Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
On this pedestrianised street lined with cheap eateries,
lokantas
serve
hazır yemek
(ready-
made dishes),
köftecis
dish out flavoursome meatballs,
kebapçis
grill meat to order and
this much-loved
pideçisi
(opened in 1964) offers piping-hot pides accompanied by
pickles.
Bazaar District
FATIH DAMAK PIDE €
(Büyük Karaman Caddesi 48, Zeyrek; pides
"
8-12; 11am-11pm; Aksaray)
It's worth making the
trek to this unlicensed
pideçisi
overlooking the İtfaıye Yanı Park Karşısı (Fire Station
Park) near the Aqueduct of Valens. It makes the best Karadeniz (Black Sea)-style pide on
the Historic Peninsula, and free pots of tea are served with meals. Toppings are standard
(the
sucuklu-peynirli
option with sausage and cheese is tasty), but there's also an unusual
bafra pidesi (rolled-up pitta-style pizza). There's an organic open buffet brunch on week-
ends (
"
12.50).
| Pide
HAMDI RESTAURANT €€
| Kebap
dessert
"
7-15; Eminönü)
Hamdi Arpacı serves tasty kebaps made according to recipes from
his hometown Şanlıurfa (Urfa). With phenomenal views from its top-floor terrace, the res-
taurant is always busy, so request a rooftop table when you book (or arrive early).
Detour:
Dolmabahçe Palace
Everyone from fans of the less-is-more aesthetic to enthusiasts of Ottoman architecture decry this final flourish of
the imperial dynasty, finding that it has more in common with the Paris Opera than with traditional pavilion-style
buildings such as Topkapı. But whatever the critics might say, the 19th-century imperial residence,
Dolmabahçe
Harem
"
20, joint ticket
"
40; 9am-6pm Tue-Wed & Fri-Sun Mar-Sep, to 4pm Oct-Feb; Kabataş
then walk)
, with its opulent Selamlık (Ceremonial Suites) and slightly more restrained Harem is a clear crowd fa-
vourite.
Search WWH ::
Custom Search