Çiya Sofrası ★ 4.8
Chef Musa Dağdeviren's culinary-anthropology lokanta in Kadıköy market, plating regional Turkish dishes drawn from his fieldwork since 1998.
Signature: Kebap of the day, Forgotten Anatolian stews, Vegetarian dolma
The restaurants worth the trip in Istanbul. bistros, neo-classics, neighbourhood favourites, and the rooms locals book first.
Our picks in Istanbul
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.
Signature: Lakerda, Hünkar beğendi, Lamb shank
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.
Signature: Fıstıklı kebap, Içli köfte, Antep katmer
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.
Signature: Ciğer kebap, Künefe, Hatay-style hummus
Hayvore ★ 4.4
Hayvore tucked off Istiklal, cooking the corn-bread, anchovies and smoky bean stews of the Black Sea since 2009 in a noisy steam-table lokanta close.
Signature: Hamsi pilav, Muhlama, Karadeniz pidesi
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.
Signature: Topik, Arnavut ciğeri, Kuzu pirzola
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.
Signature: Arnavut 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.
Signature: Topik, Kısır, Snapper kebabı
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.
Signature: Grilled bonito, Cold meze tray, Sea bass
Lokanta 1741 ★ 4.3
Lokanta 1741 beside the 300-year-old Cağaloğlu Hammam, a Michelin-listed modern Turkish dining room with a terrace overlooking the hammam domes and seasonal.
Signature: Slow-cooked lamb, Aegean mezze, Saffron rice pudding
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.
Signature: Smoked eggplant mezze, Albanian liver, Köfte in tomato sauce
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.
Signature: Pistachio kebap, Lahmacun, Pide