There are only three choices at this perennially popular neighbourhood restaurant: beef, chicken or lamb. Once the meat of choice is ordered, a plate of...

Most of the little local eateries on Güneşlibahçe are indistinguishable, but Çiya is so good - and so successful - that it is taking over most of them. Çiya...

In a small alleyway by Şah Bar, just off Incili Çavuş Sokak, Djazzu's attractive pavement seating area and inside tables beat its considerable competition...

An apartment hotel with history. The house formerly belonged to the Kamondos, an important Levantine banking family, who gave their name to the sculpted...

Hanedan is one of the smartest independent hotels south of the Four Seasons. Clean, bright primrose-yellow rooms, with large beds draped in muslin, all have...

Ararat's best feature is probably its location. Envious of the success of the nearby Empress Zoe, the young Turkish owners of Ararat recruited the same...

The original Hünkar opened in 1950 in the far-flung, working-class Fatih neighbourhood. This new offshoot in Nişantaşı has taken the old-school Ottoman...

Hush is the first hostel on the Asian shore, and perfectly located for a night out along the lively Kadife Sokak, an area lined with bars and restaurants....

There are dozens of restaurants around the fish market by Galata Bridge and on the bridge itself. This one, on the west side of the bridge, is consistently...

Kannat is a perfect example of a historical lokanta that appears to have changed little since it was founded in 1933. Equally popular at both lunch and...

The cosy reception area, with comfortable design-minded furnishing, is perfect for watching the bustling pedestrian traffic outside, while the...

For years the Orient has been the mainstay of the Istanbul backpacker scene, base camp for a constant stream of wanderers tramping across Asia or through...

Over a century old, Pano is an Istanbul institution. This atmospheric wine bar is like an updated take on a typical Greek taverna, with wood-panelled...

A landmark in hippie history. In the pre-Lonely Planet days of the late '60s and early '70s, the Pudding Shop (founded 1957) was a bottleneck for all the...