17 places we have tried in and around Eminönü / Karaköy. Part of our Istanbul guide — no scores, no advertising.

ROKA was born in London and made its name with a modern reading of Japanese cooking. In İstanbul it sits at Galataport, right on the edge of the Bosph…

In Eminönü's Spice Bazaar, a timeless address where history meets flavour: Pandeli. 💛 Founded in 1901 and still one of Istanbul's most deeply rooted d…

Restoran Modern, inside İstanbul Modern at Galataport, has built a high-level kitchen. A menu that reinterprets Turkish cooking with small touches, qu…

In places where simplicity can't produce quality, plenty of restaurants try to reach for goodness through sophistication — yet simplicity is beautiful…

Newly opened, Assagio has brought an Italian breeze to Karaköy. Focaccia made to a special recipe, Italian charcuterie and wonderful sandwiches built …

Gallada, carrying the signature of our Michelin-starred chef Fatih Tutak, is Istanbul's new favourite. Inside the newly opened Peninsula hotel in Kara…

Şeyhmuz Kebap Salonu in Çemberlitaş has been welcoming guests with a lunchtime service for nearly fifty years, since 1975. A long-standing favourite o…

Olden 1772 is one of Istanbul's new and much-discussed places. Dazzling in its striking decoration, Olden has opened inside the 250-year-old Muhsinoğl…

Bordel is a street-food spot in Asmalımescit from the team behind Mabou Pera and Glouton, where you can eat quickly and well. You order at the front, …

With the demolition of the multi-storey car park in Karaköy, the Istanbul classic Güllüoğlu has moved to a spot closer to Galataport. The new shop — d…

It's been a year since we first wrote about Lokanta 1741, but revisiting felt like a good excuse for a reminder. Step inside the Cağaloğlu hamam and a…

Şehzade Cağ Kebap in Sirkeci has carried the flavour of Erzurum to Istanbul. Cooked over a wood fire, cağ kebab of this quality is hard to find even i…

Balıkçı Sabahattin has built a strong following on the historic peninsula over many years, and is one of Istanbul's best fish restaurants. At its site…

Galataport has brought a breath of fresh air to Istanbul with its magnificent location, if a rather Dubai-like mall concept. Among the many places to …

Karaköy Lokantası has moved from the building it occupied for years to a spot just along, beneath the Novotel. At lunch it serves a different menu eac…

On a weekend spent at home, what did you choose for breakfast? These eggs royale with salmon, say, or menemen?…

Pide is a sensitive subject for us. With Sezai Usta at the helm since 1981, and butter coming from the same family in Trabzon for forty years, disappo…
Our picks: Lokanta 1741 (Istanbul), Olden 1772 (Istanbul), Liman İstanbul (Istanbul). 17 places in total — every one tried by us, every bill paid by us.
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