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Restaurants in Istanbul

Istanbul has a wide range of restaurants to suit every taste and budget. Apart from budget places, reservations are recommended wherever possible, particularly in the case of upscale restaurants and especially at weekends.

The Istanbul restaurants below have been grouped into three pricing categories:
Expensive (over TL80)
Moderate (TL50 to TL80)
Cheap (up to TL50)

These Istanbul restaurant prices are for a three-course meal for one, excluding alcohol, tax and service. Tipping is optional.

Expensive

Banyan

Cuisine:

Much like the city itself, Banyan's cuisine is a delicate blend of East and West. Their sumptuous menu offers a veritable array of Asian fusion dishes that reside under the slogan 'food for the soul'. Whether dining inside or sipping on cocktails on its beautiful terrace, the glimmering lights of the surrounding city offer a dramatic backdrop to this one of a kind restaurant.

Address: , Salhane Sokak 3, Istanbul, 34347
Telephone: +90 212 259 9060
Website: http://banyanrestaurant.com

Matbah

Cuisine: Turkish

Ottoman cuisine, often incorporating sweet and savoury flavours into stews and meat dishes, is a must-try for foodies. The recipes hail from the sultans' kitchens and have been given a rebirth in recent years. Matbah, in the heart of the old city, is the top place to tuck in.

Address: Sultanahmet, Ottoman Imperial Hotel, Caferiye Sokak 6/1, Istanbul,
Telephone: +90 212 514 6151
Website: http://www.matbahrestaurant.com

Meze by Lemon Tree

Cuisine: Turkish

Turkish cooking is given a contemporary overhaul with interesting meze (shared plates) dishes such as börek (pastry pie) stuffed with aubergines and cheese, and calamari tava (stir fry) topped with walnut sauce. There are interesting kebab and seafood dishes for mains but the meze are where this place really shines.

Address: Beyoğlu, Asmalımescit Mahallesi Meşrutiyet Caddesi 83/B, Istanbul,
Telephone: +90 212 252 8302
Website: http://www.mezze.com.tr

Moderate

Buhara Ocakbasi Restaurant

Cuisine: Turkish

This unassuming Sultanahmet restaurant is the spot for classic kebab meals. The meat here is always grilled to perfection; succulently tasty yet crisply charred. Choose an Adana kebap (delicately-spiced minced beef kebab) or dig into the calorie-laden İskanderkebap (sliced lamb on bread, topped with a tomato, yogurt and butter sauce).

Address: , Nuru Osmaniye Cd 9 A, Istanbul,
Telephone: +90 212 513 7424

Çiya Sofrası

Cuisine: Turkish

Foodie-favourite Çiya Sofrası is worth the trip across the Bosphorus for. This simple restaurant is renowned as the city's place to come to tuck into Turkey's spicier specialities that hail from South-eastern Anatolia. For hearty, full-bodied Turkish cooking, bursting with flavour, and all well-priced, it can't be beaten.

Address: Kadiköy, Güneşlibahçe Sokak 43, Istanbul, 34710
Telephone: +90 216 330 3190
Website: http://www.ciya.com.tr

Cheap

Canim Ciğerim

Cuisine: Turkish

This tiny, modest cafe dishes up some of the best liver you’ll ever taste. Simple but delicious; just skewered livers served with crispy fresh salad and bread. There’s a real local vibe here, particularly during weekday lunches when workers pack into the place for their liver-fix.

Address: , Minare Sokak 1, Asmalimescit, Istanbul,
Telephone: +90 212 252 6060
Website: http://www.canimcigerim.com

Hocapaşa Pidecisi

Cuisine: Turkish

In business since 1964, this always bustling pide (Turkish pizza) joint has plenty of fans who regularly swing by to munch on tasty, crispy and piping hot pide. A top choice for cheap, filling meals with friendly, no-fuss, fast service, within easy strolling distance from Sultanahmet.

Address: Sirkeci, Hocapaşa Sokak 19, Istanbul,
Telephone: +90 212 512 0990
Website: http://www.hocapasa.com.tr

Saray Muhallebicisi

Cuisine: Turkish

Make a beeline for this pastry and honey cream shop even if you don't have a sweet tooth. Keeping Istanbul's dentists in business since 1935, Saray Muhallebicisi is a city institution and has several branches. Come here for künüfe (sweet cheese cake topped with syrupy pastry)and fırınsütlaç (rice pudding).

Address: , Kuloğlu Mh 107, Istanbul,
Telephone: +90 212 999 2888
Website: http://www.saraymuhallebicisi.com
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Pera Palace Hotel Jumeirah

Everyone from Agatha Christie to Ernest Hemingway once stayed at this iconic Istanbul hotel, open since 1892. Rooms are a slice of old-world elegance, afternoon tea under the chandeliers in the lounge will transport you back in time, while the pool and spa provide ample 21st century updates.

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet

Understated luxury is the keynote here, and it's hard to believe that this century-old building was once an infamous prison. Each of the 65 rooms is classically designed with Turkish textiles and art adding eye catching details. The rooftop terrace and large, leafy courtyard are relaxing city retreats.

Grand Hotel de Londres (Buyuk Londra Hotel)

With a history dating back to the heydays of the Orient Express, this establishment has seen many writers (Hemingway being one of them), artists and actors step through its doors. Though the hotel has had many rounds of renovations over the years, the 1900s atmosphere is still very much palpable and underlined by the dark wooden interior and velvet drapes. It's also within walking distance to Taksim square, and near to many theatres and restaurants.

Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul

Right on the Bosphorus Strait's shoreline and partly housed in a former Ottoman palace, the Kempinski boasts some of the most opulent rooms in Istanbul. The waterfront pool terrace offers unparalleled Bosphorus views while the bar, restaurants and spa offer plenty of opportunity to swaddle yourself in luxury.

Side Hotel and Pension

In prime position, slap in the middle of Sultanahmet's historical quarter, this family-run hotel has long been a budget traveller institution. The simple rooms are spick-and-span and decently sized and the roof top terrace (where breakfast is served) has excellent views over the old city’s domes and minaret punctured skyline.

Sarı Konak

This family-run boutique hotel offers an old-world atmosphere trussed up with modern conveniences in an Ottoman-era mansion. The smallish rooms have polished wood floors and are classically styled while the rooftop cafe has views of both the Blue Mosque and the Sea of Marmara.