Gourmet Traveler's Restaurant Guide

Description:

Located on the top two floors of the new Marmara Pera hotel, Mikla is the newest hit of the Istanbul Yiyecek Icecek A.S. ("eat drink") ventures, which includes the very popular Lokanta (at Nu Pera in winter and at rooftop as Nu Teras in summer). The Swedish born chef, Mehmet Gürs, is somewhat of an Istanbul celebrity by now; he settled in Istanbul in the 1990s and has made all of the kitchens he's touched turn to gold. Reservations are hard to come by and the wait for a table is long; the management makes it easy with the upstairs bar views of the lights of the Old City. Raw grouper makes an outstanding appetizer, followed by the whole roast beef tenderloin for two. Try to leave space for the memorable pistachio and tahini ice cream.

Our Local Expert Says:

Best hill-top restaurant with a magnificent view commanding the air of Bosphorus

Description:

If you were planning to spend a lot of money on food in Istanbul, you'd be advised to make the most of the whole experience by going to Sunset Grill & Bar in the warmer seasons on a very clear night. Arrive early and ask to be seated at a table in the lush garden terrace, which commands fantastic views of the gleaming Bosphorus Strait and the spectacular sunset. The menu boasts modern Californian cuisine and imaginative meat and fish dishes. There is also a sushi bar.

Our Local Expert Says:

Topaz Restaurant has won a serious number of awards in a short time. In two years, the place has been awarded with "Best Service", "Best Mediterrenean Cuisine Restaurant" and twice with "Best Wine List" awards by Gusto Readers, Gusto Oscars and Time Out Istanbul.

Description:

Opened in 2007, Topaz Restaurant is a serious and elegant place established inside a tall residential building up on the hills of Gumussuyu. One side of the establishment, that is looking directly over Bosphorus, has been covered entirely by window panes, creating a mystifying atmosphere, an illusion that you may be reigning over the Bosphorus. Sitting by the window panes on this side makes you also feel as if you are hovering over the beautiful city of Istanbul. The food, as well as the atmosphere, is also overwhelming. It is not cheap, but worth every penny. the menu is diverse with samples of Ottoman Cuisine and World Cuisine. Bursa Gazipasa Artichokes with black rice, Tortellini with pate, Vegetable risotto with beef, Istanbul Seabass with Agean grassroots are highly recommended. There are also two degustacion menus: one on Ottoman cuisine and one on Mediterrenean. Good variety of wine, very good service.

Description:

Reservations for front row tables offering a vast and beautiful view are essential at this very chic restaurant. The sleek white and chrome décor attracts an elegant lunch crowd of businessmen and is also very much preferred by ladies' social groups for their luncheon parties. The menu is an innovative blend of fusion Turkish and continental cuisine. A word of caution: The staff used to be  unobtrusively efficient and the service excellent; however, there has been some lack of care and sloppiness in this are in recent years. The restaurant did also lose some of its local customers. Nevertheless, it does continue to offer excellent samples of world cuisine, especially sushi.

Our Local Expert Says:

The views here are just as good as the food! A pricey restaurant to be sure, 360 Istanbul offers superb dining with great wait staff, and a view that is paralleled by few. A romantic way to spend the evening.

Description:

As the name implies, this restaurant offers a stunning 360 degree view of the city. Although quiet at lunch, it transforms into a sophisticated and trendy nightspot. The fare is more or less international, with a range of exotic dishes. Try dishes like Prawns in a Jar with Lemon Grass, or the Bollywood Chicken. Stick to Turkish cuisine or go in for some sushi, but definitely order something from the imported wine list. The DJ and the live music keep you on your feet—the atmosphere gets more vibrant as the night progresses.

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.

Description:

The high-point of Litera is its position and view, which encompasses not only the Bosphorus and the Princes' islands, but also the old city. Litera is one of the three restaurants owned by the ERC Group -in fact the address of ERC Office is commonly mistaken on the Internet as the address of Litera. Litera starts the day at 11:00 AM with lunch and continues to serve throughout the day as a cafe. Kitchen re-opens for dinner at 19:00, and after 23:00 the dancing and music starts. It is a friendly place that accommodates also the customers, who wish not to eat, but to have a drink or two against the view of the city and the Bosphorus. Nevertheless, NileGuide advises strongly that you perhaps taste either the fried chicken pastry (tava börek) or the plainer vegetable börek, followed by spring chicken with thyme -cooked the villager style-, ending with panna cotta or almond nut chocolate cake. Be sure to reserve a table if you plan on having a dinner.

Our Local Expert Says:

Best Italian restaurant in Istanbul.

Description:

Da Vittorio, on the first floor of Ansen Suites, might be the one and only true Italian restaurant in Istanbul. Its owner and chef Vittorio Sindoni used to work at a variety of other worldwide well-known Italian restaurant branches in Istanbul (Bice, Papermoon and W Hotel Restaurant) before opening his own place in Galata, Beyoglu. Once inside, one feels as if in Roma or Milan upon hearing "Ciao, Buena sera, tutto bene, eh?" and the dim-litted interiors with the decoration of a typical trattoria (Italian Restaurants) seem to corroborate that hunch. Fortunately, the staff is multilingual. They speak English as well as some Turkis; but do keep on going dropping at you few "Thank you's" and "Please's" in Italian through the night. Menu is also quite traditional: a few antipasti (entries), few primi piattis (first dishes)–pasta basically- followed by the secondi (second dishes) -meat or fish. Aside from what is regularly on the menu, there are also a few other daily meals, including very unique dishes like grilled artichokes. "Paccheri Amitriciana" –fresh pasta with tomato and goat cheese, fillet mignon sauted with Barolo wine and served with caramelized potatoes and spinach, and the spaghetti with sardines are also extremely delicious. Nevertheless, the best meal of all times might be its Osso Bucco -which unfortunately is not on the regular menu, but is one of the daily-served dishes. There is also wide selection of red and white Italian wines. The staff is extremely friendly and cheerful, making you feel like at home.

Our Local Expert Says:

Best atmosphere, reminiscent of the past times

Description:

The contemporary design of this sleek and stylish romantic getaway carries this traditional Ottoman yali into the 21st century. The property was originally the stately mansion of the Turkish journalist and politician, Ahmet Rasim. In the 1970s, the house was converted into an elementary school (in fact, students still drop by to have a look). Accommodations range from sublime to otherworldly: ergonometric king-size beds, oversize goose feather pillows, oversize bathtubs, and picture windows for optimal Bosphorus views. The mezzanine suite (with the tub next to the bed) is host to many a romantic interlude; the management recently obliged by pasting rose petals on the glass to spell out "will you marry me?"

Our Local Expert Says:

“Best Restaurant in Istanbul” by the Financial Times in its special Turkey additional copy –year unknown and unannounced

Description:

Da Mario is an upscale, romantic Italian Restaurant on the hills of Etiler; and it is one of those places where you will be guaranteed consistency in quality and in service. It is one of the very good Italian restaurants in Istanbul and is owned and managed by a trusted brand: the Doors Group -owners of Anjelique Club, A'jia Hotel, Vogue etc.  The menu is designed to offer plenty of Italian tastes, including the Osso Buco, as well as oven-baked pizzas and good Italian wine. Criticism remains to be made still for the heavy spices used in the some pasta sauces, yet the menu remains to be one of the best and the most traditional Italian menus in Istanbul. Most locals love this place for friendly gatherings and family get-togethers. It is in a nice and quite neighborhood with no special views or a terrace; but has a nice garden with outside seating in the summers. Nevertheless, there are also some who consider that, "it (Da Mario) used to be a cool place"; but is now frequented by business people for business lunches. Still a possibility on the list of date, business, romantic and serious dinner restaurants and has been chosen once the "Best Restaurant in Istanbul" by the Financial Times in its special Turkey additional copy –year unknown and unannounced.

Description:

Where Alfredo now stands (in fact not even yet stands), there used to be the first and most original Mezzaluna branch. Not much ado and not much to say yet, as Mezzaluna is closed and is being replaced by Alfredo... We'll have to wait and comment till Alfredo opens.

Our Local Expert Says:

Best French Bistro in the city

Description:

Located right on the corner of the Asmalı Mescit Street -referred to simply as "Asmalı" by the local folk- as you enter it from the side where the Marmara Pera Hotel is, you recognize La Brise from its red tilts. Tiny, yet cozy, lined with white table tops, frequented by typical Istanbulelites, La Brise is indeed a little germ on the Asmalı. Run by the the Hunal family (who also run the bar & bistro North Shields branch), everything on the menu is a must-try. A French Bistro, decorated very much like one, serves delicate samples of French cuisine including the French Onion Soup for starters, maybe accompanied by Pate de foie de poulet (chicken pate) or Huitres -les 6- (the shelled fish) and followed by Chateaubriand (for share). A concise wine list is available and do consult the chef or the sommelier for suggestions on delicate Turkish wines -there is in fact some niche Turkish wine available here. A meal is unfinished without the enchanting Napoleon -mille feuille.

Our Local Expert Says:

One of the best fine dining experiences

Description:

Mimolett is yet a new born baby in the upscale-bohemian neighborhood of Cihangir. Nonetheless, since its opening in Dec. 2009, it has been getting very good attention for the gourmet population of Istanbul. Mimolett's owner/chef Murat Bozok describes Mimolett as his one and only dream: a place of his own at home. After years of training and working abroad, Murat Bozok always meant to come back to his home country and find his own place and to earn himself those Michelin rates that he had worked and earned for others abroad. He studied administrative sciences at the Istanbul University here in Istanbul and then took of to the United States to study culinary arts to become a chef. He started working for Gordon Ramsey first at Ramsey's one and only restaurant with three Michelin Stars. Later on he moved to Paris and started working under Joë Robuchon in L'Atelier. Few years later, he went back and teamed up with Ramsey again, working as sous-chef in Ramsey's new restaurant Petrus and as head-chef in Devonshire Pub. When he finally moved back into Istanbul, he did what was always on his mind: opened his new place, his little pearl the Mimolett. Mimolett takes after a cheese variety, traditionally produced around the city of Lille, France. Murat Bozok is also trying to produce this cheese variety at the same time as he tries to establish his new restaurant. Check out his personal blog for latest information on both his restaurant and other initiatives, such as making cheese: /2009/12/mimolett-aciliyor.html

Entering this fine place, one walks through a thin and short aisle into an elegant bar accommodating about10-12 people, serving fine apertives. Below the first level are three levels of restaurant section, with only a slight hymn of music and finely covered tables. The interior decor is aesthetically designed. The service is attentive and polite; yet also pretty slow. If you are one of those customers, who wants to be tended for at all times, you will be annoyed at Mimolett. The sommelier service is top of the menu. With over 250 choices of wine, unless you have a pretty good knowledge of wine, do ask for direction from your sommelier. The menu is a refined interpretation of South France, South Italy, Greece and Turkish cuisines and consists of seven / eight startes, eight / ten main courses and five to six desserts. The menu will be changing seasonally to make available seasonal ingredients and delicacies. There are two tasting menus: one of meat and the other of fish based meals. Risotto with aged balsamic vinegar, chestnuts and truffles and ravioli with crayfish, smoked lobster and scallops of the starters are highly recommended. The baked duck with orange sauce served with dough was tremendous, even for someone not into red meat. Keep your radar open for visiting chefs in near future: Robuchon and Ramsey are first on the list.