Istanbul Restaurant Tips by Lalique

Rather old pastry house (est. 1961), interior is contmporary styled as a mixture of Byzantine, Orient, Roman, hard to define exactly.

I revisited the place again this time and rediscovered it for myself again. I strongly wish you to go there for one of the best pastry in town.
Prices are just peanuts.... the most expensive huge cake costs no more than $2!!

Favorite Dish: PASTRY! Real Turkish delights! Everything is good! As if it's been delievered from heaven!

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Theme: Dessert
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: tel. 0212 526 8859
Address: Divanyolu Caddesi ¹62/A, Sultanahment
Directions: You might miss it but try not to. You need to walk up Divanyolu from Hagia Sofia for 100-150 meters, it's on your right side.

MEDUSA
Great restaurant! Very European. With astonishing view on Bosphorus and the one of the two the bridges over it (Bogazici Bridge)!

Favorite Dish: Fish, fish, fish....!

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Theme: Other

Directions: Somewhere close to Kurucesme Arnavuikoy Yolu, on the border of Ortakoy district, right after Bogazici Bridge. Dunno precise location. Ask VT member Keny, I went there with his brother's friends. :))))

Restaurant Name: Anything

The street, which has plenty of eating places - starting from quick eatz, like stuffed pitas, ending with some really good restaurants and pastry places.

Pay attention to the second floors of the buildings on the street, a lot of places occupy not only the ground floor (which sometimes serves as just entrance) but the second floor as well.
One can get pretty nice views of the street from the upper floors.


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Theme: Local
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter

Well, being in Istanbul, one must taste fish (if only you suffer of allergy to fish, it might be an excuse) and experience plenty of seafood restaurants set along Bosphorus.

Fish restaurants in Istanbul have far spreading fame of being the best (at least in Europe), a lot of people said to me, that the ones in Greece, for ex., are out of comparison (let my Greek friends forgive me such words!).

So, try fish, especially the one which is called "blue fish", it's only Bosphorus speciality, one can find it no other place.


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Theme: Seafood
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter

I can't imagine Istanbul without various street vendors......

Baked corn and chestnuts, fresh oyesters with lemon and pistachios, bagels and other freshly backed stuff....

In the mornings I was always woken up by an old street vendor, who stood near our hotel and shouted early in the mornings - Bagles! Fresh bagles!
That time I thought I'd kill him if he'd cry it one more time, but now being back home I so miss this "fresh bagles!"

Favorite Dish: Some prices:

Bagle - 400,000TL (~0.30c)
Small paper bag of chestnuts/pistachios - 1,000,000TL (~0.75c)

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Theme: Street Vendor
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter

Restaurant Name: Haci Abdullah

My story of discovering this place is very simple.
Once we walked a lot around Istanbul and when got back to our hotel in the evening found out that we forgot about dinner while our wanders and decided to find a place to have a bite....
We came to Istiklal and went from place to place choosing the "right one" but half of the were already closed, of the other half we liked nothing (as it happens from time to time)... and then I saw a lighted sign in some of the side streets, we went to see what's there and found the place...

Favorite Dish: Later on I was told by the locals that it's very famous place and one of the best, if you want to try the real local cuisine.
It's true! :))

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Theme: Local
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Address: Sakizagaci Cadd. No17
Directions: Taksim (ISTANBUL), in ISTIKLAL Cad. (Street)
Website: http://www.haciabdullah.com.tr/

It once happend to be the choice for our late breakfast, it was actually too late even for a brunch, but still.... at about 1.30pm the guys still served us typical Turkish breakfast with plenty of olives, chees and tomatos :)))

I liked it there!


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Theme: Local
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Directions: somewhere in the mid of Siraserviler Cadd., if you go from Taksim, it's on the right side, slightly off the road

Rushing to and from shops of DKNY, Max Mara and Etro, we suddenly found out, that we were starving and in need of place to relax.... that's how Mezzaluna turned up... a nice and lively trendy place to have a bite, always buzzling with people...

Favorite Dish: It was the 1st time when I tried the local wine - Selection, quite a good choice it was, very decent wine!

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Theme: Italian
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: 0212-231-3142
Address: Abdi Ipekci Caddesi 38/1
Directions: in the heart of Nisantasi area, just below VAKKO store