Mid-Range in Istanbul

Çiya Sofrası ★ 4.8

Chef Musa Dağdeviren's culinary-anthropology lokanta in Kadıköy market, plating regional Turkish dishes drawn from his fieldwork since 1998.

OrderKebap of the day, Forgotten Anatolian stews, Vegetarian dolma

The Populist ★ 4.8

The Populist inside the historic Bomonti Beer Factory, a Bomontiada brewpub pouring Torch Brewery's 12-tap rotation including a Turkish wheat with anise.

Karaköy Güllüoğlu ★ 4.7

Karaköy Güllüoğlu has rolled phyllo baklava since 1949 at one Rıhtım Caddesi counter near Galataport, Nadir Güllü's pistachio version the canonical Istanbul.

OrderFıstıklı baklava, Şöbiyet, Kadayıf

Kronotrop ★ 4.6

Kronotrop in Cihangir, the country's first micro-roastery, opened on a Firuzağa corner with the first La Marzocco Strada in Turkey and a tight East-African.

Mandabatmaz ★ 4.6

Mandabatmaz, the 1967 family-run Beyoğlu coffee bar in Olivya Geçidi, whose copper-cezve Turkish coffee is brewed so thick the cup is said to hold a water.

Bosphorus Brewing Company ★ 4.6

Bosphorus Brewing Company in Esentepe, run by an English-Turkish team using Norfolk hops, pouring 12 own-make taps led by their Istanbul Pale Ale.

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.

OrderPistachio baklava with kaymak

Mandabatmaz ★ 4.6

Mandabatmaz in Olivya Geçidi, a one-table Beyoğlu Turkish coffee bar running since 1967, the cup of foam so dense the buffalo doesn't sink. Family-friendly.

TipOrder an orta-şekerli (medium-sweet) and stay for two; the kahveci will keep refilling water.

Karaköy Lokantası ★ 4.5

The teal-tiled Karaköy Lokantası, Bib Gourmand listed in the Michelin Guide, runs an Ottoman-leaning lunch lokanta downstairs and a meyhane upstairs at night.

OrderLakerda, Hünkar beğendi, Lamb shank

Antiochia ★ 4.5

Antiochia in Asmalımescit cooks the kebabs and mezze of Antakya, Turkey's Levant border city, on a tight Beyoğlu side-street menu of southeastern grills.

OrderCiğer kebap, Künefe, Hatay-style hummus

Siirt Şeref Büryan ★ 4.5

Siirt Şeref Büryan on İtfaiye Caddesi, a Kadınlar Pazarı corner pulling lamb büryan from a tandır pit oven that fires through the night, the Avcı family.

TipOrder büryan around 11:00 before the lunch crowd; the perde pilavı and a tas kebabı round out a full table.

Van Kahvaltı Evi ★ 4.5

Van Kahvaltı Evi in Cihangir, the dense Eastern-Anatolian serpme spread of herb cheese, kaymak and clotted-cream eggs that defines a Sunday Turkish breakfast.

OrderOtlu peynir, kaymak with honey and clotted-cream eggs

Develi1912 Samatya ★ 4.4

Develi has fired Gaziantep kebabs at its Samatya address for decades, the canonical Istanbul pistachio kebap stop behind the old Marmara walls.

OrderFıstıklı kebap, Içli köfte, Antep katmer

Yakup 2 ★ 4.4

Yakup 2 on Asmalı Mescit Sokak, the Yakup Arslan meyhane founded in 1977 after seventeen years at Refik next door, multi-time winner of best-meyhane awards.

OrderTopik, Arnavut ciğeri, Kuzu pirzola

Çiya Kebap ★ 4.4

Çiya Kebap, the original 1987 sister to Çiya Sofrası on the opposite side of Güneşlibahçe in Kadıköy market, fires kebabs, lahmacun and pide from a single.

OrderPistachio kebap, Lahmacun, Pide

Petra Roasting Co. ★ 4.4

Petra Roasting Co. in Nişantaşı, a third-wave roaster set inside an art gallery hung with antique Mercedes parts, brewing single-origin pour-overs.

Torch Brewery ★ 4.4

Torch Brewery in the Bomontiada complex, the production side feeding The Populist's taps with IPAs, stouts and wheat beers from the historic 1890 Bomonti.

Hayvore ★ 4.4

Hayvore off Istiklal, the Black Sea steam-table cooking corn-bread anchovies and smoky bean stews for whoever knows the side street. Located in Beyoğlu.

TipOrder the hamsi pilav and the muhlama; they only run while supplies last.

Adem Baba ★ 4.4

Adem Baba on Beyaz Gül Caddesi, a 1992-founded Arnavutköy fish lokantası where the catch comes off Bosphorus boats moored outside and the family runs three.

TipWalk in for lunch on a weekday; no reservations, and the fried calamari and grilled day-catch go fastest.

Antiochia ★ 4.4

Antiochia on a Beyoğlu side street, an Antakya (Hatay) kitchen plating southeastern grills and Levant mezze from a tight Asmalımescit address.

TipOrder the cevizli biber, the kunefe and the cag kebab together.

Sade Kahve ★ 4.4

Sade Kahve below the Rumeli Hisarı battlements, an all-day Bosphorus terrace where ash-brewed Turkish coffee meets a full kahvaltı board. Located in Sarıyer.

TipCome on a weekday morning for the kahvaltı; the terrace fills by 11 on weekends.

Sade Kahve ★ 4.4

Sade Kahve at Rumeli Hisarı, an all-day breakfast house under the fortress walls, the serpme board served on the water-facing terrace until 02:00.

OrderFull kahvaltı board with sucuklu yumurta

Mükellef Karaköy ★ 4.4

Mükellef in Karaköy under chef Arda Türkmen, a Turkish-cuisine kitchen with a Bosphorus terrace doing a modern weekend brunch with menemen and Karaköy.

OrderMenemen and the Karaköy kahvaltı tabağı

Madam Despina ★ 4.3

Madam Despina in old Tatavla, the 1946 Rum meyhane opened by Despina Bademciyan from Gökçeada and still pouring rakı in the grape-leaf garden.

OrderArnavut ciğeri, Köfte in tomato sauce, Topik

Boncuk ★ 4.3

Boncuk on Nevizade Sokak in Beyoğlu's Balık Pazarı, the Armenian-leaning meyhane built around topik with chickpeas and tahini, kısır bulgur cakes.

OrderTopik, Kısır, Snapper kebabı

Asmalı Cavit ★ 4.3

Asmalı Cavit on Asmalı Mescit Caddesi, a 1990s-opened Beyoğlu meyhane where proprietor Cavit Bey works the room nightly over a mezze list led by smoked.

OrderSmoked eggplant mezze, Albanian liver, Köfte in tomato sauce

Karabatak Roastery ★ 4.3

Karabatak in Karaköy, a converted metal-workshop cafe-roastery pouring imported Julius Meinl beans alongside its own house roasts in the old port quarter.

Geyik Coffee Roastery ★ 4.3

Geyik on Akarsu Yokuşu, a Cihangir double-shift roastery doing single-origin specialty by day and a cocktail bar at night, run by Turkish barista champion.

Pano Şarap Evi ★ 4.3

Pano Şarap Evi on Hamalbaşı, an 1898 Greek-Turkish wine house with a doorway-deep cellar and a Bozcaada bottle list nobody else pours. Located in Beyoğlu.

TipOrder the Bozcaada Çavuş with a cheese plate; the room only holds about thirty.

Privato Cafe ★ 4.3

Privato Cafe in Galata, a brick-walled brunch hall with all-day Turkish kahvaltı, mini gözleme and a side terrace that runs out the side of the Galata Tower.

OrderSpinach gözleme and the full serpme breakfast spread

Journey Cihangir ★ 4.3

Journey on Akarsu Caddesi, a two-floor Cihangir cafe with a modern brunch take, organic-leaning produce, halloumi plates and a library-style upstairs.

OrderTruffle eggs with grilled halloumi

Hafız Mustafa 1864 ★ 4.2

Hafız Mustafa 1864 on Hamidiye Caddesi, the original Sultan Abdülaziz-era candy shop at the Eminönü viaduct, now a multi-floor stop for baklava.

OrderPistachio baklava, Turkish delight, Sütlaç

Bira Fabrikası Kadıköy ★ 4.2

Bira Fabrikası in Kadıköy, the Asian-side beer bar rotating Turkish craft taps from Gara Guzu, Pera, Torch and a small import list, with a tight bar-food.

Şampiyon Kokoreç ★ 4.2

Şampiyon Kokoreç on Sahne Sokak, the 1962 Beyoğlu kokoreççi keeping its charcoal grill burning past midnight for the Balık Pazarı late-rakı crowd.

OrderKokoreç sandwich

Tarihi Cumhuriyet Meyhanesi ★ 4.2

Tarihi Cumhuriyet Meyhanesi spread across three floors of Sahne Sokak, the rakı table running with fasıl singers and mezze rounds until 02:00.

OrderRakı table with fasıl music

Kızılkayalar ★ 4.1

Kızılkayalar at Taksim Square open until 03:00, the 1978 wet-burger counter that finishes a Beyoğlu rakı table with a steamed bun and garlic tomato sauce.

OrderIslak hamburger (wet burger)

Bahar Restaurant ★ 4.1

Bahar Restaurant inside a Yağcı Han courtyard, an esnaf lokanta feeding bazaar working merchants from steam-table stewpots that empty by mid-afternoon.

TipGet there before 14:00 or the stewpots are empty.

Akın Balık ★ 4.0

Akın Balık in Karaköy's fish-market arcade, a waterside lokanta where the waiter walks guests to the ice display to pick the catch and pulls four meze.

OrderGrilled bonito, Cold meze tray, Sea bass

Craft Beer Lab ★ 4.0

Craft Beer Lab on Şair Nedim Caddesi in Akaretler, a multi-tap bar pouring the broadest Turkish craft selection in the city, with a garden patio.

Saray Muhallebicisi ★ 4.0

Saray Muhallebicisi on Istiklal, the 1935 muhallebici keeping milk puddings, kazandibi and tavuk göğsü flowing for late Beyoğlu walkers until 02:00.

OrderTavuk göğsü chicken-breast pudding