Restaurant recommendations in Istanbul?
 

I'll be staying at the Sebnem Hotel in Sultanahmet for 3 nights next month and am looking for some recommendations of good food within walking distance. This is my first time to Istanbul, and I don't want to waste time on a bad meal! Thanks!

Rami

The Garden at Yesil Ev

Take a cab to Divan in Ortakoy. This is where the beautiful people eat.

Sultanahmet is boring, in my opinion. You would do better to go out to other areas in the evening.

Thingorjus

Thanks! Certainly not opposed to exploring other areas.

I should probably add that I am a female traveling alone--I've found that some restaurants are better for solo dining than others.

Dear PDersch,

Here is a list of places serving good food around Sultanahmet.

1. Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi
12 Divanyolu Cad, Sultanahmet
Istanbul 90-212-520-0566

In the heart of the Old Town of Sultanahmet on busy Divanyolu street is a row of restaurants specializing in köfte; the best is the 81-year-old family-run Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi, where locals line up for heavenly smoky plates of grilled meatballs, often served with a lemon-dressed white bean salad. Wash everything down with a glass of ayran, Turkey’s national yogurt drink.

2. Sarniç Restaurant. A restaurant of the "Republican" period in a "Roman" building at an "Ottoman" street. In fact, the restaurant is Just beside Ayasofya, inside a Roman cistern as old as Ayasofya itself. This extraordinary building, with its massive stone columns and its lofty brick domes, stands at the head of a row of guesthouse forming the narrow “Soðukçeþme” Street between Topkapý Palace walls and St. Sophia. Good food, magical athmosphere and royal ambiance.

(YOU CAN TREAT YOURSELF HERE FOR THE GALA DINNER)

For photos: http://www.ayasofyapensions.com/sarnic.asp


3. Lale Pudding Shop
The Pudding Shop is the nickname for the "Lale Restaurant" in the Sultanahmet neighborhood. It became popular in the 1960s as a meeting place for hippies and other travelers on overland route between Europe and India, Nepal, and elsewhere in Asia - the 'hippie trail'. The restaurant got its colloquial name as a result of "word-of mouth" from numerous foreign travelers that could not remember the name of the eatery but did remember the wide and popular selection of puddings sold there and thus referred to it as the "pudding shop.

P.S. For free tea or coffee after your meal print the following page and take it to the waiter.
http://turkeytravelplanner.com/go/Is...ding_shop.html

4. Sultan Pub-Cafe-Brasserie.

Overlooking the Sultanahmet Square and on their top floor they have the bar and restaurant. It has a gorgeous scenery. On one side there is St. Sophia, on the other side the Blue Mosque and Turkish baths.
This is an ideal place for you to spend some time with its great scenery. A cool place to hang out.

http://www.sultanpub.com.tr/

I hope this piece of information helps. Enjoy your stay in Istanbul and in Sultanahmet area.

With all good wishes.

Darling, if you do a Google search of <Thingorjus eats Turkey> you can access my restaurant reviews of Istanbul.

Thingorjus

PDersch,

I will second the recommendation from Thin of Rami. The restaurant's address is:

Utangac Sokak No. 6 Sultanahmet.

Below is a portion of my trip report about the meal I had there. I was traveling with a friend and we ate there last October.


"Our reservation was for 7:30pm and when we arrived the restaurant was not very crowded, however the place filled up while we were there. We had a small bottle of white wine, a grilled eggplant, tomato, & yogurt starter which was completely out of this world delicious. CL had the house special of eggplant, meat, potato, peas, mushrooms, and olive oil baked in paper, it was a stew-like dish and she loved it. I had a shrimp, eggplant, tomato, and cheese dish baked in a terracotta bowl and it was absolutely decadent. It was rich, but I savored every forkful. We passed on dessert and the bill came to 110 Lire. We chatted with the couple at the table next to us for a while and then called it a night. With our bellies full we waddled up the street back to our hotel and fell into a peaceful slumber."

Have a great time in Istanbul!

Balikci Sabahattin is good, especially for fish. You can dine outside under the arbors in a lovely setting. Walking distance from the Four Seasons area of Sultanahmet (I am not sure where you hotel is located).
This is not a cheap restaurant, though..prices are moderate and food is good.

We ate at seven dreams restaurant near the four seasons. Make sure you sit on the roof!