Galata Kulesi Sok. (61) 15
GEORGIAN
212 245 1861 www.thegalatahouse.com
A former British jail, this building in Galata was restored by its architect owners and later converted into a restaurant. Apart from offering the (potential) thrill of eating in a former exercise yard, Galata House is also unique in Istanbul for serving Georgian and Russian cuisine. There aren’t many tables, supposedly because the owners are against the industrialization of food consumption. A history lesson on Galata (“the Empire within an Empire”) comes along with the menu.
Tünel or Karaköy. From Galata Tower, head down the hill on Galata Kulesi Sokak; the restaurant will be on your left. Entrees 17-23TL. Desserts 8-10TL. Open daily noon-midnight. Kitchen open noon-11pm.
Fener and Balat
FINDIK KABUǦUNDA KÖFTE
Mürsel Paşa Cad. 89, Balat
KÖFTE
212 635 3310 www.findikkofte.com
It’s surprising to find such a tourist-friendly restaurant with such reasonable prices in Balat. With a clean interior, free Wi-Fi, and a terrace offering a view of the Bulgarian St. Stephen Church and the Golden Horn, this spot makes for a great lunch. Try one of the three varieties of meatballs, the artichoke, or the saffron-tinged lentil soup.
Bus or ferry to Fener. From the ferry jetty, go inland, cross the road, turn right, and walk until you see the Bulgarian St. Stephen Church on the right. The restaurant is opposite the church. Köfte 6-7.50TL. Sides and salads 3TL. Desserts 3TL. Open daily 9am-10pm.
PIERRE LOTI CAFE
Gümüşsuyu Balmumcu Sok. 5, Eyüp
CAFE
212 581 2696
Positioned on top of a hill overlooking the Golden Horn, this used to be the favorite hangout place of Julien Viaud, the 19th-century French writer working under the penname Pierre Loti, whose detail-oriented style allegedly influenced the even more detail-oriented Marcel Proust. Viaud’s first novel was based on his romantic adventures with a harem girl called Aziyade here in Istanbul. Come to this cafe to have some tea and enjoy the magnificent view—perhaps it will inspire you to write a blog post or something.
Bus or ferry to Eyüp. To get here from the Eyüp Sultan Mosque, you can either take a cable car (Piyerloti teleferik) or walk. It’s a 15min. hike up the hill through the cemetery. The path begins with a flight of stairs to the side of the mosque. Tea 1.90TL. Coffee and soda 3.80TL. Open daily 7am-midnight.
MEKTEB-I CAFE
Vodina Cad. Akçin Sok. 3/A, Fener
CAFE
535 953 1293
Quite close to the Fener ferry jetty, this small cafe seems like the intuitive place to have a tea or coffee before setting out to explore the neighborhood. It’s pleasantly decorated, and the upper level with soft cushions and low ceilings is especially appealing. After you’re done here, go find the castle-like Greek College.
Bus or ferry to Fener. From the ferry jetty, go inland, cross the road, turn right, and walk. Then take the first available left turn; the cafe will be on the corner to your left. Tea 2TL. Coffee 4TL. Toast 3TL. Open daily 8am-8pm.
HALIÇ SOSYAL TESISI
Abdülezel Paşa Cad., Kadir Has Üniversitesi Karşisi, Fener
TURKISH
212 444 1034 www.ibb.gov.tr
A government-run restaurant, this place exists as a result of the many attempts of the local authorities to turn Fener and Balat into a hip, gentrified place like Cihangir. The restaurant is clean, spacious, and reasonably priced. The fish or the chicken casserole (10TL) is worth the money, but the government is going to need to do a lot more to make this a tourist spot.
Bus or ferry to Fener. Head southeast along the shore (toward Sultanahmet) for some 300m. The restaurant is right by the water. Fish 10-18.5TL. Köfte 7.5-8.5TL. Desserts 4-5TL. Open daily 8:30am-11pm.
Kadiköy, Moda, and Üsküdar
ÇIYA KEBAP
Güneşlibahçe Sok. 48/B, Kadiköy
TURKISH
216 336 3013 www.ciya.com.tr
Arguably the best-known restaurant on the Asian side, Çiya has three branches right next to each other—two focus on kebabs, while the third one, Çiya Sofrasi, has more vegetarian dishes. The daily offerings changed based on what’s available, so if you’re interested, check out the menu in advance on their website; otherwise, just stop by and pick something. Çiya’s chef Musa Dağdeviren is celebrating one success after another with his obscure ingredients, and it’s surprising that this doesn’t translate into unbearably high prices. Sit outside and let the wind bring you the sound of live music coming from one of the less distinguished restaurants down the street.
Take the ferry to Kadiköy. It’s a few blocks down from Kadiköy market. To get there from the ferry terminal, go on Söğütlüçeşme, turn right, and make a quick left. Walk up 2 blocks, then take a right and go straight until you see it. Kebabs 12-20TL. Salads 5-6TL. Desserts 5-6TL. Open daily 10am-11pm.
ALI USTA
Moda Cad. 264/A, Moda
ICE CREAM
216 414 1880
This small ice cream joint doesn’t look like much, but the lines of locals that you can sometimes see here are a bit more telling. In fact, it’s one of the best-known ice cream places in Istanbul. Get a scoop or two with some caramel sauce, chocolate chips, and chopped nuts on top, and set out for Moda’s beaches.
The ferry to Kadiköy. Get off the nostalgic tram near Moda Cad. and walk down the street. Ali Usta is on the right side, close to where Moda forks. One scoop 2TL, 2 scoops 4TL, 3 scoops 6TL. Open daily 8am-2am.
MEŞHUR MENEMENCI
Pavlonya Sok. 22, Kadiköy
MENEMEN
216 336 6308
Preparing almost exclusively menemen—a popular scrambled egg dish—this tiny eatery is a great place to kick off your day. It’s not exactly tourist central, but Let’s Go likes its authenticity. The dishes are custom-made, so you can choose whether you want cheese, sausage, or chili inside your menemen (you want it all, by the way). Don’t forget to use bread to wipe the pan clean—leaving any of it would be an act of barbarism.
Take the ferry to Kadiköy. Walk up Söğütlüçeşme, turn right immediately after Osmanağa Mosque, and walk straight. It will be on your right. Menemen 4-5TL. Open daily 7am-8pm.
PIDE SUN
Moda Cad. Şükran Apartmani 97, Kadiköy
PIDE
216 347 3155 www.pidesun.com
Pide Sun is an unassuming place that hits all the important points for an easy meal—it’s cozy, cheap, and tasty. The pides here are so thin that even the most devoted pizza aficionados will be forced to suck up their pride and eat the pides the Turkish way, i.e. with utensils. It’s easy to pass by the restaurant without noticing it, but the food is worth the extra time you’ll spend searching for it.
Take the ferry to Kadiköy. Pide Sun is in the Kadiköy portion of Moda Cad., very close to a Migros supermarket. If you’re walking from Kadiköy market, it will be to your left. Pides 7-10.50TL. Open daily 11:30am-11pm.
İSKENDER İSKENDEROǦLU
Rihtim Cad. PTT yani, Kadiköy
KEBAB
216 336 0777 www.iskenderkebabi.com.tr
Who could have guessed that the famous İskender kebab was named not after a Turkish village but after a person? Well, it was. A century or so ago, Mr. Mehmet Oğlu İskender invented the dish in Bursa and later passed the recipe to his descendants. This restaurant is run by third- and fourth-generation İskenders who seem to be taking their legacy pretty seriously. The place itself is not very charismatic and the İskender kebabs are a bit overpriced, but it’s a must-see for anyone who feels strongly about İskender kebabs or the İskender family pedigree. Next on the list: Mr. Döner and his grandchildren.
Take the ferry to Kadiköy. From the ferry terminal, head southwest on Faik Sözen; it will be on your left next to Benzin Cafe. İskender kebabs 18TL. Desserts 5-6TL. Open daily 11:30am-10pm.
AGAPIA
Miralay Nazim Sok. 10, Kadiköy
IN
TERNATIONAL
216 418 3636
With a wonderfully atmospheric garden and creatively arranged dishes, this is one of the nicest dinner restaurants around. If you’re not in the mood for international dishes like chicken fajitas (9.50TL) or grilled veal, come for a cocktail (12TL) complete with a funny-looking straw and umbrella. And if you order a dessert, much of the plate will be sprinkled with a layer of cocoa powder—which is a creative way of distracting you from how small the desserts look on their huge plates.
Take the ferry to Kadiköy. It’s on the same street as HUSH Hostel. If you’re walking down Bahariye from the bull statue, turn right just before the Süreyya Opera House and go straight. Entrees 9.50-14TL. Salads 7.50-11.50TL. Desserts 4.50-6TL. Open daily 8am-2am.
KANAAT LOKANTASI
Selmanipak Cad. 25, Üsküdar
LOKANTA
216 553 3791
For some reason, this is one of the best-known restaurants in Üsküdar. The place looks like a very normal Ottoman lokanta and serves basic food to locals, but don’t let that trick you into underestimating the bill at the end. The most impressive part of the restaurant is the dessert counter, so save some space for a kazandibi after your meal.
Take the ferry to Üsküdar. It’s quite close to the ferry terminal. Cross the street and head toward Seyh Mosque. Meat entrees 7.50-13.50TL; vegetarian entrees 7.50-9TL. Pilaf 4.50TL. Desserts 5-7TL. Open daily 6am-11pm.
MOLA YEMEKEVI
Damaci Sok. 8/3, Kadiköy
TRADITIONAL
216 348 6310
Small places like this are a good bet for travelers who want to see what food really tastes like in a Turkish home. Mola Yemekevi has a distinctly domestic feel due to its tiny kitchen, several child-made drawings pinned up on its walls, and an old Hi-Fi system playing CDs. Order something in the back and while they prepare it, go sit outside under the enthusiastically sprouting roof of climbing plants.
Take the ferry to Kadiköy. From Rexx Cinema go 1 block down Sakiz Gülü and turn left. The restaurant will be to your left, tucked into a small corner. Entrees 4.50-8TL. Soup 3TL. Salads 5-7TL. Open daily 9am-9pm.
MODA TERAS
Mektep Sok. 1, Moda
INTERNATIONAL
216 338 7040 www.modateras.com.tr
The wedding albums at the entrance and the restaurant’s motto (encouraging you to say your romantik evet, or proposals, here) may make this a bad choice for less than stable couples. Otherwise, Moda Teras is a pleasant place: the interior is trendy and the terrace overlooks the sea. There’s a decent selection of international dishes, with one lonely kebab repping among all the Thai chickens and veal medallions. The prices are on the higher side, but if you don’t want to dine here, you can always come for a cold drink sometime midday.
Take the ferry to Kadiköy. Go south on Moda Cad., go left when the road forks, then take another left and walk for 3min. Entrees 19-35TL. Desserts 8.50-13TL. Drinks 3.50-7.50TL. Open M-F 10am-midnight; Sa breakfast buffet 10am-1pm, Su brunch 10:30am-2:30pm.
Beşiktaş and Ortaköy
SIDIKA
Şair Nedim Cad. 38, Beşiktaş
SEAFOOD
212 259 7232 www.sidika.com.tr
Many seafood restaurants in Istanbul put candles on their tables, hire some fasil musicians, and then think they are entitled to charge a lot for mediocre food. Sidika, on the other hand, serves delicious fish dishes in a low-key, stylish environment. Let the energetic owner Sidika recommend a dish to you, or choose at random from the menu written on a blackboard. The meze are wonderful, but the house specialties are the grilled octopus (8-12TL) and the grilled fish in grape leaves (16-20TL).
Take the ferry or bus to Beşiktaş. From the big eagle statue, walk down Şehit Asim, cross Ortabahçe Cad., and continue until you get to Şair Nedim. Turn right at Şair Nedim and continue up the road until you see the restaurant on your right side. Free Wi-Fi. Meze 3-10TL. Fish 14-20TL. Desserts 5-10TL. Raki 9TL. Open daily noon-2am.
PANDO KAYMAK
Mumcu Bakkal Sok. 5, Beşiktaş
BREAKFAST
212 258 2616
This place has been open for over 100 years and is run by an elderly Bulgarian couple. Come here for bread with kaymak (cream) and honey, and have a cup of hot milk with it. It doesn’t look like much at first, but Pando Kaymak is a very popular breakfast spot among students and expats.
Take the bus or ferry to Beşiktaş. Starting at the big eagle statue, walk in the opposite direction from the fish market. Pando Kaymak will be to your left (above the door it says “Kaymakli kahvalti burada”). Breakfast 5TL. Open daily 8am-6pm.
THE HOUSE CAFE
Salhane Sok. 1, Ortaköy
CAFE
212 227 2699 www.thehousecafe.com.tr
The House Cafe has a number of locations throughout the city, but this is probably the best-known one. The food is westernized and comes in large portions, which makes it a popular hangout for well-to-do local students, and which also allows the chain to keep expanding like the Lernaean hydra. The interior was designed with quite some care, and late-night the cafe turns into a bar with DJ performances.
Take the bus to Ortaköy. The cafe is right by the Ortaköy ferry dock. Free Wi-Fi. Pizza 18.50-24TL. Burgers 25TL. Beer 10-13TL. Desserts 8.50-11TL. Open daily 9am-1am. Kitchen closes earlier.
YEDI-SEKIZ HASANPAŞA FIRINI
Şehit Asim Cad. 12, Beşiktaş
BAKERY
212 261 9766
This unpretentious bakery makes many kinds of tea cookies, great as an afternoon snack. You might have to communicate in sign language to indicate which of the freshly baked cookies you want, but they’ll understand what you want fast enough. The store’s name is “7-8” because Hasanpaşa, the Ottoman paşa who started it, didn’t know how to write and made these two numbers his signature.
Take the bus or ferry to Beşiktaş. From the big eagle statue, walk down Şehit Asim; the store will be to your left. Tea cookies 14TL per kg., coconut-flavored 18TL per kg. Open daily 8am-9:30pm.
NIGHTLIFE
Istanbul’s bars and clubs are concentrated around İstiklal Avenue, so if you’re staying in Sultanahmet, you should prepare yourself for a good amount of commuting. Sultanahmet does have a few bars, but these are generally looked down upon by the locals—that’s why we listed a handful of nargile cafes instead. Another center of nighttime activity is Muallim Naci Cad., the road running up from Ortaköy to Kuruçeşme, home to the city’s most prestigious clubs. Note that during summer, many music venues close down and move to their summer locations (the famous Babylon is one of them). The English-laguage Time Out Magazine lists current performances as well as a very comprehensive list of GLBT-friendly bars and clubs. If you want to drink the infamous Turkish anise-flavored alcohol raki, the best place to do so is a traditional meyhane. Whatever you do, don’t fall for the nighttime scams—if a local speaking perfect English approaches you on the street and invites you for a beer after three lines of uninteresting dialogue, he’s probably planning a scam of sorts on you (it usually involves you, an exorbitant bill, and coercion).
Sultanahmet and Around
SETÜSTÜ ÇAY BAHÇESI
Gülhane Park
CAFE
On what is almost a cliff over the Bosphorus, this cafe offers an unbelievable, 180-degree view of the three parts of Istanbul and the water in between. With cascades upon cascades of small wooden tables, almost everyone gets Setüstü’s best seats. The tea is pricy, but remember you’re also paying for the monumental view. Make sure to order the heavy-looking stuffed potato (10TL). Especially suitable for couples and those people who catch more pics than the paparazzi.
Gülhane. Enter the park and continue all the way to its back gate, then follow the signs. Tea for 1-3 people 6-17TL.
CHEERS BAR
Akbiyik Cad. 20
BAR
www.cheerscafebar.com
One of the many drinking and socializing options on Akbiyik street, this bar has been aro
und for a while and caters almost exclusively to tourists. The odds are it’s right across the street from where you’re staying, so unless you’d just rather stay on your hostel’s terrace, come over for a beer and a bit of the old “Oh, you’re from Australia? I’m from Austria!” thing. Your experience here really depends on whom you’re with, as the bar itself is pretty standard.
Sultanahmet. In the middle of the hostel neighborhood. Small beer 5TL; large beer 6TL. Entrees 7-10TL. Nargile 10TL. Open daily 11am-2am.
ERENLER NARGILE
Çorlulu Ali Paşa Medresesi
CAFE
212 511 8853
Çorlulu Ali Paşa Medresesi, a courtyard that formerly belonged to a madrasa (theological school), is famous among local students as the perfect place to come for a nargile. Erenler is the biggest of the three cafes here, and supplies visitors with waterpipes (12TL) and non-alcoholic drinks (coffee and juice; 4TL). With plentiful seating and a 24hr. courtyard, the entire place smells of sweet fumes. While there is indoor seating, these rooms seem to be dominated solely by Turkish men playing backgammon.
From Beyazir, follow the tram tracks in the direction of Hagia Sophia; the entrance to the courtyard will be on your left. Nargile 12TL. Open 24hr.
GÜLHANE SUR CAFE
Soğukçeşme Sokaği 40/A
CAFE
212 528 0986 www.coskunbazaar.com
This small cafe on a historic cobblestone street between Hagia Sofia and Topkapi Palace is an excellent place to take a break from sightseeing. Have some tea or coffee while watching the other tourists trudge by and look at you enviously. To double their envy, order nargile (10TL). The cafe is part of Coşkun Bazaar, a gift shop located right above it. Opposite the cafe is an unconventional “art exhibition” with paintings placed on the bare walls of a half-destroyed building, leading into a room that’s full of stacked paintings—confused? So are we.
From Sultanahmet or Gülhane, find the small street behind Hagia Sophia and continue down the hill. Tea and coffee 2-5TL. Open daily 9am-2am.
Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide Page 215