Seemor
Best Restaurants in Istanbul
454 restaurants analyzed out of 7542 identified · Turkey
Istanbul's food scene is one of the world's deepest - kebab houses, meyhanes, çiğ köfte stands, fish restaurants on the Bosphorus, and a street food culture built on simit, balık ekmek, and stuffed mussels. The Asian side (Kadıköy, Moda) has the most authentic eating, while Beyoğlu and the historic peninsula serve both tourists and locals. Prices range from moderate to expensive depending on the neighbourhood.
Istanbul has 454 analyzed restaurants. Some of the strongest areas for dining are Moda, Bahariye, Caferağa. Top cuisines include Turkish, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern.
Grade Distribution
A+1 restaurants
A2 restaurants
A-39 restaurants
B+101 restaurants
B113 restaurants
B-91 restaurants
C+39 restaurants
C26 restaurants
C-23 restaurants
D19 restaurants
Top Restaurants in Istanbul
- Herise İstanbul A+ · Modern Anatolian, Turkish · Reşitpaşa — Destination-worthy modern Anatolian tasting menu with heartfelt hospitality and non-alcoholic pairings; book ahead and...
- Bayramoğlu Döner A · Döner kebab, Turkish · Beykoz — Benchmark Istanbul döner destination with blazing-fast service, fresh lavash, and top-tier meat; prices are high and...
- d’Amalfi Senza Glutine A · Gluten-free, Cafe · Caferağa — Dedicated gluten-free cafe with standout pizzette and tiramisu, warm owner-led service, and higher prices justified by...
- WAYANA Wine Bar A- · Wine-focused small plates, Mediterranean · Caferağa — Destination wine bar for exploring Turkish wines by the glass with knowledgeable guidance; cozy but tight space,...
- Abyssinia - Ethiopian, Eritrean & Habesha Restaurant A- · Ethiopian, East African · Aksaray — Deeply hospitable Ethiopian spot with flavorful stews, excellent coffee ceremony, and fair prices for Istanbul;...
- Van Kahvaltı Evi A- · Turkish breakfast, Turkish · Karaköy — Destination-level Turkish breakfast with standout honey and clotted cream, generous platters, and brisk, sometimes...
- Deniz Nadide DURU BREAKFAST Moda A- · Turkish breakfast (Kahvalti), Turkish · Caferağa — Charming, family-run Turkish breakfast spot with homemade jams and warm hospitality; great for a leisurely kahvalti if...
- Karaca Balık Evi A- · Turkish seafood, Seafood · Ataşehir — A low-key Turkish seafood spot with standout calamari and fresh fish, good service, and fair pricing for quality, but a...
- Take Sushi Cihangir A- · Sushi, Japanese · Cihangir — Polished Japanese spot in lively Cihangir delivering fresh sashimi and creative rolls with generous portions and...
- Parvus Kalamış A- · Contemporary Turkish, Turkish · Zühtüpaşa — Intimate chef-led bistro delivering refined, creative Turkish-leaning plates with standout seafood and offal; small...
Top Neighborhoods for Dining
- Moda — 67 restaurants, 15 rated A- or higher · Known for Burgers
- Bahariye — 71 restaurants, 15 rated A- or higher · Known for Burgers
- Caferağa — 72 restaurants, 15 rated A- or higher · Known for Burgers
- Yeldeğirmeni — 62 restaurants, 11 rated A- or higher · Known for Burgers
Browse by Area
Explore restaurants by neighborhood and district
861 restaurants · 15 top-rated · Known for Burgers
Kadikoy has 916 restaurants - Istanbul's largest dining district on the Asian side, with coffee, dessert, hamburger, and Turkish options around the market and ferry terminal. The food capital of the...
- Caferağa — 350 restaurants · 15 top-rated · Known for Burgers
Caferaga in Kadikoy has Turkish, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cooking with quality above the Istanbul average. The cafes and neighbourhood restaurants here cater to the residential Asian-side...
- Bahariye — 323 restaurants · 15 top-rated · Known for Burgers
Bahariye on the Asian side has Turkish, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cooking alongside Italian, burgers, and cafes. Quality is above the Istanbul average, and the street has a neighbourhood...
- Moda — 281 restaurants · 15 top-rated · Known for Burgers
Moda has Turkish, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cooking on the Asian-side coastal neighbourhood, with quality above the Istanbul average. The seafront setting and cafe culture give it a relaxed...
- Yeldeğirmeni — 293 restaurants · 11 top-rated · Known for Burgers
Yeldegirmeni in Kadikoy has Turkish, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern restaurants alongside international and Italian options. Quality is in line with the Istanbul average, and the...
671 restaurants · 9 top-rated · Known for Turkish
Beyoğlu has 427 restaurants across Istiklal Avenue and Taksim's backstreets - coffee, Turkish, breakfast meyhanes, cocktail bars, and ice cream shops. The highest-rated district in Istanbul at 4.57...
- Cihangir — 365 restaurants · 7 top-rated · Known for Turkish breakfast
Cihangir has quality above the Istanbul average, with Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Turkish cooking alongside a notable Turkish breakfast culture and Persian restaurants. The neighbourhood's...
- Taksim — 352 restaurants · 7 top-rated · Known for Turkish breakfast
Taksim has quality above the Istanbul average, with Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Turkish cooking around the square and into the backstreets behind Istiklal Caddesi. The Turkish breakfast scene...
- Galata — 327 restaurants · 3 top-rated · Known for Turkish
Galata has Turkish, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean restaurants in the steep streets around the Galata Tower and down toward the bridge. Cafes, dessert shops, and modern Turkish restaurants add...
- İstiklal — 307 restaurants · 3 top-rated · Known for Turkish breakfast
Istiklal Caddesi and its side streets have Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Turkish restaurants alongside a Turkish breakfast culture, Persian options, and European-style pubs. Quality is above the...
- Karaköy — 277 restaurants · 3 top-rated · Known for Turkish
Karakoy has Turkish, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean cooking in the waterfront neighbourhood between Galata and the ferry terminals. The cafe and dessert scene is notable, and the area has a more...
846 restaurants · 8 top-rated · Known for Turkish
Fatih covers Istanbul's historic peninsula with 654 restaurants - Turkish, coffee, dessert, çiğ köfte, and döner kebab around the Grand Bazaar and Sultanahmet. The highest-rated area in Istanbul at...
- Grand Bazaar — 367 restaurants · 4 top-rated · Known for Turkish
The Grand Bazaar area has Turkish, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean restaurants in the streets surrounding and within the covered market complex. Prices lean toward the higher end, and the dining is...
- Eminönü — 279 restaurants · 3 top-rated · Known for Turkish
Eminonu has Turkish, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean restaurants around the Spice Bazaar and the Galata Bridge, with Asian options adding range. The street food tradition - balik ekmek from the...
- Sultanahmet — 170 restaurants · 2 top-rated · Known for Turkish
Sultanahmet has Turkish, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean cooking in the historic district around the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace. The tourist orientation is real, and quality sits...
- Fener — 174 restaurants · 1 top-rated · Known for Turkish
Fener has a small set of Turkish, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern restaurants in the historic Greek neighbourhood on the Golden Horn.
- Balat — 117 restaurants · Known for Turkish
Balat has a small but growing cafe and restaurant scene in the colourful historic neighbourhood on the Golden Horn, popular with a younger crowd.
261 restaurants · 3 top-rated · Known for Turkish breakfast
Sariyer stretches along the upper Bosphorus with 261 restaurants, led by coffee, Turkish, hamburger, and breakfast. The waterfront fish restaurants charge a premium, but prices across the district...
165 restaurants · 3 top-rated · Known for Döner kebab
Beykoz is a quieter upper Bosphorus district on the Asian side with waterfront fish restaurants. Moderate to expensive.
434 restaurants · 2 top-rated · Known for Turkish breakfast
Beşiktaş has 341 restaurants along the Bosphorus waterfront - coffee, Turkish, hamburger, pizza, and Italian options. Prices range from budget to very expensive depending on whether you're at a...
- Bebek — 185 restaurants · 1 top-rated · Known for Sushi
Bebek is a waterfront neighbourhood on the European Bosphorus with a small set of restaurants - Asian and Japanese options are unusually prominent for Istanbul.
- Ortaköy — 138 restaurants · 1 top-rated · Known for Turkish breakfast
Ortakoy has Turkish and Middle Eastern restaurants near the Bosphorus bridge and the waterfront mosque, with a notable kumpir (baked potato) street-food tradition.
- Etiler — 135 restaurants · 1 top-rated · Known for Vegan
Etiler is an affluent neighbourhood with a small set of restaurants at higher-end prices.
- Arnavutköy — 126 restaurants · 1 top-rated · Known for Sushi
Arnavutkoy has a handful of restaurants in the preserved wooden-house village along the Bosphorus.
404 restaurants · 2 top-rated · Known for Turkish seafood
Ataşehir has 409 restaurants in a modern Asian-side district - Turkish, çiğ köfte, dessert, and fast food alongside newer international options. Prices lean toward the higher end for a non-waterfront...
373 restaurants · 2 top-rated · Known for Turkish
Üsküdar has 382 restaurants on the Asian side - çiğ köfte, Turkish, coffee, and fast food. Prices are moderate overall, with the waterfront fish restaurants charging more than the neighbourhood...
647 restaurants · 1 top-rated · Known for Turkish lokanta
Bagcilar has 639 restaurants - Istanbul's third-largest dining district with cig kofte, pastry, coffee, and doner kebab. A working-class European-side district with budget prices and everyday lokanta...
297 restaurants · 1 top-rated · Known for Pizza
Bakirkoy has 295 restaurants on the European-side coast with Turkish, fast food, coffee, and pizza along the seaside promenade and inland streets. A popular weekend destination for Istanbulites, with...
292 restaurants · 1 top-rated · Known for Seafood
Maltepe on the Asian side has seafood restaurants along the coastal promenade and neighbourhood kebab restaurants inland. The waterfront is a popular weekend destination for fish and raki.
370 restaurants · Known for Turkish regional (Hatay/Gaziantep influence)
Zeytinburnu has Central Asian and Syrian restaurants reflecting its immigrant communities, plus traditional Turkish lokantası. The Kazlıçeşme waterfront area adds more upscale fish restaurants.
252 restaurants · Known for Patisserie
Ümraniye is one of the Asian side's largest districts with restaurants concentrated in shopping centres and along main avenues, serving a young, fast-growing residential population.
241 restaurants · Known for Neapolitan-style pizza
Şişli is a commercial district with 305 restaurants - coffee, Turkish, hamburger, and köfte options serving the business crowd around Nişantaşı and Mecidiyeköy. Prices are moderate to expensive, with...
179 restaurants · Known for Burgers
Bahçelievler is a European-side residential district with kebab restaurants, pide bakeries, and lokantası clustered near the metro stations and along Adnan Kahveci Boulevard.
126 restaurants · Known for Levantine
Esenler is a working-class European-side district with budget lokantası, kebab shops, and lahmacun bakeries serving the neighbourhood around the bus terminal and industrial areas.
Tried and True
Outstanding food without the experimental edge
- Bayramoğlu Döner A · Döner kebab, Turkish — Benchmark Istanbul döner destination with blazing-fast service, fresh lavash, and top-tier meat; prices are high and...
- d’Amalfi Senza Glutine A · Gluten-free, Cafe — Dedicated gluten-free cafe with standout pizzette and tiramisu, warm owner-led service, and higher prices justified by...
- Esteban Burger B+ · Burgers, American — Small, chef-run burger shop with house-baked buns and standout sauces; dine-in shines, delivery is inconsistent; prices...
- Take Sushi Cihangir A- · Sushi, Japanese — Polished Japanese spot in lively Cihangir delivering fresh sashimi and creative rolls with generous portions and...
- Abyssinia - Ethiopian, Eritrean & Habesha Restaurant A- · Ethiopian, East African — Deeply hospitable Ethiopian spot with flavorful stews, excellent coffee ceremony, and fair prices for Istanbul;...
- Artisan Craft B+ · Neapolitan-style pizza, Pizza — Excellent Neapolitan-style pizza and Turkish-inspired pide in Moda with warm service and cozy vibe; pricing is on the...
Cuisine Strengths
- Turkish — 222 restaurants, 28 rated A- or higher
- Mediterranean — 28 restaurants, 2 rated A- or higher
- Middle Eastern — 77 restaurants, 2 rated A- or higher
Best Value
- Van Kahvaltı Evi A- — Destination-level Turkish breakfast with standout honey and clotted cream, generous platters, and...
- Esteban Burger B+ — Small, chef-run burger shop with house-baked buns and standout sauces; dine-in shines, delivery is...
- Â La Lune Patisserie - Ümraniye (Kruvasan & Kahve) B+ — Destination for creative croissant desserts and coffee with mixed service consistency and prices...
Find Your Next Meal in Istanbul
- Casual Meal restaurants in Istanbul — Quick, quality, no fuss
- Date Night restaurants in Istanbul — Romantic dining for two
- Fun with Friends restaurants in Istanbul — Something everyone will enjoy
- Family Outing restaurants in Istanbul — Kid-friendly, stress-free dining
- Solo Dining restaurants in Istanbul — Comfortable spots for dining alone
- Business Discussion restaurants in Istanbul — Professional setting, no distractions
- Vegetarian-Friendly restaurants in Istanbul
- Vegan-Friendly restaurants in Istanbul
- Gluten-Free Friendly restaurants in Istanbul
- Walk-ins Welcome restaurants in Istanbul
- Private Dining restaurants in Istanbul
- Local Gems restaurants in Istanbul
- Easy Parking restaurants in Istanbul
- Amazing Setting restaurants in Istanbul
- Great Value restaurants in Istanbul
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