The Best Turkish Restaurants in Istanbul

Güney
Güney somehow manages to merge traditional local dishes with Western favorites like breakfast pancakes and burgers for lunch and pull it off without a hitch. A friendly, young staff (most speak English) stays busy turning tables at one of the city’s best-located (at the foot of Galata Tower) and busiest restaurants. The restaurant opens at 7:30 am, 7 days a week. If there’s one restaurant in Istanbul that does it all and does it right, it’s Güney.
Aheste
Aheste’s talented chefs elevate local cuisine to a higher level and beautifully plate and serve dishes. Despite the more unique menu and the higher level of presentation, the menu items are only nominally higher than similar high-end restaurants serving Turkish cuisine. Click below to read a full review with lots of photos of food and décor at ComaBeba.com. Click your browser's back arrow to return to this page.
Lokanta 1741
Located in the same building as one of Istanbul’s most prestigious Turkish spas, Lokanta 1741 is perhaps the most upscale and sophisticated of all the restaurants in the city offering traditional Turkish cuisine. Click below to read a full review with lots of photos of food and décor at ComaBeba.com. Click your browser's back arrow to return to this page.
Nişantaşı Başköşe
Located within walking distance of several of the city’s top hotels, Nişantaşı Başköşe offers traditional Turkish cuisine in a contemporary setting with slate gray walls, black leather upholstered benches and chairs, and ceramic tile floor with a diamond inlay. The traditional menu is well-executed, and service is friendly and responsive. Click below to read a full review with lots of photos of food and décor at ComaBeba.com. Click your browser's back arrow to return to this page.
MyTerrace
Unlike the four upmarket regional restaurants we recommend in this slide show, MyTerrace has the most “Turkish” personality of the lot. It’s got that raw regional feel but the food, service and view make this restaurant something special. Click below to read a full review with lots of photos of food and décor at ComaBeba.com. Click your browser's back arrow to return to this page.
Ali Ocakbaşi
Ali Ocakbaşi is the only restaurant in our roundup of Turkish restaurants in Istanbul that has an international presence with restaurants bearing the same name existing in Amsterdam, London and Vienna. The restaurants share the more upscale look and feel of Lokanta 1741 and Nişantaşı Başköşe. Ali Ocakbaşi’s menu features a slightly wider range of grilled meat dishes than any of the other restaurants in our roundup. Click below to read a full review with lots of photos of food and décor at ComaBeba.com. Click your browser's back arrow to return to this page.
Dükkan Galata
This quirky little café hidden on a backstreet a couple of blocks down the hill from Galata Tower is only open for breakfast, brunch, and lunch. The place is quirky in a good way. Perfectly small and laid-back. They offer a full Turkish breakfast, Turkish scrambled eggs, fried egg dishes, granola, breakfast pastries and toast loaded with healthy toppings. Click below to read a full review with lots of photos of food and décor at ComaBeba.com. Click your browser's back arrow to return to this page.
Restaurant 24
Restaurant 24 is the rooftop restaurant of a small boutique hotel near to Galata Tower. The menu elevates Turkish dishes and ingredients to gourmet level. The décor is upscale. The service staff friendly and efficient. Great spot for a romantic evening meal overlooking the Bosporus. Click below to read a full review with lots of photos of food and décor at ComaBeba.com. Click your browser's back arrow to return to this page.
Develi Nişantaşı
Restaurant chain Develi, with a dozen restaurants located throughout Turkey, mostly in affluent suburbs, has built the city’s most successful restaurant dynasty. Develi has made its mark by serving traditional Turkish cuisine in an upscale ambience, albeit one that’s a bit tacky and gaudy by western standards. The only location of relevance to the city’s foreign visitors is the location in Nişantaşı, in close proximity to several international hotels. The food is good. Service is acceptable but not very amiable. Click below to read a full review with lots of photos of food and décor at ComaBeba.com. Click your browser's back arrow to return to this page.

Güney

Güney somehow manages to merge traditional local dishes with Western favorites like breakfast pancakes and burgers for lunch and pull it off without a hitch. A friendly, young staff (most speak English) stays busy turning tables at one of the city’s best-located (at the foot of Galata Tower) and busiest restaurants. The restaurant opens at 7:30 am, 7 days a week. If there’s one restaurant in Istanbul that does it all and does it right, it’s Güney.