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Eating
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The historical centre around Sultanahmet is increasingly well-served by decent
restaurants
, although there's always been a higher concentration of eateries around Taksim and Beyoglu; the Balik Pazar, behind the A?iA§ek Pasaji off IstiklA?l Caddesi, is a great area for
meze
, kebabs and fish, while A?iA§ek Pasaji itself offers similar fare but is now somewhat overpriced and touristy.
Snack
options - which abound in all areas - vary from the dubious fish sandwiches served off boats by fishermen in KadikA¶y, KarakA¶y and EminA¶nA?, to
kokoreA§
(skeins of sheep's innards) sold from booths in less salubrious areas.
Afacan , IstiklA?l Cad 331, Beyoglu. Very reasonably priced lunch stop with an excellent take on Turkish home cooking and some of the best stews in town. There's a second branch in the building next to IstiklA?l Cad's only mosque. Alem , Nevizade Sok, Balik Pazari, Beyoglu. Newish place serving meze , fish and kebabs, with a huge upstairs dining room. Popular with the younger crowd. Boncuk , Nevizade Sok, Balik Pazari, Beyoglu. Old, traditional restaurant, still serving some of the best food on this street despite the ever-growing competition. A?ati , IstiklA?l Cad, A. Apaydan Sok 20, Baro Han, floor 7, Beyoglu (tel 0212/251 0000). Open for 22 years and still popular among Istanbul's intelligentsia. Mixed Turkish and international cuisine plus assorted live music. Good views of the city lights. Closed Sun. Cennet , Divan Yolu Cad 90. Serves only two dishes: GA¶zleme (fried pastries with various fillings) and Manti (Turkish ravioli), consumed from cushions on the floor to a backdrop of traditional decor, accompanied by live music. Immense fun and reasonably priced. DarA?zziyafe , Sifahane Cad 33. Reasonably priced Ottoman cuisine in a Sinan-designed annexe to his masterpiece mosque. Live traditional music most evenings. Degustasyon , Balik Pazar, Beyoglu. Run by Turkey's only TV chef and offering unusual variations of Turkish dishes. Boasts an adjacent wine bar. Doy Doy , Sifa Hamami Sok 13, off KA?A§A?kayasofya Cad at the Hippodrome end. Newly re-decorated but still offers good, cheap kebabs, pide and stews. Dubb Indian Restaurant , Incili A?avus Sok 10, Sultanahmet. Offers a reasonable but vaguely Turkish take on Indian standards in neatly restored Ottoman house. Haci Abdullah , Sakizaga Cad 19, Beyoglu. A legend among locals, offering stunning home cooking at very reasonable prices. Packed at weekends. No alcohol. Ilhamenin Yeri , Osmanzade Sok 6, OrtakA¶y. Last of the real meyhanes in this former quiet fishing village turned night-time haunt. Excellent meze , kebabs and fish. KA¶r Agop (Blind Hagop), A?rdekli Bakkal Cad 7-9, Kumkapi. Third-generation Armenian-owned joint in this block of fish restaurants. One of the oldest in town, still offering great fish dishes, meze and salads. Nature and Peace , BA?yA?kparmakkapi Cad 21, Istikal Cad, Beyoglu. Vegetarian place three blocks away from Taksim, offering lentil kA¶fte and other veggie favourites. Nizam Pide , branches on BA?yA?kparmakkapi Sok and Kalyoncu Kullugu Sok, Beyoglu. Two branches serving excellent pide , beans and rice. Cheap and very popular, especially after the bars close. Padaliza , at the entrance to Cebeci Han in the Kapali A?arzi. Fairly new but easily the best eating establishment in the bazaar, offering reasonably priced Ottoman specialities. Rumeli CafA© , Ticarethane Sok 8, Divan Yolu Cad. Chic establishment offering fish, pasta and very interesting takes on Ottoman cuisine. Sehzade Mehmet Efendi , Sehzade Camii, Sehzadebasi Cad. Wonderfully atmospheric restaurant located in the medrese of the Sehzade mosque. Excellent value pide , kebabs and stews, and exemplary service. TA?rkistan Asevi , Tavukhane Sokagi 36. Behind the Blue Mosque, a conventional Ottoman house specializing in central Asian cuisine with a good set menu. You'll be asked to take off your shoes.
Yeni Iskele
, Iskele Sok 17, YenikA¶y. Lively Bosphorus fish restaurant with less common specialities such as fishcakes and stuffed squid. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Turkey,
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