City guide

Istanbul

A city of breakfast tables, fish sandwiches, tradesmen’s restaurants, meyhanes, pastry specialists and serious late-night eating.

Known for

Regional cooking, meze, street food and pastry

Start in

Karaköy
Kadıköy
Fatih

Order these

Seasonal regional stews
Market cooking
Baklava & kadayıf

The balanced shortlist

Tradition, region and new ideas

Classic

Institutions and neighbourhood favourites that make familiar dishes exceptionally well.

Regional

Specialists preserving the cooking of the Black Sea, Aegean, southeast and beyond.

Contemporary

Chefs using Turkish memory and technique to make something personal and new.

Dessert & pastry

Baklava makers, pudding shops and bakeries worth visiting in their own right.

Regional & classic · Kadıköy

Çiya Sofrası

Daily-changing menu · Anatolian food research · Esnaf lokantası spirit

Daily-changing selection; ask to see the trays

One of Istanbul’s essential tables for understanding how broad Turkish food really is. Musa Dağdeviren and the Çiya team collect, document and cook recipes from across Anatolia, including dishes rarely seen outside their home regions.

What caught our eye

→ Choose from the day’s regional soups and stews
→ Try a seasonal fruit-and-meat dish when available
→ Build a plate from the cold vegetable and grain dishes

The menu changes daily and seasonally. Treat named dishes as examples, not guarantees; look at the counter before choosing.

Visit website ↗See current menu ↗Menu checked 17 July 2026

Dessert & pastry · Karaköy

Karaköy Güllüoğlu

Baklava specialist · Single shop · Eat in or take away

Choose pieces at the counter or buy by weight

A destination for understanding what fresh baklava should be: exceptionally thin pastry, careful layering and a wide choice beyond the default pistachio square. This is the original single Karaköy shop, not a generic branch recommendation.

What caught our eye

→ Classic pistachio baklava
→ A walnut variety for comparison
→ Kadayıf or a seasonal special

The producer states that products are made within the previous three hours. It also offers vegan, gluten-free and diabetic-labelled ranges; confirm suitability directly for medical dietary needs.

Visit website ↗See current menu ↗Menu checked 17 July 2026