[anil]

Before I begin: Asia or Europe ?

Moderator note: this message was slightly edited to include the "asia or europe" question which originally was in the topic title. After merging this thread with a newer one both dedicated to Istambul the title was modified and the sense would have been lost.

This post has been edited by albiston: 24 March 2006 - 03:46 PM

[peterpumkino]

Yes, what?

[Miguel Gierbolini]

Istanbul is both in Europe and in Asia. But I think the turks consider themselves closer to Europe; they play soccer in the European group to qualify for the World Cup, they want to join the European Union, so I guess that it is appropriate to post about Istanbul here.

[robert brown]

Miguel, the place struck me as more European. Have you been, or are you going?

[Miguel Gierbolini]

Robert, I have not been there yet. One of my dearest friends lives there and we have had many communications about the subject. Istanbul is in my short list of places to visit.

[anil]

OK, OK, I guess I've been swamped with other stuff, so I have not been
able to write about my IST trip Anyday Now, Anyday .......
BTW, only 3% of .TR is in Europe, their Capital, Ankara is in Asia ---
But their soul wants to be European

[pnarena]

Greetings all,

I am off to Turkey at the end of the month, and would welcome any restaurant/food recommendations in Istanbul, and the other important cities in Turkey. I will also be traveling along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, and to Ankara as well.

Any help would be appreciated.

[LaNiña]

Well, how lovely to see you posting here, Mr. A.

Just bring me my friggin' cigars.

[tighe]

Food in Turkey, one of my favorite subjects!!

In Istanbul, it's kind of hard to go too far wrong as long as you stay away from the most touristy places. My reccomendations would be:

Develi - a kebab house not far from the main tourist area of the city. Steve Raichlen chose it as one of his 10 favorite grill restaurants in the world. I was duly impressed

Tugra in the Ciragan Palace Hotel - pretty much the ultimate for high end Ottoman/Turkish food. The meal I had there was spectacular both in terms of the food and the setting. It's expensive by Turkish standards, but not by American. One warning: avoid the chicken desert at all costs

Pandeli in the Spice Market - very good food and good place to stop for lunch.

There's also a lot of good street (or boat) food in Istanbul. Down on the waterfront you will see fishermen selling grilled mackerel and other fish from their boats. It's great!

Over in the Beyoglu district (accross the Golden Horn) there are a couple large markets that have a variety of great food to offer.

If you're going to travel along the coast, try to stop in Dalyan in the southwest. It's a really interesting little town that hasn't been overrun by tourists (yet). There are some really great fish restaurants there along the river. Near the center of town there is a completely non-descript place that serves the best lamb sandwiches ever. Look for line of locals out the door at lunch time.

Have a great time!!

[anil]

When we visit places (cities) that have a rich culinary tradition, we tend to mx it up with one or two highend places and lots of local holein-the-wall but excellent eateries -- be it Paris, HongKong,Buenos Aires,London and ofCourse Istanbul. I shall write about some of those snippets when I have some downtime

[anil]

Istiklal Cadd.

This is a street that runs from Taksim Sq. as a mostly pedestrian street - where youngsters hang-out before hours, after hours -- all the hours; full of music stores, clubs and ofcourse restaurants - Mostly Kebabsi, and Buffe's type of places. The small restaurants off the side streets offer great value when you order the meze and maybe one main dish.

Off this Cadd. is a covered fish-market mixed up with a few small restaurants that serve fish.
While 95% of Turkiie is moslem, I found no letup in the restaurants around the city during ramazan - Maybe some restaurants were closed - Nearly all places had special 'iftar' specialities.

As you wander down Istiklal, watching the beautiful young people going in and out of music stores, some of which blaring hip-hop indian music-via-London-DJ-scene, you begin to notice the power of youth in determining kinds of eateries on this street - al reasnable and good value. Also youll notice women sitting by the window-side using rolling-pins to roll dough -This is the making of gozleme, very much like stufed parathas -actually it is just aout anykind of stuffings onto the dough which is then folded an baked on a reverse-tava (convex tava) this dish goes great with ayran - yogourt drink - just like a lassi. Do not give up on the opportunity to visit one of these places and sample the gozlemes.

You'll find some places kebabcis which are very simlar to Manhattan salad-bars where you pay by the weight or dish and sit in a table upstairs or in the back - These places have very inticing displays of food meant to tempt

Then there is the Cicek Pasaji - Off the cad. a covered souk adjunct to the fish maket - This is a group of restaurants with tables out on the covered souk Cicek Pasaji Any time of the day you can snack on street food from stalls or Buffes -the most popular being Lahmacum Turkish thin pizza, or Iskender Kebabs.

Breakfast

Most hotels include breakfast - Ours is no different - Overlooking the square we had lazy breakfast which consists of the normal assortments of juices,cheeses,variety of olives, breads, meats&eggs and honey in the hive.

Fish Restaurants in the islands

We took a boat trip (two mils each way, 12cents approx)
to an island where there are los of wooden houses from another era - still in use, but mostly as
summer homes of second-tier wealhy folks. These islands have excellent fish restaurants - so calld because thy have a display of fresh catch of the day - atleast a few different kind - The fish is grilled,steamed,baked,fried anyway you want it - Quite inexpensive. Of!Course served with assortments of mezes.

Drinking

Turkslve thir drink - hence there was problem getting beer at any restaurant,bufe,kebabci etc. A favourite drink to try once is raki, with water ofcourse because it is strong - Raki is like the greek ouzo. When you wander around the grand(Covered ) bazzar, shoping, any a mall knoo-corner places will serve you apple-tea another turkey speciality.

..... more later .......

This post has been edited by anil: 14 December 2002 - 03:19 PM

[ajay]

Thanks for the report, Anil, keep em comming

[Suvir Saran]

Looking forward to more Anil. Many thanks!

[anil]

Hotel Restaurants

While most 5 star hotels in IST have a few ecelctic restaurants - The one we know of is where we stayed the past two trips - Panaroma on top of The Marmara Hotel - Marmara is probably the highest hotel in IST, given that Taksim Sq is on top of a hill. While the view is great at night, and nightly entertainment OK, Turkish food is surprisingly good if one sticks to fish. Mezes are as usual the high point.

On the main lobby level is the Brasserie where the daily complimentary breakfast is served; and dinner is mostly international, which translates as italian, greek, and a bit of french thrown in.

On the street level is the Cafe - open late, this is where we made our last stop of the day for an appertif and assortment of turkish desserts - kadayif or asure; my favourite - Asure is pudding with different kinds of nuts.

Spice Bazaar & Eminonu

Spice bazaar and the surrounding outdoor areas are fascinating place to snack on - from pistachio candies, locum (Turkish delight) to stuffed mussels. Or have a spice tea. Turkish coffee is not for the faint-hearted In the adjoining streets, steet-vendors and B&M shops, sell everything from knock-off jeans,CDs,porn to viagra - You name-it-theyhave-it, akin to night market in Kowloon. Inside the spice bazaar, apart from spices, one can get both Iranian and Russian caviar at prices unheard of in EU & the US.

The Grand Bazaar

This is the mega souk of all souks. Literally thousands of shops of all kind. What is interesting are the small restaurants that dish out basic fare for shopkeepers and customers alike at very reasonable prices. You will not go hungry for under 2USD. The most expensive being bottled beer for a buck. Outside the Bazaar, fresh juice stands, kebabcis as well as lachmun places are abound, all meals under 3USD.

The kitchen in the Tokapi Palace

At its peak, the Ottoman Empire had enormous wealth and Istanbul was the trading center. Needless to say, one should visit the grandest of all kitchen museum in Topkapi Palace - On display are the china and sliverware from the world over - The royal kitchen had over 200 cooks whipping up three meals a day for the Sultan & his wazirs and the vast harem

[marktynernyc]

I'll be greeting my 40th in Istanbul this October - after researching here and
elsewhere I have a tentative list of the places i'm considering. I know some of
them are bit standard but it's my first visit to Istanbul.

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Not sure for my
birthday dinner to go to Korfez or Tugra - any opinions?

DINNER:

Korfez
Korfez Caddesi 78, Kanlica, 413-4314

Balikci Sabahattin
Cankurtaran Sait Hasan Kuyu Solak 1,
Sultanhamet, 458-1824
(behind the Armada hotel)

Daruzziyafe
http://www.daruzziya....tr/default.htm

Tugra, Ciragan Palace

Sunset Grill

5KAT

Park Fora
Muallim Naci Caddesi 134,
Cemil Topuzlu Parki, Kurucesme, 265-5063

Haci Adullah, Beyoglu
Sakiz Agaci Caddesi 17, Beyoglu, TAKSIM

BACK UP:

Kiyi
Kefelikoy Caddesi 126, Tarabya, 262 0002

LUNCH:

Armada Hotel terrace
http://www.armadahot...m.tr/index.shtm

restaurant in Uskudas

Haci Baba, Taksim

Pandeli, Spice Bazaar

Kumkapi, Istiklal, Nevizade Street - pedestrian restaurant streets

Feriye (very close to Ciragan)

Mavi Yesil, Kurucesme
Muallim Naci Sokak 170,
Kurucesme, 265 5481

ALTERNATES:
Galata Bridge cafes - you can have a wonderful view
of the Eminonu Pier and the Topkapi, with all the
ferries coming and going. Specially nice for the sunsets,
you can have a wonderful view of the Istanbul skyline

[tighe]

Just reading your list and thinking about these places makes my mouth water...

I would put in a strong plug for Tugra. Goregeous location and one of the most memorable meals of my life.

You probably don't want/need to put even more places on the list, but two that I would highly recommend are the kebab house Develi and the restaurant at the hotel Yesil Ev. Develi is well known and Steve Raichlen chose it as one of the 20 best grill/barbecue restaurants in the world. For all this pub, when I was there, I was the only non-Turk I saw/heard. Yesil Ev is a small hotel in between Aya Sophia and the Blue Mosque. The have a gorgeous garden out back where dinner is served.

Enjoy and please, please, please post about your experiences.

DEVELI RESTAURANT
Balýkpazarý G.yüzük Sk No:7 Samatya

YESIL EV
Kabasakal Cad. 5 , Sultanahmet,

[anil]

I have generically written about food in IST in this forum (check the archives) - Last month, most of our meals were at places not really accessible to general tourist, hence no elaborate trip reports. However, I could comment about late-late night (or early morning) post night-club hangover food Tripe Soup !!!!

It would be advisable to have only one or two restaurants selected in advance, and let the rest of your meals go with the flow.

We had mezes and Pils beer at the mouth of Bosphorous & Black Sea - Breathtaking views. The sleepy village not know to any tourist (on the asian side of .TR)

Not to talk about endless rounds of mezes, Fresh fish chosen to be cooked on the spot, and a bottle of raki over a period of many hours watching ships go by till it was dark............

Do try Gozlemes in the Grand Bazar, Eat outside the mosque by the bridge in Ortakay (sp?) and do not get tempted to things I would not get tempted to Watch your wallet. Enjoy Constantinopole a.k.a Istanbul

[tighe]

anil, on Jul 24 2003, 07:13 PM, said:

We had mezes and Pils beer at the mouth of Bosphorous & Black Sea - Breathtaking views.  The sleepy village not know to any tourist (on the asian side of .TR)

Not sure if this is the same place I went, but taking the ferry up the Bosphorus to the village at the end of the line is a worthwhile experience. We had a great lunch of deep fried mussels and grilled mackrel at one of the waterside restaurants.

[anil]

tighe, on Jul 25 2003, 12:20 AM, said:

anil, on Jul 24 2003, 07:13 PM, said:

We had mezes and Pils beer at the mouth of Bosphorous & Black Sea - Breathtaking views.  The sleepy village not know to any tourist (on the asian side of .TR)

Not sure if this is the same place I went, but taking the ferry up the Bosphorus to the village at the end of the line is a worthwhile experience. We had a great lunch of deep fried mussels and grilled mackrel at one of the waterside restaurants.

You probably went to one by the islands. This place has no ferry boats going to it. I went to the place you mentioned in '02.

[Nikolaus]

Korfez is very nice, but I think it is better for lunch. This for two reasons: On one side, the car trip to the place takes a long time, about 50 minutes from the centre (They have a private boat, too, but as far as I experienced, it does not reach the heart of the town); second, the terrace right on the bosphorus and the view are nice with daylight, while the interior is somewhat dated and not very interesting. Mixed entrees and fish in salt crust as main dish, I had a very good experience in a sunny day.
Pandeli is very trtaditional and also good for lunch, especially if embedded in a tour to the Galata harbour and the Spice market (it's actually on top of the latter).
Finally, I would try to avoid eating in Hotels, it is almost always boring if not disappointing (it actually was in all three hotels I have stayed at: Four Seasons, Ciragan, Sultanahmet Palace).
The best idea is indeed to make it "spontaneous"

[fresh_a]

Funny, I heard the Four Seasons had the best restaurant in Turkey.

[tighe]

fresh_a, on Jul 27 2003, 10:48 AM, said:

Funny, I heard the Four Seasons had the best restaurant in Turkey.

Their website says that they were recently voted the best hotel restaurant in Turkey. I didn't eat there when I was in Istanbul, but from what I saw of their menu it is clearly not a Turkish restaurant per se. There are some local items on the menu, but most of is would best be described as 'Continental.' They may in fact do a very nice job with it. My guess is that the people voting on this award were international travellers who weren't necessarily looking for an authentic Turkish dining experience. Interestingly, when my sister stayed there, the hotel actually did not recommend their own restaurant.

Quote

Finally, I would try to avoid eating in Hotels, it is almost always boring if not disappointing (it actually was in all three hotels I have stayed at: Four Seasons, Ciragan, Sultanahmet Palace).

I can only hope that this statement refers to one of the other restaurants in the Ciragan Palace and not Tugra. If it is Tugra, the place has gone severely downhill or....I don't have another explanation. The chef there has done a ton of research in an attempt to recreate the cuisine of the Ottoman court. I wouldn't say that I loved everything I had, but it certainly wasn't because it was boring or poorly prepared. There were just certain flavors I didn't particularly care for, but the experience of the meal was incomparable.

This post has been edited by tighe: 28 July 2003 - 07:33 AM

[Nikolaus]

Yes tighe, I apologize and You are right: in the Ciragan it was one of the other restaurants, with an annoying "mediterranean" influence. I had casually lunch there when visiting a friend who was staying at the hotel and invited me; I even did not know about the main one You mentioned.
As to the Four Seasons, this was the point: I felt it was a "Hotel restaurant", accurate but continental, and therefore boring, since I was on a trip for something more authentic. But I had a dinner there the first evening when arriving and staying there. I was just not in mood to go around one hour after stepping down the plane.

[tighe]

Nikolaus, on Jul 29 2003, 12:08 PM, said:

Yes tighe, I apologize and You are right: in the Ciragan it was one of the other restaurants, with an annoying "mediterranean" influence. I had casually lunch there when visiting a friend who was staying at the hotel and invited me; I even did not know about the main one You mentioned.

No apology necessary, I'm just relieved to hear that it wasn't Tugra you were referring to. I imagine that Ciragan Palace also needs a restaurant with broad appeal for all of their visitors, so I'm not surprised.

[marktynernyc]

Balikci Sabahattin (The Fisherman)
Cankurtaran, Sultanahmet
http://www.armadahot...rmada.asp?ID=36
Located in the Sultanahamet, down some alleyways and stairs,
next to the Armada Hotel - my friends and I sat outside under a large
umbrella (which protected later from a light sprinkle), the smell of
grilled fish wafting by. We started with a bottle of raki, an assortment
of cold and hot mezzes (the calamari was crisp, feather light, firm not
chewy or doughy). The cold mezes were delicate, restrained - an
obvious sure hand seasoning each dish. Just point to what looks
good and dive in. We each order grilled fish - blue fish, red mullet
and bonito - all very flavorful, but just a tad dry - and a couple bottles
of Turkish white, Dessert consisted of stuffed figs and some type of
quince dessert.  The setting is relaxing - the food is well prepared.
The total bill came to almost 200 million (about $120) but for three
people and the quality, not to mention in the Sultanahamet area -
quite reasonable.

Zeyrekhane
Sinaga Mahallesi Ibadethane Arkasi Sok. No 10, Zeyrek-Fatih
I waited here due to rain as my guide went for his car. Located
in front the Byztanine church, Pantokrator Monestary, in the Fatih
area - this restaurant has a great view of the Golden Horn, and the
Galata Tower. I ordered a small meze platter - which was pleasant.
But what was really great was the complimentary dish of pickles - these
were so good. This restaurant also has a huge terrace - which I'm sure
in the spring and summer is great.

Pandeli
Located in the Spice Market on the second floor - the food here was fine.
My guide and I order some smoked aubergine - I had kofte, he boiled lamb.
Everything was fine - we did catch the restaurant near the end of lunch which
may explain why certain mezzes weren't available. While I wouldn't say this
was a must do - the location is convenient and the turquoise tiled room
makes for a pleasant setting.

Boncuk
Balikpazan Nevizade Sok., No. 19, Beyoglu
http://www.nevizadem...leri.com/boncuk
Located on Nevizade - if you have trouble locating this street just ask. We went on
Friday night - the whole area was jam packed with people - real riotous scene - quite
fun and light hearty. Yes, you will be approached by numerous restaurants asking
you to dine at their establishment. I can't tell you about the quality of the other places.
There is seating outside at Boncuk but I don't believe they take reservations - just get
there early on a friday or Saturday night. We ordered a flurry of mezzes, salad
(my friends thought the dressing was a bit too vinegary but the produce was very
good) and raki. The calamari here was doughy and chewy. Mezes dish prices
ranged from 2.000.000 to 6.000.000.  For the life of me - I can't remember if we
had main dishes - I just remember us devouring the mezzes, mainly because we
had been with guides all day and were ravenous.  

Saray
Istikial Caddesi, No. 102-104, Beyoglu
http://www.saraymuhallebicisi.com
Located on Istikail Caddessi - we stopped off here for dessert - lured in by
the glistening variations of baklava in the window.  I ordered the pudding
made with shredded chicken breast - which had similar flavors to rice pudding
but a unusual (but not negative) texture,. My friends baklava variations failed
to impress - but there are numerous dessert places on Istikal Caddessi.
Istikail Caddessi was thronged with people.

Asistane
Kariye Camii Sok. N0. 18 34240, Edirnekapi
http://www.kariyeotel.com
Located right next to St. Chora (must see Byzantine mosaics and frescos) -
specializes in Ottoman cuisine.  A neutral toned understated dining room.
The dishes are very different than regular Turkish cuisine - some of the dishes
were from a sultan's circumcision fete. The dishes were more complex and
subtly spiced. One friend ordered smoked aubergine - which was delicious
and beautifully presented. My other friend had a hummus dish that incoporated
cinnamon and raisins - very interesting. I had stuff grape leaves with sour cherry -
the sour cherry was overwhelmed by the vinegar. We all had various lamb
dishes. I would recommend this place - and will definitely come back next time I'm in Istanbul.

Tugra, Cirgan Kimpenski Hotel
Ciragan Caddesi 32, Besiktas
http://www.ciragan-palace.com
This hotel is huge - does not have the intimate scale that the Four Seasons
has but it was a palace in it former life. Situated on the bosphorus - -live music playing.
My friends and I did the tasting menu (89.000.000 TL) with dishes such as pan-fried “lor” cheese
sauteed with black olives and char-coaled red bell pepper; Ottoman style braised lamb with
dried plum and apricot, served with pilaf rice ; sea bass, dorado and grouper cold stew
prepared with Ottoman style garnishes The quality of the meal was very
good - the service was attentive yet something about the room didn't make this an
astonishing evening. I'm not sure - maybe it was where our table was located or the
enormity of the room. Jacket was required yet numerous people arrived casually dressed -
which may have detracted from the surroundings. The Turkish Merlot we had was fantastic.
Make sure to walk around the grounds. I believe there is also a Sunday brunch outside on the terrace

Hali
Istiklal Caddesi, No. 211, Beyoglu
This was probably the only meal that was average - we made the mistake
of ordering one of those large assortment platters. The gozleme were okay -
nothing special. The freshly grilled chicken kebabs were very good - but
most everything else seems to have been sitting around for a while. I would
recommend ordering individual dishes anywhere you go - even though
there are numerous restaurants that have trays of all-ready prepared food.

Kor Agop
Ordekli Bakkal Sok. No 7, Kumkapi
I had read negative reviews about the Kumkapi area - tourists being
ripped off. However - I found an article by an food writer who lives in Istanbul -
who recommended this meyhane. The taxi dropped us off at the pedestrian
mall -and we were prodded to eat at various restaurants ("I have 5 children to feed,
please eat at my restaurant") We found Kor Agop but there was only one
other table filled - I was bit concerned as we sat down - especially when the
small band began to play a bit too loudly. We ordered various mezes, salad,
fish and two bottles of white Turkish wine. The fish was quite good - moist and flavorful.
I think the total bill only came to 71.000.000 TL (fish was actually more expensive
in other places on the Bosphorus) The band of course serenaded our table for a tip -
but hey, go with the flow and have fun - I imagine this area is packed friday and Saturday.
Can't comment on any of the other places here. One note - my hotel did recommend
taking a taxi to this area - that the surrounding area can be unsafe.

Yedigul
Iskele Meydani No. 4, Anadolukavagi
This restaurant is located in Andalu Kavagi - the last ferry stop on the Bosphorus
before returning to Istanbul. After walking up to the Genoese castle we stopped
here for lunch and sat on the second floor which has a nice view of village - and
it's right near the ferry stop. We order a assortment of mezes - the white bean and
sardines were great - some raki and turkish white . For our main entree we all ordered
jumbo shrimp. These were horrible - mushy and an ammonia smell - we should have
sent them back ( next restaurant - no doubt) The manager had recommended lufte -
the seasonal fish at the time. This meal was more expensive than Kor Agop in Kumkapi -
maybe because they have a monopoly on visitors. There are other numerous restaurants in the village.

Seasons Restaurant, Four Seasons Hotel, Sultanhament
Tevkifhane Sok. No. 1, Sultanahmet
http://www.fourseaso.../dining_49.html
My friends were leaving for Munich in the morning so we decided to have dinner at
the Four Season. The food is very well prepared - the room is pleasant. Modern updated
turkish dishes and international dishes are offered. The Sunday brunch ($30 US) is a
popular scene for the well to do Istanbulites.

Develi Samatya
Gumusyuzuk Sok. No. 7, Samatya
http://www.develikebap.com
Reviews had praised this specific location for their kebaps. The restaurant also has
views of the marmara Sea. Had lunch here - everything was delicious - the "raw" kofte,
the lamucun, the pistachio kebabs, the walnut dessert - everything. Unfortunately the
upper floors and terrace weren't open for lunch so we only had a partial view of the sea.
The room is very nicely decorated in maroons and cream whites. The only odd thing was
they don't serve alcohol/wine until the evening (possibly 9 pm - might have been due to
Ramazan - not sure) Great little neighborhood - small children playing, the food vendors
splashing their produce. I would recommend this specific location highly.

5th Floor
Soganci Sok. 7, Cihangir
http://www.5kat.com
A bit hard to find but the view is top notch. A very hip vibe and upscale crowd.
Ordered a bottle of Turkish sparkling wine - Tradokya - which was crisp, dry and
very enjoyable. Watching the mini boats and traffic from this perch was relaxing
and fun. My friend and I ordered cocktails and raki for the next few hours. The
restaurant serves more international food - I ordered a tomato/turkish white cheese
salad and my friend order chicken fingers with potatoes - which were both fine and
took the edge off all the alcohol. The terrace was closed for the season - but if the
view from the bar is any indication, it must be great.

Mavi Balik (Blue Fish)
Muallim Naci Caddesi, No. 64/2, Kurucesme
http://www.mavibalik.com
Great place to have lunch after touring the Dolmabache. A panoramic view of
the Bosphorus and Bosphorus Bridge. The grilled calamari and fish were very good.
Terrace is open for the summer - if you're looking for a place to have diner during sunset,
I would recommend this place. The Turkish white, Ozel Kav, was prefect with the fish.
Former name was Mavi Yesil (Blue Green)

Le Pecheur
Yenikoy Caddesi, No. 80, Tarabya
http://www.lepecheurrestaurant.com
Located in Tarabya - the green blue Bosphorus literally wraps around the main dining room.
A large display of fish and a large fish tank greets you at the entrance. We started off with
stuffed mussels, smoked salmon, cheese and melon, octopus salad. some other mezes and a
bottle of raki. The freshly baked Ramazan bread was still warm, chewy and delicious.
For fish, my friend ordered lufte and I ordered sea bass.Both fish grilled perfectly - the
flesh was moist and infused with the scent of the grill - really quite good. The temperature
had dropped considerably and the mist that developed looked like ghosts dancing on the water.
A cab back from Tarabya to the sultanhamet area cost 20.000.000.

Misc:
My friends and I were there for the beginning of Ramazan. Small Ottoman like houses, selling
various foods, were built between the Blue Mosque and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.
Salep (so wonderfully satisfying on a chilly evening), profiterols, gozleme, baklava, baked
potatoes, etc etc, etc were avilable and incredibly inexpensive - a festive fun scene.

My Turkish friend and I went to Camlica, the highest point in Istanbul, located on the Asian side - take
a ferry to Uskudar then a cab to "big" Camlica, the view of the Bosphorus Bridge and the lower Bosphorus
is great. "Small" Camlic's views are not as good. There were restaurants there but did not try being that
we had dinner reservations in Tarabya.

[anil]

Excellent report. Few observations - Beyalou and Itsikal Caddessi are always mobbed with the youth of IST. jam packed with Clubs,bads and eateries of all kinds and price range.

Tugra, in Hotel Kampinski is an expensive restaurant - We did not try the tasting menu - The Hotel has an outdoor bar during summer with great vodka and a decent caviar selection.

[Suzanne F]

Mmmm -- Thanks for a mouth-watering report. Very inspiring.

[vmilor]

The reporter made a fine selection of 15 restaurants in the city with a bias for some of the most expensive places, esp. Le Pecheur, Four Seasons, Tugra and Mavi Balik. The interesting thing is that if one selects purely randomly the overall quality will be very similar. It is simply very difficult to eat badly in Istanbul and I see very little price/quality relationship within each category.

For seafood lovers lufer(not lufte) is a must. There are smaller versions of this fish which is unique to Bosphorous and called sarikanat and cinekop. They are also quite good. A line caught lufer is the best, check the marks(holes) on the cheek. IMO it is one of the 5 or so most flavorful fish of the world.

Beware of seabass or dorada(called levrek and cipura) if you are not with somebody who is Turkish AND seafood expert AND is a client of the restaurant. You will be served fresh but farm raised fish which is not nearly as good as the wild one.

The so called red mullet that is barbunya(triglia, rouget barbet) can also be superb if it is rock rather than sand variety. They often serve tekir(rouget) calling it barbunya(rouget barbet).

Most of the calamari is imported and frozen. There is fresh cuttlefish(seppia) but restaurateurs eat it themselves and say that clients do not like the look of it. Fresh gambas can be excellent but again chances are that they will give them to best clients.

Among kebap places Develi is one of the 7 or 8 best and the kebap you eat in Turkey will be very different and way superiour to the mediocre stuff which is called kebap in the US. Try Kasibeyaz near the airport for the special doner kebap. It is only served for dinner and they tend to run out around 10 PM or so.

For classic vegetables and top quality lamb BEYTI in Florya is a must. Order the lamb shoulder for 2. But everything there is top notch.

If the weather allows to eat outside and if you want a tete a tete dinner opt for Korfez in Kanlica. They have a private boat from Rumelihisari too. You will spend about $100 per head but dine with foreign dignitaries and chic ladies from the upper crust. It is a seafood restaurant with a little more creative dishes than others.

I am impressed that the reporter tried and apparently liked raki. It took me 15 years to get my wife share this particular passion of mine. I think the reporter was too generous though with the merlot. Sarafin makes a merlot but at best it is average. Red wine in Turkey is just OK. But there is more than acceptable white wine. Sarafin makes good sauvignon blanc and chardonnay and they retail about $20.

For the ultimate Istanbul experience though you got to go to Reina or Leila

[tighe]

Must......get......on.......plane.......

[Carolyn Tillie]

I'm just finishing up a report on the recently held Mediterranean-themed World of Foods Conference held at the CIA in Napa.

The hands-down favorite of literally hundreds of offerings was a chef from Istanbul, Musa Dagdeviren from the restaurant Civa. We were told he has quite a following there.

Based on his cooking alone, I am ready to head to Turkey.

My report on the conference, with pictures, should be posted by the end of the week.