When visiting a new city, one of the major challenges which people have is what and where to eat. This can most definitely be said to be the case in Istanbul where this excitement is usually taken to another level. The ethnicity of Turkey expresses itself perfectly on the table and therefore eating in the city is a full orchestration of the fire, sauté, boil and steam .
As for the choices of restaurants, they are numerous throughout the tremendous size of Istanbul. I hope this make it easier for you to decide so below are the top 5 must visit restaurant in the city. So here are my favorites that you should not be missing out on, while you are here.
Van Kahvalti Evi (Beyoglu)
Ways to Kick-off Your Day with a Turkish Breakfast
What could be better to wake up to than a good morning meal, and if there’s one country that know how to serve that well it is Turkey. The veiled tradition of Turkish breakfast is widely appreciated for its variety and inclusion, forming an abundant meal which prepares you for the day.
Among all the places that could be recommended to try this, the most authentic is Van Kahvalti Evi in Cihangir – the area of the Beyoglu district in the very center of Istanbul. The name Kahvalti directly translates to breakfast in Turkish; therefore, without a doubt, this restaurant deals in breakfast meals.
The Breakfast Experience
The breakfast here is a spread of small plates filled with various delicious items: fruit jams and there is a variation of local and international cheeses from Turkey, fresh tomatoes, pickles, cream mixed with honey (Turkey’s most favorite), chocolate spread, smoked ham, olives, and a variety of simit, a sesame seed encrusted roller bread in Turkey.
It is worth mentioning that the showcase of any Turkish breakfast is the eggs, which can be cooked in different ways. They can be boiled or fried or prepared with fried peppers and tomatoes commonly known as menemem. This is on the list of a staple dish and very essential to taste.
Endless Turkish Tea
Every Turkish breakfast calls for as many cups of the well-known and loved Turkish tea as one would desire. As long as you’re feasting your eyes on it or perhaps your mouth is open to take a bite, at Van Kahvalti Evi, you will be served tea, making it an ideal start to the day.
Pro Tip
It is preferred to recommend that customers get to this restaurant as early as they can because the place gets too crowded, particularly on the weekends. Savor your breakfast while watching the activity of one of the city’s liveliest areas in the districts of Kumpir and Cihangir.
Çiya Sofrası (Kadiköy)
Discovering Ottoman Cuisine
Although kebabs are acknowledged by the whole world as an authentic Turkish food specialty, there are many more delicious specialties coming from the Ottoman cuisine. To try this delicacies in a traditional setting visit Çiya Sofrası at Kadiköy in the Asian part of Istanbul.
A Diverse Menu
As for beverages there is a wide list of signature cocktails along with an extensive list of eatables at Çiya Sofrası, which is practically a list of the dishes of the Turkish tradition. We begin with a number of soups; the lentil soup, spice soup, lamb soup, lemon soup on chicken, beef soup among others. Then, it is recommended to taste the minced meat or lentil meatballs, sarma – rice and minced meat or vegetable rolls, which are wrapped in grape leaves, or casseroles with different types of minced meats. Of course, there is also a nice choice of kebabs and if you look far and high you are able to find both the common types of kebabs and the regional ones which are difficult to be met out of the southern parts of Turkey.
Dining Experience
The restaurant type that is used in the business is the lokanta model that is common in Turkey. The strips of food are prepared ahead and then placed in a window so that it can be served easily. The client can see the foods and order what they desire; it is easy, quick, and serves a great purpose.
Affordable Delights
Çiya Sofrası restaurant offers its meals for relatively cheap prices, therefore it is very popular for people who prefer a fast food, but tasty lunch. Essentially, it is an ideal dining centre for anybody that wishes to take part in local cuisine without necessarily spending a lot of money.
Pro Tip
Stroll Kadiköy’s commercial part or shop around the market before or after lunch at Çiya Sofrası. All the spices sold in the market, sweets and fresh produce which are displayed immediately give the feeling of a busy market.
Nusr-Et Steakhouse (Levent)
The fame of Salt Bae
Although the name itself, Nusr-Et, relates to luxury and delicious quality meat dishes, it is definitely a place to visit for every meat-lover. Since it was opened by the famous Turkish chef Nusret Gökçe, who has a nickname Salt Bae, Nusr-Et has been named the symbol of the culinary world.
The Original Experience
The first branch of Nusr-Et restaurant is situated at the European part of Turkey, in Levent area. Here, you can take a meal which is served and smoothly booked by waiters that have made it popular all over the world. His method of preparing the food; sprinkling salt over his meat in a flamboyant manner has made his restaurants very popular.
Meat Lover’s Paradise
The speciality of Nusr-Et is that only the meat of the corresponding category is served at the restaurant. The menu consists of steak, lamb, burger and other meals which are cooked to the customers’ desired standard. It is good to note that when it comes to meat, this joint provides mouth-watering products of good quality, and the acting ability of the personnel makes the dining session memorable.
Global Presence
The existence of the first restaurant was in Istanbul; however, the Nusr-Et expanded its units in other cities that include Dubai, Doha, Miami, Boston, Dallas, Mykonos, as well as London. Still, the first location in Levent is still the place of interest for fans.
Pro Tip
Prebooking or prior booking is advised because the restaurant is largely popular among the public. If you are a follower of Salt Bae, you should not miss a chance to taste the dishes in the primal Nusr-Et restaurant.
Lades Menemen (Beyoglu)
Menemem Mastery
One of the must eat in Istanbul specifically at breakfast is Menemem-a Turkish dish done with scrambled eggs and peppers and tomatoes. Lades Menemen in the Beyoglu district offers the top menemem in town.
Specialized Menu
Menemen Restaurant is one of the restaurants that offer specific traditional dishes including menemen and they have different types to suit the preferences of their clientèle. Menemem, as expected, is typically taken with sides such as; feta cheese, kasar cheese, chicken, minced meat, sucuk – a spicy Sausage meal common in Turkey, more especially mushrooms and so on and so forth.
Award-Winning Flavor
This restaurant serves some of the best menemem in town based on the several awards that it has received in the past. The seasoning is appropriate and appealing to taste buds and the end product is tasty, highly tender and delicious each time the dish is prepared.
Simple and Delicious
Based on these assessments, it can be concluded that the most significant emphasis of Lades Menemen is on qualified menemem experience. It provides a plain but comfortable eatery ambiance so that you do not have to be overwhelmed by the surrounding while consuming mouth-watering meals, breakfast be it.
Pro Tip
It is best to visit this restaurant alongside a shoping experience along Istiklal Street, arguably Istanbul’s busiest shopping area, situated a block from Lades Menemen.
Safa Meyhanesi (Fatih)
Traditional Turkish Dining
This is the best way to savor the true Turkish dining experience since a meyhane is an Istanbullu invention. These traditional restaurants offer tastes of many dishes called mezes, then the main dish which is grilled meat or fish. An outstanding example of this would be Safa Meyhanesi in the oldest part of Istanbul called Fatih.
Historic Charm
Safa Meyhanesi which first time opened the doors to the public in 1948 is one of the most oldest and famous meyhanes in Istanbul. The actual Live restaurant is located in a building, that was built in the second half of the 19th century, which only enhances the image and the overall atmosphere of the restaurant.
Culinary Delights
According to their custom, mezes are offered and happen to be cold and hot mezes which are as follows. Some of the varieties include; the stuffed grape leaves, hummus and grilled vegetables. The main course has an exhibit of freshly grilled fish and meat that you can choose from. The food is well cooked to the highest standard that leaves the desire of the clients fully satisfied.
A Drink with Tradition
A meyhane meal traditionally can’t be complete without this type of alcoholic beverage similar to the anise flower. Commonly mixed with water before use reduces its concentrated state, and gives it a whitish appearance. Raki is known as the drink of the lion and it is a standard component of a meyhane menu.
Pro Tip
If Safa Meyhanesi is congested during weekdays, on the weekends, it becomes congested to the extreme. You can make a reservation to book your table and then you can sit back and enjoy your meal in imposing atmosphere of one of the oldest cities in the world – Istanbul.
Expanding on Each Restaurant
To offer you the more detailed overview, let’s look through what makes these restaurants exceptional.
Van Kahvalti Evi (Beyoglu)
Breakfast Extravaganza
Diverse Flavors
As for breakfast, in Van Kahvalti Evi offers sense-stimulating dishes. Hence, every small plate provides a different sensation in terms of taste ranging from fruit jams to mainly the local cheeses. The variation guarantees that each time you take a bite you are likely to be served with a new experience making this provider’s breakfast an interesting way to start your day.
Cultural Experience
To prepare for the concept, letters from guests who have eaten at Van Kahvalti Evi start with ‘Breakfast is not just a meal with Van Kahvalti Evi, but it is a cultural experience. Breakfast is typically a social affair for the people in Turkey and therefore eating this meal with friends or some members of the family is quite pleasant. People are given a very warm welcome and the eating plan entails eating together which gives the customers a homely feeling.
Simit Bread
One of the most notable of the breakfast foods is the simit bread found in the Pt houses. This bread roll is circular and topped with sesame seeds; the bread is crisp on the outer layer and soft and fluffy in the middle. This, is a common part of the Turkish meal and goes well with a range of spread and cheese.
Çiya Sofrası (Kadiköy)
Ottoman Culinary Heritage
Rich Soups
First let me start with the soups, the choice is tremendous at Çiya Sofrası. Every soup is prepared based on recipes that have been inherited from earlier generations of the family. Foods of Rockhampton taste bold and are traditional and, thus, suitable to be enshrouded with the initial impressions of the food entering the mouth. The lunch with lentil to lemon chicken soup can evidently be painted as a picture of Turkey’s cuisine identity.
Sarma and Mezes
The specialty of the house should not be missed – sarma which is the grapevine leaves stuffed with rice. The thin leaves plus meat, rice, and herbs rolled together give it a tasty morsel, so it can be eaten in one go. The mezes are also very good and in Çiya Sofrası, they serve small portions of so many types of Turkish food that you can possibly imagine.
Kebabs Galore
In general kebabs are famous in Turkey but the kebabs they served in Çiya Sofrası are something different. All the kebabs are barbecued and cooked to an optimally browned color that is so appealing. In the end, kebab can be of chicken, beef, and even lamb for those who are incline towards this kind of animal.
Nusr-Et Steakhouse (Levent)
Culinary Showmanship
High-Quality Meat
Among all the delicious tastes offered at Nusr-Et, the restaurant’s most elite meat plates are famous. Depending on the quality and taste of the meat the various cuts that are used for cooking are obtained. It’s meat meat and nothing but meat; from succulent steak to mouth-watering burgers.
Unique Presentation
Some of the things that may be missing from other restaurants are incorporated at Nusr-Et in the presentation. It can be also noted that flash way of seasoning and manner of serving of this dish also complement the comical character. Observing the chefs is like watching performers, so your expectation becomes memorable and your meal is not an exception.
Global Influence
The authentic Nusr-Et is in Istanbul but since the restaurant has opened branches in different countries, the specialty of their manner of dining is served in several cities across the globe. But afterwards, it would be such a delight to dine at the flagship store that gives a new touch to the island’s experience.
Lades Menemen (Beyoglu)
Menemem Varieties
Classic Menemem
Definitely, the most famous dish, menemem, at Lades Menemen is a must-taste dish. The merge of the eggs and tomatoes and peppers in this recipe provide a very rich and tasty meal. This is a comforting meal that will easily set one up for the day; best prepared and eaten in the morning.
Creative Twists
Besides the authentic version, in Lades Menemen they have some interesting variations to the regular Menemen recipe. From a classic slice topped with melted cheese to a hearty slice with sausage or a vegetation one, they are all delicious. These variation makes it interesting to have a meal.
Award-Winning Taste
Thus, the quality and the flavor of the menemem made in Lades Menemen are the winners of numerous awards. All the foods are made with a lot of respect to the procedure of cooking, so everything is tasteful.
Safa Meyhanesi (Fatih)
Authentic Meyhane Experience
Meze Selection
The choice of meze for clients at Safa Meyhanesi is quite diverse. The appetizers are flavorful and they set you up well for whatever main course you expect to come your way. From the smooth and creamy Hummus to the spiced and fired Ezme there is always something certain to tempt everyone.
Fresh Grilled Fish
The highly recommended dish is the grilled fish served at Safa Meyhanesi restaurant. The fish used are fresh bought from the local markets then barbecued, the smoky taste of the fish is complemented with the spices and herbs. In a word: authentic mediterranean dishes.
Historic Atmosphere
Safa Meyhanesi is what I would consider an authentic rebirth of traditional dining. Traditional design of the building and interior design gives it a certain character and homely appeal. The historical background of the restaurant adds value to thecharm of the restaurant hence why tourist need to make a point of visiting the restaurant.
Conclusion:
This concept for a cookbook can be summarized as ‘A Culinary Journey Through Istanbul’.
Like food culture, the city owns a multifaceted oriental sounding which unifies people of different cultural backgrounds and traditions. Starting from the breakfasts in Van Kahvalti Evi up to the show-kitchen in Nusr-Et, Istanbul is a gastrotourists’ dream.
All restaurants on the list are special and offer different and some of the best examples of Turkish food. It does not really matter if you like meat, breakfasts, or traditional cuisine, there are excellent restaurants in Istanbul.
Well, come with your luggage, your portion control issues, and your sense of adventure to – one of the most dynamic cities in the world: New York.
