Istanbul, Turkey — Food and Dining
Restaurants in Istanbul, Turkey
Restaurants
Expensive
360 Istanbul
Located on the roof terrace of an apartment block on Istikal Caddesi, the name gives an indication of the view from here. Frequented by both wealthy Turks and foreign tourists, this Istanbul restaurant has fusion cuisine that blends Turkish, Mediterranean and Oriental styles and ingredients. Reservations are necessary at weekends. After midnight, the place turns into a trendy nightclub.
Misir Apartmani K8/311, istikal Caddesi
Tel: (0212) 251 1042.
Website: www.360istanbul.com
Feriye Lokantasi
With a superb view from its enviable location on the banks of the Bosphorus near Ortaköy, Feriye Lokantasi has a fine reputation for hearty Turkish meat dishes, and is one of the best restaurants in Istanbul. Lamb comes charcoal-grilled and everything is prepared in a traditional way that is adapted for the modern palate. The outdoor area comes complete with under-floor heating for cold evenings. Popular with wealthy businessmen and romantic couples alike. The Sunday buffet brunch is recommended. Reservations required for dinner.
Çirağan Caddesi 40, Ortaköy
Tel: (0212) 227 2216.
Website: www.feriye.com
Leb-i Derya
On a shabby street off busy Istiklal Caddesi, this part ultra-stylish terrace bar, part lively restaurant serves up Ottoman cuisine with a twist. It is the place to come for early evening cocktails in Istanbul - but make a reservation for a table with a view to enjoy your izgara levrek (grilled sea bass) or 40-spice steak. There is another branch at the Richmond Hotel at 227 Istikal Caddesi.
Kumbaraci Yokuşu 57/6, Tünel, Beyoğlu
Tel: (0212) 293 4989.
Website: www.lebiderya.com
Moderate
Amedros
Amedros strives for a continental brasserie ambience, but in many ways its menu couldn't be more Turkish. Its specialties include old-fashioned dishes such as testi kebabi (chunks of lamb slow-roasted in a clay pot that is ceremonially cracked open at your table, releasing a gush of mouth-watering aromas). Good for lunch or dinner, with tables outdoors in summer and in a cosy dining room in colder seasons.
Hoca Rustem Sokak 7, Sultanahmet
Tel: (0212) 522 0356.
Buhara Restaurant
This is an unassuming Sultanahmet restaurant which serves the full gamut of Turkish favorites, from inexpensive pide to big grills and kebabs and other meat dishes. For vegetarians, it also serves up a decent choice of non-meat dishes, mainly grilled and roasted. There are tables outside on the sidewalk, and inside in a rather spartan dining room.
Alemdar Mahallesi Nuru Osmaniye Caddesi 7A, Sultanahmet.
Tel: (0212) 527 5133.
Lacivert
With fine views over the Bosphorus from its eastern shore, this Istanbul restaurant serves traditional Turkish dishes - grilled meat and fish, pastries, soups and an array of sherbets and other desserts. Perhaps not worth crossing the water for if you are staying in Sultanahmet or Beyoglu, but well worth a visit if your hotel is on the Asian side.
Korfez Caddesi 57A, Anadolu Hisari
Tel: (0212) 413 4224.
Website: www.lacivertrestaurant.com
Cheap
Canim Ciğerim
This tiny, simple Istanbul 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 lunchtime, is always busy. Friendly service, fresh food and very cheap in this charming area of Beyoğlu.
Asmalimescit Mahallesi Minare Sokak 1, Beyoğlu
Tel: (0212) 252 6060.
Hala
A string of simple restaurants (the one off Istiklal is the most quaint) in Istanbul, Hala serves up cheap, filling gözleme - pancakes stuffed with cheese, potato, spinach or meat, and meat-filled manti (local ravioli). In a rustic setting (complete with traditionally dressed women making the fillings in the window), this is the perfect place for a tasty lunch accompanied by a soup or salad. No alcohol.
Istiklal Caddesi 211, Beyoğlu
Tel: (0212) 292 7004.
Saray Muhallebicileri
With several branches over the city, the most famous on Istiklal Caddesi, Saray is something of an institution in Istanbul and has been serving up delicious cakes and pastries 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-café, most famous for its cakes and traditional Turkish puddings, but which also sells kebabs, soups and savoury dishes. A good choice for breakfast or snacks, Saray, not surprisingly, is busy all hours.
Istiklal Caddesi 102, Beyoglu
Tel: (0212) 292 3434.
Website: www.saraymuhallebicisi.com
Nightlife
Beyoğlu is Istanbul's nightlife hub, with an ever-growing portfolio of clubs, café-bars and live music venues which open, close and change name with bewildering speed. Pricey rooftop bars are the latest trend here, in Galatasaray, and in the equally hip Ortaköy area. Across the water on the Asian side of Bosphorus, Kadikoy has also become a happening after-dark district.
At the glitzy end of the scale, ostentation, posturing and an exclusive door policy are what it's all about - so, unless you can afford to spend (and tip) like a superstar, avoid. Time Out Istanbul (www.timeoutistanbul.com) is an English-language monthly magazine with entertainment listings, features and reviews. The Turkish Daily News, the English-language daily newspaper, also has entertainment and listings.
Bars
Dogzstar
Dogsztar was a pioneer of Istanbul's new and youthful nightlife scene. Having grown out of its original home, its has moved to a new address off Istiklal Caddesi, where it continues to be one of the best places in town for a fun Friday or Saturday night with a mixed crowd, live music and DJs playing the latest cutting-edge sounds for a young and hip audience.
Kartal Sokak 3, Galatasaray
Tel: (0212) 244 9147.
Website: www.dogzstar.com
Karga
Like Dogsztar, Karga is a much-loved stalwart of the ‘new' nightlife scene in Istanbul. However, it is more than a nightspot - during the day, its cool courtyard is a pleasant place for a break from the city heat. After dark, expect local house and techno DJs and visiting bands.
Kadife Sokak 16, Kadiköy
Tel: (0212) 449 1725.
Website: www.kargabar.org
Le Fumoir
This is the newest, smartest cigar bar in Istanbul, and you'll need a reservation and a major credit card (or a cash-stuffed wallet) for a night out here. If you have either of these, then this is the place to rub shoulders with Istanbul's rich and famous while sipping a fine cognac, an aged malt whisky or a champagne cocktail and admiring the fabulous view over the Bosphorus.
Çırağan Palace Kempinski, Çırağan Caddesi 32, Besiktas
Tel: (0212) 326 4646, ext. 7500.
Website: www.kempinski.com
Clubs
Anjelique
When it opened, Anjelique helped to pave the way for a new generation of super-trendy bar-restaurant-dance club venues in Istanbul. Facing serious competition from other contenders, it is still a landmark on the city's nightlife map, with the requisite super view of the city skyline and a slightly less aloof crowd than some of its rivals.
Mualim Naci Caddesi, Salhane Sokak 5
Tel: (0212) 327 2844.
Website: www.istanbuldoors.com
Club 29
This gorgeous complex is worth crossing the Bosphorus for, with its pool and sun terrace, canopied restaurant, and adjoining dance stage, all of which share fantastic views of the channel and the Istanbul skyline. Representing modern Istanbul at its best, Club 29 plays a sharp-edged mix of Turkish and international beats after dark and attracts a multi-national, multi-cultural celebrity crowd.
Adnan Saygun Caddesi, Ulus Parki Ici 1, Ulus
Tel: (0212) 358 2929.
Website: www.group-29.com
Reina
With its multiple bars, restaurants and dance floor, Reina is a one-stop night out for Istanbul's rich, famous and beautiful. If you don't fit into any of these categories you may find it, the prices, and the service attitudes less appealing, but for those with plenty to spend this is undeniably the city's glitziest after-dark address.
Mualim Naci Caddesi 44, Ortakoy
Tel: (0212) 259 5919.
Website: www.reina.com.tr
Live Music
Babylon
Babylon hosts a wide range of international rock, world and latin artists as well as staging adventurous experimental and jazz concerts. On the rare occasions when there is no live music at this popular Istanbul nightspot, local and international DJs and bands play decent house, techno and international sounds.
Şehbender Sokak 3, off Asmalimescit
Tel: (0212) 292 7368.
Website: www.babylon.com.tr
Livane
T"urk"u (sometimes described as ‘Turkish blues') was for a long time associated with sleazy, all-male clip-joints. This great urban folk music has made a comeback in recent years, and Livane is a great place in Istanbul to encounter it live in convivial, unthreatening surroundings.
Osmancik Sokak 11, Kadikoy
Tel: (0216) 414 4096.
Nardis Jazz Club
Jazz plays a disproportionately large part in Istanbul's nightlife, and this is one of the most venerable jazz venues in town, bringing in artists from all over the world. Nardis Jazz Club features live musicians every night, playing everything from classic to modern, fusion and ethnic jazz, and also serves food. For jazz lovers, there is no better night out in Istanbul.
Kuledibi Sokak 14, Galata
Tel: (0212) 244 6327.
Website: www.nardisjazz.com
