In Istanbul you can eat and drink like a king! This city has always been home to the best food in Turkey. The new and the old live together here, and that same energy is reflected in the city’s food and drink scene too. From restaurants to meyhanes (Turkish taverns literally called “wine houses”), Istanbul’s culinary scene is sure to astonish you.
A great example of the colourful and delicious food of Turkish cuisine, Istanbul is second to none in its olden days. In the city you will find restaurants with international cuisine, local creative, traditional, modern, Michelin-starred restaurants and whatever you desire. But there is one common denominator – taste and promotion of the city’s gastronomic culture.
Here we have compiled a list of the best food places in Istanbul so that if you tour the city you know where to go.
The best restaurants in Istanbul
1. Orchestra
Orchestra hasn’t been open for long but it has already become Istanbul’s trendiest spot. This stylish, Michelin-starred restaurant is housed in a 1960s villa in the Etiler district, with a sophisticated dining room upstairs and a bar upstairs. Chef Cenk Debensason uses French techniques but his food also mixes less traditional ingredients. Debensason presents each dish in a unique way — like the unusual tuna sashimi served with sushi rice ice cream, or the seasonal mushrooms served with miso onion puree and onion ketchup.
Here you will have a wonderful dinner, and after that you can enjoy craft cocktails and good music in The Listening Room bar above. The orchestra is like a beautiful symphony, where everything is arranged in a perfect way. (Price: 2000+ Turkish Liras (around €50) / person | arkestra.com)
2. Pandeli
This restaurant first opened in 1901. From Queen Elizabeth to Audrey Hepburn, many artists and royalty have eaten here and its small windows offer views of Istanbul. As you climb up its beautiful, narrow stairs, the first thing you will notice is distinctive blue tiles on the doors and a photo of Audrey Hepburn eating in the pandal. The restaurant has softly lit chandeliers and small windows offer views of some of Istanbul’s famous landmarks (Eminönü Square, Haliç Bridge, Galata Tower, Haliç, Yeni Mosque).
Pandeli is a part of the city that has spread from the past to the present. The menu features mostly local classics: dolma with vine leaves, doner kebab served on silky eggplant sacks, tandoori lamb and lamb stew. For dessert, don’t forget to try the sticky, syrupy quince with buffalo cream. (Price: €€€ | pandeli.com)
3. Giritli
The restaurant exudes a warm atmosphere with its impressive courtyard, with wooden ceilings and floors, white tablecloths, and a strong Greek element – Giritli means “Cretan” in Turkish. It is located in Ahırkapı, an old district of Istanbul’s historic peninsula, and is housed in a historic house.
Mother Ayşe, whose real name is Cretan origin owner and chef Ayşe Şensılay, welcomes guests with love. The food is inspired by her Cretan roots, and as she says, her goal was to share Cretan cuisine with the world: salads, meze, greens, fish and seafood. She values the creativity of Cretan people who use what is available in nature, especially herbs. There are “no limits” in Cretan cuisine, she says, and so Şensılay travels from market to market in search of the best ingredients.
The menu includes dishes such as Köpoğlu mancası (fried eggplant and peppers served with tomatoes and yogurt dressing), fava bean spread, taramas, and seafood. For those who can’t decide, Giritli also offers a tasting menu. (Price: 1000+ Turkish Liras (around €26) / person | giritlirestoran.com)
4. Mahir Restaurant
This “simple” restaurant is where the chefs come to eat themselves. Mahir Nazlıcan, who comes from a family of restaurateurs, invites his customers back for lahmacun (crispy flatbread made with minced meat mixture) and içli köfte (bulgur balls filled with spicy minced meat). Inside, the warm display case will make you feel nostalgic for traditional dishes – like stews, pilafs and soups.
The famous lahmacun has become a topic of discussion around the city because of its perfect crispness. Lamb shank is cooked for hours over a wood fire in a clay pot with eggplant, lamb, tomatoes, shimla peppers, garlic and spices, and served with pide (Turkish flatbread). Do not miss the warm and buttery semolina halwa. Just be ready to stand in line! (Price: €€ | instagram.com/mahirlokantasi)
5. Aman da Bravo
Chef İnanç Çelengil uses the basic ingredients of Turkish home cooking but gives them a new twist in Aman da Bravo’s kitchen. The team experiments with techniques and combines ingredients that taste good together but rarely cook together. For example, kapuska, a simple spicy sautéed cabbage dish, is served with lamb neck. Manti (pasta) is served with sage and parmesan instead of yogurt.
The dining room’s vaulted ceilings and crisp white tablecloths create a calm and elegant atmosphere. Sitting in the garden under the shade of trees here in summer is a real escape. (Price: 1000+ Turkish liras (around €26) / person | instagram.com/amandabravoistanbul)
6. Adana Ocakbasi
The crowd, the buzz, the fire, the smoke, and the aroma of the meat slowly cooking over the open fire… all this together creates a unique atmosphere. The intimacy of the tables and the narrowness of the space are also a charm here. Small plates are filled with sumac and onions, roasted peppers and tomatoes, and stacked near the open grill.
The sizzling sound of raki glasses is a constant background score here. Then begins the real feast: a variety of meats and skewers cooked expertly over the fire. Don’t forget to order the Adana kebab like the locals, which is the restaurant’s star dish.
(Price: 1000+ Turkish lira (around €26) / person | instagram.com/adanaocakbasi)
7. Seraf Valley
Here chef Sinem Özler and his team transform ingredients sourced from every corner of Anatolia into exquisite dishes. The restaurant’s centerpiece is a large oak-fired stone oven, whose aromas and flavors permeate every dish on the menu. Signature dishes include stuffed onions, lightly browned manti (pastry) served with broth, and cabbage rolls filled with handmade minced meat, rice, spices and tomato paste. The wine list focuses on local wines and varieties.
(Price: 1000+ Turkish lira (around €26) / person | seraf.com)
8. Basta! Neo-Bistro
The restaurant is owned by two French-trained chefs – Kaan Sakarya and Derin Arıbaş – who have been working together for several salons. This bistro is a favorite of the locals. The menu starts with silky hummus, and the chicken pâté is considered the best in the city. Roasted root vegetables are served with firk – green roasted smoked bulgur – and yogurt vinaigrette.
The menu might make you think the dishes are easy to prepare, but they are not. The easiest way to have the best experience at Basta Neo-Bistro is to go with friends, order the full menu along with a few bottles of local wine, and enjoy a unique dining experience – flavors, smells and time spent with great people.
(Price: 1000+ Turkish Liras (around €26) / person | instagram.com/basta_neobistro)
9. Araka
This Michelin-starred restaurant from chef/owner Pınar Taşdemir is located in lovely Yeniköy and is decorated with lots of artwork. You won’t even feel like you are in Istanbul. The restaurant is nestled in the Yeniköy district in the north of the city. Behind its charming façade, the rustic-style restaurant has a warm and romantic interior and a terrace where you will feel separated from the world. This enchanting spot perfectly represents the unique style of Zeynep Pınar Taşdemir. The menu is based on seasonal ingredients.
The young chef likes to show off her creativity with vegetables and herbs. Pumpkin puree is infused with the freshness of za’atar and served in a spicy sauce with pickled vegetables and warm olives. It’s a robust dish that’s pleasantly harmonious thanks to its subtle acidity. These chefs are adept at presenting spicy and savory flavors in a balanced way. Their dishes tell the story of local produce.
The menu includes items like celery with sorrel and green apples, sea bream ceviche in pomegranate juice, octopus with zucchini muamara and shrimp biscuits, pickled eggplant kebab with tarragon dressing, rock bass, chickpea and arugula spread with basil dressing.
(Price: 2000+ Turkish lira (around €50) / person | instagram.com/araka.istanbul)
10. Asmalı Cavit
In the heart of Beyoğlu, Asmalı Cavit, located on Asmalı Mescit Street, is a homey meyhane (Turkish tavern) and a favorite with its many loyal patrons. If you want to mix with the locals, be sure to secure a reservation at Asmalı Cavit. Here you’ll find regulars sitting beside your table, who call the waiter by first name – a testament to the restaurant’s consistent quality of service and food. Regulars keep their stock bottles (which have their names written on them) on the bar shelf. The Cavit friend, his daughter Seyhan, and son Savaş milk the restaurant.
Start with grilled eggplant salad, tarama, fava beans with caramelized onions, lakerda (salted bonito), and beyaz peynir (white cheese). Surf and turf are a hit here, so don’t dare pair seafood classics like octopus salad or buttery karides güveç (shrimp stew) with meaty delights like muska böreği (pastry triangles with meat filling) or yaprak ciğer (thin slices of liver fried with onions). This is the kind of tavern where everyone knows each other – workers, owners, and visitors! (Price: 1000+ TL (around €26) / person)
11. Yeni Lokanta
In the bustling area of İstiklal Avenue, a little down on Kumbaracıbaşı Street, Yeni Lokanta is a welcoming and comfortable restaurant. The ingredients are completely local, but the dishes are so elaborate that they show how they can be perfectly combined and cooked.
There is a small but excellent a la carte menu, and a tasting menu is also available – a 9-course menu costs 4,900 Turkish Liras + 3,400 wine pairing (around €131 + €90) and a 7-course tasting menu costs 3,850 Turkish Liras + 2,850 wine pairing. Yeni Lokanta offers a relaxed dining experience, with a small but excellent local wine menu.
(Price: 2000+ Turkish Liras (around €50) / person | yenilokanta.com)
12. Nazende
Nazende is so popular in locals that reservations are a must. Chef Uluç Sakarya and his team combine the best seasonal ingredients with perfect cooking methods. Nazende is ideal for large groups so you can order more dishes from the menu! Dishes like tandoori chicken, lamb chops, fried squid and tempura zucchini are worth trying here.
The wine list is categorized by dishes, making it easy to choose. Enjoy squid and white wine in the garden or make your dining experience even more special with tandoori lamb and red wine on colder days.
(Price: 1000+ Turkish Lira (around €26) / person | nazendecadde)