Classic in Istanbul

16th-century masterpiece by Mimar Sinan

Last great Ottoman hammam, built 1741

Sultan's palace on the Bosphorus

Asian side's specialty coffee destination since 2014

Expert-led carpet education and collection

World-famous jeweler with micro-mosaic mastery

19th-century Ottoman waterfront mansions reimagined

Former Ottoman bank transformed into boutique luxury

Eastern Turkish breakfast specialties from Van

Reopened 2024 with 10,000 classic-elegant tiles restored

Historic 1945 waterfront cafe - the intellectual's haunt

All-day organic breakfast in a historic Erenkoy mansion

Former Ottoman prison transformed into cozy luxury

Five generations of baklava perfection

16th-century gem fully restored in Tophane

Art Deco heritage hotel in Giulio Mongeri's 1922 masterpiece

Afternoon tea at Pera Palace's century-old tearoom

Orient Express heritage since 1892

19th-century raki distillery on the Asian shore

Upper-tier fish house on Operatör Cemil Topuzlu

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

Burgazada's Rum meyhane legacy lands in Bostancı

Traditional patisserie and legendary sundaes in Kadıköy

Intimate nightly jazz, blues and soul off İstiklal

Bağdat Caddesi's 30-year award-winning institution

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

Historic ferry pier dining with unobstructed Bosphorus Bridge views

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

Shellfish-forward seafood in a 200-year-old Ottoman elephant warehouse

Classic waterfront brasserie with its own private pier

A quiet Aegean-air meyhane behind Beşiktaş fish market

Since 1979: cilek milfoy, Ibiza pastasi, Kadıköy classic holding the line

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

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

Best Turkish delight since 1777

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

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

Grand Bazaar jewelry expertise since 1951

Compact meze-first meyhane steps from the marina

Marina-facing grill, seasoned Fenerbahçe regulars

Late-night Kireçburnu fish-meyhane open until 02:00.

Nevizade's 1941 original, no singing, just rakı

Beyoğlu's long-running blues dive run by Mehmet the Blues

Turkey's first female-run meyhane, Tatavla's living memory since 1946

Old-style neighbourhood meyhane near Akaretler

Fifth-floor Taksim meyhane where Tatavla Keyfi plays rebetiko Fri-Sat

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

23-year Nevizade meyhane named for a Can Yücel poem

Antique carpet specialists in Grand Bazaar

Rooftop seafood house with Marmara view

The Tarabya fish crescent local without the tourist markup.

Late-1800s building, seasonal mezes, Greek-Turkish soul

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

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

1920s meyhane where Yahya Kemal drank rakı

1901 former Franciscan nuns' residence transformed into cozy suites

Gault & Millau-listed yalı for marinated lüfer and rakı

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

33 years of rakı-sunset at the mouth of the Bosphorus

Tarabya marina fish-house with a working bar program.

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

Historic patisserie since the 1800s - now a 400sqm flagship

Historic patisserie with legendary chocolates

Curated collection above an ancient cistern

Istanbul's legendary breakfast deli since forever

1895 neo-classical mansion reborn as Luxury Collection hotel