- mightywease
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I have to admit that when I read that Restaurant Kawaleria, “Cavalry” (I believe in Polish), was equine themed, I was worried that I would be sharing a rustic space with a display of horseshoes, horse brasses, horse paintings and, worst of all, cartoons of robust girls on small ponies. I’m afraid I tend to view equine pursuits with ambivalence or bewilderment. However, Kawaleria proved to be an elegant, attractive restaurant specialising in contemporary Polish cuisine.
The first two rooms – a bar and dining room - are quite intimate with cream walls, sepia photos, wooden furniture and subdued lighting.
The room we were seated in is more of a banqueting space, very pleasant - perfect for large groups and parties but a little empty with just the two of us at 6 in the evening. Towards the end of the room is a wonderful old stove and, yes, there are equine themed black and white photographs but actually this gallery, well displayed on the pale blue walls, was both decorative and interesting.
The menu is traditional Polish with a modern slant, starters include crab terrine, Polish sour rye soup, battered sardines and the intriguing but a little gruesome (at least for a non-meat eater like me) piglet in jelly. Main courses take in a selection of meats in sauces and casserole including wild boar, duck and turkey. For non meaties there are fish and vegetarian options, the latter including pancakes and pierogi. The food was extremely well presented and service throughout the evening was excellent. The standard of cooking was good but I am not sure that the main courses we had exactly worked, the carp was tasty but a little overpowered by the strong taste of the mushrooms, the Turkey could have done with a little more garlic and a little more sauce. However it was still a very nice meal and I would certainly eat there again, not least because of the lovely ambience and attentive staff.
Golebia 4 - a short walk from the Rynek Glowny
www.kawaleria.com.pl
As chilled as its name suggests, the Ice Bar is a fusion of old and new - blue lights looking like blocks of ice, silver cushions flecked with black, comfy low sofas ideal for slouching on (beware leaning back, they are further from the wall than you think) combined with a wooden beamed ceiling decorated with painted leaf designs and a stained glass window on one wall. It sounds and is rather eclectic but the fusion works. The beams and stained glass are, I believe, original features of the building and they have been blended well with the contemporary design of the bar.
Ice is, of course, another feature, spread over the surface of the bar and made into shot glasses which are used for serving vodka. Glasses of ice? Yep and they do work and they don’t stick to your fingers. Cool.
Dunkri 6
Part of the Merchants House Hotel
www.icebar.ee
This comfortable hotel is situated only a few steps away from the Old Town Hall Square in Tallinn. Made from two houses linked together, it is a pleasant warren of twisting corridors, staircases, unusually shaped rooms and what appears to be a number of original features such as wooden beams and painted frescos. There is also a lovely courtyard off which some of the rooms lead.
The fixtures and decor are a mixture of contemporary, such as the wonderful rectangular sink in the bathroom, and classic, there are some very attractive Chinese and Asian style cabinets and chests in the corridors. The room we were in was long and quite narrow but still spacious and decorated in muted gold and brown giving it a pleasingly relaxed atmosphere. This was also aided by the bed which was provoked a pleasing "Oooooh" as we rested our tired limbs on it.
Breakfast, which was served in either the cellar restaurant or the upstairs coffee room, depending on the number of visitors, was very good and consisted of a wide range of hot and cold food sometimes in a buffet format and sometimes cooked to order.
Body and beauty treatments are available and, best of all, the sauna is free to guests. A good way to warm up (a lot) and relax after a day of sightseeing in the city.
The staff were friendly and efficient and the service we received always excellent.
My one minor criticism of the hotel is that I would have liked a hotel manual/services guide in the room. There is an excellent one on the website and this service was advertised as being on the interactive TV in the room but ours, sadly, didn't seem to be. It is a very minor criticism, however, and I dare say had we asked for more information or mentioned that the service channel on the TV wasn't working it would have been dealt with.
All in all this is a great hotel, very reasonably priced for the standard of service (200 Euro/136 GB sterling/251 USD for a standard room plus breakfast and taxes during summer) and a perfect base from which to enjoy the fascinating city of Tallinn.
Dunkri 4/6 Tallinn, Estonia
www.merchantshousehotel.com
To call La Rambla a street somehow appears a little demeaning, thoroughfare or boulevard seem much more fitting words, however neither really adequately describe the 'slice of life' that is La Rambla.
Running from Placa de Catalunya down to the port area, La Rambla is a place for people to stroll, meet, pass through, trade, eat, drink, people watch and be entertained. And if you think it's busy wandering down its length at midday return at midnight when it's even livelier.
Entertainment comes in the form of buskers and street performers of the 'living statue' type - give them some coins and they'll perform for you or just admire them as they stand immobile. One favourite was the headless torso with the 'detached' head alive and chatting on a plate of vegetables next to him. There are also stalls selling flowers, sketch artists offering to draw your likeness and booths selling a variety of birds and small animals. Indeed it was quite incongruous seeing pigeons hoping around the ground in front of a booth where others were on sale.
Inevitably in such a busy place there will be pickpockets so be careful with your purse, camera and other valuables. However don't let that put you off, whether it's a morning, afternoon or evening stroll - La Rambla is the place.
La Rambla
One of the entrances to Cathedral La seu is through the cloistered courtyard. It’s a wonderful space, stone flagged floors, arched recesses, gothic columns and lush green foliage. One can easily imagine walking slowly around the cloisters in quiet contemplation. Ah, except for the interruptions of the geese which share the space.
There are 13 geese, each representing one-year of the life of the martyred Santa Eulalia, the patron Saint of Barcelona. One does get the sense that the geese feel they are the real owners of the courtyard; everyone else is just an interloper. And they are probably right.
Inside the beautifully cool interior are some wonderfully ornate side chapels, paintings and gilding. The high ceiling has carved round plagues at each axis and the patches of weathering on the roof rather than detracting from the decoration actually add to the feel of the place, giving a sense of history and continuity.
The choir stalls are handsomely decorated with coats of arms and all through the cathedral are wonderfully rich colours and decorative flourishes. It is an incredibly impressive building, a focal point for the area and community, imposing yet also welcoming and peaceful.
A lift takes you to the roof and a walk along the bouncy steel walkway not only gives you fantastic views over the city but also allows you to see up close the architecture of the cathedral itself.
Plaça de la Seu
Barri Gotic. Metro: Lines 1 and 3 (Catalunya Station) and Lines 2 and 4 (Urquinaona Station.)
www.catedralbcn.org
Designed by Gaudi, begun in 1883 and still being constructed, the Sagrada Familia radiates a compelling presence in the city, even before you visit it. Maybe it is the fact that it is unfinished, maybe it's the unusual architecture and decoration - which includes broken bottles and ceramics - but there is something so creative about the building that it'll work on your imagination.
From a distance the facade looks like someone has taken a lump of clay, kneaded and moulded it into a mass of spikes, icicles, holes and ridges. Closer up and you begin to pick out elements, even closer and you become overwhelmed by the intricate details. Inside the lines of the stone are clean, elegant, tactile.
The structure and composition of the building is very organic - photographs show how some of the columns were inspired by trees - and it is almost as if the building has developed on its own burgeoning from the earth, expending and blossoming as it grows. I particularly sensed this inside the structure and when climbing around inside the thin towers, the building has such a strong sense of identity, its own identity, separate from the person who designed it and the people building it. Maybe that is in part what makes this a remarkable structure, the way that is both representative of Gaudi's vision but is also somehow independent. This is not just a building it's an ongoing work of art.
Carrer de Mallorca 401
Metro: Line 2 or 5 Station: SagradaFamilia
www.sagradafamilia.org
Situated along the walk from the Rynek Glowny to Wawel Hill the restaurant Balaton at ul Grodzka 37 provides excellent value Hungarian and Polish cuisine.
The surroundings are simple but pleasant, white walls, wooden chairs and benches, black and white photos on the wall and an array of hanging wooden fishes. The menu comprises a variety of soup - brought to your table in a metal dish suspended over an open flame from which you ladle it into your bowl – herrings, salmon and salami for starters followed by main courses of meat - including veal and wild boar goulash - poultry and fish dishes many incorporating potato cakes and dumplings. There is, however, only one vegetarian dish, potato cakes with mushroom sauce.
Service was understated but friendly and with a touch of flourish, for instance, when a main course of chicken Hungarian style was brought out sizzling from the kitchen and served ceremoniously from a platter onto the plate. As for the food itself it was great, tasty, filling, well cooked and well spiced. The main course of trout was perfectly cooked, crisp skin with melt in your mouth flesh underneath. Each main course also came with a side order of refreshing carrot, red and white cabbage salad.
And the price for two people for two courses, beer and vodka each – 99 zloty including a tip (approx. £17.00/$33.00). Excellent.
ul. Grodzka 37
www.balaton.krakow.pl
Tel. (012) 422 04 69
What could be more pleasant than wandering by the side of a canal on a cool but bright summer’s day watching the gondolas go past and doing a bit of window-shopping? Well, at the Venetian you can do all that – okay the coolness is provided by air conditioning and the bright summer’s day by the painted ceiling of blue sky and clouds but, hey, who cares, it’s still lovely.
The Grand Canal shopping arcade at the Venetian is, like many of the other large hotel arcades, worth visiting even if you aren’t in the mood for retail therapy. It’s a really nice place to have a stroll. Now I have never been to Venice so I can’t comment on whether the buildings are authentic but the European style architecture, the walkways, bridges, streetlights and canal make a very pleasant backdrop. If your wallet is itchy then there a shops selling laces, masks and glass as well as shoes, fashion, jewellery etc..
You can also, if you wish, take a gondola ride. Or sit down, sup a cappuccino and get into that Italian style vibe. Bella.
3355 Las Vegas Boulevard
In the Venetian Hotel
To call the Forum shops at Caesar’s a “Shopping Mall” is a bit of an understatement – indeed the same could also be said of Desert Passage at Aladdin and the Canal Shoppes at the Venetian.
As well as approximately 150 shops and restaurants there are also street entertainers, fountains and the “Lost City of Atlantis” animatronics presentation, making it as much an attraction as a mall.
As for the shops, well for fashion devotees there is Gucci, Versace, Armani and Christian Dior (as well as Banana Republic and Gap for the slightly less well-heeled shopper) for children and the child within us there is FAO Schwartz. For foodies, stop at the Cheesecake Factory or Planet Hollywood. And for those who simply like to window-shop and people-watch, well, the Forum is a great place to do both.
3500 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Next to The Mirage and Ceasar's Palace
If your legs are aching with walking in, out and through casinos, you’ve got time to spare and you wouldn’t mind a cheap sightseeing tour of The Strip then I’d suggest hopping on the Las Vegas Strip Trolley.
A replica of an old-style trolley bus the Strip Trolley runs up and down the Strip from the Mandalay Bay in the south to the Stratosphere in the north stopping at various hotels/attractions in between. There is a set fare (exact fare only, no change is given) or extra for for an all day pass. Depending on traffic the Trolleys run every 15 to 20 minutes, weaving in and out of hotel driveways and, if you are lucky enough, with drivers who will give you a running commentary – not about the hotels but rather their feelings about the other drivers on the road.
It’s not the fastest way to travel the Strip but it’s cheap, convenient and, if not too busy, rather pleasant.
Up and down the Strip
Glass flowers in the lobby of the Bellagio lead to real flowers in the Conservatory; a glass domed botanical garden that contains a butterfly cage, trees and floral displays, which are changed seasonally.
When we visited there were a number of flower sculptures in the shape of snails and ladybirds.
It is free to visit, a good place to re-charge your batteries before heading back to the casino or Strip and even if you are no gardener (like me) you’ll still appreciate the colour, variety and beauty of the plants.
Bellagio Hotel, 3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
www.bellagio.com
Accordion music, fountains and a cheery greeting of “Bonjour” from the hotel staff and you have to be in Paris. Or do you?! Well, you could also be in the Paris Hotel Las Vegas and, of course, you can’t have Paris without the Eiffel Tower.
The Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas is not quite as tall as the original, in fact it is exactly half the size, however it has been reproduced with a superb eye for detail. An elevator whisks you to the observation deck, 460 feet above the Strip. The lift attendant was extremely friendly and informative. I can’t remember exactly how much he told us it cost to build the tower but it was in the millions of dollars range. However he also told us that they had recouped all the building costs in about six months of opening.
The views across Las Vegas are fantastic, taking in a 360 degree panorama that includes the Strip, the city and the mountains in the distance. In the evening it also allows wonderful views across to the Bellagio fountain display.
The observation deck is quite small (holding about 30 to 40 people at a time) so you may have to queue to get in and, needless to say, it is not for those at all nervous of heights.
Paris, Las Vegas, 3655 S. Las Vegas Blvd
www.paris-lv.com
Shark Reef at the Mandalay Bay is a walkthrough aquarium where you get the chance to get up close and personal with a variety of fish and sea creatures including, of course, sharks.
You walk through various themed areas – Jungle, Temple and Shipwreck – guided by both your “passport”, which includes some handy photographs for identifying various species, and an extremely informative audio guide.
Along the way you will see some of what must be some of the most beautiful and bizarre creatures on the planet. Spots, stripes, bright reds, vivacious blues and poster paint yellow catch your eye, as does the range of shapes and sizes from dainty angelfish to huge tarpons and gracefully sleek stingrays. Try and look out for the lookdown, whose flat face makes it seems as if it has just run into a wall, and the magnificent lionfish, a blend of stripes, fans and tendrils that looks like it should be fantasy rather than reality.
Rays swim in a small pool where you're encouraged – under supervision – to touch them. It’s a strange sensation. I thought they would be soft and squashy but instead they felt rather hard and leathery. A nearby display of jellyfish again look like creations of an imagination run wild.
The culmination of the tour is the shipwreck where, in a huge tank, sharks and fish swim round, under and above you. The sharks are amazing creatures, inspiring an almost primeval sense of both fear and respect. Wait for one to swim over your head so you can see its rows of teeth and feel that slight tremor go up your spine.
Education and conservation are two of the aims of the aquarium - it has links to various organisations that promote research and conservation – and I liked the last page of the passport guide that gives some small tips about how people can try and help conserve the environment.
At the Mandalay Bay Hotel, 3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
As a non-meat eater I couldn’t help but notice the irony of eating somewhere where the only main dishes are kofte: meatballs and kebab. However, having been recommended by a number of visitors and with an especially carnivorous husband wanting to sample as many kebabs as Istanbul could offer I was happy to give Tarihi Selim Usta Sultanahmet Koftecisi a try. And, having visited once, happy to go back a second time.
Situated amongst the many eateries of Divan Yolu Tarihi Selim Usta Sultanahmet Koftecisi seemed consistently bustling and busy with a steady stream of locals and tourists. Inside it is basic and functional – but what more do you need – the same could be said of the menu which, apart from kofke and kebab offers lentil soup, rice (pilav), green salad, bean salad (piyaz), yoghurt and bread as accompaniments. However in no way does that do the food justice. It is what you might call comfort food of the first degree, unfussy, straightforward and flavoursome. Lentil Soup was thick and tasty, the bean salad - seasoned with mint and a little oil - lovely and fresh, both the kebabs and kofte were nicely spiced and well cooked and the yoghurt was delicious – again a wonderful fresh, palate cleansing taste.
Sit downstairs and you are right in the middle of things with waiters scooting about taking orders and delivering food from the grill, upstairs was quieter with excellent views over Divan Yolu. Service is friendly and fast and the price is excellent – between 20 and 30 YTL (£7.20/$13.80 to £10.80/$20.70) for a meat dishes, two or three accompaniments, yoghurt, bread and a couple of drinks. This is fast food at its tastiest and best, perfect for a lunchtime break.
12 Divan Yolu
Nearest tram stop is Sultanahmet
Between 408 and 450 Theodosius II constructed a wall arching round the city of Constantinople and providing a land defence running 4 miles (6.5 km) from the Sea of Mamara to the Golden Horn.
The walls served the city well protecting it from invading forces for nearly 1000 years until, in 1453, Mehmet the Conqueror breached the walls and entered the city.
The walls consisted of a main inner wall, 16 feet (5 m) think and 40 feet (12 m) high, a terrace, then an outer wall 7 feet (2m) thick) and about 30 feet (8.5 m) high, this outer wall overlooking a moat. The double walls also included a total of 192 towers plus 11 fortified gateways which gave access to the city. It was an amazing feat of engineering and must have been an incredible site to those approaching the city, especially if contemplating how to overcome this almost impenetrable barrier.
Now the ravages of time and neglect have meant that many areas of the wall have fallen into disrepair, though they are, as ruins so often can be, still very impressive, their shapes making jagged shapes, like broken teeth, against the sky. Other sections have been restored and these give a good indication of how the walls used to look.
We decided to walk along the walls from Yedikule Fortress to Edirnekapi before cutting inwards to the Kariye Camii Museum – a distance of about 3 miles. Walking ‘along’ the walls is a bit of a misnomer as though some guide books say it is possible to climb onto the inner or outer walls, access is not easy and the walls themselves, at times almost in a state of collapse, don’t always look safe enough to climb on. This did mean that for the first part of our journey following the route of the walls we were walking next to a busy main road and exhaust fumes are not the most pleasant accompaniment. However, next to the walls, in, I assume, the old moat are a string of allotments and the exhaust fumes were mitigated by the smell of growing vegetables and plants drifting across from them.
The old gates to the city are generally in quite good repair and close to one we were able to gain access onto the, reconstructed, outer wall and terrace, the latter also filled with allotments.
Though a bit ramshackle and rather a rubbish dump in places this part of the walk was fantastic as hidden from view we walked in solitude between the inner and outer walls watching butterflies flit between vegetables and trying to imagine what it must have felt like to be hunkered down in one of the towers waiting for an incursion or attack.
Later we passed through some more traditional neighbourhoods and stopped for tea at an outside café near the Topkapi Gate where we had a wonderful part English, part Turkish, part sign language conversation with some of the other customers who were interested to know where we had been, where we were going and how we liked Istanbul.
All in all it took us about 2 hours to complete our walk, arriving at the Kariye Camii Museum with a sense of achievement and some good memories. I wouldn’t recommend this walk for everyone it was tiring, it wasn’t always attractive – meaning the main road really – and certain sections of the walls are rather deserted and I wouldn’t want to tackle them on my own, however, it provided some of my most abiding memories of Istanbul and I am really pleased we did it.
You can join the walls at various places – bus 80 goes from Eminonu to Yedikule and buses 37E and 38E go from Edirnekapi, near the Kariye Camii Museum
The Fortress of the Seven Towers was built around the Porta Aurea (Golden Gate) constructed circa AD390 by Theodosius I and through which Emperors entered the city. The gate became part of the city walls, buolt during the reign of Theodsius II, and then after the Ottoman capture of Istanbul, Memhet the Conqueror began remodelling the fortress adding 5 towers until it took the shape that it retains today.
The fortress was originally used as a treasury but then became a prison in which foreign dignitaries, members of the ruling elite and deposed Sultan’s were held – and executed. Now as well as being a historical attraction the fortress is used as a concert arena.
You can still see the remains of the Golden Gate - now bricked up – and also the aptly descriptive Well of Blood into which served heads were tossed. The great pleasure of Yedikule though is scrambling up and down the fortifications, in and out of towers and gazing out over the Sea of Mamara and towards Sultanahmet in the distance.
Its not for the faint hearted, there are no guard rails on the fortifications or ramparts, it’s uneven underfoot, quite vertiginous and some of the metal stairwells in the towers are a little rickety. So be careful, however, it is also fantastic – we had the place more or less to ourselves and it was great fun exploring the different levels in the hollow towers, scaring ourselves by peeping over edges or just leaning on the walls and staring at the distant ships making their way across the Sea of Mamara.
Open: Mon, Tue and Thurs-Sun 9.30am-4.30pm
Yedikule Meydani Sokak, Yedikule
Take bus 80 from Eminonu or the train from Sirkeci station to the stop at Yedikule
Built between 1316 and 1361, around an earlier church, the small brick building of St. Saviour in Chora (now called the Kariye Mosque Museum) contains some of the most wonderful and best-preserved examples of Byzantine art anywhere.
The church’s patron, Metochites, a Byzantine scholar and politician ended his days as a monk at the church having been allowed to return after falling from power and spending two years in exile.
The mosaics found in the church portray scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary, the Day of Judgement and Heaven and Hell. The colours in the mosaics seem as vibrant and fresh as they were when first created. When the church was converted to a mosque in the 15th Century the mosaics were covered over with plaster rather than destroyed remaining so until the mid 19th Century, and this covering may have helped to preserve their appearance.
They are also intricately detailed and one of the pleasures of standing in front of them is being able look deeper into the images picking out different things with each sweep of the eyes, for instance one small beautifully realised scene where water is being poured from a pitcher into large earthenware pots.
Although slightly off the beaten path it is well worth taking a trip to the Kariye Camii to see these magnificent pieces of art.
Open: Mon-Tues, Thurs-Sun Closed: Wed.
Kariye Camii Sokak 26, Edirnekapi
Bus 37E and 38E from Eminonu
Housed in an old palace overlooking the Hippodrome the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts charts the history, influences and changes in Islamic art through the use of pottery, tiles, artefacts, calligraphy, glass and metal work, manuscripts and friezes.
There are some wonderful exhibits, especially the beautiful calligraphy and decorated manuscripts, vibrantly coloured tiles and also the exquisite, elaborate pins and brooches used to decorate turbans.
The later galleries and the Main Ceremonial Hall contain one of the world’s foremost collection of antique carpets. The exhibition explains the different types of carpets and how some styles are named after certain artists i.e. Holbein, because they were featured in paintings by those artists. In the west Turkish carpets were so prized that they were used as table coverings rather than on the floor, thus showing the wealth of those who owned them.
The museum also has an Ethnographical Section which includes a reconstruction of a traditional Yurt dwelling and also details of how natural dyes are made from such things as plants, dried flowers and even crushes insects.
All the exhibits are well displayed with descriptions in Turkish and English. There is a lot to take in however the museum also has a lovely tea room where you can refresh your senses and feet and, in summer, sit out on the terrace with beautiful views over the Blue Mosque.
At Meydani 46, Sultanahmet
Overlooking the Hippodrome, opposite the Blue Mosque.
Tucked in a busy street of bars, restaurants, hotels and hostels, Albura offers a large selection of Turkish and International dishes at very reasonable prices.
Wooden floors and ceiling are offset by orange/ochre walls and exposed brickwork, the walls also decorated by interesting metal lamp fittings. Seating is on iron or wooden chairs and some very comfortable leather banquettes.
The menu is extensive with traditional Turkish dishes – such as mixed meze, kebabs and fresh fish – on offer next to wider ranging fare such as crepes, salads and pasta. There are also a number of vegetarian options.
The food was well cooked and very tasty, more along the lines ‘comfort food’ than modern or fusion cuisine but nothing wrong with that, as attested by a number of people in the restaurant who were visiting for a second time. Indeed had we not wished to sample as many restaurants as we could we may have returned as there was a number of different things on the menu I would like to have tried. We had a couple of criticisms, the salad we ordered had a bit too many pickled/bottled vegetables, making it rather less fresh and more bland then I would have liked, and the baked potato accompaniment with one of the dishes was slightly cold, however, these are really minor caveats and didn’t effect our overall enjoyment of the meal.
Combine all the above with friendly staff and a price tag for two starters, two main courses, a dessert, two beers and a coffee of 83 YTL (approx. £34.00) and you’ve got a good evening out.
Yeni Akbiyk Cad. 26
Walking into Balicki Sabahatin is a little like walking into a favourite Aunt’s front parlour – white linen tablecloths, white lacy coverings at the window, cream and sea-green walls with a few pictures - all neat, tidy but not off putting.
The restaurant specialises in fish and seafood - there isn’t a menu as such – although I believe you may be able to ask for one which includes hot starters. After showing you to your seat and taking an order for drinks (raki is a good accompaniment though we went for beer, they do have a wine list but we found it a little on the expensive side) a waiter will present a tray of mezes from which you make your choice. These include salads, marinated fish – the sea bass was delicious – mussels and rice (a speciality of the restaurant, a great mix of textures and flavours) dips etc.. If you are unsure what to have – and there is a wide choice – ask the, very helpful, waiting staff for their recommendations.
A little later, while enjoying your choice of meze, a waiter will bring a platter of fresh fish of the day from which you select your main courses, again if you are unsure - or indeed you need some pointers, as we did, to what fish is which - ask for a recommendation. Once your choice is made sit back, relax, finish your meze and wait for the fish fest to arrive!
The fish is either grilled or fried ( we went for red mullet and swordfish kebab) and simply presented with a small garnish of tomato, a slice of potato and a slice of mooli – the latter three acting more as palate cleansers than an accompaniment. Not that you need any accompaniment, the freshness and taste of the fish is what’s important and all you really need.
After that you may not feel the need for dessert but, if you do, there is a small but tasty selection of cakes and other traditional desserts.
Round this of with Turkish coffee and maybe even a liqueur and you have a great dining experience. In summer you should also be able to take advantage of the outside tables. Reservations are recommended, we went mid-week and it was pretty busy then.
Cost for four meze dishes, two fish dishes, 2 beers, water, a Turkish coffee and a dessert was 110YTL (approx. £39.00).
Seyit Hasan Kuyu Sokak 1
Near Cankurtaran Caddesi - a short-ish stroll from the Blue Mosque
Send your feedback or queries to been.there@guardian.co.uk
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