Baklava and Honey: 9 Delicious Places to Eat in Istanbul

Istanbul is one of those cities you eat your way through rather than just photograph. You can spend a morning in the Grand Bazaar, an afternoon in a mosque courtyard, and an evening on a terrace over the Bosphorus, and somehow every part of the day comes back to a plate of something good. Crispy baklava, smoky lahmacun straight off the oven floor, kebabs that have been resting over coals for hours: this is a city that takes feeding you seriously.

So here is my honest shortlist. Nine places I send people to, split between meat houses, view terraces, and the old coffee counters that locals actually use. None of these are secrets, but all of them deliver. If you want the full sugar story first, my separate guide to where to find the best baklava in Istanbul pairs nicely with this one.

1. Saltanat Fish and Kebab House (Fatih)

If you are particular about how your meat is aged and grilled, start here. Saltanat sits in the lanes off Sultanahmet Square (Çatalçeşme Sokak, in the Alemdar quarter) and does grilled veal, lamb, and chicken that pairs well with pomegranate molasses, a cool scoop of haydari, or whatever hot sauce they bring. The mezze list is generous too: hummus, stuffed vine leaves with rice and pine nuts, fried squid, garlic shrimp.

It is genuinely family friendly, the portions are big, and like a lot of Sultanahmet kebab houses they tend to finish you off with complimentary tea and a few squares of baklava. Reasonable for the area, which near the main square is not nothing. For a wider sweep of the city’s grill scene, my roundup of Istanbul’s best kebab restaurants goes well beyond the old city.

2. Buhara Ocakbaşı (Sultanahmet)

Buhara has been feeding locals and visitors in Sultanahmet since the late 1970s, and it has earned its regulars. The building runs to three floors, and the upper terrace gives you a real view: the Blue Mosque on one side, the Sea of Marmara on the other. In the back you can watch the meat go over the coals, which is half the fun.

Order the chicken and lamb skewers, the kebab with yogurt sauce, or the version with grilled tomatoes and eggplant. Finish with baklava or künefe. Skip the diet talk for one night, pour a glass of red or a tulip glass of çay, and call it a celebration of the trip.

3. El Amed Terrace (Fatih)

A good dinner is better with a view, and El Amed leans on exactly that. It is a small terrace place in the old city where you sit out, order sea bass or a lamb kebab with pistachio sauce, and watch the rooftops while you eat. The cooking moves between Turkish classics and a few European plates, and dessert is the familiar baklava and tea finish.

It is unpretentious and the staff treat you like a guest rather than a table number, which in a tourist-heavy district counts for a lot. As with any small terrace restaurant in Sultanahmet, hours can shift with the season, so it is worth a quick call ahead in winter.

4. Old Istanbul Cuisine (Fatih)

This one is for the slow-cooked, homestyle end of Turkish food rather than the grill. Friendly waiters, a comfortable terrace, and the kind of stews that take hours: veal braised with tomatoes, eggplant, and pepper, or a lamb casserole cooked low with garlic and cheese. There is usually a beef-and-eggplant plate that comes with a smoky mashed eggplant on the side.

It is the meal to have when you have done three days of kebabs and want something gentler. Honest cooking, no theatrics.

5. Vogue (Beşiktaş)

Vogue has held a place near the top of Istanbul’s view-dining list since 1997, perched on the top floor of Beşiktaş Plaza with a clean panorama over the Bosphorus. You could come just for that, but the kitchen earns its keep: Mediterranean and Far Eastern plates, grills, and a sushi menu that runs to dozens of varieties.

The wine list is long, there is a serious cocktail program, and at the time of writing the bar runs into the small hours (roughly noon to 2 a.m. most nights). Evenings skew grown-up rather than family, so if you are travelling with kids, aim for a late lunch instead. For more terraces in this league, see my picks for the best rooftop bars and restaurants in Istanbul.

6. Mandabatmaz (Beyoğlu)

Being in Turkey and not drinking real Turkish coffee is, frankly, a missed opportunity. Mandabatmaz has been pulling thick, foamy cups just off İstiklal Caddesi (down the little Olivia Geçidi passage) since 1967, and the name itself, roughly “even a buffalo wouldn’t sink in it,” is a brag about how dense the coffee is.

It is a tiny family-run counter with a handful of stools, all charm and no frills. You will drink plenty of espresso in your life, but the cup here is the one you remember. Prices stay friendly even though it is one of the most recommended coffee spots in the city. If coffee is your thing, my full guide to where to drink Turkish coffee in Istanbul maps out a proper crawl.

7. Roof Mezze 360 (Sirkeci, near Sultanahmet)

The selling point is in the name: a near 360-degree sweep over the old city, the Golden Horn, and the Bosphorus. You reach it through the Seres Hotel lobby in Sirkeci, ride the lift to the top, and the view does the rest. Book ahead if you want a railing table at sunset, because those go first.

The menu is broad: cold and hot mezze, a serious seafood section (sea bass baked in salt, grilled salmon, octopus in garlic oil, swordfish kebab), and a run of Ottoman and international plates if seafood is not your night. There are easy options for kids, too. It is not cheap, but the portions and the panorama mostly justify it.

8. Fazıl Bey’in Türk Kahvesi (Kadıköy)

Cross to the Asian side for this one. Fazıl Bey has been roasting and grinding its own beans in Kadıköy since 1923, a few feet from where the coffee is brewed and served, which is about as fresh as Turkish coffee gets. The arabica is Brazilian, the cups are strong, and the ritual is the point: coffee, a glass of water, and time.

Grab a table out on the lane near the Kadıköy market, plan your day, and watch the neighbourhood go by. It is one of the most atmospheric coffeehouses in the city, and Kadıköy itself is worth the ferry. I wrote a whole love letter to the heart of the Anatolian side, Kadıköy if you want to build a full afternoon around it.

9. Hafız Mustafa 1864 (Eminönü/Fatih)

End on sugar. Hafız Mustafa has been making sweets since 1864 and now has more than a dozen branches across the city, but the historic Eminönü counter is the one to walk into. Be warned: you will want to try everything. Pistachio pudding, baklava in every cut, milk-soaked sponge cake, and a properly made Turkish coffee to balance it all.

The Eminönü branch typically has a shop downstairs and a café above, so you can sit with a plate and still grab a box to take away. It is not bargain-bin pricing (a kilo of their good pistachio baklava runs well into the hundreds of lira at the time of writing), but pampering yourself once is part of the trip. If you want to recreate the magic at home afterward, try my easy homemade Turkish baklava recipe or browse more Turkish desserts worth trying.

A few practical notes before you go

Most of these are in walking distance of each other on the historic peninsula, except Vogue (Beşiktaş) and Fazıl Bey (Kadıköy), which are easy ferry or short taxi hops. Reservations matter for the view terraces, especially Vogue and Roof Mezze 360 around sunset. Tipping is appreciated but not aggressive: rounding up or leaving roughly 10 percent is normal.

And pace yourself. The temptation in Istanbul is to order half the menu at every stop, which is why I prefer one strong dish plus mezze rather than a marathon. If you would rather graze your way around instead of sitting down for full meals, the city’s street food worth seeking out is its own delicious rabbit hole. Either way, come hungry.