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Turkey
Kadıköy is a bustling district on the Asian side of the city. There is a market and lots of small speciality shops, such as cheese, honey, herbal, gold, antiques and second hand books. This is the place to see the Istanbul of Istanbullus. After browsing for an hour or so sit down at one of the many small restaurants for some meze or fish. Try the "midye dolma", battered mussels. Çıya is a favourite restaurant of locals and visitors if you want to try unusual Turkish food. Keep an eye open for the fortune telling rabbits.
Take the ferry from Eminonu or Karakoy. Walk straight ahead, cross the road and dive into the side streets on your right.
Google map: bit.ly/n0pKUJ
Sauda is a floating swimming pool in the middle of the Bosphorus lined with huge beds and including a host of bars and restaurants that provide essential sustenance to guests. It's unmissable for its unique location and innate sense of calm.
Galatasaray Adası, Kuruçeşme, Istanbul
+90(0)212 263 5593
www.suadaclub.com.tr/
Quite simply the best patisserie in the heart of old Istanbul. Eat your honey sweet Baklava while listening to the Blue Mosque's call to prayer. Or ask Çigdem's staff to wrap up your pastries so you can take them home for your friends.
Alemdar Mh., Divan Yolu Caddesi 62, Istanbul, Turkey
+902125268859
Google map: bit.ly/qTbE1r
If you re looking for delicious and amazing cuisine, you ll be delighted to stop by here. Think about a whole chicken stuffed with rice, covered by salt and roasted in wood-fired oven for two hours, or baked hummus with excellent diced lamb. They have a wide range of menu, including great mezes, special kebabs(which are really hard to find anywhere else), so it is really hard to choose but I do loved all the things I ordered. I recommend you to try it if you ever visit Istanbul.
+902125313333
www.akdenizhataysofrasi.com.tr
skenderpaşa Mh., Ahmediye Caddesi 44, 34082 Istanbul, Türkiye
Google map: bit.ly/klV0K2
This is a great restaurant on the Asia side of Istanbul. The servers are nice and the food is moderately priced. Hands down the best food I had in Turkey. When you've had too many donners go here for dinner. There is a nice market down the street too.
Guneslibahce Sokak 43, KADIKOY, Istanbul, Turkey
+90 2163303190
Google map: bit.ly/mt0VBA
Take time out from the whirl of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar by stepping out on to its beautiful rooftop, and admiring the rows of domes from above. Climb the stairs in the courtyard opposite Cebeci Han.
Secondly, a totally authentic and cheap place for late breakfast or lunch in the bazaar is Onur Pilic (meaning "Honour Chicken"). This hole-in-the-wall serves delicious "menemen", scrambled eggs with tomato, cheese and green peppers served with French bread. Even better - ask for slices of chicken from the doner above to be placed on top, add chili flakes and enjoy.
Cebeci Han, Grand Bazaar.
Onur Pilic, Kavaflar Sokak 49, Grand Bazaar.
Google maps: bit.ly/9FKauZ
For a change of scene, hop on a ferry across to Üsküdar. Just five minutes by taxi from the port is the pretty Bosphorus-front "village" of Kuzguncuk (incredible though it is to believe, sprawling Istanbul was formerly made up of a series of villages). Remnants of a fascinating Jewish, Greek and Armenian past include tiny, tucked away synagogues and churches. Today's leafy main street is made up of super-friendly grocers, patisseries and even the odd gallery. Once you've had a wander, stop at chic Ilya for a cappuccino and chin-wag with charismatic owner Arzu. Born and brought up here, she has many a tale to tell and before you know it, you'll have spent a couple of hours here. Cafe by day/intimate restaurant by night it'sa real find. Oh, and it's BYO.
www.ilyakuzguncuk.com/
Bican efendi Sokak No: 1a/b;
(head up the main street, turn right at the post office)
Tel: +90 (0)216 553 86 90
google map: tinyurl.com/2v4zfft
This Turkish bistro served us the most amazing starter (mushrooms in a sort of shredded pastry) and a beautiful steak that would stand up to comparison with any good restaurant in England. The menu could be described as Turkish, Mediterranean, English fusion. Classy but reasonable at about £25 a head. The clientele seemed to be young professionals but as 40/50 year old women, we felt welcome and it was so nice to have a change from the meze that you get around Sultanhamet. We just kept saying 'mmm' all the time.
Near Taksim main shopping street on the left. See www.hayalkahvesibistro.com for better details
Found this lovely place on the tram line (homemadeistanbul.com) on a wander. The restaurant provides a lovely and reasonable lunch. There was a mixture of Turkish and Mediterranean food on the menu and everything was lovely. It had the best salads we found in Istanbul. We were surprised to find wine at a reasonable price as well as the great food. To get there take the tram to Sirkeci then walk back (if you came from the Sultanhamet). It's easy to find because of the non-Turkish sounding name and the woman in the window making fresh bread (which was, again, the best we had in Istanbul).
This is an excellent warm restaurant right in the old city center Sultanahmet, where you are always served by the fantastic friendly team.
You will have a gourmet experience and live any food lovers dream, with many different options on the menu - Turkish and Ottoman, international ( very good steak choices), and some seafood options. All were so good but we have enjoyed the Ottoman part of the menu most - the apple steak was amazing too. We ate at Amedros many times for lunch and dinner during our one week stay in İstanbul.
Divanyolu Cad Hoca Rustem Sok No/7 Sultanahmet/istanbnul/TURKEY 34400
PHONE:+90 212 522 83 56
FAX:+90 212 527 21 38
www.amedroscafe.com
Sultanahmet Tram Station
A great place if you would like to taste well prepared kebab. The restaurant is owned by people from Diyarbakir who can really make eastern dishes. Try also their sweet with ice cream. It seems their own invention.
It is in Unkapani. Itfaiye Caddedesi, a street full of eastern shops.
Google map: tinyurl.com/ylnb39w
I love, love, LOVE Leb-i-derya. I don't care one jot that it's over-priced. It's refreshing to find a society in Istanbul hangout that's friendly and welcoming - even on a Saturday night in July without a booking. And the views are sublime. Try to arrive before sunset otherwise you'll completely miss the point and good luck in finding it! If you get lost, ask the doorman at the Richmond Hotel on Istiklal Caddesi for directions...
Kumbaracı yokuşu 57/6 Tünel, Beyoğlu
www.lebiderya.com/
As a long weekend break I would highly recommend Istanbul. If the stunning mosques and Ottoman architecture don't fascinate you, there is always the grand bazaar or spice markets. Ferries run up and down the Bospherous, constantly connecting the Dead Sea with the Sea of Marmara. The food is exceptional. Whether you'd like to try a real kebab at the top of Istekal where the stall sells over 10,000 per day, or sit in an outdoor restaurant overlooking the sea drinking very quaffable Turkish wine and eating freshly caught fish, the food will never disappoint. Turks love to dance, and the clubs rival anything in London. In the summer the parties move onto the roof terraces. Locals tend to be warm, friendly and helpful to the point of bending over backwards. I came out here for a weekend earlier last year and now I live here. You can't get a better recommendation than that!
On Peykhane, one of the streets running off Divan Yolu and about ten minutes' walk from Cemberlitas. Unassuming, bright diner, with excellent, cheap meals (pide, kebab, salad, soup), no hassle or hustling, friendly staff, and the best fresh bread we tasted in the whole city. 12-20 liras for two. Convenient for Sultanahmet hotels but out of the tourist beargarden.
Karadeniz kebab, Peykhane
I think it is the best restaurant in Istanbul. Wonderful atmosphere with friendly service. I was very impressed with the menu and excellent quality of the food. Some dishes are exclusive to the restaurant. The Destiny Special is a delightful combination of tender beefsteak with a cream and mushroom sauce, served with a cinnamon cabbage in red wine sauce. Also recommended is the Destiny cake made with spinach - it melted in the mouth and tasted just of vanilla and cream. Don't be put off by the green colour! Definitely worth a visit. Reasonably priced too.
Bereket Mah. Haci Ali Sok. No. 11/A, Galata-Byoglu, Istanbul. Can be found by walking down from Galata Tower or by climbing up the steps by the Oyak Bank near the tramway in Karakoy.
A great place to watch an authentic folklore and dance show and for dinner. Very happy and friendly atmosphere.
On Cumhuriyet Caddesi, 10 min walk from Taksim Square towards Hilton.
This is a new restaurant which is known as the best seafood restaurant in Sultanahmet. The food is outstanding, you should ask the staff for the special of the day.
The restaurant is on the shore of Marmara Sea with a view of Turkish islands. The "Boukoleon" name comes from the 5th century. There used to be a "Boukoleon Palace" standing right where you sit.
Now you can easily see the archeeological heritage of the old time palace. If you are interested in history, looking for a nice Istanbul view and also outstanding food, I would highly recommend you go to this restaurant.
www.boukoloen.com
Hagia Sofia, Sultanahmet, Istanbul
90212 6387148
In the basement of the Kariye Hotel, spilling into the secluded garden. It is not cheap, but it is a perfect, civilised place for lunch before/after visiting the delights of the Kariye Mosque (St Saviour Church) museum and a modest lunch of mezze will not cost you a fortune.
Kariye Camii Sok 18
tel 0212/534 8414
Great food, great atmosphere and a great price!
Surprising that it is so close to the main sites of Sultanhamet and yet such good value.
As in all places in Istanbul, the price of wine / alcohol is very high. Our two mains and bottle of wine came to 66 lira - of which 30 lira was for the wine.
At an exchange rate of 2.5 lira to £1, this meant that our meals cost just a little over £14.
Wonderful fish on the menu and I recommend the chicken hagiasophia.
They have a terrace that looks onto the Blue Mosque.
All along the street there are "kapici" (managers/head waiters) trying to lure you into their respective establishments, but to be fair they do this with good humour and banter.
Incili Cavus Sk No 21 Sultanhamet.
If you stand facing the Haghia Sofia the street is across the road on your left parallel to the Divan Yolu street (which has the tram line). It is next to the Mozaik restaurant on the corner of the street.
Sutis was recommended by the owner of the Cagaloglu Hamam (Turkish bath) in the Sultanahmet area. We were expecting a tourist trap, but loads of locals eat there - always a good sign.
Prices are insanely low for the area and you can definitely find something for under six lira. We tried the tavuk durum for 3.75ytl - chicken, fresh vegetables and fries in a thin flatbread. It was the best thing we'd eaten in Istanbul!
Paket Servisi Saatlerimi - just up the road from Cagaloglu Hamam, towards the Grand Bazaar.
Tel: 512 01 61 - 522 02 54
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