Sultanahmet

Home to the 1700-year-old hippodrome from Eastern Rome, the 1500-year-old Hagia Sophia and Sultanahmet Mosque, known for its blue tiles, this region is an impressive route with both its history and culture.

The 500-year-old Grand Bazaar, the Ottoman dynasty’s Topkapi Palace, underground cisterns, churches and countless other sights to see, the city’s historic peninsula is home to dozens of historic eateries, buffets, chic restaurants and neighborhood taverns;

 

Table of Contents

Good Food Guide

Restaurants and taverns

  • Avlu Restaurant
  • Lokanta 1741
  • Balıkçı Sabahattin
  • Pandeli
  • Giritli
  • Çapari
  • Aslan Restaurant
  • Güvenç Konyalı
  • Şehzade Cağ
  • Hocapaşa Pidecisi
  • Kavurmacı Goze
  • Karadeniz Pide
  • Şeyhmuz Kebap
  • Kilisli Kebapçı Ali
  • Köfteci Mustafa
  • Köfteci Yaşar
  • Namlı Rumeli Köftecisi
  • Dönerci Şahin Usta
  • Fahri Usta

Desserts, Bakery & Patisseries:

  • La Pistache
  • Day Day Pastanesi
  • Çarşı Muhallebicisi
  • Çarşı Baklava
  • Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir
  • Hafız Mustafa

Coffeeshops:

  • Coffeetopia
  • İhsan Kurukahvecioğlu Halefleri
  • Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi
  • Peyk Away
  • Posa

 

Breakfast:

  • Boris’in Yeri

What to see in Sultanahmet?

Significant Buildings & Landmarks:

  • Hagia Sophia
  • Topkapi Palace
  • Blue Mosque
  • Suleymaniye Mosque
  • Basilica Cistern
  • Archaeology Museum
  • Gulhane Park
  • Istanbul Design Museum
  • Barın Han
  • Şerefiye Cistern
  • Cemberlitas Column
  • Binbirdirek Cistern
  • Million Stone
  • Hippodrome Ruins (Sphendone)
  • Bukoleon Palace
  • Sokullu Mehmet Pasha Mosque
  • Little Hagia Sophia
  • Rustem Pasha Mosque
  • Molla Zeyrek Mosque
  • Zeyrek Çinili Hamam
  • İş Bank Museum
  • Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art
  • Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum
  • Cagaloglu Hamam
  • Çemberlitaş Hamam

Bazaars and Inns:

  • Grand Bazaar
  • Spice Bazaar
  • Zincirli Han
  • Büyük Valide Han
  • Büyük Yeni Han
  • Vakıf Han

Kumkapi Neighborhood

One of the most colorful areas of Istanbul is undoubtedly the Kumkapı neighborhood, where Armenians and Greeks lived together with Turks for centuries.

Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul is located here since the 17th century, this neighborhood has many crumbling Greek houses and delicate examples of Ottoman architecture. In this predominantly Armenian neighborhood, traces of this culture can be seen everywhere.

There are also many Greek and Armenian churches in the area.

One of the ones that caught our attention was the Greek Church of Aya Kiryaki. History of the church dates back to the 16th century, but was last rebuilt in 1894 by the famous Greek architect Periklis Fotiatis after being burned down several times. The wisteria relief depictions at the entrance are very interesting. The church is dedicated to St. Kriaki. Nowadays, the church is mostly frequented by immigrants – Ukrainians, Romanians and Georgians.

According to an article in Biamag, the reason why this region, whose Greek name is Kondoskali, is called Kumkapı is that “when there is a lodos, sand grains from the Marmara Sea pile up on the beaches of Kondoskali, making Kumkapı (Pili Psammu) another name that was also mentioned at that time.”

Kumkapı has been famous for its taverns for centuries and even Evliya Çelebi mentions the abundance and variety of seafood in this area in his travelogue.

Today, the multiculturalism of the past has been greatly affected by the influx of immigrants. The neighborhood continues to be famous for its taverns and fish restaurants.

-One of our favorite places in Istanbul for breakfast with its creamy and simple breakfast Boris’in Yeri,
-Suggestion of a shop if you want to buy cream for your home: Özdemirler Süt & Süt Ürünleri
-Many Uzbek families live in the area, the neighborhood has a bakery called Ozbek Taomlari Lazzat. If you want to try Uzbek tandoori bread, you can stop by.

Sirkeci to Eminönü

Our route starts from Sirkeci station, the last stop of the Orient Express train line starts from Sirkeci station. With its neo-classical architecture and flamboyant facade, it is still an impressive station building despite the chaotic square in front of it.

In the arcade just above Hocapaşa, a historical bathhouse, there are many places serving good food. Güvenç Konyalı for Konya’s oven kebab, etli ekmek and pistachio dessert, Şehzade for cağ kebab and Namlı Rumeli Köftecisi for meatballs are our favorite addresses on this street.

Across the road, proceeding on Büyük Postane Street, you can see PTT Building, Vlora Han, Germanya Han, Sadıkiye Han and Vakıf Han are other historical buildings on the street. Just down the street (Bankacılar Sk.) is the Turkey Is Bank Museum. One of our favorite restaurants in these parts is Kavurmacı Goze. A modest and small restaurant, the roasted meat cooked with its own oil and water is quite delicious. Although it now has branches everywhere, you can take a sweet break at Hafız Mustafa for a traditional dessert, taste brewed coffees at Coffeetopia or you can shop for sweets at Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir.

In this district, which has been the center of trade for centuries, it is a pleasure to get lost in the arcades of the inns opening to the courtyards, to watch the shop windows and to join the conversations. In every inn, on every street, shops for a different need are clustered. You are guaranteed to leave with things you don’t need 🙂 One of our favorite inns in this neighborhood is Diri Han.

If you follow the smell of spices, you will surely end up in Egyptian Bazaar. Built in 1660 by Köprülü Mehmet Pasha, the bazaar is frequented by both tourists and Istanbulites. There is also a restaurant here whose story, ceramics and food we love. Pandeli, which we’ve talked about before.

For coffee shopping, go out the other door of the bazaar and visit Ihsan Kurukahvecioğlu Halefleri. From chocolates to kitchen equipment, boxes to baskets, tons of things are waiting for you on Hasırcılar Street. If you want to take a lunch break here, just below the Rüstem Pasha Mosque. You can have a delicious meatball at Köfteci Yaşar.

Vefa

A neighborhood that most of us now identify with Vefa Bozacısı. Opened in 1876, according to sources, this shop is the first shop opened to sell boza. Before that, boza was already a beverage consumed in Istanbul. Sadık Ağa, who came to Istanbul in 1870, offered boza, which was watery and sour, with a thicker consistency and slightly sour, and started selling it as a peddler before opening his shop.

Sadık Aga and his son İbrahim Hakkı Bey continue to run their shops without leaving their neighborhood despite the adversities and fires. When Mr. Hacı Sadık passed away in 1933, his son took over the brand. With the surname law, the family takes the surname Vefa. Vefa Bozacısı, which became a favorite of the locals in the 1930s, still maintains its reputation today.

Drinking boza and salep here is one of the favorite activities of Istanbulites, statesmen, artists and tourists. Directly opposite the shop is another nostalgic shop, Sevda Gazozcusu. Karadeniz Pide Salonu Vefa, one of the most popular pita shops in Istanbul, is one of the stops you should make while you are in this area.

Vefa is one of the historical districts of Istanbul. Of course, its charm is not limited to boza. The most important buildings you should see here:

-Vefa Church, today’s Molla Gürani Mosque. The building, one of the rare churches that survived from the Byzantine period, was built in the 12th century. .
•Recai Mehmet Efendi Sebili,
•Atıf Efendi Library,
-Ekmekçizade Madrasah,
-Vefa High School,
-Istanbul Manifaturacılar Bazaar
-Recai Mehmet Efendi Sebili,
-The Zeyrek Tiled Hammam, just across the boulevard,
-Molla Zeyrek Mosque,
-Bozdogan Arch

Designed by Doğan Tekeli, Sami Sisa and Metin Hepgüler in an architectural competition in 1960, IMÇ is also an important building located between Vefa and Atatürk Boulevard. It is one of the first modern business centers in Turkey. Its structure of courtyards, the relationship between the different levels through wide terrace openings and the harmony with the ground and the environment despite being composed of blocks are impressive. It has been an important source of inspiration in the history of Turkish architecture. In the bazaar Works by artists such as Kuzgun Acar, Füreya Koral and Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu are included.

9 recommendations near the Grand Bazaar

9 recommendations for good food around the Grand Bazaar:

Aslan Restaurant: This is one of the happiest places in the area in the last 1 month. An old artisan restaurant in Nuruosmaniye, with classic dishes that never get boring. Go at noon before it’s too late, the döner was also tasty.

Şeyhmuz Kebap: One of our favorite kebab shops in the area, serving kebab the right way. It’s a place that also known by tourists. You can try Mardin kebab and Mardin style meat bread. A little dry but delicious.

Köfteci Mustafa: Another popular place hidden in one of the back streets of the bazaar. You can try a delicious meatball, chop and lamb skewer that is never dry. It’s on Mercan Mosque Dead End.

Dönerci Şahin Usta: Just behind Nuruosmaniye on your way to the bazaar, if you started to see a line in front of it, you are late. It’s quieter between 11-12, it’s a popular but delicious döner.

Kilisli Kebapçı Ali Usta: One of the most popular kebab shops in the bazaar. Kilis is a kebab shop that stands out with its tava and cubed meat.

Fahri Usta: You may have to walk around a bit to find this place, you can get directions directly from the security because it is a very narrow passage. A small artisan restaurant serving a small variety of food. Meatballs and dried beans were delicious. He also makes heart and liver.

Dürüm Büfe: While creating the Grand Bazaar routes, this place was one of the suggestions from the shopkeepers in the area. It’s not a tourist shop, but there is a lot of circulation. They only serve doner kebab, which is quite greasy but delicious.

Bena Dondurmaları: It’s a tiny shop. They offer a small and concise variety of ice cream and a few desserts. It is one of the good places in the neighborhood for something sweet other than baklava. 1 scoop of ice cream is 20₺, so it is quite affordable.

Day Day Pastanesi: A patisserie whose fame is not limited to the Grand Bazaar. There is always a queue at the door, they have a small variety of products. The apple cookie is not too sweet, we liked it. Tahini is also very famous and we haven’t tried it yet.

Lokanta 1741

One of the rare 300-year-old baths Cağaloğlu Hamamı. Lokanta 1741 is located in the courtyard between the two domes of the hammam, which is located in a unique location on the historical peninsula.

The restaurant’s menu is based on the eating and drinking habits of the peoples who have lived together in these lands for centuries. They have a menu that incorporates traditional and innovative cooking techniques, recently updated. They offer both à la carte and tasting menus. In the courtyard of the historic hammam, these delicious dishes are accompanied by Ottoman-inspired cocktails and a good selection of wines. The restaurant also has a cellar where you can see their wines, where tastings are also held from time to time. The flavors we tried from the renewed menu were as follows:

→Burnt Beans with Olive Oil
→Cunda Ezme →Sourdough Pide with Pumpkin
→Double Cooked Kokoreç
→ Ribeye on Skewers
→Piruhi

Pirouhi, a Cypriot ravioli stuffed with spinach and halloumi, was our favorite among the dishes. Served with sooty yogurt and walnut tomato sauce. The pumpkin sourdough pide and kokoreç were also very delicious.

We recommend making a reservation, it is especially pleasant to sit on the terrace at the top. Menu and details are available on the restaurant’s page.

We did not experience the hammam part, but it is probably one of the first places to come to mind for those who want to experience a hammam in the historical peninsula.

Pandeli

“The beautiful rose grows in the soil it loves…”
– Pandeli Cobanoglu

In 1901, Pandeli Usta, of Greek origin, opened a restaurant to showcase the flavors of this land. First restaurant is not in the Spice Bazaar, but under the stairs of Çukur Han. He starts by selling meatballs and piyaz. Then a shop in Yağcılar İskelesi in 1926 and became very famous in Istanbul. This restaurant was looted during the September 6-7 events in 1955 and later, by order of the governorship, the ‘Spice Bazaar Restaurant’ is given to Pandeli.

One of Pandeli’s secrets to success is based on Pandeli Usta‘s will, to train the systems in-house instead of hiring from outside. It doesn’t end with just the staff. The importance that Master Pandeli attached to soil and crops is better understood by his response to a job offer.

”One day, when a rich American customer liked his food so much that he offered him a job, he asked, “Thank you, but tell the gentleman, where are we going to get the necessary ingredients?” The businessman replied, “I’ll have them brought in by airplane.” His last words to the businessman were, “Can you cook with vegetables brought in by airplane? Every morning, I choose the meat from the butcher, the fish from the fishmonger, the vegetables and fruits from the market with my own hands. I know where they come from. A beautiful rose grows in the soil it loves.” Then he turned to his friend Şakir Eczacıbaşı, who had mediated this meeting, and said, “These businessmen don’t understand cooking, they think it’s done when you give them money.”” (Source: yuzyillikhikayeler.com)

Although Pandeli Çobanoğlu passed away in 1967, the brand he created still lives on. His son Hristo also ran a restaurant with the same name in Athens for a while. Pandeli Lokantası, which has hosted many famous names from Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to Hollywood stars, is one of the historical restaurants of Istanbul.

For us, it is a pleasant lunch stop after shopping in the shops of the Spice Bazaar accompanied by the scent of spices.

Balıkçı Sabahattin

Mr. Sabahattin is the son of Hüseyin Korkmaz, originally from Crete. Hüseyin Bey migrated from Mudanya to Istanbul in 1945 and opened Korkmaz Restaurant in Ahırkapı, where he sold meatball bread and piyaz. His son Sabahattin, who later took over the shop, turned to fishing, his passion, and removed meatballs from the menu. It has been a family business ever since. (Source: 100 Tarihi Lokanta)

Fisherman Sabahattin’s most famous dishes are roasted lantern and pilaf with mussels. Depending on the season you visit, you can try different flavors.

The tomato and onion salad and appetizers are successful, and the pilaf with mussels is really delicious. On our last visit, for a change, we tried steamed beef here too. Our favorite steamed steak in Istanbul is at Balat Sahil Restaurant, but this one was also good.

We think it is one of the best restaurants to eat fish in the historical peninsula.

It has been included in many local and foreign guides, and we can’t say that it has remained a secret. While many fish restaurants on the Bosphorus were included in the Michelin guide, this was one of the places that was overlooked and deserved to be on the list.

The only negative thing about the place is that smoking is allowed indoors in winter. Unfortunately, this is a situation we encounter in most taverns and fish restaurants.

We paid 3900₺ (2024) for salad & appetizers, tabir, steamed sea bass and dessert, which we think is a good price for these flavors. You’d better make a reservation. Don’t forget to save.

Giritli Restaurant

One of the few taverns recommended as ‘Bib Gourmand’ in the Michelin guide: Giritli Restaurant

If we want to describe the cuisine of these lands, taverns are an important part of the food culture. However, this is a cultural richness that we know about, but it is debatable how much it is known internationally. As a country, our cuisine is mostly limited to kebabs and ocakbaşı abroad, while its regional diversity and multicultural structure are not well known. For example, it is hard to point to a good Turkish restaurant anywhere in the world that stands out for its Aegean cuisine.

When the Michelin 2024 list was announced, one of the most criticized issues was that too few taverns were listed. Perhaps not the only reason, but we can say that the above distinction is one of the factors that lead to this result.

Giritli Restaurant is an establishment that we think fully deserves the Bib Gourmand award. In a mansion in the Cankurtaran neighborhood of old Istanbul and in the courtyard in front of it, a place where you can taste delicious appetizers at tables set under purple wisteria, accompanied by pleasant music and at very accessible prices.

We see it as a neighborhood tavern because it is a friendly restaurant where regulars come and weddings are held in the garden in summer. The weddings held here remind us of the enthusiastic weddings held in the streets of the Aegean coastal cities.

It’s harder to find a place since you’ve been on the recommendation lists. Weekdays can be quieter. On certain days only a tasting menu is offered. The tasting menu consists of 18 types of appetizers, starters and fish of the day. Red meat or vegan/vegetarian options are available. If we are not mistaken, the tasting menu was 1350₺ (2024). Our favorites among the ones we tasted:

-Seafood Rice
-Köpoglu
-Sardines in Vine Leaves
-Crunchy Zucchini
-Fish Pastırma

Especially when we look at the tavern culture in Istanbul, we encounter traces of Greek and Armenian influences in the recipes and traditions used. We need to stop the micro-nationalist thinking and embrace this richness by recognizing that we are societies that have lived together in these lands for a long time, cooked together and learned from each other.

Arama

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