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General
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City Guide > Europe > Turkey > Istanbul | |
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Restaurants Introduction We have selected 15 of the best restaurants in Istanbul, which we have divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments. Reservations are recommended wherever possible; in the case of upscale and popular restaurants, they are essential. The prices quoted below are for an average three-course meal and for a bottle of house wine or cheapest equivalent; they do not include tax or tip. $$$$ (over $70) $$$ ($40-70) $$ ($20-40) $ (under $20) Gastronomic Korfez A fish meal along the Bosphorus is a fine way to dine, and there are many restaurants to chose from. But Korfez, with its terrace on the banks of the Asian side of the Bosphorus, is one of the most famous, simply because of the high quality of the food. Classic dishes include the tasty salt-baked fish, grouper in spicy Asian sauce and even bonito sushi mackeral burgers. It’s worth the long trip - especially if you order their boat shuttle transfer. No lunch Monday. Korfez Caddesi 78 Kanlica Tel: (0216) 413 4314. Price: $$$$ Tugra The ideal venue for a special occasion, Tugra has an wonderful array of traditional Ottoman dishes (plus some contemporary additions) and the setting is superb, its terrace overlooking the Bosphorus being the highlight. There is a huge selection of hot and cold mezes (starters), which include vine leaves, soups and seafood, and main courses have chicken, beef and lamb cooked in endless different ways. There are also fish and vegetarian options. The dessert buffet is one of Istanbul’s finest, and there is live traditional music. Smart casual dress, reservations necessary. Open in the evening only. Ciragan Palace Hotel Kempinski, Ciragan Caddesi 32 Besiktas Tel: (0212) 326 4500 or 259 0394. Website: www.ciragan-palace.com Price: $$$$ Business Café Suisse Two main things make this café worth coming to – the open terrace with view over the Bosphorus, and the wonderful buffet. Also with an a la carte menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the cuisine is mainly international with Turkish dishes. The buffet has a huge selection, with seafood, beef chicken and vegetarian dishes, plus soups and a vast array of cold salads and starters. Swissotel, 2 Bayildim Caddesi, Macka Besiktas Tel: (0212) 326 1100. Price: $$$ 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. Price: $$$ Seasons Restaurant One of Istanbul’s finest restaurants, this is one of the few recommended establishments in the area of tourist-friendly Sultanahmet. Located in an elegant glass-enclosed courtyard and outdoor terrace in the grounds of the Four Seasons hotel, the atmosphere here is as exquisite as the food. With an emphasis on modern Mediterranean cuisine, like roast pumpkin with ricotta soup, its international menu has a good variety of fish, pasta and a good selection of Turkish meat delicacies. Sunday brunch is highly recommended. Smart casual dress, reservations recommended. Four Seasons Hotel, Tevkifhane Sokak 1, Sultanahmet-Eminönü Tel: (0212) 638 82 00. Website: www.fourseasons.com/istanbul Price: $$$$ Trendy Café Marmara In the heart of Taksim square’s Marmara Hotel, the café has a wonderful terrace, great in the summer for people-watching, as long as you don’t mind the noise of traffic. Attracting a slightly up-market clientele, its informal style of food ranges from soups, pizzas, salads and burgers, plus a great choice of breakfasts and pastries. A real Istanbul institution, with lively atmosphere. Marmara Hotel, Taksim Meydani, Taksim Tel: (0212) 251 4696. Website: www.themarmaraistanbul.com Price: $$$ 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. Price: $$$ Viktor Levi One of the first traditional Greek-style wine bars in town, with faux-Greek murals, Viktor Levi is huge and has a good-natured boisterous atmosphere, very popular with young people. Drinkers can stand at the long tables on the ground floor and dip into mezes; there are also plenty of tables, including some on a lovely balcony overlooking the entrance. The food is hearty stuff, with great mezes, meat dishes, fish in season and salads, and is good value. Hamalbasi Caddesi 12, Beyoglu Tel: (0212) 249 6085. Price: $$ Budget Canim Cigerim Vegetarians needn’t bother! This tiny, simple café 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. Friendly, fresh food and very cheap in this charming area of Beyoglu. Asmalimescit Mahallesi Minare Sokak 1, Beyoglu Tel: (0212) 252 6060. Price: $ Nature and Peace In carnivore’s heaven like Istanbul, it’s 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’s well worth the wait. 21 Buyukparmakkapi Sokak, Beyoglu Tel: (0212) 252 8609. Price: $ Otantik Don’t be put off by the slightly tacky ‘village feel’ of the window; 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. Cheap and very popular with locals. 170 Istiklal Caddesi, Beyoglu Tel: (0212) 293 8451. Price: $ 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. Price: $ Personal Recommendations 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. Price: $$ Malta Kosku Converted from an Ottoman house, this restaurant (with a café downstairs) sits amidst the peace of the woodlands of Yildiz Park, one of Istanbul’s few city-centre parks. The huge house is grand with stunning Rococo interior, and the restaurant is elegant, with good range of Turkish and international dishes. The Sunday brunch and Sunday afternoon barbecue in summer are recommended. Yildiz Parki Besiktas Tel: (0212) 258 9493. Price: $$ 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. Price: $$ |