Turkish Cuisine
Mine's Note about Traditional Turkish Cuisine Restaurants
If you hear "Traditional Turkish Cuisine", you may automatically think that it is "Shish-kebab" or "Doner Kebab"...However, Turkish Cuisine does not only consist of kebabs and they are considered a different category.
Traditional Cuisine is the dishes which are actually cooked and eaten in a typical Turkish family's house.
A typical dinner of a Turkish family is usually had at 7-8 pm after all the members of the family return back home. The mother cooks the food, the daughters(sisters) usually make up the table, bring the tablecloth, plates, the silverware, fresh, sliced Turkish bread, freshly prepared shepherd's salad, and after the father, or grandfather and grandmother sit down, the food is brought to the table.
The most common starter is soup(Corba). There are several nutricious soups, like Tarhana Corbasi( prepared with green pepper,tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, flour,yoghurt and dried mint), Yayla Corbasi(rice, yoghurt, eggs, flour,dried mint, butter and red pepper sauce on top) or Mercimek Corbasi(red lentils,onions, tomato paste cooked and filtered).
After having the soups, another appetizer is the Mevsim Salatasi(Season's salad) or Coban Salata(Shepherd's Salad, tomatoes, cucumbers, green pepper and onions are sliced into small pieces). The usual dressing for the salad is lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.
Then comes the main meal. The main meal always includes meat, it can be fresh season vegetables cooked with lamb or veal or only meat cooked with onions and tomato paste. Onion and tomato paste are two indispensable elements in Turkish Cuisine. The most common meals are Karniyarik(eggplant stuffed with tomatoes, ground meat and onions), Dolma(stuffed green pepper, tomatoes, zucchini, vine leaves with ground(minced) meat, rice and ground onions) and Turlu(several season's vegetables sliced cubicly and cooked with either ground meat, lamb or sliced veal, onions and tomato paste. These dishes are usually accompanied by Pilav(rice cooked with either chicken or meat juice and butter added after cooking). Sometimes, they have Manti(Turkish Ravioli) instead of pilav.
During hot summers, Turkish Cuisine also includes vegetables cooked in olive oil, like Zeytinyagli Yesil Fasulye(string beans cooked in olive oil, served cold, it's good to wait overnight after cooking), Zeytinyagli Barbunya(white or red beans cooked in olive oil, the same technique applies). Beans are quite popular in Turkish Cuisine. Tursu(pickles) is often consumed by Turkish families as well.
After finishing the food, it is popular to have fresh season fruits because they are so abundant and delicious(and healthy after eating this huge meal!!!). There are some families who prefer to have desserts like Baklava, Revani(with honey and flour) or Sutlac(rice pudding). After the dessert, the meal is finalized with Turkish tea or Turkish coffee.
So, when you hear Turkish Cuisine, it is not simply Kebab, you know it from now on!!!
**** Please note that fact that alcoholic drinks are expensive in Turkey. Especially be selective with wine. Please check the wine list carefully and order by knowing the fact that same wine would cost you less at home than here. You’ll pay for the experience. Expect to pay at least 35 TL for a bottle of average Turkish wine.
Recommended Traditional Turkish Restaurants in Istanbul
Restaurants in the Old City
* - Up to 20 TL per person for full-course meal.
**-20-45 TL. per person full-course meal.
***-45-75 TL per person full-course meal.
****-75-150 TL per person full-course meal.
Daruzziyafe(**)
Sifahane Cad.Suleymaniye
Tel:0-212-5118414
Right next to Suleiman's Mosque, a cozy traditional Turkish Cuisine Restaurant.
Konyali(***)
Topkapi Palace
Tel:0-212-513-9696
Located in the fourth courtyard of Topkapi Palace, a little bit touristy but good food and gorgeous view. Closed on
Tuesdays and no dinner is served. A cafeteria is also available.
Pandeli(***)
Spice Market
Tel:0-212-638-1370
A very old restaurant with excellent dishes. No dinner. Closed on Sundays.
Subasi(**)
Nuruosmaniye Cad. 48 Carsikapi (Grand Bazaar)
Tel:0-212-522-4762
Local shop owners and tourists fill the restaurant, excellent savoury dishes. Closed on Sundays.
Pudding Shop(*)
Divanyolu Cad.No:6
Tel:0-212-522-2970
A 44-year old restaurant which is popular among the tourists, cozy and friendly service, air conditioned, self-service.
Restaurants on the Bosphorus(with the Bosphorus view)
Tugra(****)
Hotel Ciragan Palace Kempinsky- Ortakoy
Tel:0-212-258-3377
With classical Turkish music, excellent examples of Turkish Cuisine, gorgeous view and great ambience.
Malta Pavillion(**)
Yildiz Park Ortakoy
Great view of Bosphorus, good food, cozy atmosphere, friendly service. No alcoholic beverages.
Sark Sofrasi(****)
Swiss Hotel Bosphorus
Tel:0-212-259-0101
Wonderful food, wonderful view, good service, very elegant restaurant.
Restaurants in Taksim- Beyoglu Area (new city)
Hacibaba(**)
Istiklal Cad. 48 Taksim
Tel:0-212-244-1886
A very old and authentic Turkish Cuisine Restaurant. Service is a little slow but food is good quality.
Haci Abdullah(**)
Sakizagaci Ad. No:17 Taksim
Tel:0-212-293-8561
Founded in 1876, the oldest licensed restaurant in Turkey. Everyday there are 125 different dishes come out of their kitchen. Strongly recommended.
Restaurants on the Asian Side
Ciya (**)
Balik Pazari Caferaga Mah. Guneslibahce Sok. No:44 Kadikoy
Tel: 0-216-330-3190
Yanyalı Fehmi (**)
Osmanağa Mah. Yağlıkçı İsmail Sok. No:1 Kadıköy / İstanbul
Tel: 0216 336 33 33