Places to eat in Istanbul

Borsa means 'Stock Exchange' and in fact the first Borsa Restaurant was near the Stock Exchange of Istanbul and was founded in 1927. It is a success story that lasts until our times, since the Borsa still serves traditional Turkish dishes and fills up with businessmen and politicians on week-days and with families on the week-ends.
It is a restaurant that can easily accommodate large parties. It has also a large veranda and a terrasse, with a commanding view, as the restaurant is on a hill overlooking the Bosphorus.
It's a pity that I took this picture on a grey and rainy day, the place looks much nicer when the sky is blue.

Favorite Dish: I dined at this restaurant at least three times and I tried different dishes. I liked them all so I will recommend the main course I had the last time: an excellent Iskender sis kebab.

The Topaz is situated in a residential area, in a block of flats that looks unimpressive on the street side, but on the other side has a great view of the Bosphorus.
It is a modern and elegant restaurant that serves both traditional Turkish dishes and recipes from international cusine. For instance I saw risotto in the menu. By the way, menus in English are available.

Favorite Dish: I chose dishes from the Turkish tradition: stuffed vegetables as a starter, and lamb kebab as main course.

There are actually two Eftalya restaurants, one on each side of the Bosphorus. The one where I have been is on the European side, in the Arnavutköy district.
Its location alone, on the waterfront and with a great view of the Bosphorus, would make this a desirable place for a dinner, but the dishes served here are the main element in making Eftalya one of the most popular restaurants among the wealthy people in Istanbul. I don't think it is well known by tourists.
A typical dinner here consists of a number of appetizers and mezes of seafood and vegetables, then a main course of fish. One must be very hungry to have also a dessert after all the many dishes. My companions and I could not possibly manage a dessert and had fruit instead.

Favorite Dish: It is not easy to remember all the dishes, but I have a clear memory of the squid, probably the best I have eaten in a restaurant. I remember also helping myself several times of the tomato salad, due to the very tasty dressing.

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The enginar cafe is a small cafe/restaurant by the Galata tower where i always make sure to stop for a coffee when i am in Istanbul.
It´s a really nice cafe with both indoor and outdoor seating and the place has a nice bohemian atmosphere and the music is mostly jazzy and i really like the vibe there.
I have always found the waiting staff to be among the best in Istanbul.
Freindly, service minded and intelligent people who were just born to work at this great little cafe.

Favorite Dish: I normally come there for coffee and the general vibe, so i can not really much about the food

Do not be discouraged by the photos of the dishes served on the menu or the fake plants, or the fact that this is part of a chain, or that there are many tourist, Otantik Restaurant really does serve delicious authentic Anatolian cuisine. My travel companion and I stumbled across it on Istiklal Caddesi one evening when we suddenly felt hungry, but we almost walked out because of all of the obvious trappings. Instead, we decided we had nothing to lose and, fortunately, were very pleasantly surprised to find out the food was actually delicious.

This restaurant/cafe is located just south of the Four Seasons hotel and I came here and had a very good Adana Kebab. They have many pizzas on the menu along with pides, salads, chicken curry etc. I got talking to the owner, Ibrahim, who has a passing resemblance to George Clooney, who lives in the USA running carpet shops. There's some nice cushion seating out the front looking onto the street where you can sit and drink a cup of coffee or tea and watch passersby.

The Pudding Shop is the nickname for the "Lale Restaurant" in Sultanahmet and it's become famous for being a meeting place for hippies and other travellers on overland route between Europe and India, Nepal, Middle East - well basically anywhere east of Istanbul. As it was used by so many travellers, the owners put up a notice board so that travellers could schedule rides with their fellow travellers and communicate with friends and family members. This board was very useful to the tourists, and eventually became notorious for the variety of personal messages that were posted alongside the transportation notifications. Today, with modern means of communication, it's become less of a communication tool but is still very popular with tourists and travellers alike.

The restaurant got its colloquial name as a result of "word-of mouth" from numerous foreign travellers that could not remember the name of the eatery but did remember the wide and popular selection of puddings sold there and thus referred to it as the "pudding shop". Today, as well as the puddings, it sells lots of veggie buffet food as well as the normal Turkish favourites such as all the different types of kebabs, meatballs, fish, meat dishes - well you name it. So come here, not just for the food but to a slice of traveller’s history in Istanbul. Who knows, maybe you'll meet other VT'ers!

Open: 7am-11pm.

This restaurant/cafe is also home to a hostel and I came here one evening and had a very good chicken Diana - strips of chicken in a mushroom sauce served with rice, fries, and veg. Other dishes on the menu include pasta, fish, chicken curry, lamb shish. sirloin steak, mixed grill, pepper steak, salads, casseroles etc. Nice place with friendly service.