Best Restaurants in Istanbul
Most tourists find themselves looking for good Istanbul restaurants while sightseeing in this city. Here, you can see the top 7 restaurants in Istanbul that offer great food but not necessarily for budget-conscious people. Many of Turkey’s modern restaurants can be found in Istanbul. From high-quality dishes to Turkish favorites with a modern touch, these are the best restaurants in Istanbul.
1. Asitane in Fatih District
Asitane is one of few Istanbul restaurants with old interiors resembling the previous kingdom. These restaurants offer the traditional Ottoman palace kitchen food. Asitane brought back over 200 classic recipes since the year 1991. You really need to give this unique restaurant a try for tastes of true traditional Turkish cuisine. You can find Asitane restaurant near Kariye Cami Sk, which is just near the Chora Church.
2. Alancha in Beşiktaş
Alancha is one of the most unique restaurants in Istanbul. Also, their dining room is minimal, and the menu has the Anatolian history touch. If you like delicious international food, you can definitely find it here. Tourists are able to find this restaurant in Vişnezade, nearby Şht. Mehmet Sk.
Update: This restaurant is no longer open.
3. Bebek Balıkçısı Seafood Restaurant in Beşiktaş
You will find this seafood restaurant on the Bosphorus in the Bebek neighborhood. Further, you’ll enjoy tasty grilled fish & mezes as well as local rakı drinks. Bebek Balıkçısı offers some of the best seafood among other Istanbul restaurants. The exact location of this place is at Bebek near Cevdet Paşa Cd.
4. Nicole Restaurant on Top Floor of Tomtom Suites Hotel
Nicole should really get Turkey’s first Michelin star. Moreover, they deliver food with French cooking style as well as premium local ingredients. Also, you can grab a drink from their local wines. This place offers an amazing Istanbul view from its sophisticated terrace floor. This place is located at Tomtom Kaptan Sk.
5. Karaköy Lokantası in Beyoğlu
Karaköy Lokantası is one of the top restaurants in Istanbul for perfecting the country’s traditional cuisine. Also, it is famous for its vintage dark blue tiles and rotating artwork in the window. Moreover, during the day, you’ll find traditional Turkish dishes, while in the afternoon, the menu transforms into seafood and a lot of rakı. Tourists can visit here at Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa.
6. Borsa Restaurant in Üsküdar Neighborhood
A true Istanbul icon, Borsa Restaurant is one of the more classy places amongst other restaurants in Istanbul. You can try everything from roasted lamb shank to stuffed vine leaves here. You can find this place at Sakıp Sabanc Kandilli Education and Culture Center.
7. Hünkar in Nişantası Neighborhood
Hünkar serves sophisticated poor men’s dishes in the up-scale Nişantası neighborhood. Also, you can get your freshly made dishes from its cafeteria-style display. This is one of the more affordable Istanbul restaurants in the neighborhood of Nişantası. Opened in 1950, what makes this eatery an interesting place is that when you enter this restaurant, there is an open buffet of food in front of you where you can try all kinds of homemade style food.
Make sure to give them a try and choose according to your taste among them. One of the popular dishes of this restaurant is “lamb shank,” which is prepared using lamb meat slowly with eggplant and other dishes. The other popular dish of this restaurant is ” Kadinbudu Kofte,” in which meatballs are fried with eggs and flour and eaten with rice, which is also very delicious.
Also, if you want more information on what to eat while visiting here, check out 7 authentic Turkish food to eat in Istanbul. These simple yet delicious foods give you the energy to roam the city. Also, you will know what they are made of and if you can eat them.
