Asitane

Asitane review

It may be a trek to Edirnekapı, but it's worth it for this one-of-a-kind restaurant, in the eponymous hotel next door, specialising in authentic Ottoman food. Authentic means just that: the same dishes as those served at the circumcision feasts of Sultan Süleyman's sons, Beyazıd and Cihangir, in 1539. Expect lots of sweet and sour fruit and meat combos: kavun dolması is melon stuffed with mincemeat, rice, almonds, currants and pistachios; nirbaç is a stew made with diced lamb, meatballs and carrots, spiced with coriander, ginger, cinnamon, pomegranate and crushed walnuts. The leafy garden is lovely in summer.