Istanbul guide

Best Restaurants in Istanbul

A curated guide to the best restaurants in Istanbul — from iconic local institutions to under-the-radar spots worth crossing the city for.

Top picks

Where to eat in Istanbul

Çiya Sobrası

A Kadıköy legend serving dishes from every corner of Turkey. The daily-changing menu might include Kurdish lamb stew or Antakya-style kebabs. The vegetable dishes are equally extraordinary. Don't skip the şalgam juice.

Mikla

Mehmet Gürs' rooftop restaurant with panoramic Bosphorus views and modern Anatolian cuisine. The tasting menu takes you on a journey through Turkey's regional flavours. Sunset on the terrace is transcendent.

Karaköy Lokantası

A beautiful tiled restaurant in Karaköy serving refined Turkish home cooking. The manti (Turkish dumplings) and the anchovy rice are comfort food elevated. The lunch service is outstanding value.

Dürümzade

A tiny Beyoğlu shop doing the best dürüm (wrap) in Istanbul. The lamb adana wrapped in thin lavash with onions and herbs is smoky, spicy perfection. Cash only, no seats — eat standing.

Neolokal

In the SALT Galata building with Bosphorus views, serving inventive modern Turkish cuisine. The tasting menu reinterprets Ottoman recipes with modern technique. The vine leaf dessert is a revelation.

Balıkçı Sabahattin

A fish restaurant near the Blue Mosque that's been serving the freshest Bosphorus fish since 1927. The meze spread is incredible — start with the calamari and the acılı ezme, then let them bring the catch of the day.

Çöp Şiş at Zübeyir Ocakbaşı

An ocakbaşı (charcoal grill) restaurant where you sit around the fire watching kebabs cook. The çöp şiş (small lamb skewers) and the liver şiş are outstanding. Open late and always buzzing.

Asitane

The only restaurant in Istanbul recreating Ottoman palace cuisine from original recipes. Dishes like roasted goose with melon and almond lamb stew are unique — you genuinely can't eat this food anywhere else.

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Photo credits

Hero — Anna Berdnik / Unsplash · Çiya Sobrası — Shellparakeet / CC0 · Mikla — Indypendientes Madrid / CC0 · Karaköy Lokantası — Shellparakeet / CC0 · Dürümzade — User:Ggia / CC BY-SA 3.0 · Neolokal — Mostafameraji / CC0 · Balıkçı Sabahattin — A.Savin / FAL · Çöp Şiş at Zübeyir Ocakbaşı — A.Savin / FAL · Asitane — AlexTref871, Piotr Matyja, Alexxx1979, Moyan Brenn, Far-gh, / CC BY-SA 4.0