Ismael Kebapcısı: Lahmacun Tycoon
5 responses - Posted 05.01.09
Where Beyoglu slopes down towards the Bosphorus in Tophane, a rough-around-the-edges district named after a nearby Ottoman-era cannon factory, there’s not much in the way of swanky eating. Judging by the great piles of husks on the sidewalk, sunflower seeds are the dietary staple of the neighborhood. Well, that and ...continue

Canım Ciğerim: Liver, My Dear?
5 responses - Posted 04.27.09
Canım Ciğerim, a very fun and tasty kebab spot in Beyoğlu’s Asmalımescit area, makes things easy. The menu only has two items which to choose from: liver, or what is simply referred to as “meat.” Before we lose any more readers, let’s talk about the first option. Turkey exists in a ...continue

Köfteci Hüseyin: The Cadillac of Meatballs
11 responses - Posted 04.24.09
In New York, consider the pizza. You’ve got Famous Ray’s Pizza, Ray’s Original Pizza, World Famous Original Ray’s Pizza and so on. Ray and his imitators just wouldn’t bother if New Yorkers believed pizza was “just a slice.” It’s the same story in Istanbul with köfte, a dish that to non-locals ...continue

Akdeniz Hatay Sofrası: The Syrian Connection
11 responses - Posted 04.20.09
The only positive thing about the torturous annual visit we make to Istanbul’s main police station in order to renew our residence permit is the chance to drive through the low-rent Aksaray neighborhood, home to dozens of intriguing off-the-beaten path restaurants, most of them opened by migrants from other parts ...continue

Karaköy Lokantasi: A Dockside Winner
9 responses - Posted 04.17.09
Tucked into the street behind the yet-to-be gentrified docks at Karaköy, among shops advertising boat tickets to Odessa and cubby-sized import & export offices, is the neighborhood’s culinary port of call, Karaköy Lokantasi. With great food, personable service and tasteful décor, this family-operated eatery defiantly proves that a good dining ...continue

Van Kahvaltı Evi: The Kurdish Breakfast Club
24 responses - Posted 04.13.09
In Turkey’s predominantly-Kurdish eastern provinces, breakfast is not just for breakfast anymore. Particularly in the city of Van, not far from Turkey’s border with Iran, the morning repast has been turned into serious business: the town is filled with dozens of Kahvaltı Salonu’s – breakfast salons – that serve a ...continue

Durumzade: Wrap Artists
9 responses - Posted 04.10.09
Istanbul’s after midnight dining options tend to be of the offal variety – tripe soup, chopped lamb’s intestines – thought to be curatives after a night of hard drinking. Luckily, not all late night eats in the city involve innards. At Durumzade – a grill joint positioned right on the ...continue

Pera Sisore: Black Sea Magic
3 responses - Posted 04.06.09
(Editor's Note: Sadly, since first reviewing and recommending this place, things have gone terribly downhill and we can no longer vouch for it's quality. The good news is that the restaurant's former manager -- the person responsible for making so good in the first place -- has his own spot ...continue

Fürreyya: Best Little Fish House in Galata
7 responses - Posted 04.06.09
From the outside, Fürreyya Galata Balıkcısı, a tiny new restaurant in Beyoglu's quaint Galata area, doesn't look like much. Two tables, two stools at a short counter, a smoky grill and not much else. But Inside this modest fish shack beats the heart of a more ambitious place. The friendly ...continue

Abracadabra: A Culinary Wizard on the Bosphorus
18 responses - Posted 04.03.09
One look at Abracadabra, housed in an imposing Ottoman-era mansion located smack dab on the Bosporus in the swank Arnavutkoy neighborhood, might make your wallet ache. Think again. This funky informal restaurant, serving some of Istanbul's most creative riffs on traditional Turkish cuisine, is within reach of a backpacker's budget ...continue