Recommendations of an Istanbulite: Places to Eat Around Karaköy

As you may have guessed, Istanbulites and Turkish people in general do not always eat kebabs or döner. Just like the Italian cuisine does not consist only of pizza and pasta, the Turkish Cuisine is way more than these two worldwide known dishes. It ranges from a rich culture of meze, to cold (often cooked with olive oil) and hot dishes of vegetables, meat, fish, pilav (pilaf) and a wide range of desserts. Then comes of course the strife with some countries concerning the nationality of certain dishes. Note that all the counterparts of these disputes are countries that once were a part of the Ottoman Empire. So, it should be no great surprise that some dishes are common and have same or very similar names. Moreover, it is only natural that, the best local dishes and delicacies in the realm find their way to the imperial kitchen in Istanbul and from there to the rest of the country. Considering the fact that, at its peak the Ottoman Empire extended across three continents and (according to historians) ruled more than twenty nations, the interaction among cultures must have been immense. Furthermore, no one can assert that the influence was one way. There is no doubt that, Turks also influenced the cuisine of the countries they ruled. Another point is that, for the most part of its history, the Ottoman Empire predated the nationalistic movements and despite the multi-ethnic characteristic of the society, anything that was made or produced in the realm was Turkish in the eyes of foreigners. As a result, some dishes are considered as part of what is gastronomically called Turkish Cuisine, no matter what. It is best to forego this kind of dispute and enjoy what each country has to offer. It is a fact that, even dishes that have same names are not exactly the same and savouring these differences is a great adventure.

Having made this introduction, here are a few recommendations related to places you can eat around Karaköy. These range from purely traditional ones to those that have a more modern approach to Turkish Cuisine or have an outright international menu. Whichever it is, be sure that these places are where local people also enjoy going to.

The first of these is Karaköy Lokantası. Situated at Kemankeş Cd. No: 57, the restaurant is actually on the ground floor of the Novotel Istanbul Bosphorus Hotel. It has a separate door, next to the main entrance of the hotel. Karaköy Lokantası is a place that locals enjoy going to both for lunch and dinner. Founded as a family business in the year 2000, the restaurant describes itself in Turkish as an esnaf lokantası (a “diner for tradesmen”) at lunch time. These kinds of restaurants traditionally serve lunch for small-business owners in their vicinity with menus that highlight the customary dishes of the Turkish Cuisine. Some of these dishes are more often the ones that Turkish people cook and eat at home. At dinner, the restaurant becomes a meyhane, that is a traditional tavern where small dishes of meze are served with rakı or wine. The word meyhane consists of two words in Turkish. Mey means wine and hane means house. Therefore, meyhane is a winehouse, even though patrons usually prefer to drink rakı instead of wine in these places. Karaköy Lokantası was originally at another place on the same avenue, not far from its current location. It moved to its present place in 2021. Having been listed as a recommended Michelin restaurant in 2023 and 2024, it is now popular among foreign visitors in town more than ever.

Novotel Istanbul Bosphorus Hotel is home to another Michelin listed restaurant on its top floor. The Mürver Restaurant offers interpretations of regional and traditional recipes with different and more up-to-date cooking techniques and creativity. What is more, the atmosphere of the bar and restaurant is accentuated by the breathtaking view of the historical peninsula. You can sip your drink and savour your food while indulging in the historical silhouettes of some of the city’s renowned symbols such as the Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia and the Süleymaniye Mosque. Sunset hours are recommended.

Not very far away, at Kılıç Ali Paşa Cad. No: 6, there is the local Fasuli Restaurant that mainly serves (apart from other dishes) the traditional haricot beans (kuru fasulye in Turkish). The traditional menu of Turks that consists of haricot beans, pilaf and pickles was the subject of a previous post titled Haricot Beans, Pilaf and Pickles. (You can click on the link for easy access). Personally, I think the haricot beans of the Erzincanlı Ali Baba Restaurant mentioned in that post is much superior. The location of the latter restaurant is close to the Süleymaniye Mosque. However, if you do not have time to go to that area, Fasuli can be an alternative to try this famous threesome of the Turkish Cuisine.

Karaköy Gümrük Restaurant at Gümrük Sok. No: 4 is another restaurant that I can recommend. The name of the restaurant comes from the original usage of the historical building. The four-storey building once was the Customs (Gümrük) Office of the Karaköy Port. The building was completed in 1905 but it is believed that the construction started ten years earlier. It was designed by the Ottoman Greek architect Ioannis Karagiannis. The edifice has been home to the Karaköy Gümrük Restaurant since 2014. The restaurant not only serves dishes from various parts of Anatolia but also a selection of “World Cuisine” choices as well. Starting from breakfast service, the place is open until midnight. Food is tasty and service is good. Here you can also try traditional dishes, (such as liver (ciğer), tripe (işkembe) and grilled lamb or mutton intestines (kokoreç)) that you would normally find only in specific restaurants specialised in these dishes. The company that owns the restaurant is also the owner of a very popular cafe near the İstiklal Avenue in Beyoğlu, the Ara Cafe.

The last two restaurants are not at the seaside section of Karaköy, but are at a distance of 7 to 9 minutes of walk from the shore area. Both of them are a little higher up, on the hillside part of the district.

Salon Galata, at Bankalar Caddesi No: 3, operates on the ground floor of another historical building dating from the 19th century. It is stated that the place was initially a beer house before being used as the respective branches of several banks. Lastly, it was home to a pharmacy until it was turned into a restaurant. Salon Galata hosts customers with dishes that are inspired by the Turkish Cuisine but that also have a contemporary touch. Special care is given to ingredients that are supplied from different regions of Turkey. The restaurant is highly recommended both by Istanbulites and tourists alike.

The Mahkeme Lokantası (Courthouse Restaurant) at Mahkeme Sokak No: 2/A was previously mentioned on this website in the post Exploring the Old Genoese Quarter of Istanbul: Galata. I hadn’t actually been to the restaurant at the time but was just a passer-by. I can now recommend the restaurant more boldly based on my own experience. Similar to the concept of the Karaköy Lokantası mentioned above, the restaurant serves lunch as an esnaf lokantası (a “diner for tradesmen”) and turns into a meyhane for dinner. There is a rich menu of cold and hot starters (meze), salads, main dishes and desserts accompanied with a wide variety of alcoholic beverages. On the upper floor of the restaurant there are private rooms that can be used for business lunches and dinners or private celebrations.