An Istanbul institution, Hamdi consistently rates as one of the city's top restaurants for grilled meat. Delicious kebabs of minced lamb mixed with pistachios or poppy seeds are among the more unusual items, while the small lahmacun (Turkish pizza topped with spiced ground meat) will make your mouth water. Service is impeccable, with white starched tablecloths and waiters in vests and ties. The four floors can get pretty packed—the place is extremely popular with locals—so make reservations for a table on the restaurant's terrace floor, which has excellent views of the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus.
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