Istanbul is one of the world’s most unique and vibrant cities, with its chaotic streets, incredible food, and fascinating culture. This lively metropolis is home to some of the best restaurants in the world.
This article will examine some of the best Istanbul restaurants and explore what makes them unique.
Top 18 Istanbul Restaurants
- Yeni Lokanta
- Beyti
- Neolokal
- Mikla
- Banyan Restaurant
- Mürver
- Turk Fatih Tutak
- Sarnıç Restaurant
- Lacivert Restaurant
- Nusr-Et Steakhouse Etiler
- Frankie
- Karaköy Lokantası
- Araka Restaurant
- L’Olivetto Restaurant
- Emporio Ristorante
- Calipso Fish Restaurant
- 360Istanbul Restaurant
- Tuğra Restaurant
Yeni Lokanta
Yeni Lokanta is a cutting-edge restaurant on Istiklal Street’s side streets. Its food is utterly delicious, and you must order at least one meal from its menu.
The meze portion of the menu offers many impressive meals. The green salad is superb if you’re looking for a healthy option. The broccoli is perfectly cooked, and the crunch from the walnuts and apples is a nice addition.
Beyti
Beyti is a well-known meat eatery with contemporary architecture in the Florya residential area near Istanbul Ataturk Airport. Turkey’s Istanbul, namely the Bakirkoy neighborhood. Mr. Beyti Guler, the restaurant’s proprietor and perhaps one of the first chefs in Turkey to do so, named a unique meat dish after himself.
It has eleven dining rooms and three patios, all decorated in a style derived from Ottoman Turkish art. Beyti Restaurant may be the greatest in Turkey if you want great meat.
Neolokal
Neolocal is a neologism comprised of the terms ‘neo’ (new) and ‘local; it is no surprise that the renowned chef Maksut Aşkar is reimagining his mother’s traditional tastes.
It’s hard not to fall in love with each dish since they are all aesthetic masterpieces in their own right. The braised root veggies will make you happy regardless of whether or not you follow a vegetarian diet.
Mikla
Mehmet Gürs, the Chef-Owner of the award-winning Mikla Restaurant in the trendy Beyoglu neighborhood of Istanbul’s Marmara Pera Hotel, is widely credited for establishing Istanbul’s modern restaurant scene.
The new Anatolian Kitchen at Mikla (where traditional and authentic noble goods are handled with the highest care while transformed with a combination of contemporary and old methods) is renowned for its superb cuisine, as are the restaurant’s stunning vistas and uplifting soundtrack.
Banyan Restaurant
Banyan Restaurant, sophisticated with breathtaking views of the Bosphorus, offers an extensive menu. Winter in Istanbul calls for a bowl of Banyan’s winter soup or Tom Yam Kung soup, both of which are excellent.
If you’re craving sushi, get the beef tartar roll with a red wine reduction. Try new tastes with the caramelized pineapple and grilled sirloin served with wok veggies.
If that weren’t enough, there was also gluten-free bitter chocolate ganache with passionfruit compote to savour while gazing at the breathtaking scenery.
Mürver
Mürver is the epitome of fine dining. Their menu varies seasonally to reflect the mood and ingredients of the season. Each meal seems to be a seasonal and natural celebration.
The veggies from the brick oven deserve particular mention since they will make anybody fall in love with vegetables! They go well with the dry beef beginning, a beautiful meal of juniper-smoked beef served with scorched peach and Sürmene cheese.
Typically, a şekerpare is a tiny yet filling Turkish dessert. Mürver’s vegan version is less potent. It’s also accompanied with pistachio, pear, and cherry compote. Each item on that list is delicious, but when combined, it creates an unforgettable gourmet experience.
Turk Fatih Tutak
The restaurant Turk Fatih Tutak is considered to be among the finest eating establishments in Istanbul. It is situated in the Bomonti neighborhood of the Sisli neighborhood and provides a contemporary and refined assortment of traditional Turkish dishes prepared by Chef Fatih Tutak. This fantastic eatery has tasteful, modern furnishings and a calming atmosphere inspired by bamboo. Tutak’s cuisine is reminiscent of a contemporary Turkish meze with a creative, adventurous edge. You find yourself becoming eager as each dish arrives.
Sarnıç Restaurant
Sarnıç Restaurant is one of the best in Istanbul because of its superb cuisine and incredible romantic environment.
The restaurant Sarniç in Sultanahmet is housed in a cistern dating back to the 15th century. You can walk to tourist hotspots, including the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazaar, and Topkap Palace.
The Venetian in the Harem is a flavorful explosion. Beef medallions are the main component of this traditional Venetian meal, including oyster mushrooms, goat cheese, roasted potatoes, and a tasty sauce. Their flour halva is delicious, especially with walnuts, hazelnuts, and caramel.
Lacivert Restaurant
Due to its proximity to the Bosphorus strait, Lacivert is widely regarded as one of Istanbul’s finest restaurants for a candlelit supper for two. The cuisine is delicious, and the scenery is breathtaking.
Warm shrimp salad in the Thai manner is a citrus lover’s paradise. Juicy grilled lamb chops go well with earthy porcini mushroom sauce.
The dessert menu is full of mouthwatering options. If you can only try one, a semolina dish made in the Hatay tradition, served with cheese and ice cream, is a must-have. It’s like putting your mouth on a cloud and swallowing it.
Nusr-Et Steakhouse Etiler
In Istanbul, Nusr-Et is widely regarded as one of the most outstanding steakhouses where one may satisfy one’s meat needs. Those who taste meat will know this is where the mythical Salt Bae originates.
There is a wide variety of steaks, and they’re all excellent. The New York strip is a classic because it perfectly balances taste, moisture, and fat.
Tomahawks are a delicious and tender cut of meat. Try serving them with a Nusr-et salad. Though the locum is as tender as a Turkish treat, the sushi addition is brilliant. Order the French fries; there are many dipping options. If you haven’t already, try honey, mustard, or truffle mayo; you could fall in love with these!
Frankie
You may choose from Frankie’s Smart, Chic, or Lux tasting menu. The hardest part of ordering from a tasting menu is deciding what to eat for the first and second courses since each menu offers several options. If you choose the rock bass option in Lux, you may never look at leeks the same way again. Thanks to the combination of the fermented melon sauce, the walnut pesto, and the squash, you’ll discover a riot of flavor.
The Chic option’s 72-hour roasted beef pulled ribs in a creamy cheese sauce with veggies will seem like an upscale take on meat. Your taste buds will dance happily after trying Smart’s free-range chicken dish with charred cauliflower puree, broccoli, and chicken liver sauce.
Additional highlights at Frankie include live music and sleek, contemporary interior design. If you want to have a night to remember in Istanbul, Frankie is one of the most significant places to do it.
Karaköy Lokantası
You may get lost in the night at this meyhane, a traditional Turkish pub managed by a family. Have a shot of rak, an alcoholic beverage made from anise seeds, then sample everything on the meze menu. Those feeling brave may try the dil söüş or the cooked veal brains (begin paletas) (boiled veal tongue). Let’s say you can’t bring yourself to do it. So, chilled meyhane cac (tzatziki) is the ideal complement to the hot muhammara dip. You may also be interested in ordering fish that has been marinated, mussels that have been stuffed, or samphire that has been cooked in olive oil.
The meze may not be for you if you don’t want to share. However, the grilled meatballs (zgara köfte) and Dana ökertme at this eatery are worth a visit on their own (veal strips and shoestring potatoes served with yogurt and tomato sauce).
Araka Restaurant
Fantastic food and service are available at Araka Restaurant in the Sariyer neighborhood of Istanbul. The restaurant is sure to wow with its stunning exterior, intimate, romantic interior, and back patio designed by Zeynep Pnar Taşdemir.
Vegetables and herbs are used to make delicious gourmet dishes.
L’Olivetto Restaurant
One of the best Mediterranean eateries in Istanbul’s Atasehir neighborhood is L’Olivetto. The restaurant’s excellent traditional-based dishes, cozy environment, and kind service adhere to the principle of fusing unsophisticated tastes and a polished attitude to provide its patrons with one-of-a-kind experiences.
At the L’Olivetto restaurant, you’ll see dishes regularly updated and inspired by the city on tables decorated with moments and memories. With its extensive menus and knowledgeable staff, the restaurant is also great for special occasions and large gatherings.
Emporio Ristorante
Regarding Italian cuisine, many Istanbul locals choose Emporio Ristorante & Emporio Pizza Pasta. Genuine Italian specialties are prepared using recipes passed down for generations, with high-quality ingredients and convenient locations gathered from all around Italy. Emporio Ristorante and Emporio Pizza Pasta may be found in Akaretler, Turkey.
Calipso Fish Restaurant
On another Asian side of Istanbul, on the Kucukyali beach road, you’ll find the fabulous Calipso Fish Restaurant. The partners behind this establishment have a combined 30 years of expertise in seafood cuisine.
The restaurant is renowned for its unique tastes, including meticulously prepared Aegean herbs, cold and hot appetizers, meticulously selected fish, fish specialties, sauced sea shells, and exquisite desserts and wine. After its first year in business, Calipso Fish was voted one of “The Best 50 Restaurant Oscars” by foodies and culinary experts.
360Istanbul Restaurant
The well-known Restaurant, bar, and nightclub 360Istanbul is atop a 19th-century apartment building in the Beyoglu neighborhood of Istanbul, just over the famous Istiklal Street.
It has breathtaking views of Istanbul in every direction. Lunch and dinner are available at 360Istanbul, where contemporary Turkish meze is served alongside traditional Turkish and foreign fare and an extensive wine list. In addition to an intelligently designed and expansive wine and dessert menu, many main dishes are our creations, again fusing Turkish and foreign inspirations.
Tuğra Restaurant
You can dine like a monarch at no other restaurant in Istanbul, quite like Tuğra. It’s in a palace that dates back to the latter days of the Ottoman Empire. The restaurant provides traditional Ottoman dishes prepared according to time-honored family traditions. Also, the view of the Bosphorus Strait is spectacular. The question is, “What else could one possibly want?”
Is there anything better than a bowl of pomegranate sorbet after eating organic chicken Topkap? (Chicken packed with rice, nuts, and spices). When celebrating a special event in Istanbul, make a reservation at Tuğra.
