Karaköy docks). There are just a handful of tables here, making it an intimate affair, though seemingly constant…$Galata - Kebab
Hamdi
This is a good-quality kebab restaurant that has gained an elevated status because of its location (next to the Spice Bazaar) and view (across the Golden Horn towards Galata Tower). It has become incredibly popular with tourists and locals, so it's advisable to make a reservation,…$$Eminönü - Traditional Turkish
Kanaat Lokantasi
Even from the outside, you can see Kanaat is a restaurant that means business. Black panelling and royal greens stand out in city that tends to favor more garish packaging. Inside, everything from the marble surfaces to the white overcoats of the waitstaff show that this place takes…$Üsküdar - Turkish
Karaköy Lokantasi
This is a restaurant that manages to have two different characters: tradesmen's restaurant (casual diner serving the sort of food Turkish mothers cook from hot counters) by day and meyhane (restaurant serving meze and kebab or fish accompanied by large quantities of the local aniseed…$$Karaköy - Contemporary Turkish
Mikla
An important player in the Istanbul restaurant scene is Mehmet Gürs, who opened this restaurant at the top of the Marmara Pera hotel in 2005. The Turkish-Scandanavian chef/owner has created a playful contemporary menu that utilizes the best of Anatolian produce, such as Mugla morel…$$$Tepebaşı - Fusion
Müzedechanga
When the legendary Changa restaurant opened in 1999 it began a quiet revolution in Istanbul's restaurant culture, under the supervision of world-renowned chef, Peter Gordon. With highly sophisticated décor and food, it brought innovation to a fine but conservative dining culture that…$$$Emirgan - Turkish
Nar Lokanta
This is easily one of the best upscale restaurants close to the Grand Bazaar, and a recommended destination for real foodies. Located on the fifth floor of the prestigious Armaggan antiques shop, it attracts a wealthy local crowd that knows its food. …$$$Nuruosmaniye - Turkish
Safa
One of Istanbul's oldest meyhanes, this is located in the historic neighborhood of Yedikule, famous for the fortress of seven towers which gives the district its name. There isn't much else in the way of wining and dining options, but this place is a destination in itself. The high…$$Yedikule - Turkish
Simsek Karadeniz Pide Salonu
This unpretentious place offers decent Turkish homestyle cooking at affordable prices, just a stone's throw from one of the busiest nightlife districts—making it ideal for those looking to soak up some late night excesses, or line the stomach in preparation of them. Cooked dishes are…$Asmali Mescit Mahallesi - Contemporary Turkish
Surplus
Located on the top floor of what looks like a bright pink doll's house, but is actually a 19th-century jewelry han (atelier) built on the site of a former dungeon, this restaurant manages to take in almost all of Istanbul's major sites with its panoramic views. Opened in 2014 by…$$$Eminönü - Turkish
Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi Selim Usta
This little eatery that was opened by an emigre from Turkmenistan in the 1920s. In classic Turkish style, it specializes in just one thing and makes sure it does it right. It serves the Turkish staple, köfte, which are little ground meat…$Sultanahmet - Turkish
Tavanarasi
This well-kept secret is located on the sixth floor of an unremarkable building on the bustling Asmali Mescit Caddesi. No reservations are accepted and it's hugely popular with in-the-know locals, so you may have to wait for a table, but that's part…$Tünel - Contemporary Turkish
Yeni Lokanta
The solo venture of Changa's former head chef, Civan Er, is an exercise in understated elegance. Located at the top of steep Kumbaracı Yokuşu, which links Istiklal Caddesi to the rapidly gentrifying Karaköy, this is one of the best restaurants in …$$$Tünel
