FOOD&DRINK
The Asian side uncovered-- Moda
The Asian side is growing in popularity and has more to offer now than ever before. We've broken it down into sections best for nightlife, shopping, and eating for you. Esen Boyacigiller, Sibel Karabeyoglu and Merve Arkunlar Best  for cafes   Moda is one of those districts that never seems to be on your, though ...
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RESTAURANTS
Barbeque
Nişantaşı residents seem to have all the luck when it comes to great restaurants! Barbeque, which...
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Time Göztepe
Time Göztepe is the kind of venue you can stop by and enjoy no matter the time of day. Stop by ...
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Addio Mamma
Fuat Kanalan and Uluç Yuca, business partners are responsible for Addio Mamma. Meaning &lsquo...
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RESTAURANTS
Çin Çin Restaurant
If you love Chinese food but are tired of going to the same places over and over again, then you sho...
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FOOD&DRINK
Time to celebrate!
With so many great hotels in the city, it’s hard to know which to choose for Christmas and New Year’s Eve partying. Rene Ames breaks it down for you. Unless cooking for family and friends is really your thing and the recession wouldn’t let you ...
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FOOD&DRINK
A pair for Turkish fusion
Rene Ames on Leb-i derya-Richmond’s unusual team.“Oh, but between us, I’m the better dancer”, says Gamze Inceli playfully nudging &...
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FOOD&DRINK
Nouvelle cuisine Turque
Novel approach to the local food. Rene AmesIt has finally come to this: somebody has had the good sense to apply the concepts and techniques of...
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FOOD&DRINK
Mantı matters
Yes, everyone has tried mantı at least once Alizah Salario tries a little bit of this and a little bit of that and discovers why its such a favorite dish. I confess: I was skeptical about going on a mantı marathon.  To be...
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FOOD&DRINK
Vogue is still in vogue
Rene Ames revisits a TOIST favorite and 2002 Time Out/Miller Food and Drink award-winner. A would-be restaurateur would need a good dose of mojo to open in Istanbul’s overly-crowded ga...
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RESTAURANTS
Gani Gani
3 starsGani Gani is one of those precious few places that I found on my own in Istanbul and to which I have...
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RESTAURANTS
Agapia
3 stars    Kadıköy is not the first Istanbul borough that comes to mind when on the hu...
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RESTAURANTS
Dükkan Burger
3.5 starsDukkan is indisputably the best butcher in Istanbul and has been distributing to the best restaurant...
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RESTAURANTS
L’Ola
4.5 starsSpanish restaurant L’Ola has been very positively received in calm Arnavutkoy. The restaurant ...
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RESTAURANTS
Chili’s
5 stars for Chili'sMexican food lovers who have subsisted on homemade guacamole with insanely expensive avocados that a...
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FOOD&DRINK
numnum is yum yum
Not your average burger joint.As soon as you step into its glass-encased premises, you breathe in the fun vibes mostly coming from...
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FOOD&DRINK
How to Go Organic in Istanbul
Is produce purchased at your corner manav organic by definition? Not so, says Jeff Gibbs. Most of my Turkish friends, when asked, blithely insist that Turkish produce is organic by default.&...
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FOOD&DRINK
A Rumeli Hideaway
Away from the usual into somewhere special Rumeli Han is one of Istiklal Caddesi's surviving historic buildings with an unmistakable E...
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FOOD&DRINK
Elusive ingredients
Some ingredients are harder to find than others, Sarah Maddox gives us the 411 on where to buy them.Although when you first arrive in Istanbul, cooking for yourself is about as far from your mind as t...
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RESTAURANTS
Nolita (4 stars)
Very similar in sounding to Lolita, Nolita, which is partners with the owners of Smyrna, has becom...
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Kiki (5 stars)
When did you stop visiting your mother for the holidays? Well, if you don’t remember, Kiki...
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RESTAURANTS
Imbat Restaurant
I don’t tend to go to Sultanahmet and Sirkeci that often to be honest; if you live in Istanbul...
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RESTAURANTS
Canım Ciğerim
A classic revisited This time-tested gem is particularly relevant in these economic times. Stop by and remember why Ca...
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FOOD&DRINK
My Pork Hunt
For the past year I have been smuggling substances into the country. I practice my nonchalant face i...
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FOOD&DRINK
Georgia on my waistline
“I hope you like Borscht,” I told my dining companion and fellow TOiST writer Vanessa La...
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RESTAURANTS
Den Café & Restaurant
3 stars What used to be Café Keyif in Nişantaşı is now called Den Café. Located in...
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Fua
2.5 stars Fua has a view of the Bosphorus, a terrace and is spread over three floors. Upon entering...
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Café Sakizli
 3 stars Just as every summer Istanbulus migrate South to Alacati, so have the southern specia...
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Otto Sofyali
4.5 stars With their authentic pizzas and original music, Otto has been an important part of Istanb...
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Funfondu by Bujene
5 stars Hansel and Gretel’s mouth-watering house isn’t just in the fairytales, you can ...
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RESTAURANTS
Positano
4.5 stars Paris’ Italian Positano has opened its second location in Istanbul. The restaurant...
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FOOD&DRINK
Provincial Foods in Istanbul
Nicola Prentis goes on a tour of Turkey’s regional foods without leaving Istanbul.In a country as vast as Turkey, with as long a history and, nowadays, seven borders, it is no wonder...
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FOOD&DRINK
Kremola
(4/6 stars) Kremola is a small and charming pastry shop and the brainchild of three women, each of ...
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Lychee Restaurant & Bar
We would have never imagined that such a beautiful restaurant with a stunning view could be located ...
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FOOD&DRINK
Fratelli La Bufala
(5/6 stars) Pizza and fine dining don’t tend to go together- but when the entrance is Leven...
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FOOD&DRINK
Quente
5 stars Meat lovers can sate themselves a hundred times over on Turkish cuisine, but it does have...
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FOOD&DRINK
Nu Noodle
3 stars If your chopstick muscles, the ones from ring finger to wrist, are as flaccid as noodles ...
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RESTAURANTS
Eating Box
4 Stars for Eating Box For those who are bored of always going to the same venues on Nispetiye Caddesi, t...
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Vertu
5 Stars for Vertu Vertu recently opened in the hottest corner of Bebek, right near Lucca and Catz. U...
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RESTAURANTS
The Four Seasons Sunday Brunch
4 Stars for The Four Seasons Sunday Brunch Tefikhane Sokak No 1 Sultanahmet 0212 638 8200 Sunday brunch served 11.3...
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RESTAURANTS
Antiochia
5 Stars for Antiochia Asmalımescit mah, mınare sok. No: 21/A, Beyoğlu 0212 292 1100 0pen 12-...
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RESTAURANTS
Albura
Yeni Abıyık Cad. No: 26, Sultanahmet 0212 517 9031 – 32 Open daily 9-1...
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FEATURE
Make it Mikla
Make it Mikla if you’re in for a celebratory blowout. While I was going through 3 hours savouring the new Autumn 2008 menu of Istanbul&r...
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RESTAURANTS
Pucci Plus
All you can eat sushi and italian menus at Pucci Plus spoil you rotten. When one thinks sushi, one sees $$$. Especially in Istanbul, where you’ll be hard-pressed to f...
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RESTAURANTS
Brunch at House Cafe Ortakoy
At House Cafe, brunch means a dizzying array of endless options. If your compass points ‘Feast’ and your watch says ‘eat o’ clock’ then...
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RESTAURANTS
Çiya
Not for the faint of heart!The big red warning light of potential gluttonous excess should flash anywhere you pay according to ...
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RESTAURANTS
Go Mongo
All you can eat asian cuisine. A grill the size of three khans? Now that is gluttony incarnate! The centrepiece and main attraction...
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Flavio
5 star Italian restaurant opens in trendy Asmalimescit One of the most authentic and ambitious Italian restaurants, Flavio, has just opened in Asmal�...
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Maya and Kay’s Kitchen
3 stars for this international restaurant  3 stars         If your home is one of these countries: Jordan,...
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RESTAURANTS
Matbah Restaurant
Delicious food with a breathtaking view...       The Ottoman Imperial Hotel has taken advantage of the most beautifully...
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FEATURE
Tasty Bargains
Trolling Tarlabasi street market...   I used to shop at Food Emporium on the corner of 68th and Broadway on Manhattan’...
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FEATURE
Cumhuriyet Meyhanesi
Cumhuriyet Meyhanesı has filled stomachs and raised spirits for over a hundred years...  My go-to place for any special occasion, Cumhuriyet Meyhanesı has filled stomachs and rai...
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RESTAURANTS
Caffe Nero
Caffe Nero kicks Starbucks to the curbCaffe Nero kicks Starbucks to the curb...    Caffe Nero (5 stars) Though it’s been 6 months since Italian coffee chain Caf...
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Yoort
Frozen yogurt hits Istanbul!Frozen yogurt hits Istanbul!...  Yoort (6 stars) Funny that a country so obsessed with yogurt has just newly discovered th...
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Aqua- 6 stars
The Four Seasons Hotel's Aqua gets 6 starsThe Four Seasons Hotel's Aqua gets 6 stars...  Aqua (6 stars) After years of never-ending construction, the Four Seasons ‘Istanbul...
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FEATURE
Hamburger heaven!
Hamburgers used to be a staple of fast-food, but today, hamburgers can very well be considered a gourmet dining experience. Here are our picks for the yummiest burgers Istanbul has to offer. Hamburgers used to be a staple of fast-food, but today, hamburgers can very well be considered a go...  5. Gourmet Burger Kitchen Created by New Zealander chef Peter Gordon, Gourmet Burger Kitc...
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CAFES
Turkish tea houses
Cute and cozy tea houses perfect for fall. Cute and cozy tea houses perfect for fall. ... Kiki Çay Evi Kiki’s teahouse sounds sweet and tiny and that is exactly what it...
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RESTAURANTS
Covva
5 stars for Covva... Covva (5 stars)  An intensive renovation has been going on for a while at the former pide...
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RESTAURANTS
Abracadabra
4 stars for Arnavutkoy's Abracadabra...Creators Ahmet and Dilara have a passion for food. ... Abracadabra Arnavutköy Cad. No: 50/1, Arnavutköy 0212 358 6087-88  Open 10 -1...
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FEATURE
Top 10 things to Eat in Turkey
Nicola Prentis whittles the contenders down to ten, competition was fierce but the referee’s decision is final.Nicola Prentis whittles the contenders down to ten, competition was fierce but the referee’s decis...As any Turk will tell you, Turkish cuisine is one of the three great cuisines, along with French and...
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FEATURE
Homesick cooking
Rich Carriero shares one of his favourite remedies for missing the folks back home.Rich Carriero shares one of his favourite remedies for missing the folks back home....Smell and taste are the most evocative senses.  Ever smell Christmas pine in the middle of summ...
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FEATURE
The beginner's guide to seeing the future
Passed down from generation to generation, could coffee-cup reading hold the key to Passed down from generation to generation, could coffee-cup reading hold the key to ...Before you get started, remember the following rules: 1) Always turn the coffee cup towards you...
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FEATURE
Light Fantastic
Ekin Erekli searches the menus for dishes that prove that eating lightly doesn’t have to mean foregoing flavour.Ekin Erekli searches the menus for dishes that prove that eating lightly doesn’t have to mean fore...As we all know, eating lightly and eating healthily are much the same thing. And eating lightly also...
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SHOPS
Go green!
Keda Richens finds out where to buy organic food for your kiddies.Keda Richens finds out where to buy organic food for your kiddies....One of the things I’ve always loved about Istanbul is the seasonal fruit and veg. Sure, it can...
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FEATURE
Rice pudding again?
It may seem a strange idea to most Westerners, but there was a time when Turkey was awash with purpose-designed pudding shops. After a period in which they seemed to vanish, suddenly all things dessert are back in fashion again, with several chain puddingIt may seem a strange idea to most Westerners, but there was a time when Turkey was awash with purpo...The ‘Pudding Shop’ in Sultanahmet gained fame in the 1960s as the place to hang out and ...
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FOOD&DRINK
Sweet Treats
The upside of the month of fasting is that it ends with fieker Bayrami, the three-day Sweets Holiday, when Turks countrywide visit their families bearing gifts of all things sweet and sticky. Most people have heard of Turkish delight but that’s not the onlThe upside of the month of fasting is that it ends with fieker Bayrami, the three-day Sweets Holida...Confectionery has come along way since it was first used to mask the flavour of unpleasant medicine ...
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FOOD&DRINK
Pizza vs. Lahmacun: Game on!
Joshua Kloke has spent a considerable amount of time looking for great pizza in Istanbul. Food critic Nicola Prentis counters with the “when in Rome...” argument. In other words, when in Istanbul, eat as the Istanbullites do: lahmacun and pide!Joshua Kloke has spent a considerable amount of time looking for great pizza in Istanbul. Food crit...All loves are traceable back to your past. That sounds a bit Freudian; but I’m just rather hun...
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FOOD&DRINK
The good, bad (and ugly) on the grapevine
Of all the travel destinations for wine lovers throughout the Mediterranean, Turkey has about as much chance of making the list as Iceland. A surprising fact, writes Joe McCanta, considering that Turkey is the fourth largest producer of grapes in the worl Despite the impression you may receive late on a Saturday night in Taksim, the average Turk in...
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CAFES
Sultry spirits
If there’s one thing to be learned from the Gatsby-era flappers of the ‘20s it’s how to stay cool. Joe McCanta takes us through the essentials of summer cocktail cool.   If there’s o...
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RESTAURANTS
Bak-Lover: A History of Baklava
There are few things that unite the fractious former lands of the Ottoman empire, divided by race, language and religion; but there is always Baklava.Scott Newman on the history of baklava   There are few things that unite the fractious fo...
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SHOPS
A Turkish Diet
The restaurant critic goes on a diet. Nicola Prentis tries to find the lighter elements of dining A La Turca.I don’t own up to the four or five kilos of fat I have acquired in Turkey when I am checking m...
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RESTAURANTS
The lüfer trail
Turks name their bluefish according to size: from small sardine-like dimensions to the mass of a salmon, they are variously Defne Yapragi, Çinekop, Sarikanat, Lüfer, and Kofana.Caleb Lauer traces the journey of a lüfer, (bluefish), from its violent gang activities in the Bo...Out in the Bosphorus the lüfer swim in gangs, following schools of mackerel.  When hungry,...
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SHOPS
Edirne on your doorstep
It's not as if it's far to go. You can get there by bus in two and a half hours which makes it a perfect day-trip destination. Of course it doesn't boast ski slopes like Bursa or beaches like Çanakkale. On the other hand what Edirne does haIt's funny how it's the places that are closest to us that we most easily overlook. How el...What to do and where to stay Edirne's town centre is pleasingly compact – you can walk...
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