Megan's Pick: 5 Best Restaurants to Eat in Istanbul, Türkiye

I was obviously not going to go to Türkiye without at least immersing myself in the food culture as much as I could. C'mon. It's me. What did you think I'd do? I will admit, it took a lot of doner kebabs and ayran (which is now my new favourite Turkish drink) but I think I've managed to just skim the surface of the incredible cuisine that Istanbul has to offer.

I just wanted to preface this list by saying in no way am I an expert at Turkish cuisine, I was there for a mere 2 weeks, most of which I was very fortunate to be having homecooked meals. Also, I obviously ate at a lot more places, but these were just the ones that stood out and I would definitely, definitely be going back to again if given the chance. So without further ado, here are my top 5 picks of restaurants you can't miss in Istanbul.

Big Chefs (Anadolu Hisari)

Oh my god where do I even begin. I thought of moving this to the last spot on my list coz this was possibly the best restaurant I went to, but I got too excited and already started writing about it so, here we go: 1) just incredible views. Oh my god. Please, please wait for tables outside by the sea because it is SO worth it. I don't know if the day that I went just happened to be a magical one, but there were little tugboats coming in and out of the harbor, people kayaking, gulls floating, and amazing, warm weather with a sea breeze and views of the hills and buildings from the Ottoman Empire on the other side of the Bosphorus. Just perfect for you to sit back, relax, and live your #coastalkween life.

This is everything I imagined from my old storybooks about coastal towns

Across the Bosphorus, is the European side of Türkiye

2) the food, was so good. Let me start with the bread (coz that's where all restaurants should start in my opinion). Oh my god these round, soft, warm rolls with a star-shaped crust are just perfect with butter. They also come with a side of freshly chopped vegetables with olive oil.  

Bread is best

We ordered manti for an appetizer, and I must say I quite like the idea of meaty dumplings with dill yogurt dressing. Delicious. 

This has only reaffirmed my theory that people everywhere love dumplings

And the mains? My partner and I had fresh fish (we had to, we're by the sea), and you can choose between salmon or barramundi with their own respective sides. I chose the salmon and it was light, flaky, perfectly grilled, and I loved that it came with bulgur (which, if you are new to Turkish cuisine is normally used in place of rice, but is actually a different kind of puffy wheat/grain).

Fresh fish and wine? YES

3) You would think that with a fantastic view like this and amazing food, the bill would cost a bomb wouldn't it? Because I would. However, depending on where you're from and the currency you earn, I felt like it was priced at a very fair value. Food and ambience back in KL like this costs at least twice the amount, and definitely more if I were to compare it with Amsterdam.

Toasting the boat

 

Antebi Çiftehavuzlar

This restaurant is a favourite of our close family/friend's, and it very quickly became one of mine too. The place reminds me of most swanky establishments; white tablecloths, immaculate cleanliness, and service staff waiting on your every desire. Really just a very relaxing place to have a pleasant time, with food that you can tell has been prepared with so much care and deliberation.

There were 3 very distinct items we ordered off the menu that I will note:

1) puff bread with sesame - I do not know what this is called, feel free to show the waiter the picture below if you'd like to request it. We were never offered this particular bread anywhere else, so it was a first for me and what I imagine isn't a regular restaurant offering. Secondly, the pastry is so light, yet has a consistency that's sturdy enough to hold all the vegetable dip you want. If you are Turkish and reading this, I am sorry if I am completely butchering this description. I will openly accept any discourse or feedback on the food in the comments section, thank you very much.

Like little puffy pillow crusts

2) salad with walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette - Oh my goodness how does salad taste so good? When the dish arrived I thought, 'what an odd combination', but I regretted my words as soon as I had a bite. The green peppers, tomato, and that sweet vinaigrette was just *chef's kiss*. I very nearly ate the whole bowl then remembered I needed to save space for my actual main. 😔 But I'm actually so glad I did, because...

I could've had this whole salad as a full meal honestly, it was THAT delicious

3) Tavuk sis - this is NOT your average chicken skewer. If you have grown tired of my exclamations by this point, just imagine being mind blown again and again at a single meal seating instead. Because that's exactly what I was experiencing. I had to hold it in, nod my head, and smile so I could seem more civilized than I really am (I am not, much). The chicken pieces were perfectly grilled. And I mean, PERFECT. You know that thin, seasoned, roasted layer on a chicken that just breaks apart revealing super juicy flesh underneath? Yeah it was exactly like that. And on the side - oh my goodness, unfortunately not even my partner knows the name of it, but it's a quintessential side for most shish dishes, made of a blend of herbs that produces the most incredible flavour profile. It's fresh, fragrant, and almost floral, like eating a perfume in leaf form (haha) but not in an overpowering way. With every bite I took, I felt like I was tasting flavours I've never had in my 32 years of life - and I've been a food writer for 4 of them, so, wtf.

Who knew that grilling chicken was an art

Ethemefendi Kahvalti 

Ah. Who. Doesn't. Love. BRUNCH. Everybody does. At least everybody should. I'm always a  sucker for a wide array of breakfast food that I don't have to make myself at home (and clean up after). Except in Istanbul, it's even better. And especially so at this place. Because they've got 5-6 different types of flatbread alone that you can mix and match with a multitude other side dishes. One is filled with mashed potato, another with cheese, or herbs and vegetables. Then they have a dish of mashed potato with melted cheese, mixed into a swirling, addictive-to-look-at display that you heap on top a medium of your choosing. It could be bread, it could be meat, at this point it doesn't matter, what matters is getting it into your mouth as quickly as possible. I'm not joking, it's best eaten hot.

Got too excited and took photos before the rest of the food arrived

This wasn't even all of it but at this point my dining partners were waiting to start demolishing this and I don't blame them 😆

Then, there's the wide array of choices for each category. 12 different jams, 16 types of cheese, fruit, dip, meat, and eggs - just anything your mind could possibly think of, and multiply that by 7. It never ends. The staff keep coming back to ask "Do you need more bread, more sides? How many sides?" The answer to that is "yes" and "all of them". Plus there's nothing like having this amazing spread with freshly squeezed orange juice or the quintessential Turkish tea to make you feel like a member of the bourgeoisie in the early afternoon.

I highly, highly recommend any brunch lover to visit this place. Go ahead. Make all your brunch dreams come true. I dare you.

Midyeci Yasin 

I finally feel like I've gotten to a point in this blog where I don't have to yell about how great the food was, but it was almost equally as delicious in its own way. Midye dolma is a Turkish street food of mussels. Unfortunately I didn't get to witness the process of how these particular ones were made, but essentially, there's rice/bulgur that's cooked, spiced, and seasoned then stuffed into the mussel shell. They are priced per piece (3 ₺) and depending on where you're having them it could get quite pricey. But trust me, they are well worth it.

The shop is located on the corner with some bright yellow accents so it's pretty hard to miss (Photo by Zeynep Cerrah)

This place had 4 different flavours, and the staff insisted that we try their special sauce midye dolma. Each morsel, was absolutely delectable. Like just a perfect mix of seasoning, salt, pepper, a tart lemon punch, and a tender, full-sized mussel in the center. Note: you don't eat this with utensils, the pro way is to use the shell to scoop up the delicious filling in each mussel.

Here are a variety of the midye dolma flavours (Photo by 남기정)

Pilav Arabasi

This place completely took me by surprise. Our family/friend suggested we pay a visit since midye dolma isn't a full meal (though it can be), and it was located right behind the mussel shop. The restaurant takes up 2 lots but seems small because of the low tables and stools 😂 Don't worry though, if my larger sized dining companions could sit and eat, I'm sure you can too! What I loved about this place is that there aren't much choices on the menu - and that's usually an indication that the food is good because they're focusing on making a handful of items the very best they can. The dish is pilav (rice) with your choice of chickpeas (the original serving), corn, chicken curry, or BBQ chicken. And no, it's not the American BBQ sauce I know you're immediately imagining. We're in Turkiye, this is a cayenne pepper seasoning we're talking about. And you can mix, match, or add-on these options for a low price too. 

I started eating before I took this photo but that's how you know it was that good 😂

So the way you would go about eating this is to sprinkle on some ground, dried chili flakes, select a few of the tiny greenish-yellow pickled peppers (I like to douse my chicken and rice with the pickle juice as well for a sour-sweet tang), and get a little of everything on each spoonful. Just. Amazing. This was closest to home food that I could imagine. Hearty, delicious, with all the spicy, savoury flavours balanced out with that pickle juice. And the perfect pairing to this meal? A mug of their freshly made ayran from an ever-flowing fountain. What more could I ask for?

The ayran comes from an ever-flowing fountain and I never thought I'd like the concept more than with chocolate or cheese (Photo by Olcay Töremen)

Alright, if you've made it this far - I feel like a reward is in order (but the reward should be the fact that you know where to eat in Istanbul now, right?😂). If my reel on Instagram didn't bring you here, you should probably watch it - there's some footage and pictures I didn't include in this blog that you might enjoy. However, I will be making more posts, and I've got plans for at least another two, so I will link them here once they're out! Let's hope I have the photos to beef them up in the meantime haha. Stay tuned for more of Türkiye! 💋