Istanbul Ili Restaurant Tips by June.b Top 5 Page for this destination

Fish Restaurants in Karakoy.: Reasonably-priced seafood restaurants.

If you’re craving for seafood and don’t want to spend that much, there’s a better alternative to the expensive seafood restaurants under the Galata Bridge.

I forgot the name of the specific restaurant I took lunch twice, but it’s located beside the fish market at the foot of the Galata Bridge on Karakoy side.

Walk past those restaurants under Galata Bridge, they're fancy but expensive, until you reach the end of the bridge and you’ll be in Karakoy district. There's a fish market beside the Turyol (Karakoy-Kadikoy-Uskudar) Iskilesi (ferry port), and there are restaurants just after the fish market, some of them have tables and chairs facing the mighty bosphorous, some indoor dining, some outdoor.

I think I ate at the one in the middle. Very affordable meals, the trout costs TL12 or 15 including a cola.

The second time I went there I chose a plate of small fish that I envied those locals enjoying eating couple of days before, they’re very tasty costs only TL10 for a whole plate of more than a dozen of those 4-inch fish. Served with some salad and bread. Yum!

If you’re coming from Sultanahmet, take the tram and get off at Karakoy stop and walk to the fish market on the other side of the road. From Istiklal Avenue / Taksim, take the funicular tram at the Tunnel at the end of Istiklal and cross the street to bosphorus side, the fish market is there.

Favorite Dish: Fish. What else? Ah...shrimp, squid.

Address: Fermeneciler Cad./ali Yazýcý Sok. Gümrük Han

Comparison: less expensive than average

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Seafood

Sar Lokantasi: Local Eatery - Lokanta

Six years back when I first came to Istanbul, I already spotted this local eatery (lokanta), I took several meals from here and since then whenever I come to Istanbul and stay or drop by Grand Bazaar I always eat delicious local fare at Sar. Lokantasi (pronounced SHAR).

Back then, I only saw very few tourists dining in, now and may be recently there are lots of torists - asians and europeans hanging out on the second floor salon. That's because their food is delicious and very affordable, aside from very sanitary, and most of all you don't have to wait, get your tray and just point at what food you want from the display - am not a fan of fine dining that starved me from waiting. Add to that the friendly staff.

It's located just opposite the Grand Bazaar entrance on the other side of the road beside the Beyazit Tram Station.

*Update: when I dine in recently (June 2011), they looked like they've became popular that the food costs a bit more expensive than it used to be, i.e. I used to pay less than TL10, now it was almost TL20 for the same set of meals. And it has lost its local-eatery feel to the place, it became like geared more towards the tourists lot.

Favorite Dish: kebab, many i don't even know the name.

Address: near Grand Bazaar, Beyazit Tram station, Istanbul

Comparison: less expensive than average

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Local

Makarna Sarayi: Cheap pasta, mezzes, doner, shawarma

Dine in or dine al fresco, the Makarna Sarayi is a tourists' favorite restaurant. They have two floors (or 3?) indoor dining, lots of spaces, and there are about 3 tables just along the street in front of the restaurant if you feel like watching people while dining -- or being watched(?), or order a doner or shawarma and seat beside the podium of the Column of Constantine which is just beside the restaurant.

They serve pasta sort of neopolitan with different shapes that you can mix and match, mezzes are mixable too. There's a sharma just beside the entrance and fresh squeezed orange juice or pomegrenate. Variety on meals on display. Very reasonably priced and budget-friendly.

Meals costs an average of TL8, pasta 4.

Staff are friendly.

Favorite Dish: pasta, mezzes

Address: Cemberlitas, Istanbul, Turkey

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: beside the column of constantine and the historical cemberlitas hamam

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Local

Simit Sarayi: A local cafe serving the institutional Simit bread

I consider this as the local cultural version of Dunkin Donuts, only difference is, they serve the local doughnut called Simit - a round bread covered in sesame seeds. It's crisp, crunchy and chewy that goes along well with your coffee or tea.

Simit Sarayi has a lot of branches all over Turkey (now in Cyprus) and serves other types of breads, crepes, cakes, variety of hot and cold bev.

There is a really nice Simit Sarayi corner few strides from Cemberlitas Hamam where they have antik wooden tables and chairs outside under a shade of crawling plants (grapes i think?). See pix.

Good coffee, tasty simit, nice people.

Favorite Dish: Simit...of course...and coffee....hmmm...and tea...and cakes.... and..

Address: All around turkey

Comparison: least expensive

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Coffeehouse

Website: http://www.simitsarayi.com.tr/

Doner Kebab: Shoestring budget meals!

Turkish dishes are really a treat and there are plenty of restaurants and diners everywhere.

But for budget travellers you can always splurge on diners during evenings, and you can always take a 1 to 3 YTL Doner (or Shawarma sandwich) to go! Add a 1YTL soda and lunch is already solved. That is if your hotel is serving breakfasts that goes with their rates.

Their shawarmas are tasty and big for a full meal!

Or... don't be ashamed going in the small local restos that serves delicious kebabs and other turkish dishes, fish or meat... french breads are free.... it's affordable from YTL 5 or 7 and up (or US$3.75 or Euro3.1 & up)

Favorite Dish: Note: October 2009 I was in IST and found that the scene in the picture here is longer existing as they reconstructed this part of the road, so the Doner and sandwich shop is longer there. But the Shar Lokanta is still beside it and serving really good local food.

Comparison: least expensive

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Local