In Istanbul, exploring the food landscape that the city has to offer is one of the best activities for people who love trying new things, myself included. And the best part is the fact that there is a new restaurant or cafe opening up every week. Having the chance to frequent new places, I formed a few favorites so here’s a list of 4 Istanbul restaurants I keep coming back to.
Döner Maps
Located in Aksaray, as a self-appointed shawarma connoisseur since all I ate was shawarma during my bachelors, Döner Maps has one of the greatest shawarma I’ve had in the area. There’s a few restaurants nearby selling shawarma but from my experience this is one of the best and since they are relatively new, there’s always an empty seat.
Their Dürüm Döner is the classic shawarma with pickles and toum with a crispy fried outer wrap that tastes amazing paired with ayran. Their Portion Döners come with several sides such as thin crispy and seasoned fries, coleslaw, amazing garlicky toum, and cut vegetables.
And as a person who loves trying new drinks they have a great selection of fun flavors to try, I recommend trying the lemon gazoz. They also have spacious indoor and outdoor seating, making it comfortable for larger groups.
Molla Gürani, Turgut Özal Millet Cd. Yeni Han No.:8, 34093 Fatih
Kroren
I can say without a doubt that this is the best price to performance restaurant I have tried in the city, and if there’s one place I keep returning to it’s this one.
If you enjoy ramen, you should order their well known Dana Etli Ramen. They make the noodles in-house and as a result you get wonderfully hand pulled fresh noodles for each order. Their broth also has a deep rich flavor that pairs nicely with the fresh vegetables on a cold winter night.
If you would prefer chicken, whilst a bit pricy, their special chicken (previously named Manzhou chicken) is an amazing pick. It’s a tangy and spicy fried chicken that goes well with plain rice.
Their side dishes, namely rice cake and kebab bread are a must try, bear in mind many menu items are spicy but you can ask the waiter to remove the chili oil. Take it from me who has been coming here since 2023, this is one of the greatest Uyghur places around.
They have 3 branches in Istanbul: Fatih, Levent and Kadıköy. The Fatih branch is best equipped for a smaller size group and often has a line around dinner time but Levent and Kadıköy have bigger table options if your group is larger.
Topkapı, Turgut Özal Millet Cd. No:170, 34093 Fatih/İstanbul
Mapitaly
I hope I’m not the only one noticing the general increase in Italian restaurants or places serving Italian pizzas but if I were to recommend one it would be Mapitaly.
Located in the quiet and unassuming alleyways of Mecidiyeköy, this charming two floor spot is home to an amazing lasagna dish and oven baked pizzas. Perfectly cooked lasagna sheets layered with a flavorful meat sauce that just melts in your mouth, this dish is a must try.
Having the chance to try the Margherita pizza, just a refreshing taste, it comes with a crispy crust topped with arugula and parmesan. Although, given the chance I would’ve loved to try their interesting flavor combination; pizza No:8 it’s seasonal with labneh white sauce and topped with figs.
Another dish I got to try was the Arancini appetizer. The blend of rice, peas and parmesan cheese was coated and fried to perfection then served with a light tomato sauce and grated parmesan, giving it an airy and creamy taste.
If you have the chance to visit, keep in mind that the lasagna is a popular dish and could run out during the evening hours and that they start service from 12-9:30 pm.
Mecidiyeköy Mahallesi, Hark Sk. Çağdaş Apt no:2/A, 34381 Şişli/İstanbul
Reyhun
If you had ever wanted to try Persian food, this is the first place to visit. Tucked away in the bustling alleys of Taksim, Reyhun is well-known and beloved by the Persian community.
Their selection of meats are particularly tasty, namely Kebab Koobideh and if you fancy chicken, their Joojeh kebab is a personal favorite of mine. But if you’re feeling particularly adventurous they also serve several stews, and while I believe it’s an acquired taste I still recommend trying the Ghormeh sabzi (Herb Stew).
And if you’re not against berries, their barberry saffron rice pairs lovely with any dish you end up choosing.
However, the star of the show is actually their appetizers and side dishes. They have an amazing grilled aubergine dish called Mirza Ghasemi, that is served with fresh, hot and deliciously crunchy authentic stone cooked bread.
And if you’re a fan of olives like me, their Zeytoon Parvarde, a combination of green olives, pomegranate molasses, walnuts, garlic, and mint can just be described as heavenly on a piece of fresh bread.
And if you fancy dessert, their saffron ice cream is incredible on a warm summer evening.
Tomtom, Yeni Çarşı Cd. No:26, 34433 Beyoğlu/İstanbul
Have you tried any of these spots? Let us know your favorites, and tell us where else in Istanbul we should try next.
