Dining and Drinking
Dining
Turks are purists in their culinary taste: each dish is meant to highlight the flavor of the main ingredient, so you won't find your food smothered in sauces and spices. Herbs and spices are used sparingly and singularly: either mint or dill goes with zucchini, parsley goes with eggplant and garlic has its place in cold vegetable dishes. Turkey is well known for its diverse range of dishes, mostly due to regional variation. Istanbul has become a melting pot of both local and international cuisines in recent years. In an effort to broaden culinary horizons, more and more western-style cafés, bars and continental restaurants are popping up all the time. Traditional Turkish fare is still by far the most popular and there are countless restaurants where you can sample local delights. The meyhane (traditional tavern) experience is a must for any visitor -- there are plenty of these to be found all over the city. For a traditional Turkish buffet-style restaurant experience, visitors should ask around for the local lokanta. Vegetarians are also reasonably well catered to by a handful of restaurants -- just say you want your food etsiz ve balıksız, lütfen (without meat and fish, please).
Fish
The Turks are very proud of their local seafood and rarely import any. Fish is traditionally eaten at meyhanes accompanied by meze (small appetizers and finger foods) and the local aniseed-flavored alcoholic beverage, rakı, which is similar to Greek ouzo, but more pleasing to the palate. The pick of the list in Nevizade Sokak would be Sanat, Gideros, Ney’le Ney’le, Boncuk, Imroz, Saki and Degüstasyon. Kumkapı is full of overpriced meyhanes catering to tourists, so avoid them. Try the little-known Balıkçi Sabahattin in Sultanahmet. Along the European Bosphorus shore, good picks include Marina Balık Restaurant on the dock in Kuruçeşme, Rumeli İskele right by the fortress, local favourite Yeni Kaptan Restaurant in Arnavutköy, and Angel Fish Restaurant, Beylerbeyi Kebap Salonu and Deniz Restaurant on the Asian side.
International
In some restaurants, it is possible to travel the world in a meal, while others are more specialised: Udonya serves superb Japanese, or else get unlimited Chinese at Chinese Unlimited, try French at the Café de Paris or Cafe du Levant, Tex-Mex at Dixie Station, Californian cuisine at Sunset Grill & Bar, or Indian at Dubb Indian Restaurant & Gallery. C Fischer serves up German fare, Mia Mensa goes Italian on the waterfront, Rejans is Russian, and both Kathisma and Changa serve a bit of them all.
Meat and Kebabs
The word "kebab" is synonymous with Turkey, and a vast selection of kebabs and other meat dishes can easily be found everywhere you go: Ali Baba in Arnavutköy, for example, is a favorite local chow house. On the European side, Bursa İskender and Sark Sofrası in the center of Beyoğlu and Cumhuriyet İskembe Salonu in the fish market are good picks. Tarihi Selim Usta Sultanahmet Köftecisi serves up a mean plate of meatballs (köfte)and Tike is famous for tender lamb.
Ottoman
The Ottomans’ contribution to world cuisine is magnanimous. A riot of colors, flavors, textures and tastes accompanies each Ottoman-style meal. Check out Amedros in Sultanahmet, Haci Abdullah in Beyoğlu, Pandeli in Eminönü, and sample the delights of Tuğra at the Çırağan Sarayı (Çırağan Palace) in Beşiktaş.
Turkish Fast Food
The term "fast food" in Istanbul often means ready-cooked wholesome Turkish food. Many restaurants display trays of prepared stews and vegetable dishes in the window. The Pudding Shop in Sultanahmet was the first of these in Istanbul. Also try Altin Kupa just around the corner. A La Turka, and Bol Kepce in Ortaköy are popular, Darüzziyafe near the Süleymaniye Mosque serves the genuine article, and Ela and Ficcin in Beyoğlu have some good choices too.
Vegetarian
A new trend in Turkey, vegetarianism has had a slow beginning but there has been some progress. Nuh’un Ambari, Nature and Peace, Badehane, and Zencefil in Beyoğlu are just a few of the hot spots for herbivores on the European side. Also try Hercai whilst in Kadıköy on the Asian side.
Street Food
Europeans and Asians alike seem to love to feast on the streets, buying delicious snacks from vendors wheeling carts. Istanbul is no different: a midnight snack could include stuffed mussels (midye dolma), a fried mussel sandwich, meatballs made with barley (icli köfte), or even raw meat (cig köfte). Gözleme (filled pancake) is a favorite lunch-time snack, along with baked potatoes filled with anything you want (kumpir), and even plain old chicken and rice. Breakfast could consist of simit (bread rings with sesame seeds), poğaca (cheese- or potato-filled pastry), catal (a cracker-like snack), or a variety of sweets dripping with syrup, honey, and/or rosewater.
Drinking
A nasty side effect of the rapidly changing cityscape is that drinking dens come and go with frustrating frequency, and the bar you were at last night may not be there tomorrow; but fear not, as it’s not hard to find a new one!
Sultanahmet
More famous for its historical sites and pushy salesmen, Sultanahmet has a few good cafés where you can sit and write your postcards home. Spend some time at the Rumeli Café for excellent people-watching. Try Cheers for cheap beer, Sultan Pub for terrace seating, or escape to Hotel Yeşil Ev's garden for a piece of paradise.
Beyoğlu
The café-bar scene changes faster than most people can blink. "Here today, gone tomorrow" seems to be the motto. However, there are a few hangers-on like Dulcinea, Madrid, Pia, Kaktüs Cafe, and Kemanci. The distinction between "café" and "bar" has become very blurred recently and most places do a combination of both. Cafés include Yağmur Cybercafé, Lounge, Café Frappé, Kafe Cute, (a popular gay hangout), and 35mm (located in the Fitas Cinema complex). The best nightclubs -- all thumping out techno until the wee hours -- are Switch, Milk, Taxim She, and Orange. Live music venues Roxy and Babylon are the hottest hits in town at the moment. Bar Bahçe and Neo are excellent gay bars, while the best gay clubs are Prive and Club 14. Some of the finest wine bars in the world have popped up recently: check out Pano Wine Bar, Şarabı Wine Bar, Vareli, or Sappho.
Kadıköy
Less manic than Beyoğlu, Kadıköy has its own style of nightlife. Rock bar Karga fills up fast with students, and the Belfast Pub and Shaft do live music. If it’s coffee you’re after, Café Antre is mellow and female-friendly and Mosquito Café is fun.
Other Notable Watering Holes
The Wall in Ortaköy fills fast with leather-clad rockers and boppers, up-market Coco Pazzo is in Arnavutköy, and the Panorama Bar at the Marmara Hotel has some of the best views in town.
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