othercelebi,
I realize my response to you must have felt like an assault. Rereading it, I see that it was. Sorry for that. But I think it is important to present places at face value without making assumptions about foreign tastes. As a foreigner and a food enthusiast, I'd prefer to visit the down and dirty real thing, perhaps a bit off of the tourist beaten path. It'd be good to know about an alternative like Hamdi but, personally, (as someone who has been to Hamdi several times and some great small salas kebab shacks) I'd be disappointed by the place if this was my introduction to the kebab. Just my two cents, lets leave it at that.
Have you ever tried Oz Adana Asmaalti in Bostanci? Whoa! There's a place that is keeping it very real. For a full immersion into Adana kebab culture I highly recommend it.

Can anyone identify this restaurants name? I was told a meal there was wonderful.
Standing outside Hotel Desaardet, with ones back to the Marmara sea, look up the hill. Up on the left (not sure of the distance, two blocks?), on a corner is a restaurant. You eat up on the second floor. It may have been a "home" style place. Wish I could remember more.
Anyone, otherchelbi?, have an idea of the name? Anyone second the opinion that the place is worth a visit?

Balikci Sabahattin?

Thin

Sorry guys, i know very little about Sultanahmet restaurants. I am sure that there are some decent ones, but they are for tourists and the people in the tourism industry who work in Sultanahmet, and provide their version of Turkish food.

Istanbul offers a high number of places to go day and night, since its population nears 15 million people from different parts of the country as well as the world. There are plenty of restaurants, bars, pubs, cafés, tea gardens, night clubs, discos, taverns all around the city. In the touristic sites you may find all kinds of those food and entertainment places gathered close to a square or along the alleys. Of course, during your visit, probably in a limited time schedule, you will never want to risk your health and money for random places. Turkish Cuisine shall offer you a very delicious gustatory variety that will reflect traditional tastes of different regions including Ottoman and Mediterranean backgrounds.
Below you will find a list of top ten places for food and entertainment:
http://www.sightsinistanbul.com/Life_in_Istanbul.php

istanbulac represents the typically snotty self-proclaimed "expert" which unfortuately goes around travel boards trying to browbeat people who aren't pure enough for his liking.

He thinks that travel is a religious experience where you should expose yourself to "non tourist" experiences, no matter how disgusting they are to you. If you try to eat reasonably healthy and don't like fatty food at home, it doesn't matter. You're suppossed to eat stuff that turns your stomach because it is the pure and right thing to do, according to him. Yeah, the locals might love 40% fat kabobs. But that's largely because they are used to it. For most American's its more likely to make them puke.

He doesn't understand that he is a extremist and a fanatic. Most people just travel to have a good time. They aren't on a holy pilgrammage. They want to eat food that they enjoy, even if, gasp, it is touristy and is not the swill in some local dive.

Don't listen to such people. If Hamdi has lean kebabs and a nice view, go for it if that's what you want. Don't let the fanatics make you feel impure and inadeqate, which is precisely what they are trying to do. It's all about them trying being smug and superior. Why else would he care what you eat and whether you go to a touristy place or not. He only cares because it's a chance for him to show of his superiority.

The only other restaurants in Sultanahmet where you can eat on a "second floor," that I can think of--

Rami, across from the Blue Mosque

Tamara Restaurant

Thin

Balikci Sabahattin has an upstairs, but I do not recall a view. My impression is that generally the tourists were kept to the garden under the awning or downstairs. We seemed to be the only non-Turks upstairs--see my trip report.

Sabahattin is a good place for meze and fish. I seem to recall a view of the Marmara Sea from the second floor.
Another good one that I prefer in Sultanahmet is Giritli (right behind Armada Hotel). This is also a fish restaurant but with a Cretan spin. Along with the old standards, they've got a few meze that you wont find anywhere else, but maybe Crete.
It has a second floor dining area but I am pretty sure it has no view. It does have an extremely beautiful courtyard dining area that is open in warm weather.

Here's my list of restaurants that we enjoyed during a short stay in Istanbul, March 2009:

Magnaura Café
Akbiyik Caddessi, No. 27 (Sultanahmet)
nice atmosphere; good service; reasonable prices
we enjoyed the mantii, small lamb ravioli with yogurt sauce.
We ate there twice, once outside and once inside. Both were good experiences.

Sultanahmet Fish House
www.SultanahmetFishHouse.com
Yes, it catered mostly to tourists, but the atmosphere was pleasant and the food was not bad. We had the fish special which I suspect was not really a special but the dish they pushed for tourists. We enjoyed it inspite of that. The dessert was delicious, hot halvah with ice cream.

Buhara Restaurant (Sultanahmet)
Nuruosmaniye Caddesi, No. 7
Unique dining experience (to us)
Good kebaps and mezzes; great service

Ciya Sofrasi (Kadikoy)
Located on the Asian side of Istanbul, a quick ferry ride
delicious "traditional Anatolian" food. We spoke no Turkish and they spoke very little English but were very hospitable and took very good care of us. They ordered for us and it was delicious.

I am copying all of your recommendations and will carry them with me to Istanbul.
Thanks everyone
PS If anyone else has a place to recommend, please add to this list

I am not sure if listed already, but Lacivert Restaurant has a magnificent view and a good menu. It's right under the Bridge no 2 (Bridge Fatih sultan mehmet) on the Anatolian side. It is more expensive than some other local restaurants, but I think it is well worth for one time nice dinner.

www.lacivertrestaurant.com

Istanbul is the best place to taste nearly all tastes from around Turkey. It is like the capital of dining. I have several favorite restaurants. I will try to list a few of them: For a great Waffle, you should visit Ab'bas in Bebek. One of the best places for a traditional pastry is Hunkar Borekcisi in Sariyer. My favorite Semolina Dessert is at Sur Ocakbasi in Fatih. You can search for these restaurants in Internet or you can visit this link for contact details: http://www.neyesek.co/#!istanbul-all/c15nc

Just returned from Istanbul a few weeks ago. Our favorite restaurant was our last night, here is the link. Not inexpensive, but the setting, atmosphere, food were all fabulous, romantic and a great way to end our trip. Don't know which side you are staying on, but this is on the europe side, and traveling between the europe/asia side can be hectic and a lengthy, lengthy trip depending on traffic time, getting over bridge etc. We were staying on this side, a short walk from this restaurant. http://www.sarnicrestaurant.com/en/index.jsp

Most of this thread is from 2010.