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Best Restaurants in Istanbul (2026)

Istanbul's food scene runs from tiny köfte houses to some of the most ambitious kitchens in the region. TURK Fatih Tutak in Bomonti holds two Michelin stars, while Mikla, on top of The Marmara Pera, and Neolokal, inside SALT Galata, each hold one, and all three need booking well ahead. For a more traditional meal, Hünkar in Nişantaşı serves Ottoman-style home cooking from a daily changing counter, and Pandeli, inside the Spice Bazaar building, offers classic Istanbul dishes in tiled rooms. Karaköy Lokantası is a lokanta at lunch and a meyhane at night, with meze and rakı.

Cross to Kadıköy for Çiya Sofrası, where the menu draws on regional recipes from across Anatolia and changes every day. Kebab lovers should try Hamdi, beside the Spice Bazaar with views over the Golden Horn, or the original Develi in Samatya. Near the main sights, Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi Selim Usta is ideal for a quick lunch, and Balıkçı Sabahattin in Cankurtaran serves seafood in a 1927 wooden house. Finish with baklava at Karaköy Güllüoğlu. Dinner is eaten later than in Britain, and booking is wise for weekend evenings.

12 places · Updated November 12, 2026

Our top 3 restaurants in Istanbul

  1. Turk Fatih Tutak Modern Turkish tasting menu, BomontiChef Fatih Tutak's Bomonti tasting-menu restaurant, holding two Michelin stars and a Green Star, reworking Turkish culinary traditions with modern technique.
  2. Mikla New Anatolian fine dining, BeyoğluMehmet Gürs's rooftop restaurant atop The Marmara Pera, serving a Michelin-starred New Anatolian menu with panoramic views over the old city and Bosphorus.
  3. Neolokal Contemporary Turkish, KaraköyMaksut Aşkar's Michelin-starred restaurant inside SALT Galata, reviving forgotten Turkish recipes and ingredients with modern techniques and clear sourcing.

Restaurant

1. Turk Fatih Tutak

Modern Turkish tasting menu$$$$Bomonti

Chef Fatih Tutak's Bomonti tasting-menu restaurant, holding two Michelin stars and a Green Star, reworking Turkish culinary traditions with modern technique.

View details — Turk Fatih Tutak

Restaurant

2. Mikla

New Anatolian fine dining$$$$Beyoğlu

Mehmet Gürs's rooftop restaurant atop The Marmara Pera, serving a Michelin-starred New Anatolian menu with panoramic views over the old city and Bosphorus.

View details — Mikla

Restaurant

3. Neolokal

Contemporary Turkish$$$$Karaköy

Maksut Aşkar's Michelin-starred restaurant inside SALT Galata, reviving forgotten Turkish recipes and ingredients with modern techniques and clear sourcing.

View details — Neolokal

Restaurant

4. Pandeli

Classic Ottoman-Istanbul cuisine$$$Eminönü

A historic restaurant founded in 1901 above the Spice Bazaar entrance, known for its blue-tiled rooms and classic Istanbul dishes, now a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

View details — Pandeli

Restaurant

7. Hünkar

Traditional Turkish lokanta$$$Nişantaşı

A family-run lokanta founded in Fatih in 1950 and now in Nişantaşı, serving around thirty daily dishes including its namesake hünkar beğendi.

View details — Hünkar

Restaurant

9. Çiya Sofrası

Anatolian regional cuisine$$Kadıköy

Musa Dağdeviren's Kadıköy market restaurant, founded in 1998, cooking regional Anatolian dishes and rediscovered recipes on a menu that changes daily.

View details — Çiya Sofrası

Restaurant

10. Develi Samatya

Kebab restaurant$$$Samatya

The original Samatya branch of Develi, a family kebab house founded in 1912 and now in its fourth generation, known above all for its kebabs.

View details — Develi Samatya