Istanbul: Restaurants, Bars, Clubs
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Istanbul has so so many restaurants, impossible to list them all, but here some nice, good, interesting and fun ones:

Some fancy, posh, a la mode Restaurants, Bars & Clubs

• 360 ISTANBUL: Istiklal Street, Mısır Apartment, 8th Floor No: 163 Beyoglu . great place, a must see. Restaurant & Club
• Anjelique:  Salhane Sok. No:5 Ortaköy . One more step and you fall into the Bosphoros. Go by boat if you have one !
• Lucca: Cevdetpaşa Caddesi No:51 B, Bebek. Famous for its cocktails
• Sortie: Kuruçeşme Mahallesi, Muallim Naci Cd. Sortie No:54, Beşiktaş. Tel: (0212) 327 8585
• Sunset:Adnan saygun `Cad. Yol Sok. No;2, Ulus. Amazing views
• Nomads: Ortaköy Mahallesi, Muallim Naci Cd. No:65, Beşiktaş. Tel: (0212) 258 0777
• Ulus29 : Adnan Saygun CaddesiUlus Parkı İçi No:71/1Ulus, Turkish & International. In winter times also a club . Amazing view.
• Cafe del Mundo: Kumbaracı Yokuşu Girişi. İstiklal Cad. 79/D Tünel. Tel: (0212) 243 7107. Bar. Open until 2am.

Fish Restaurants:

• Balıkçı Kahraman: İskele cad. No:15, Rumeli Kavağı. Tel: (0212) 242 64 47. Modest deco but very nice fish.
• Balıkçı Sabahattin: Cankurtaran Mahallesi, Seyit Hasan Kuyu Sok No: 1, Sultanahmet. Tel: (0212) 458 18 24. Not fancy, but nice.
• Bebek Balıkçısı: Cevdet Paşa Caddesi No: 26/A, Bebek. Tel: (0212) 263 34 47. Nice views and good fish.
• Doğa Balık : Sıraselviler Cad. Mavi Plaza No:84/6
 Beyoğlu. Tel: (0212) 293 91 44. Typical Raki/Balik. Nice views on Topkapı Palace 
• Eleos: They have two branches: In Yeşilbahçe Sok No: 9, Yeşilköy and in İstiklal Caddesi No:231 Kat:2 Hıdivyal Palas (Tünel), Beyoğlu . Armenian mezzes and greek classics.
• Kıyı: Kefeliköy Caddesi 126 
Tarabya. Tel: (0212) 262 0002. Upscale seafood restaurant.
• Park Fora: •   Muallim Naci Cad. Cemil Topuzlu Parkı İçi No:54/A. Ortaköy. Great terrace with delicious fish
• Poseidon: Küçük bebek Cevdet Paşa Cad. No:58 D:1 Beşiktaş. Great views on the Bosphoros 
• Sultanahmet Fish House:Prof. K. Ismail Gurkan Caddesi No: 14. In Sultanahmet area. 
• Tarihi Ali Baba: Kireçburnu Cad. No:20-22, Sariyer. Tel: (0212) 223 25 25. Modest but very nice fish.

Turkish:

• Hamdi: Tahmis Cad Kalcin Sok No.17 Eminönü. Tel: (0212) 528 0390. Well known for their kebabs. Nice views from the terrace
• Pandeli Restaurant. Mısır Çarşısı No:1, Fatih. Tel: (0212) 527 3909. Inside the Spice market.
• Ciya Sofrasi: Caferağa Mh., Güneşli Bahçe Sk No:43,Kadiköy (Asian side) Tel: (0216) 330 3190. Great option to enjoy good Turkish food at reasonable prices
• Sans: Hacı Adil Caddesi Palmiye Sokak No:1, 1. Levent. Tel: (0212) 280 3838. Mediterranean fine dining restaurant situated in a beautiful villa. Very nice Food!
• Recep Usta: Yazmacı Tahir Sokak No:22 Sahilyolu. Suadiye. Tel: (0216) 410 92 22 . Great Lamm
  
• Asitane: Kariye Camii Sokak No:6, Edirnekapı. Tel: (0212) 635 7997. Fine Ottoman cuisine.
  
• Matbah Restaurant: Caferiye Sokak No 6/1, Sultanahmet,(in the Ottoman Hotel Imperial) Tel: (0212) 514 61 51. Ottoman Cuisine
• Köşebaşı: They have six restaurants in Istanbul, also in Ankara, Izmir and many countries abroad. Known for Meat/Kebab + Mezzes
• Imbat Restaurant: Hudavendigar Caddesi No:34, Sirkeci. Tel: (0212) 520 7191. Turkish Aegean & Mediterranean cuisine. Very good
• Galapagos: Istanbul Caddesi no:35 34153 Menekşe, Florya. Tel: (0212) 540 1195. Nice views and good food
• Aloran Cafe & Restanrant: Cankurtaran Mah. Akbiyik Cad. Adliye Sok. No.11, Sultanahmet, Tel: (0212) 458 8528
• Boncuk Meyhane: Nevizade St. 19, Beyoglu, Tel: (0212) 243 1219
• List of main Meyhanes in Istanbul, click HERE
  
  

International:

• Banyan: Ortaköy Salhanesi Sok. Fescizade Binasi No: 3/2. Tel: (0212) 259 9060. Great Food with nice view over the Bosphorus
• Borsa restaurant: Kandili Mh. Üsküdar. Tel: (0216) 3322333. On the Asian side between the 1st and 2nd Bridge. Contemporary Turkish cuisine.
• Dragon: Inside the Hilton Bosphorus Hotel, Cumhuriyet Cad. Great Chinese Restaurant
• Habesha: Hüseyin Ağa Mahallesi, Ekrem Tur Sokak 5, Nevizade, Beyoğlu, Tel: (212) 293 80 38. Ethiopian restaurant.
• Itsumi: On the Suada Island, Beşiktaş. Tel: (0212) 264 6448. Original Japanese cuisine.
• Lucca: Bebek Mh., Cevdet Pasa Caddesi No:51. Tel: (0212) 257 1255, Modern upscale cafe/Bistro
• Maromi. Sushi-Japanese. Inside the Divan Taksim Hotel. Asker Ocağı Cd. 34367 No:1 Taksim Şişli.Tel: (0212) 315 5583
• Mangerie: Cevdetpasa Cad. No 69, Bebek Tel: (212) 263 51 99. They have a terrace with great views.
• Müzede Changa: Sakip Sabanci Cad. No 2 Emirgan Tel: (212) 323 09 01. Next to the Sabanci Museum, Turkish food with great views on the Bosphorus, nice atmosphere.
• Nusret-Et Steakhouse Etiler: Nispetiye Caddesi No:87 Etiler-Beşiktaş. Tel: (0212) 358 3022. Known for its meat.
• Shang Palace: Shang Palace is the Shangri-La's signature restaurant. A delicious authentic Chinese restaurant. Don't miss the Peking Duck
• Sunset: Kuruçeşme Mah. Yol Sok. No:2 Ulus Park, Ulus, Beşiktaş. Tel:(0212) 287 0357. International. Great views.
• Udonya: Şehit Muhtar Mahallesi, Tarlabaşı Blv 26, Beyoğlu. Tel:(0212) 256 9318. Good Sushi- Japanese restaurant
• Vogue: Akaretler Spor Caddesi No:42.. Macka. BJK Plaza A-Block, 13th floor. Tel: (0212) 227 4404. Panoramic View over the Bosphorus

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Other very small places nice to know:

• Kutu Cafe: Fırıldak  Sokak 25/A, Moda. Tel: (0216) 550 7400. Ideal for vegetarians.
• Ahırkapı Balıkçısı: Keresteci Hakkı Sokak 46, Sultanahmet. Tel: (0212) 518 4988. Ask for the calamaris
• Mini Dondurma: Cevdet Paşa Caddesi 38/A, Bebek. Tel: (0212) 257 1070. Very nice ice-cream
• Parsifal Vejetaryen: Kurabiye Sokak No 9/A Beyoglu . Ideal for vegetarians and vegans. They even sell beer and wine!
• Pando Kaymak: Mumcu Bakkal Sokak, Beşiktaş. Tel: (0212) 258 2616. As the name says: known for its Kaymak.   
• MOC- Ministry of Coffee: Şakayık Sok. No: 4/A, Nişantaşı, Tel: (0212) 234 4465. Great coffee and super ambiance
• Cremeria Milano: İstiklal Cad. No. 164A, Beyoğlu or Maçka Cad. No.20A, Harbiye. Great ice-creams
• Hafiz Mustafa 1864: Hocapasa Mahallesi Muradiye Caddesi No: 51, Sirkeci, Fatih. They have 4 places in Istanbul
• Boxx Coffee: Coffee Roasters. You can also buy online
  
• Brekkie Croissant & Cookie: Osmanağa, Yoğurtçu Parkı Cd No:68/b, Kadıköy. Tel: (0216) 345 0345. They have very nice Croissants. Closed on mondays.
  

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Beverages in Turkey

Rakı:  
Rakı, which is famous as the Turkish national drink, is drank in flat cylindrical glasses and cold (8-10 degree) together with water and ice-cubes. Rakı which is a distilled alcoholic beverage strongly aromatized with lots of anise, is mainly consumed with Fish dishes. 
The most famous brands are:  Yeni Raki, Tekirdag, and Efe. 


Beer: The most famous one is ‘Efes’. 


Wines in Turkey:
Turkish wines are getting better and better. There are mainly 7 regions of Turkey that produce wine:


South-East Anatolia: Around Dyarbakir. This region accounts for 3.4% of all wine produced in Turkey. 
The grape variety is: Boğazkere.

Mid-Eastern Anatolia: Around Tokat and Malatya.This region accounts for 14.7% of all the wine produced in Turkey. 
The grape variety is: Boğazkere, Narince, Öküzgözü.

Mid-Northern Anatolia: Around Ankara and Usak.  This region accounts for 3.3% of all the wine produced in Turkey.
The grape variety is: Boğazkere, Kalecik Karası, Öküzgözü, Shiraz (Syrah)

Mid-Southern Anatolia: Around Nevsehir. This region accounts for 12.1% of all the wine produced in Turkey.
The grape variety is: Chardonnay, Dimrit, Emir, Kalecik Karası, Malbec, Narince, Öküzgözü, Sauvignon Blanc, Tempranillo.

Mediterranean: Around Elmali. This region accounts for 0.2% of all the wine produced in Turkey.
Grape variety: Boğazkere, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Kalecik Karas›, Malbec, Merlot, Öküzgözü, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz (Syrah).

Aegean: Around Izmir, Manisa, Denizli, Canakkale.This region accounts for 52.7% of all the wine produced in Turkey.
The grape variety in the region are: Alicante Bouchet, Boğazkere, Bornova Misketi, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Chardonnay, Çalkarası, Çavuş, Dimrit, Grenache, Kalecik Karası, Karalahna, Kuntra, Malbec,Merlot, Mourvedre, Narince, Öküzgözü, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz (Syrah), Sultaniye, Tempranillo, Vasilaki, Viognier.

Marmara:Around Edirne, Tekirdag, Adapazari. This region accounts for 13.6% of all the wine produced in Turkey.
The grape variety here are: Adakarası, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Cinsault, Gamay, Kalecik Karası, Merlot, Papazkarası, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillion, Shiraz (Syrah), Viognier.

Wine & Wine Bars:
If you want to see a wide selection of wines and/or buy, go to:

• Sensus Galata: Bereketzade Mah. Büyükhendek Cad. No.5,Beyoğlu. Tel: (0212) 245 5657
  

The main Wineries are:

• Kavaklidere ( Egeo, Selection, Vin & Art, Pendore, Cōte d'Avanos and others) . The main and biggest Wine Company in Turkey
  
• Doluca: ( Sarafin, Narince, DLC, Villa Doluca and others) 
  
• Urla: ( Tempus, Vourla, Nexus and others)  
  
• Sevilen: ( 900, Premium, Isabey and others) 
  
• Yazgan: ( Mahra, Casabah and others) 
  
• Pamukkale: ( Anfora,  Harman and others)
  

> > Don't miss checking out the page of Aegean Wine Tour

Without Alcohol:

Ayran: Is one of the fundamental drinks in Turkish culture. Ayran is a cold beverage of yogurt, mixed with cold water and salt. It is mainly drank with meat dishes like Kebabs.

Salep: is made from the dried powdered roots of a mountain orchid. The powder is then heated with milk, sugar and cinnamon to make a thick dairy beverage.

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Turkish Coffee:

The roasted coffee beans are very finely grinded. It is prepared in a small pot called cezve, In the cezve, first put the cold water and sugar, then add the coffee and boil it. It is then served in a cup, but allow it to settle a little bit before drinking. 
In some places when you finish drinking your coffee, place your saucer on top of the cup, then turn it around and let it cool. Don’t forget to make a wish before turning! A fortune teller will then be able to read your coffee and...your future...
When you order a Turkish coffee, you will be asked in advance how much suger you want in it. You can have it: Sade (no sugar), Orta şekerli (medium sweet) or çok şekerli (very sweet).

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Turkish Tea:

Turkish tea, (çay) , is black tea which comes from the black sea region, is consumed without milk.

Turkish tea is typically prepared using a çaydanlık (two stacked kettles) specially designed for tea preparation. Water is brought to a boil in the larger lower kettle and then some of the water is used to fill the smaller kettle on top and steep several spoons of loose tea leaves, producing a very strong tea. When served, the remaining water is used to dilute the tea on an individual basis, giving each consumer the choice between strong tea (koyu) or weak tea (açık). Tea is drunk from small glasses to enjoy it hot ( watch out not to burn your fingers).








See below the classical presentations of Turkish tea, Ayran and Salep:

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