Karakoy is an amazing area to hang out with many cool and trendy restaurants to choose from. Among…read morethem, there is Key Karakoy which should definitely be checked out! The decoration is amazing and the ambiance, music and vibe is trendy and fun. The menu offers a great selection of turkish food stables such as Kumpir (loaded baked potatoes, Manti (ravioli covered in yogurt sauce) and traditional Turkish breakfast (great spread of cheese, olives, meats, eggs, tea, etc) or pancake breakfast with a lot of dipping sauces and side items. The service was really great and the experience was overall awesome. My one complain was that, when we were paying by credit card, the waiter suggested a higher than usual tip and assumed that would be okay, it was awkward to have to tell him to tone it down a notch.

First of all, love love love this area! Tons of cafes and stores here. We tried a variety of dishes…read morefrom manti to pizza to kofte. The manti was probably my favorite dish. I'm not sure if that's mozzarella on the pizza - but that was delish! Stop in for dessert and get a waffle with Nutella, strawberries and bananas!! So fresh and delicious. The staff is attentive and welcoming. Casual vibe with eclectic decor.

The location of this restaurant is ideal. It is right in front of the main Istanbul tourist…read moreattractions and the prices are reasonable for the prime location. The bathrooms are clean and western style which is really appreciated when travelling abroad. The food was nothing to rave about. I had the beef doner roll one and my sister had a cheese and mushroom crepe (she is vegetarian and there weren't so many options) and we were both slightly disappointed.

Other than being a bit expensive this was a good joint. We went for late night coffee and baklava…read more The baklava was very good as was the coffee. Service was great. It's right in front of blue mosque but there isn't any view. It was open till very late at night which worked great for us on our late night stroll.

Apparently it's the go to joint for kunefe and tantuni. Located next to the train station. Solid…read moremeal. Would go back but I'm more of a fan of baklava so maybe wouldn't go back often.

Great place to sit down, have a drink and a dessert, and people watch at the Bazaar. We came by…read morepretty much right at opening and tried their baklava, which was decent but a little too buttery for my personal preference. I also ordered a pomegranate tea which tasted weird but I also couldn't stop drinking it, lol. Would definitely comeback to try some of their other desserts if I decide to visit Turkey/Istanbul again.

This is such a cute spot to stop and take a break from the vast glory that is the Grand Bazaar…read more This coffee shop is located inside the bazaar, and is such a majestic vibe! You have to order the blackberry tea. It's so unique and I've never seen this flavor in a tea before, so I wanted to try it. I always aim to order something that I cannot find elsewhere or that is a specialty of the business or city. This is definitely a must visit if you are visiting in Istanbul. Old town is overall a beautiful area, and you can't leave without visiting the Grand Bazaar.