International cuisine

Cuba

(0212) 245 78 70/71
Ensiz Sokak 11/1A, Asmalımescit.
www.cubabaristanbul.com
Open everyday except Sunday from 11.00-02.00; weekends until 04.00.
This is the neighborhood’s most revolutionary and authentic Latin venue. From the décor to the music, everything is purely Cuban and we love it! Wednesday-Saturday you can enjoy live Cuban music, followed by Cuban DJ Ray. On weekends, it gets so crowded with people showing off their Latin dance moves, you might even forget it’s a restaurant as well that serves great food. The menu is heavy on Caribbean food, but not exclusively so. Caribbean sauce chicken wings, Havana/Trinidad/Varadero sauce French fries, La Guarida-style black bean soup, oven-baked bread topped with your choice of meat/chicken/sucuk/cheese/veggies/seafood and chili con carne are just some of the delicious options on the menu. As for dessert, there’s the Caribbean cheesecake, Cuba cotta and el Havana (fruit and ice cream in a chocolate cup) and more. Everything is yummy. They’ve got loads of drinks but of course the Cuban Mojito is the star. We also recommend the Papa Hemingway (vermouth, rum, crushed ice and lemon zest). The La Guarida-style black bean soup is 6TL, the salads around 14TL, the chili con carne 16TL, and Cuban Mojito 20 TL.

La Brise

(0212) 244 48 46
Asmalımescit Caddesi 28, Asmalımescit
Open everyday from 12.00-15.00 and 18.00-02.00; Saturdays from 18.00-02.00. Closed on Sundays.
La Brise, with its awning, white tablecloths and dark wood tables, is a classic French restaurant. La Brise is centered on the German-French culture of the Alsace-Lorraine region and thus is a hybrid restaurant of the two cultures. For example, you can find both beer and wine varieties. The menu, created and directed by Chef Esen Hünal, features traditional French onion soup, Nicoise salad, Roquefort salad, chicken liver pate, crab-salmon caviar plate, caramelized onion and goat cheese quiches, moules marinieres, tarte tatin and more. The presentation is fairly simple but everything is perfection. If you order steak, for example, you will receive a plate with only the steak on it. You’ve got to order the fries to go with it separately. Traditional French onion soup is 15TL, deli meat plate is 29TL, steak tartare is 30TL and a glass of wine is 12-35TL.

Picante

(0212) 252 47 53
Asmalımescit Mahallesi General Yazgan Sokak 8/B, Tünel
Open on Mondays to Thursdays from 10.30-23.00; Friday and Saturday from 10.30-00.00.
Picante is the one and only authentic Mexican restaurant and surprise, surprise, it’s located in Asmalımescit. Unfortunately the venue isn’t very appropriate for long, chatty dinners because you can literally count the number of tables on one hand. You might just end up stopping by and getting your food to go. One of the most interesting desserts is the fried exotic fruit sandwich. The entrees are as one would expect: burritos, fajitas, enchiladas and other Mexican classics, all done rather well. The best you can expect in the city, at least!