Places in Istanbul

Three-story bookstore-cafe with 45,000 books and terrace dining

Asian side's specialty coffee destination since 2014

Eastern Turkish breakfast specialties from Van

Historic 1945 waterfront cafe - the intellectual's haunt

Nordic-style specialty coffee with cult-status brownie

Five generations of baklava perfection

The çarşı's oldest working meyhane, pouring since 1974, topik in the case and fasıl kept upstairs.

Brick-lined snug pub with live blues, rock and jazz seven nights a week

Gile chef's tribute to Marmaris roots, Gault & Millau 2026 Best Street Food

Tower-foot jazz bar in a former mosaic workshop

Neighborhood şarküteri where you point and they plate

Traditional patisserie and legendary sundaes in Kadıköy

A pilot-and-stewardess couple's quiet corner off Bağdat

German-style beer garden with Weihenstephaner on tap and a real backyard

Asian side's most serious craft beer list, deep Gara Guzu shelf

Moda side-street all-day bar, proper cocktails at kind prices

Neighborhood coffee-and-butter bakeshop

Intimate nightly jazz, blues and soul off İstiklal

Kadıköy's most queued weekend brunch destination

Bağdat Caddesi's 30-year award-winning institution

Long-running Italian-influenced bar tucked behind Bebek Hamamı

Unlimited Turkish breakfast with legendary bazlama bread

Cocktail-gastropub from the Joker No:19 crew spilling onto the Avenue, garden, relaxed, serious drinks

Balat roaster with a Probatino in the center of the shop

Third-wave roaster's 2025 landing on the Anatolian avenue

Global bean selection in Beyoğlu's creative heart

Joyful specialty coffee shop in the heart of Bebek since 2013

Gourmet deli with exceptional burrata and sandwiches

Three-bridge Bosphorus panorama from Fethi Pasa Korusu hilltop garden

Stone-milled organic flour, aged sourdough, open until it sells out

A quiet Aegean-air meyhane behind Beşiktaş fish market

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

French-influenced coffee with signature orange cold espresso and unique cup service

Tight Moda Caddesi bar with a deep beer fridge and a surprisingly serious cocktail menu, distinct from the Şaşkınbakkal Fil

Caddebostan all-day bakery with serious croissants and egg plates

Stone-oven bakery with Balat's best croissants and weekend Turkish breakfast

Quiet Jurnal Sokak şaraphanesi pouring small Anatolian producers and Georgian qvevri

MSA-trained pastry chef's handmade tarts and sugar-free sweets

Best Turkish delight since 1777

Three-storey 19th-century Greek house turned wine room

Beans scoring 90+ SCA, roasted by a 2025 Türkiye champion

Home-party-style Topağacı bar with assertive cocktails and a real neighborhood crowd.

Nişantaşı sibling of the legendary Beşiktaş gastro-pub with craft beer and whiskey.

Street-level micro-bar on Esat Işık, creative cocktails, vinyl-leaning music, no-frills Kadıköy at its best

Cult Izmir-style breakfast with cast-iron tulum cheese and vegan options

Seaside breakfast with small-producer ingredients

Compact meze-first meyhane steps from the marina

Terrace tucked below Rumeli Hisarı's ramparts, shadow of the fortress on one side, the Bosphorus narrowing on the other.

Former metal workshop anchoring Karaköy's creative revival since 2011

Coffee cocktails and creative brews in Karaköy

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

Second chapter from the Urban/Boden team, classic and signature cocktails

Garden setting, reusable cups, sustainability-focused by Büyük Sefler group

Cold War–era Soviet space-program aesthetic on Topağacı Meydanı.

Two-time Turkish Brewers Cup champion's first retail lab

Turkey's pioneering third-wave roastery, owned by Mehmet Gurs's Istanbul Food & Beverage Group (acquired 2014)

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

French-inspired patisserie in Çengelköy village with a la carte lunch

Tiny family pizzeria with perfect thin crust

Best croissants in Kadıköy: cruffins, Saint Honore, gluten-free options

Hidden 350m² walled garden of lemon and linden trees

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

Bosphorus-view ocakbasi: organic Kars breakfast mornings, charcoal-grilled evenings

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

Specialty coffee pioneer with multiple brewing methods

Cihangir duplex tapas bar with a balcony and neighborhood regulars

Tekel-fronted natural wine cellar on a Halaskargazi side street

Wood-coal döner with Kepsut thyme and Konya lavash

Seven regional breakfast sets named after Anatolian villages

Owner-run third-wave pioneer that defined Suadiye coffee culture

Direct-trade single origins roasted in-house since 2013

SCA-champion roaster, barista represented Turkey at Worlds

Tiny Tünel wine room famous among regulars for its mulled wine and queer-friendly door

Modern Neapolitan with imported San Marzano tomatoes

Two women, home-style breakfast since 2008

Pioneer specialty coffee roastery with training center

60+ organic Anatolian specialties with Bosphorus views

Twenty-four-tap craft beer bar on Ferah Sokağı, the Sarıyer original's central outpost

Ottoman-era confectionery since 1807: Turkish delight and akide craftsmanship

Tea, light plates and salads on the water beside İstinye iskelesi

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

In-house roasting with rotating guest-roaster program

Cycling culture meets specialty coffee on the Caddebostan coast

Bağdat Avenue branch of historic Beyoğlu Pano; fasıl music, straight rakı, serious wine cellar

Ground-floor hotel bar where the Foxy crowd spills over for DJs and late drinks.

48-hour sourdough and French-inspired pastries anchoring Akaretler mornings

Cevdet Paşa cafe-bar with Bebek-old-guard regulars

Proper Napoli-style with San Marzano, fermented dough, and standout tiramisu

Yeldeğirmeni corner spot with house-recipe cocktails and craft beers

Şemsettin Günaltay's after-work gastro-pub with a cocktail menu that actually tries

Istanbul's only genuine Irish pub since 1996, off Nevizade

Kilyos kite-school beach club, family-leaning, summer only.

Three-chef collaboration: egg hummus to gochujang bucatini, all day

360-degree Bosphorus panorama from Istanbul's highest hill, breakfast through dinner

Three-floor 1960s gastropub on Bankalar corner

Adana street-kebap heat on an Erenköy side-street

Family-run with 100-year-old antique cups, magical garden, legendary breakfast

Roaster-first shop from the Küçük Çamlıca workshop

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

Corner pub off İstiklal where free live music spills into the street

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

Legendary brownies and 233K Instagram followers on Bağdat Caddesi

Istanbul's legendary breakfast deli since forever

Aegean meze and charcoal grill on Yeniköy's Köybaşı strip.

Haydarpaşa-station-themed cafe-bar that turns into a wine and beer hangout after dark.

Tiny Karakolhane corner pub run by Koray and Elif; deep beer list, zero pretense.

Izmir's cult macaronier on Caddebostan Plaj Yolu

Alleyway bar run by Turkey and world bartending champion Onurcan Gençer

Melbourne-trained founders bringing Australian single-origin standards

35+ years of pier-side fish, buckets in front of diners

Kapadokya-rooted wine bar bringing cellared bottles to the avenue

Three MSA-trained pastry chefs reworking classic European pâtisserie

Buttered croissants and creative all-day plates with serious ambition

Regional organic breakfast opposite Yogurtcu Park

Weekend pilgrimage for Kadıköy's brunch devotees

Iconic Moda brunch spot with legendary pancakes