Classic in Istanbul

The turquoise-tiled Karaköy institution, lokanta by day, meyhane by night, Bib Gourmand 2026.

Heritage seafood since 1952

Elegant French brasserie with retractable roof and live music

Last great Ottoman hammam, built 1741

Historic 1901 restaurant with iconic blue tile interior above the Spice Bazaar

Turkey's premier whiskey bar with 435+ labels

Modern seafood with signature fish in dough

Former Ottoman bank transformed into boutique luxury

Reopened 2024 with 10,000 classic-elegant tiles restored

Epitome of Istanbul meyhane culture

Legendary cultural hub and live music venue since 1999

All-day organic breakfast in a historic Erenkoy mansion

16th-century gem fully restored in Tophane

Modern meyhane reviving classic tavern culture with stone oven mezes

Afternoon tea at Pera Palace's century-old tearoom

19th-century raki distillery on the Asian shore

Decades of Ottoman fine dining tradition near Taksim

A 1920s apartment for private events in Çukurcuma

Bosphorus-mouth fish-house where the strait opens to the Black Sea.

Chef İsmail's Cunda-Greek fish house at the Kızıltoprak end of the Cadde, the corridor's rakı-balık default.

Boutique hotel at the marina gate with a chef's kitchen

90 years of Armenian goldsmith tradition

Traditional Ottoman craftsmanship in the classic-elegant heart

Over-water fish-meyhane on the Baltalimanı seam.

Live jazz, refined cocktails and dining inside Khai Hotel Karaköy

Classic Bosphorus seafood with refined mezes

Old City's finest fish restaurant since 1927

Burgazada's Rum meyhane legacy lands in Bostancı

Garden restaurant and rooftop bar with triple-vista views in Galata

Villa dining in the old Tribeca space, homemade-syrup cocktails, open-kitchen ambition

Three floors of Anatolian wine in a candlelit Asmalımescit townhouse

Thirty-five years of fasıl evenings by Bostancı station

Cem Mirap (Lucca) brasserie at İstinye Park, designed by Roman & Williams

Warm hospitality and live music in historic Asmalimescit

Istanbul's pioneering Thai restaurant since 2006

Seasonal Italian since 1993 in a villa setting

Istanbul's first true Italian since 1993, on imported flour and stone-oven pizza

Legendary kebab institution with 1200-seat marina views since 1997

Classic waterfront brasserie with its own private pier

Renowned Bosphorus seafood with 5 experienced chef-partners

Locally sourced aged meats in cozy atmosphere

Greek-Turkish seafood with Golden Horn views

Authentic Adana kebab with unique lamb maki style

Sarıyer Çarşı fish-meyhane known for kalkan and meze depth.

Authentic Italian by MasterChef judge Danilo Zanna

İstinye Bay fish lokantası in the old Süreyya Restaurant building since 2004

Turkey's pioneering natural wine bar by Maksut Askar

Sophisticated luxury womenswear from Turkey

Chef Alp Çekici's reinterpretation of meyhane culture

The city's flagship Bosphorus-side shisha-and-cocktail lounge, a Kuruçeşme nightlife fixture

A hidden meyhane under a 70-year fig tree, Vedat Milor's pick

1951 iskele-side meyhane, Can Yücel and Nazım Hikmet's haunt

Legendary Antep cuisine with poolside elegance

Marina-facing grill, seasoned Fenerbahçe regulars

Aegean-style seafood in Moda

Nevizade's 1941 original, no singing, just rakı

One legendary steak, one unforgettable experience

Old-style neighbourhood meyhane near Akaretler

A park-keeper's hut built over the water, windows on three sides, classic mezes and full rakı/wine bar

Kireçburnu waterline fish house, rakı nights the neighborhood still uses.

D-ream's accessible-quality Italian since 1995, wood-oven pizza and signature pasta

Fusion cuisine pioneer by MasterChef judge Mehmet Yalcinkaya

23-year Nevizade meyhane named for a Can Yücel poem

Murano chandelier and wood-fired pizzas across from Göztepe Park

Rooftop seafood house with Marmara view

Innovative Anatolian cuisine with wood-fired traditions

The Tarabya fish crescent local without the tourist markup.

1557 Mimar Sinan masterpiece at Suleymaniye complex

Modern lokanta named for Turkey's first female lawyer

Bib Gourmand traditional Turkish grill with sea views on Asian side

Gastro-jazz lokanta run by jazz musician Eren Noyan with a proper stage

Old City panoramic views from boutique hotel rooftop

1920s meyhane where Yahya Kemal drank rakı

1901 former Franciscan nuns' residence transformed into cozy suites

Asmalımescit's ever-new classic since 1977

Heritage meyhane family since 1977, Asian-side branch since 2018

Established Turkish designer with timeless elegance

Modern Anatolian cuisine by chef-owner Civan Er in Beyoğlu

Chef Kaan Kayhan's waterfront meyhane on the Yeniköy pier.

Bosphorus-pier classic since 1949 under century-old plane trees.

Tarabya marina fish-house with a working bar program.

Bahariye's beloved meyhane in a French-bistro-style room

Michelin-listed ocakbasi with Bosphorus views and premium grilled meats

Turkish DJs, live-jazz, and funk in classic-elegant Beyoğlu

Foraged mushrooms and Golden Horn sunsets since 1939

Venice-born Italian at Soho House Istanbul

Historic patisserie with legendary chocolates

Only Balkan cuisine on Bağdat Caddesi - Chef Murat Bozok menu

Brasserie elegance meets Bosphorus charm

Hidden art-deco izakaya in Bebek

Perfect-rated traditional grill in boutique setting

Istanbul's finest classic Korean restaurant

Mediterranean comfort in a 40-year-old Etiler villa with open kitchen