Bağdat Caddesi

Our favourite, and in a class of its own: Nazende in Caddebostan.

For breakfast and coffee there are Matters and Grön, both a step off the avenue, and Ethem Efendi Kahvaltı if you want a Sunday breakfast in a big garden.

Among the classics, Gaziantep Lahmacun is one of the Asian side's long-standing addresses — crisp lahmacun, good döner too. So is Jumbo Burger, in the same spot in Çiftehavuzlar since 1977; Banko Burger, meanwhile, gets the balance of bun, patty and sauce right.

For fish, Cunda Balık stands out for its meze: şevket-i bostan, wild parsley, cibez, rock samphire — Aegean greens that are not easy to find in İstanbul.

In the evening: Ferida for Bosnian food, Neni Brasserie for a French-leaning menu, Ysabel on Suadiye's Plajyolu, and, for whisky, Peat and Sherry in Erenköy with its leather chairs and fireplace.