Jan 24
Monday
NATO Lokantası: The Lunchtime Alliance
Turkish politics make for a great lunch-counter conversation. These days, one of the hot topics is a perceived axis shift, as if Ankara, feeling burned by the West, has turned the gaze of the Republic eastward, as easily as a dönerci reverses the rotation of his spit. But down in Karaköy, at NATO Lokantası, an esnaf lokantası named in honor of Turkey’s entry into the Western Bloc some six decades ago, the tenor of the debate is still decidedly Cold War-era. “One lady comes up to pay, says to me, ‘If I knew this place was called NATO, I wouldn’t have eaten here,’ and walks out. Clearly a Communist,” said manager Mevlüt Bey from his perch at the cash register.
But she must have been an exception. On one recent visit to NATO Lokantası, we were pleased to find the place in high spirits. Continue…
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Recent Posts
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Hanging On to History: Edible Nostalgia in Samatya
no responses - Posted 05.08.18
That much of the past seems to stick to Samatya is a marvel in Istanbul, a city being rebuilt and “restored” at an alarming pace. First, there’s the question of its name. Occupying a stretch of the Marmara Sea and squeezed between the old city walls and Kumkapı, an area home to a rotating cast of eclectic restaurants, the neighborhood still ... continue -
Spring Surprises: Skewering the First Fruits in Istanbul
no responses - Posted 04.25.18
It was the first of April and an absolutely pristine Istanbul spring day, the kind where one can break a slight sweat walking up a hill then catch a cool breeze in a nearby patch of shade. Returning to the city from a lovely weekend on Büyükada, we were smitten with spring and wanted to indulge in its finest offerings. In ... continue -
Farewell, Pando: An Istanbul Culinary Legend Passes On
no responses - Posted 04.16.18
It’s Saturday around lunchtime and business as usual in the bustling Beşiktaş Çarşı neighborhood, as crowds of mostly younger people fill the narrow streets. Down on Mumcu Bakkal Sokak, a pedestrian-only street lined with miniscule shops, a line around the block has been formed by those eager to get into one of the city’s best döner spots. For many of those ... continue -
Bağdat Ocakbaşı: Licensed to Grill
no responses - Posted 04.09.18
Istanbul’s T1 tramway is relatively pleasant if you can find a seat, but borders on unbearable if you are on your feet. Back in 2015, we wrote about a trip we took from the line’s first stop all the way to one of its last, which lies way out in the district of Güngören. By the time the tram has made ... continue -
Dose & Istos Café: Greek Revival
no responses - Posted 03.30.18
A café at its best is so much more than the sum of its parts: it’s a place where people can easily mingle, share ideas, and dertleşmek, or commiserate over their troubles, all while imbibing caffeine. At the same time, it’s a place where visitors might feel an invisible thread of common beliefs connecting them, an unspoken camaraderie, even if ... continue -
Back to the Land: Urban Turks Tackle Rural Life
no responses - Posted 03.23.18
When Buket Ulukut first moved from Istanbul to a rural plot of land in the foothills of the Taurus Mountains in southern Turkey, she was leading a double life. “I’d be taking calls from clients in Europe while out amidst the rows of peppers and eggplants, hoping they didn’t hear the rooster crowing in the background,” says Ulukut, who worked in ... continue -
Semt Pazarları, Civic Life Perfected
no responses - Posted 03.09.18
“Two kilos five liraaa! Two kilos five liraaa!” bellowed a young and exuberant vendor of tomatoes to the ongoing stream of frugal-minded shoppers making their way through the snaking Tarlabaşı Sunday Market. Hundreds of sellers of fresh produce, dairy, seafood, kitchenware, clothing, smuggled tobacco, jewelry, fresh baked goods and numerous other items set up side by side in the central Istanbul ... continue
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Hanging On to History: Edible Nostalgia in Samatya
All entries filed under Reviews (Eats)
Lost in Thrace: Following the Tekirdağ Köftesi Trail
3 responses - Posted 01.17.11
Editor’s note: This week, Istanbul Eats hops on the bus and heads west to sample the Thrace region’s most famous köfte in its native environment. Guest writers Sherri Cohen and Alex Hallowell, Fulbright English Teaching Assistants at Namık Kemal University in Tekirdağ, have run the gut-busting gauntlet to bring you ...continue
3 responses - Posted 01.17.11
Editor’s note: This week, Istanbul Eats hops on the bus and heads west to sample the Thrace region’s most famous köfte in its native environment. Guest writers Sherri Cohen and Alex Hallowell, Fulbright English Teaching Assistants at Namık Kemal University in Tekirdağ, have run the gut-busting gauntlet to bring you ...continue
Köfteci Arnavut: On the Good Ship Meatball Shop
4 responses - Posted 01.14.11
Perhaps it’s the proximity of the waters of the Golden Horn or the weathered wood interior, but we get a distinctly maritime feeling at Köfteci Arnavut, a tiny köfte joint in the historic Balat neighborhood. The members of the Iştay family, who opened the place in 1947, seem to think the ...continue
4 responses - Posted 01.14.11
Perhaps it’s the proximity of the waters of the Golden Horn or the weathered wood interior, but we get a distinctly maritime feeling at Köfteci Arnavut, a tiny köfte joint in the historic Balat neighborhood. The members of the Iştay family, who opened the place in 1947, seem to think the ...continue
Hayvore: Lost and Found
8 responses - Posted 01.10.11
In the Laz language, “si sore” means, “where are you?” At least twice a week for past few years, our answer to that question at lunchtime would be, “We are at Pera Sisore.” This little restaurant in the Asmalımescit area became one of our go-to lunch spots by serving some ...continue
8 responses - Posted 01.10.11
In the Laz language, “si sore” means, “where are you?” At least twice a week for past few years, our answer to that question at lunchtime would be, “We are at Pera Sisore.” This little restaurant in the Asmalımescit area became one of our go-to lunch spots by serving some ...continue
Kiva Han: Imposter or Contender?
11 responses - Posted 01.07.11
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but when Galata’s Kiva Han first opened its doors a few years ago it felt like the restaurant was taking things a bit too far. The inspiration for the slightly upscale spot, located a stone’s throw from the Galata Tower, was obviously ...continue
11 responses - Posted 01.07.11
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but when Galata’s Kiva Han first opened its doors a few years ago it felt like the restaurant was taking things a bit too far. The inspiration for the slightly upscale spot, located a stone’s throw from the Galata Tower, was obviously ...continue
Merkez Şekercisi: Through Rose-Flavored Gum Drops
3 responses - Posted 12.28.10
(Editor's note: We are sad to report that after more than a century in business, Merkez Şekercisi has closed.) Despite the surroundings, working as a candyman in Istanbul is apparently not all sweetness. Take, for example, Mustafa Bey, who inherited the 132-year-old traditional Turkish candy shop, Merkez Şekercisi, from his grandfather. ...continue
3 responses - Posted 12.28.10
(Editor's note: We are sad to report that after more than a century in business, Merkez Şekercisi has closed.) Despite the surroundings, working as a candyman in Istanbul is apparently not all sweetness. Take, for example, Mustafa Bey, who inherited the 132-year-old traditional Turkish candy shop, Merkez Şekercisi, from his grandfather. ...continue
Kral Kokoreç: In the Court of the Intestine King
1 response - Posted 12.06.10
Editor’s note: This guest post comes courtesy of Salih Seçkin Sevinç, author of the great Turkish-language food blog Harbi Yiyorum (loosely translated as “Eating, For Real”). Although this review is of Sirkeci’s Kral Kokoreç, it is first and foremost a tribute to Vahap Usta, Turkey’s original king of kokoreç. The second half ...continue
1 response - Posted 12.06.10
Editor’s note: This guest post comes courtesy of Salih Seçkin Sevinç, author of the great Turkish-language food blog Harbi Yiyorum (loosely translated as “Eating, For Real”). Although this review is of Sirkeci’s Kral Kokoreç, it is first and foremost a tribute to Vahap Usta, Turkey’s original king of kokoreç. The second half ...continue
Melekler Durum: Kebab Fit for a Cabbie
1 response - Posted 11.29.10
With its walls lined with pickle jars, Fanta cans, six packs of yogurt drink and little grenade-shaped bottles of şalgam, or turnip juice, Melekler looks like nothing more than a bodega with a humble little lunch counter in the back. But a quick tour of the facilities convinced us that ...continue
1 response - Posted 11.29.10
With its walls lined with pickle jars, Fanta cans, six packs of yogurt drink and little grenade-shaped bottles of şalgam, or turnip juice, Melekler looks like nothing more than a bodega with a humble little lunch counter in the back. But a quick tour of the facilities convinced us that ...continue
Meşhur Filibe Köftecisi: Keeping Their Eye on the Meatball
2 responses - Posted 11.26.10
Where we come from, flipping burgers is a time-honored tradition among pimply teenagers looking for a summer job and troubled short-order cooks looking for a place to land in between firings. It’s work that promises mobility, not stability. But don’t tell that to Ziver Usta, who’s been turning the köfte – ...continue
2 responses - Posted 11.26.10
Where we come from, flipping burgers is a time-honored tradition among pimply teenagers looking for a summer job and troubled short-order cooks looking for a place to land in between firings. It’s work that promises mobility, not stability. But don’t tell that to Ziver Usta, who’s been turning the köfte – ...continue
Koco: Quest for the Holy Grill
no responses - Posted 11.24.10
(Editor's Note: We are rerunning this review in honor of St. Cathryn, to whom the shrine in the basement of this restaurant is dedicated and whose name day takes place tomorrow (Sept. 25). According to local legend, some fishermen at a certain point came across a natural spring in the ...continue
no responses - Posted 11.24.10
(Editor's Note: We are rerunning this review in honor of St. Cathryn, to whom the shrine in the basement of this restaurant is dedicated and whose name day takes place tomorrow (Sept. 25). According to local legend, some fishermen at a certain point came across a natural spring in the ...continue
Lades 2: A Beyoglu Greasy Spoon
4 responses - Posted 11.22.10
(Editor's Note: This review of one of our all-time favorite places first appeared on April 1, 2009.) The no-frills Lades 2 presents diners with that age-old question: what to eat first, the chicken or the eggs? This restaurant - a Turkish version of the American-style greasy spoon diner - specializes in ...continue
4 responses - Posted 11.22.10
(Editor's Note: This review of one of our all-time favorite places first appeared on April 1, 2009.) The no-frills Lades 2 presents diners with that age-old question: what to eat first, the chicken or the eggs? This restaurant - a Turkish version of the American-style greasy spoon diner - specializes in ...continue
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