A modest, single-room venue just off Tünel Square, Badehane began as an eaterie, but quickly evolved into one of the most popular bars in town. Smarter after a recent...

Behind the Galatasaray Lycée, this fabulous 19th- century building was originally a school for the Italian Workers' Association. Beautifully converted into a glamorous bar and...

Don't let the entrance via the dismal lobby of the Villa Zurich Hotel put you off: Doĸa Balık is a splendid neighbourhood fish restaurant. The dining rooms on the seventh floor...

The neighbourhood around the Galata Tower is getting a major facelift: streets have been repaved and cafés have spread their tables across the spruced up square surrounding the...

One of the oldest restaurants in Istanbul, Hacı Abdullah is deservedly famous for traditional Ottoman fare. Three old-school dining rooms are brightened by a few contemporary...

Right on Eminönü square, Hamdi is a hot favourite among Istanbul natives, particularly business lunchers and carniverous fans of south-eastern Turkish food. Hamdi serves meat...

Kaktüs' elegant dark-wood interior owes a great deal to the classic French café. Its patrons do their best to recreate the ambience of a Godard movie by chain-smoking and...

On the roof garden of the 18-storey Marmara Pera hotel, Mikla is the latest project of Turco-Finnish chef Mehmet Gürs (formerly of Lokanta) and is already one Istanbul's most...

Arguably the best pizzeria in town, this cosy eatery in the heart of Cihangir is a big hit with resident foreigners. Selen and Elif, who both have backgrounds in textiles,...

An essential stop for fans of the Orient Express and Agatha Christie, this time-warp is bang in the centre of Sirkeci station, the final stop of the world's most famous train....

Not a bad place for lunch if you're shopping in the Egyptian Bazaar. Occupying a wonderful set of domed rooms above the bazaar entrance, Pandeli is very much the essence of...

On a hilltop with a stunning vantage point over the Golden Horn, this café is dedicated to French naval officer Pierre Loti, who was so obsessed with Istanbul that he took to...

Established in 1954, this upmarket meyhane is a great starting point to immerse yourself in meze culture and acquire a taste for rakı. Gravel voiced Refik Arslan still meets...

Despite competition from newer, shinier seafood restaurants, this place is always packed. The best tables are on the waterfront deck, with a view of the hilltop castle of...