Istanbul Dining

Headin’ over for a weekend in between working in Europe for 2 weeks.
Was hoping to get some recommendations for places to eat… quick/cheap places, casual fun places, or unique great experiences are all great.

Not really looking for super high end fine dining, as it’ll be a quick trip by myself… probably won’t sit for a 15 course journey :slight_smile:

Thanks!!

Istanbul is top 3 favorites cities for me.

We ate here and there’s a couple of others in the same alley right by the blue mosque. Across the street was a place, like a social club where they smoke hooka’s and drink tea. The building was so old (600 y/o IIRC) the street was 6 feet higher than the entrance, you had to step down into it and the floor sloped about 12" from one end to the other.

Unfortunately, my favorite place doesn’t seem to be around anymore, I couldn’t find it on google. The first night we ate their I asked the owner I’d like something traditional but had no idea what to order. He says “I’ll order for you” which didn’t seem to be a problem because it was fairly inexpensive. It was a slow night and the food comes out and he asked to join us for dinner, uhh sure. He wanted to practice his english while we ate together. Quite the experience.

we stayed at the apricot which is cheap, clean, and big breakfast. http://www.apricothotel.com Just a block away from the blue mosque, you could hear the prayer music being sung over the loudspeakers. awesome experience.

Another great thing to do is hang out in one of the local places where they smoke, play backgammon, and drink apple tea (warm apple juice basically).

Get ready to be attacked by the carpet salesmen. Don’t accept an offer for free apple tea in their shop, you’ll see a full court press like you’ve never seen before. As you’re walking, just say “no thanks” and keep moving. They’re not mean but all business. They’ll yell some funny sh!t to get your attention.

Ciya (on the Asian side) is a don’t miss.

http://ciya.com.tr/index_en.php

What time of year are you going? If it’s warm enough then I would recommend dining at the restaurant on the roof of the swisshotel. Nothing special foodwise although ok. However, the view is absolutely stunning - somewhere everyone should eat once in their life.

Follow your nose by the banks of the rivers, everywhere has the fish on a stall outside, with the gills showing.

And take lunch at the place just inside the spice market (Pandani or something like that).

Yes! I believe its name is Pandelli.

Sweet. thanks everyone. I’m going in January so it’ll be a bit cold outdoors I think?

Some places for you:


Tarihi Sultanahmet Koftecisi “Selim Usta”, since 1920
A historic restaurant in the Historic Peninsula, Sultanahmet (= Blue Mosque)
Divanyolu Caddesi. No:12. Sultanahmet
http://www.sultanahmetkoftesi.com

Recommended for lunch while visiting the Old City. Famous for its springy, aromatic, and juicy kö fte (meatballs). The restaurant serves Inegol style kofte- that’s log format of the meatball, not the patty. Do not forget to order piyaz (white bean salad), the perfect companion to this dish. If you like your food spicy, ask for the red pepper sauce. We strongly prefer ayran (yogurt drink) with this dish to wash it down!

PS: There are many restaurants with the same name on the stretch of the street where this restaurant is located across from Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. So pls pay attention to the restaurant address and the name “Selim Usta”

We went to this place twice, it’s very good. Menu is limited, however.

Canım Ciğerim
A time tested favorite of Istanbulers in Asmalımescit area, Beyoğlu
Minare Sokak. No: 1. Beyoğlu
http://www.asmalicanimcigerim.com (a local restaurant so its website is not in English and informative - you can find several online reviews of this place)

Recommended for lunch or dinner. Known for its skewers of absolutely delectable grilled lamb or liver served with fresh greens, raw onions, roasted vegetables, and tomato salad with pomegranate dressing. That’s actually the only thing on the menu in this restaurant! You wrap a flat bread around the skewer and remove the meat from the skewer first and then you top the meat with all the condiments you have on the table. You can also add a bit of cumin and red pepper to spice it up. A new branch is opened up on Istiklal Street.

This is good, and very informal.



Çiya Sofrasi
An ethnographic museum of Anatolian cooking on the Asian side, Kadiköy
Güneslibahçe Sokak. No 43. Kadiköy
http://www.ciya.com.tr/index_en.php (very informative site in English)

Recommended for lunch or dinner. If you happen to find yourself on the Asian side of the city, this restaurant is well worth a visit. The food is delicious. The menu is full of dishes from different regions of Turkey. We have a hard time to pick what to eat. But note that half portions are served for most dishes! Check out the restaurant website to see the variety. The restaurant is located in Kadikoy, a bustling city hub. The easiest way to get there is to take the ferry from Eminonu or Karakoy, and before you get to finish your tea, you will be on another continent. It cannot get more local than this.

(Didn’t get to this one. I’ve done the ferry ride, tho and it’s a great view.)

Another great place, but a bit out of the way, is Âsitâne. Next to Kariye Cami, which is very worth seeing (even tho it’s a church, it’s called a mosque). More formal, but the food was really good and very interesting, made according to Ottoman recipes (as best they can figure them out–the Ottmans kept them secret). I had a very interesting white wine there, I expect the wine list is good also.

(edited to remove repeats)

We had a fantastic time in Istanbul. Wish we had known about this site when we went. Next time we’ll use this to guide our dining.

http://istanbuleats.com/

Spend a few hours at a hamam (turkish bath). Your hotel may have one or recommend one. Relax, soak up the heat, let the scubber do his thing, be prepared to be as clean as you’ve ever been.

have had a trip planned there (for September) for some time–may have to reconsider and avoid a civil war!
alan

Yeah, it’s a little crazy there right now. There’s always conflict there. I wouldn’t cancel yet, high probability in a couple of months it’ll be back to “normal”.

Istanbul is an incomparable city, really great. We haven’t been there in years, but dined extremely well in many different locations, from kebab on a guest house roof-top behind the Blue Mosque, to fresh fish on the Bosphorus, to grilled chicken by the river, and marinated lamb in one of the central squares. The Turkish wines are surprisingly good, too, especially with the local food.

Enjoy.

Enjoyed a couple of very memorable meals in three different districts of Istanbul last year. The first was dinner at Sarnic which is in a 1500 year old cistern along the outside of the wall around the palace area and behind the Hagia Sophia. Very elegant and meets the “special” category for the uniqueness of the location. The second was a dinner at a restaurant along the plaza next to the Galata Tower. In the Rick Steve’s guide book which recommended the place, they referred to the cuisine as Anatolian style. We loved going up to the counter to look at the dishes and pick out what we wanted. Of course we ordered too much. Finally, we took the ferry to Kadikoy and had a late lunch at another Anatolian restaurant (this one in Anatolia) in the market area. Don’t know the name. It was recommended by our hotel.

Had two very nice meals two weeks ago at Mimolett, which about a five minute walk from Taksim Square. The terrace has a lovely view toward the Bosphorus.

A disadvantage temporarily.

Unfortunately. I hope Erdogan declares victory and ignores the status quo.

Resurrecting thread since trip now about one month away.

Did you find http://istanbuleats.com/ helpful?