Italian restaurants in Istanbul
21 Italian restaurants in Istanbul that we tried and liked. We went to every one and paid our own bill — no scores, no advertising.
Lou Pizza Napoletana
Neapolitan pizza is known for its thick crust and soft, yielding base. Lou Pizza in Gayrettepe does it very well. Unlike most places, this small shop …
The Ordinary
Bomonti grows more important to Istanbul's dining scene by the day. Ordinary is an Italian restaurant founded by the creators of Zula and Batard. It s…
Norm Pizza
Norm is a four-table pizzeria that opened three months ago in Arnavutköy. Beyond pizza there are wonderful sandwiches (panuozzo) served in freshly bak…
Cecconi's
Cecconi's is an Italian restaurant operating within Soho House in Beyoğlu. Housed in the old American consulate building, it is — unlike Soho House it…
Assagio
Newly opened, Assagio has brought an Italian breeze to Karaköy. Focaccia made to a special recipe, Italian charcuterie and wonderful sandwiches built …
Il Sud
Il Sud is a very accomplished Italian restaurant in the lively streets of Kadıköy. The standard of cooking in this small, likeable room is remarkably …
Forno Balat
Balat is slowly getting the life it has long been waiting for. Tourist activity is up, and newly opened places are offering different things. Forno is…
Beatrice
Beatrice is on the terrace of the Adahan DeCamondo Pera hotel in Asmalımescit. The terrace of this historic building has a magnificent view of the his…
Antica Locanda
Antica Locanda has been welcoming guests in Arnavutköy since 2011 under the Italian chef Carlo Talerico. Serving good examples of Italian cooking, its…
Pasta La Vista
Beşiktaş's Akaretler district is one of Istanbul's recent rising stars. Popular with university students in particular, the area offers very good valu…
Luna Rossa
Luna Rossa is an Italian restaurant opened three months ago by a team that spent seventeen years in Papermoon's kitchen. At Luna Rossa, right beside t…
Olea & Bar
Olea opened this summer inside the Mandarin hotel in Kuruçeşme. Right on the water, they serve wonderful examples of Italian cooking. With the experie…
Oklava Taze Makarna
Oklava is a pasta place that opened five months ago in Gayrettepe. They serve pasta made fresh daily with fresh sauces. The menu is narrow but changes…
Vico
We found the best pizza we've had in Istanbul in a long time slightly by accident. Vico in Moda is actually a sandwich shop. They make pizza in the ov…
Beca
Although it's only been open three weeks, Beca has quickly become Istanbul's most mysterious address. Opened in the old Tribeca site in Akatlar, it's …
Fauna
Fauna may be the hardest restaurant to book in Istanbul. This small shop in Ataşehir serves just five days a week, from 12 to 3. Reservation slots ope…
400 Derece Pizza
Pizza is simple, but making a good one is extremely difficult. Dough, sauce, oven, ingredients and the person making it all determine the quality. 400…
Pinoli Italian Kitchen
Etiler is probably the leader in Turkey for Italian restaurants per square metre. In this intensely competitive area, Pinoli — opened by the All Sport…
Il Cortile
With a thousand years of history, Galata is a district with a different energy in Istanbul. On the ground floor and in the garden of the 17-room École…
Da Mario
Da Mario, Istanbul's classic Italian restaurant, has never let us down in the same spot since it opened in 1993.…
Odun Pizza
With a full fixture list tonight, ordering pizza might be the right decision. If you haven't tried Odun Pizza's kokoreç pizza, we'd recommend it.…
Other cuisines in Istanbul
Our picks: Fauna (Ataşehir), Da Mario (Etiler), Oklava Taze Makarna (Beşiktaş). 21 places in total — every one tried by us, every bill paid by us.
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