Karaköy Güllüoğlu ★ 4.6
Karaköy Güllüoğlu, the 1949 baklava counter on Rıhtım still cutting pistachio baklava with a scoop of clotted cream until midnight for after-dinner Karaköy.
Try: Pistachio baklava with kaymak
History
Baklava as a layered phyllo dish reaches back to the Ottoman palace kitchens of Topkapı, with documented court versions in the 15th century. Karaköy Güllüoğlu, founded 1949 by Nadir Güllü's family from Gaziantep, set the modern Istanbul standard, with single-counter pistachio versions cut to order on Rıhtım Caddesi. Antep pistachios with their distinctive deep green colour are the canonical filling; cheaper rooms substitute walnut. The clear syrup is poured over the bake hot and absorbed slowly as the trays cool.
Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Nuts
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 500g phyllo pastry, fresh and pliable
- 300g unsalted butter, clarified
- 400g unsalted Antep pistachios, finely crushed
- 400g caster sugar
- 400ml water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Method
- Make the syrup first: simmer sugar, water and lemon juice for 10 minutes, then cool completely.
- Heat the oven to 170 C and butter a deep baking tray.
- Layer 10 sheets of phyllo into the tray, brushing each with clarified butter as you go.
- Scatter half the pistachios in an even layer, then add 4 more buttered phyllo sheets.
- Add the rest of the pistachios, then top with 10 more buttered phyllo sheets.
- Cut through to the bottom in diamond shapes with a sharp knife before baking.
- Bake 45 minutes until deep gold, then pour the cool syrup over the still-hot baklava and let it absorb for at least 2 hours.
Tip from the editors. The syrup must be cold over hot baklava, never the other way round; that is the only way the layers stay crisp under the sweetness.
Where to eat pistachio baklava
Pistachio baklava in Istanbul
Hafız Mustafa 1864 ★ 4.3
Hafız Mustafa 1864 on Hamidiye Caddesi, the original Sultan Abdülaziz-era confectioner still rolling lokum and laminated baklava in Eminönü over a 160-year.
Worth the queue: Pomegranate Turkish delight
More cities are in research. Want pistachio baklava covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.