Istanbul Eats

Sunday, January 18, 2015 at 5:24PM
Vix in Food & travel, Istanbul, Turkey, cafe, restaurant, street food

I have been putting off this post for a while now. Months in fact. 

In early November  I took my sister to Istanbul for her birthday. We had a fantastic, food-filled fling with a sexy city that never sleeps and both fell a little bit in love. I was so caught up in this short romance that I didn’t bother much with foreplay, I just wanted to dive right in.

This is a metaphorical apology for the seriously shocking photos that follow. I really ought to have pressed some of my cameras buttons… but I was too busy pressing my own.

If you are visiting Istanbul and you love food, I highly recommend buying a copy of Istanbul Eats, an English language guide to “the best undiscovered local eateries you might not always find on your own”. We lived by it and we weren’t disappointed.

Ciya

Friendly chefs at Ciya

Red pepper and walnut paste, hummous, celery yoghurt and stuffed aubergine

Celeriac stuffed with minced lamb, lentils and caramelised onion

Ciya Sofrasi – Güneslibahce Sokak 43, Kadiköy; +90 216 330 31 90; info@ciya.com.tr

Cooking Alaturka

Cooking lesson at Cooking AlaturkaCourgette fritters

Stuffed dried figs cooked in syrup

Cooking Alaturka – Akbiyik Caddesi 72a, Sultanahmet; +90 212 458 59 19; info@cookingalaturka.com

Çukur Meyhane

Spinach and cheese borek

Grilled anchovies

Çukur Meyhane – Kartal Sokak 1a, Beyoğlu; +90 212 244 55 75

Furreyya Galata

Awful photo. Fab calamari.

Fish dumplings with poached egg 

Furreyya Galata – Serdar Ekrem Sokak 2b, Beyoğlu; +90 212 252 48 53

Gosleme

(Not sure what this restaurant was called. We were enticed by the lady in the window and the promise of fresh gosleme.)

Hafiz Mustafa

Baklava

Hafiz Mustafa – Hamidiye Caddesi 84, Bahçekapı Eminönü; +90 212 513 36 10

Kara Mehmet

Chicken beyti

Kara Mehmet – İç Cebeci Han 92, Grand Bazaar; +90 212 513 55 20

Köşkeroğlu

More baklava

Köşkeroğlu – Necatibey Caddesi/eski Gümrük Sokok 6, Karaköy; +90 212 249 63 40

Rumeli

More borek

Rumeli – Peykhane Caddesi 41/5, Sultanahmet; +90 212 516 48 80 

Şimşek Karadeniz Pide Salonu

Quite possibly the best pide I have ever eaten

Şimşek Karadeniz Pide Salonu – Taksim Caddesi 8, Taksim; +90 212 249 46 42

Van Kahvaltı Evi

Full Turkish breakfast

Bal kaymak

Menemen

Van Kahvaltı Evi – Defterdar Yokuşu 52a, Cihangir, Beyoğlu; +90 212 293 64 37

Article originally appeared on One dish closer (https://www.onedishcloser.com/).