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Istanbul is
a wonderful place for restaurant
dining, no matter what your budget.
From
simple workers' eateries and sidewalk
cafes to posh culinary palaces with
liveried waiters, Turkish
cuisine is flavorful and
the value-for-money good.
Main
dining areas:
Old
Istanbul Restaurants
Restaurants
in Sultanahmet cater
mostly to foreign visitors with more European-style
preparations—and
prices. Although the food can be good
and the prices moderate, there is
less authentic Turkish food here than
elsewhere. I often go off the major
streets into the back streets and
find a small workmen's eatery for my
noontime sulu yemek (stew)
and pilav (rice), or I walk
for 10 minutes or take the tram to...
Sirkeci-Eminönü Restaurants
Near Sirkeci
railroad station, the ferry docks, Egyptian
(Spice) Bazaar and Galata
Bridge, some of the best restaurants are—surprisingly—in
hotels. Here
they are.
Under
the Galata
Bridge are simple eateries where
you can have a traditional Istanbul
fish sandwich. There's
also a great little neighborhood
packed with simple, cheap,
good eateries called...
Hocapaşa
Restaurants
This neighborhood
just south of Sirkeci
station has
a dozen small eateries patronized
mostly by locals, with good food,
friendly service and low to moderate
prices. More...
Kumkapı
Restaurants
This district south of the Grand
Bazaar near the Sea
of Marmara shore has
been a seafood mecca since Byzantine times. You can enjoy an excellent
fish dinner here if you follow
these tips. More...
Beyoğlu
The 19th- and 20th-century city north of the Golden
Horn is the more upscale part of the city, but
has the better bargains in food. The little side-streets
off Istiklal
Caddesi are packed with basic eateries, smooth
restaurants, trendy bistrots, artsy cafés, jolly
meyhanes (tavernas), and pastry-shops. This
is where Istanbul's young, hip, well-heeled and not-so-well-heeled
come to promenade, sip, chat and dine.
The
Bosphorus
The European and Asian shores of Istanbul's marvelous
maritime highway are dotted with excellent sea-view
restaurants, many of which specialize in seafood.
Although the price of fish has escalated in the last
two decades, and many diners now opt for kebap instead,
everyone enjoys the great variety of meze (hors
d'oeuvres), wine, beer, rakı and
camaraderie.
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