Restaurants near Amira Hotel Istanbul
Apr 5th, 2014, 09:56 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 157
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Restaurants near Amira Hotel Istanbul
Can anyone recommend some good restaurants within walking distance of the Amira Hotel.
Address:
Kucuk Ayasofya Mah. Mustafapasa Sok. No: 79
Sultanahmet 34122 Istanbul / Turkey
T: +90 212 516 16 40 | F: +90 212 516 16 45
[email protected] | Maps & Directions
We will be there in October for 7 nights.
We would like restaurants that offer variety and good value for our money, not necessarily expensive , but in the $15-$20 range per person not including liquid refreshment!
We will also be travelling to Goreme, Selcuk and Kas if anyone has any favourites there.
thanks
Address:
Kucuk Ayasofya Mah. Mustafapasa Sok. No: 79
Sultanahmet 34122 Istanbul / Turkey
T: +90 212 516 16 40 | F: +90 212 516 16 45
[email protected] | Maps & Directions
We will be there in October for 7 nights.
We would like restaurants that offer variety and good value for our money, not necessarily expensive , but in the $15-$20 range per person not including liquid refreshment!
We will also be travelling to Goreme, Selcuk and Kas if anyone has any favourites there.
thanks
Apr 5th, 2014, 12:13 PM
#2
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Do whatever otherchelebi tells you!
FWIW, I enjoyed my dinners in Sultanahmet at Pasazada and Imbat.
In Goreme, I enjoyed Nostalji.
In Selcuk, I enjoyed dinners at the Hotel Bella and and Wallabies.
In Kas, Restoran Mercan - I second another Fodorite's recommendation of the swordfish kebab there.
FWIW, I enjoyed my dinners in Sultanahmet at Pasazada and Imbat.
In Goreme, I enjoyed Nostalji.
In Selcuk, I enjoyed dinners at the Hotel Bella and and Wallabies.
In Kas, Restoran Mercan - I second another Fodorite's recommendation of the swordfish kebab there.
Apr 6th, 2014, 04:44 AM
#4
Thanks for the trust kja,
however, we very seldom eat at Sultanahmet because we do not like the food and the premises. You have to realize that the restaurants at Sultanahmet cater for the tourists and the Turkish tourism workers.
We have eaten at Dub Ethnic, which has some suppposedly international specialties cooked in a Turkish way and you may find it interesting.
If you get to the side streets toward Laleli or Kadirga, you will find some which serve the owners and staff of retail and wholesale shops in the area. Their food will be cheaper and more tasty. These are usually hot plate locations where you see the food and point at what you want.
The generic name for these restaurants is "Esnaf Lokantasi"
There are some decent kebap restaurants between Beyazit and Aksaray and definitely at Aksaray, but those would be rather a long walk.
Why not get on a tram and get to eat at Karakoy at a place like Karakoy (Balik) Lokantasi?
There are some menu items you cannot go wrong with:
- If you like soups, the red lentil soups, "Mercimek" (pronounced Maer-gee-meck) or "Ezo Gelin" (aezo Gae-lynn) are almost always good.
- At esnaf lokantasi, great northern white beans is excellent
- The shepherds salad is usually very good, (cho-bun salatasi)
- Fried eggplant with yoghurt sauce or tomato sauce are good.
Forget steaks or grilled lamb at any cheap location.
- If you are above 60, do not try "kofte", the grilled meatballs except for certain places. generally, Akcaabat (Uck-cha-a-but) or inegol (in-a-goel) kofte are more digestion friendly. The first has garlic rather than onions and neither has spices.
- Eat grilled fish and not fried. This is likely to be sea bass or sea bream, both farmed but quite good. Do not fall for the trick if they try to sell you a bona fide sea caught one.
The only exception will be bonioto which is good both grilled and fried and October is the time for it.
- You will find most Turkish vegetables and especially the tomatoes tastier than the ones you get back home unless you grow them yourself or have access to farmer's markets.
- Try fresh jujube fruit in October.
however, we very seldom eat at Sultanahmet because we do not like the food and the premises. You have to realize that the restaurants at Sultanahmet cater for the tourists and the Turkish tourism workers.
We have eaten at Dub Ethnic, which has some suppposedly international specialties cooked in a Turkish way and you may find it interesting.
If you get to the side streets toward Laleli or Kadirga, you will find some which serve the owners and staff of retail and wholesale shops in the area. Their food will be cheaper and more tasty. These are usually hot plate locations where you see the food and point at what you want.
The generic name for these restaurants is "Esnaf Lokantasi"
There are some decent kebap restaurants between Beyazit and Aksaray and definitely at Aksaray, but those would be rather a long walk.
Why not get on a tram and get to eat at Karakoy at a place like Karakoy (Balik) Lokantasi?
There are some menu items you cannot go wrong with:
- If you like soups, the red lentil soups, "Mercimek" (pronounced Maer-gee-meck) or "Ezo Gelin" (aezo Gae-lynn) are almost always good.
- At esnaf lokantasi, great northern white beans is excellent
- The shepherds salad is usually very good, (cho-bun salatasi)
- Fried eggplant with yoghurt sauce or tomato sauce are good.
Forget steaks or grilled lamb at any cheap location.
- If you are above 60, do not try "kofte", the grilled meatballs except for certain places. generally, Akcaabat (Uck-cha-a-but) or inegol (in-a-goel) kofte are more digestion friendly. The first has garlic rather than onions and neither has spices.
- Eat grilled fish and not fried. This is likely to be sea bass or sea bream, both farmed but quite good. Do not fall for the trick if they try to sell you a bona fide sea caught one.
The only exception will be bonioto which is good both grilled and fried and October is the time for it.
- You will find most Turkish vegetables and especially the tomatoes tastier than the ones you get back home unless you grow them yourself or have access to farmer's markets.
- Try fresh jujube fruit in October.
Apr 6th, 2014, 07:43 AM
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 157
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Tks so much Otherchelbi, we may just do a bus ride further a field to obtain more traditional dishes. I realize that in sultanmet you would probably have fare more friendly to the maJority of tourists.
