My Istanbul food guide
Discover more from Rising Up with Yasmin Khan
My Istanbul food guide
Where to eat, drink and hang in one of the best cities in the world
For as long as I can remember, I have loved to travel.
I’m addicted to the magic of losing myself in the unfamiliar rhythm of far-flung countries, discovering new cultures, new people, new parts of myself. I’ve never found travel particularly easy. Not the initial parts at least. I hate the planning, the admin, the packing, the transport… but as soon as I land somewhere… that’s it, I’m in. And then, I often want to stay away for months.
My favourite kind of travel is slow, immersing myself in a place for weeks or even months, perhaps just staying in one location the whole time. I love getting beneath the surface of a town, settling into a routine, finding a favourite cafe, restaurant or bar, maybe getting to know the owners. For this reason, I often return to the same places over and over again — I’ve been to the same island in Thailand 10 times! — but it never gets boring. Each time I discover a new layer of beauty.
Travel for me is as comforting as it is confronting. The tickle of warm sun grazing my bare skin. The taste of an overly sweet ice-cold beverage running down my throat. The sound of a busy food market buzzing at midday. Travel has been with me through good times and ill. When I’ve needed to escape and when I’ve needed to connect. Travel hasn’t always been enjoyable (I’ve stayed in far too many uncomfortable hotel rooms and eaten just as many terrible meals as I have good ones), but that’s not the point of travel, I don’t think. It’s not about always having the best version of everything, it’s about giving you the time and space to experience the reality of everything — the good, the bad, the pleasurable, the painful. That, for me, has always been its greatest gift. Travel is what makes me feel alive.
And so, two weeks after my most recent miscarriage, I badly-packed an unnecessarily large suitcase and boarded a plane to Istanbul. I’ve written about the challenges that come with traveling soon after pregnancy losses in this essay for Vogue a few years back, so I knew, going into it, it would be challenging at times. And of course, it was. Your grief doesn’t leave just because you try and run away from it. Or because you are able to access small moments of joy. But whilst the trip was sometimes hard, it was also beautiful, expansive and nourishing. And often, very, very delicious.
I’ve been to Istanbul half a dozen times over the last 30 years and have always found it an incredibly captivating city. There is a word – keyif – in Turkish that reflects a certain mood that I think is essential to understanding Istanbul life.
Keyif roughly translates as spending time relaxing doing simple things that bring you joy. These are usually unchallenging activities. A mezze with friends enjoyed at a leisurely pace. Sitting on a bench at sunset gazing out at ferries crossing the Bosporus. Drinking a coffee that’s strong, in a cafe that’s cosy, whilst immersed in a good book. So what follows is a short guide to some of my favourite places in Istanbul to do just that. It’s not meant to be exhaustive but I do hope it is enticing.
My Istanbul Guide
Where to eat
Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day in Istanbul and the Turkish breakfast is justifiably famous. I love Doğaciyiz Gourmet and Van Kahvehti Evi for their lavish spreads and cute neighbourhood feel. Go hungry and go slow!
I’ve yet to find a better kofte spot than Köfteci Hüseyin 1958. Order the lamb meatballs with a side of piyaz (white beans) and a cooling ayran yogurt drink.
Most tourists make a trip to Ciya Sofrasi and for good reason. Chef Musa Dağdeviren has created a unique homage to Turkish cuisine and it’s a brilliant place to sample seasonal specialities from across the country. I felt really lucky to have interviewed him for my book Ripe Figs and you can also see him featured in this episode of The Chef’s Table.
For a more elevated dining experience, Aheste is a renowned mezze restaurant focussing on modern Turkish food with innovative tasting menus. If you want a fine dining blow-out there is Mikla, which has made it into the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for five years in a row now (though be warned, the staff are super snooty).
Soup is a big deal in Turkey and I love stepping into Karaköy Çorba Evi to sample one of their 20 kinds of soups.
For classic Turkish dumplings, Cihangir Mantıcısı is the place to go. They have excellent vegan and veggies options and their sides are great too. I think their red kidney beans were one of the best things I ate on this recent trip.
For the classic Istanbul mackerel sandwich stroll along the area around Eminonu/Galata Bridge. For baklava, whilst it is a chain, the quality at Hafiz Mustafa is superb. Pro-tip: order baklava with kaymak — a type of clotted cream — for extra yumminess.
Where to drink
One of the best things about Istanbul is the sheer number of coffee and tea shops that are open late into the evening. It must be the city with the most cafes per person? Chado Tea is a cosy spot for çay and for a classic Turkish coffee hit up Mandabatmaz.
If you don’t fancy the hefty price tag of a meal at Mikla (and I don’t blame you), I highly recommend heading to their bar for a sunset drink on their rooftop. The views of the city are simply unmatched.
Lovers of literature should drop into the Pera Palace Hotel to soak up the evocative atmosphere. Many famous writers have stayed here over the years, from Agatha Christie to Ernest Hemingway and Alfred Hitchcock. They do a lavish afternoon tea and the Orient bar is great for a pre-dinner cocktail or a late night tea/coffee. You basically feel like you’re in a Wes Anderson movie.
For casual drinks, coffees and a decent wine list visit Mellow in Cihangir.
And don’t forget to enjoy all the fresh juices from the street stands — I try to have pomegranate juice every day when I’m there.
Where to hang
Once you’ve done all the classic sights in Sultanahmet, here’s a couple of extra things to do:
Visit one of the Prince’s Islands, less than two hours away from Istanbul on a ferry. On this trip I went to Büyükada, the largest island, hired a bike and cycled around it one afternoon, stopping off at stunning viewpoints and beaches along the way. Whilst there you can enjoy delights such as stuffed mussel dolmas, syrup-drenched doughnuts and you can even swing by Trotsky’s old house for a bit of historical intrigue (he spent four years on the island after he was exiled from Russia).
Finally, no trip to Turkey is complete without visiting a hammam and Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamamı is one my faves.
I could have written so much more but I’ll leave it here for now! If you are planning a visit to Istanbul I recommend connecting with Culinary Backstreets. In previous years I’ve done food tours with them in both Athens and Istanbul and they are amazing. Their website also has some great reported features so, even if you aren’t traveling, they are well worth checking out for their storytelling.
Hope you enjoyed my mini-travel tour! Have you been to Istanbul? What are your favourite spots? I’m always on the lookout for new recommendations so let me know what you think in the comments!
Yasmin x
My Istanbul food guide
Thank you, Yasmin, for such a vivid account of Istanbul and its foodie delights. So sorry to hear of the miscarriage, though... Life can be so painful sometimes and feel so unfair. A big hug to you.
I have only been to Istanbul once but I loved the food and the buzz of the city so much. Particular favs were mackerel under Galata bridge, wet burgers in Taksim square (probably terrible for you), pide in a back st I can't remember where but had an egg cracked into it and I was given a pat of butter to smear over it. Tea everywhere and anywhere. And culturally museum of modern art Istanbul is great. Thanks for the encouragement to slow travel Yasmin, I'm always quite shy about fitting in in different cultures.