Best Places for 'Grande' Breakfast

Our Local Expert Says:

Indeed one of the best art museums in the city - with great views and a smart café to boast!

Description:

Making its debut in 2004, Istanbul Modern is Turkey's first museum dedicated to displaying contemporary art. Located on the Sea of Marmara, the museum is a 86,000 square foot renovated government warehouse that houses abstract paintings, portraits, sculptures and photographs from local artists and public and private collections. Istanbul Modern fuses Turkish and Western aesthetic influences to create a connection between Turkish and European institutions of art. Although the Turkish government has offered some assistance, the museum is privately funded by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts and the Eczacibasi family, who also provides the permanent collection. Attracting 5,000 visitors daily, one of the most popular exhibits at the museum is the "Stairway to Hell" by Monica Bonvicini in 2003, a sculpture featuring chains and bullet-shattered glass. Other exhibits feature work by Fahrelnissa Zeid and Seker Ahmet Pasa. Istanbul Modern will also offer art history programs for children and adults. Admission is free on Thursdays from 10a-2p, and discounts are offered for students and groups.

Description:

"Ask" means love in Turkish, so the Assk Kahve is the "Love Cafe" in translation. It has a very simple menu with various sandwiches, toasts and paninis, salads and pasta. Yet, its unique location on the sea makes Assk Kahve one of the places to be in the summer. As such, it tends to get quite crowded with both young adolescents and adults. It is highly recommended that you find yourself a seat on the deck, but for that you will need to arrive a bit earlier than 11:00 AM. Breakfast is very enjoyable and you are supposed to order everything to the middle. Do order the "giant pogaca" (pastry / croissant) and honey & cream. At other times, enjoy their home-made lemonade and the "tongue of love" sandwich.

Our Local Expert Says:

One of the best for a "typical" breakfast

Description:

One of the best places to enjoy Turkish style breakfast with olives, cucumber, tomato, the Turkish tortilla, bagels, various different egg assortments and the handmade pastry. It is open air and tends to get very crowded on weekends. Still the wait is worth it and it is not as long as it may look.

Our Local Expert Says:

One of the best by-the-sea boutique hotels

Description:

Formerly an alcohol factory producing suma -the unadulterated spirit used to make rakı (the Turkish Ouzo)-, the establishment of Sumahan as a boutique hotel was a long standing wish that its owner-architects had. Nedret Ercan Butler and Mark Butler were both studying architecture in Minnesota, USA when they met. Nedret Ercan Butler established the "Sumahan Project" as her thesis for graduation. The couple brought that to life years later when they returned to Istanbul. With a magnificent view of the Istanbul skyline and bustling waterside activity, the hotel is indeed a charming place. Adjacent to the hotel is the in-house seafood restaurant, called Kordon Balık. However, one may also lunch or dine inside the Sumahan itself (great salads and sample mezes). It is also possible to sign up for transport and a guide to see around and perhaps discover other enchanting places. Or, ask for the hotel-boat-shuttle to take across to the European side and make discoveries on your own. When you come back, relax in the sublime Turkish bath at the hotel's health center. With its modern, cozy rooms and location, it personifies the romantic spirit of the city. read more

Description:

Located on the southern bank of the Bosphorus, The Ritz-Carlton Istanbul offers a wonderful view of the strait. The hotel offers luxurious accommodation for travelers in the city that is located in two continents. The various club level rooms and suites are uniquely designed and equipped with modern facilities for the comfort of the guest. The Ritz-Carlton is minutes away from the Dolmabahçe Palace, the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque), the Bosphorus bridge and the Topkapi Palace. The hotel has 4 dining options to offer, where you can relish interesting cuisine. A spa that offers rejuvenating treatments in its 9 rooms is one of the highlights of the Ritz-Carlton.

Description:

This little cafe in Bebek offers astonishing view of the Bosphorus from the roof top it is located on. Its menu ranges from many healthy picks (salads, toasts, soups) to delicious and seductive home-made pastries (chocolate cakes and brownies) and delicious big burgers. It is a nice place for lunch, one of the perfect places for breakfast, even nicer for a cosy get-together and a bottle of wine on a cool Istanbul evening.

Our Local Expert Says:

Family-oriented, off-the-beaten path place for Sunday brunches and lunches

Description:

The Silahtarağa Power Plant is the first urban-scale power plant built in Istanbul in the Ottoman period. The power plant has been conserved and renovated by Bilgi University and transformed into a center for culture and arts under the name of Santralistanbul. Santralistanbul is thus conceived of an educational museum, the power plant museum, art galleries, multi-functional areas for workshops of many kinds and two cafes: Tamirane and Otto Santral (branch of the Otto Cafe / Restaurant in Asmali Mescit). It is the perfect place especially for families with young children. The vast open area and the green garden of Tamirane and Otto Santral allows children to run, bike and play; while the families may enjoy a nice Sunday branch or lunch, read the daily paper and their books. The quietness of the place is also extremely seductive for anyone running away from the hectic city life. The day may be ended by a visual tour around the old power plant -which has been kept as it was (no models have been used for public demonstration). For more information about the on-going exhibitions inside the art galleries, please refer to their website.
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Our Local Expert Says:

Summer-time day trip

Description:

In Turkish, "adalar" simply means "islands" - though adalar are very familiar territory for Istanbulites, which island you are referring to is still quite important since many Istanbullites use the islands as their summer residence and have a genuine circle of relatives and friends there. Probably the most popular day trip option from Istanbul, at least in the summer, the Princes' Islands are comprised of seven small islands, four of which (Büyükada, Kınalıada, Burgazada and Heybeliada) have constant summertime service by ferry from Kabataş and Bostanci. The islands offer treasures of history (Byzantine churches and Greek and Turkish ruins), green parks, and various upscale restaurants and hotels. As no cars are allowed onto the islands, you would be better off renting a horse-backed carriage to go from one part to another; or to arrive on the islands dressed casually and renting a bike. The islands are a wonderful retreat from bustling Istanbul, each with its own unique character and pace of life.