*Note: This place also goes by the name Karakoy Ozsut. The entrance says Haci Hasan Fehmi,…read morereflecting the name Hasan who is the 3rd generation and current owner. Step inside and on the walls you will see featured articles about this place aka Karakoy Ozsut* We not only discovered our favorite breakfast dive in Istanbul at Karaköy Özsüt but a new friendship was made between us and the owner Hasan. For that, Karaköy Özsüt will always have a special place in our hearts. The interior is unimpressive and the fluorescent lights are dull. But, this is what it gives it soul and for their sake, we hope Karaköy Özsüt remains the perfect way it is. Known as having one of the best kaymak in Istanbul, Karaköy Özsüt has its own herd of buffalos whose fresh milk is used to make kaymak (Turkish clotted cream) that makes up a huge part of a traditional Turkish breakfast. Hasan frequently drives his truck out to his ranch, 125km away from Istanbul, where he milks the buffalos and gathers the milk to produce kaymak. At one point in conversation, he whips out his cell phone and shows us a short video of his baby buffalo at the ranch. Awww. A heaping of kaymak and honey are served together on a plate; smeared onto bread and eaten. The kaymak here put us right into a clotted cream high with its smoothness and creaminess. There is something about the Turkish clotted cream that despite its indication of "cream", it does not leave you feeling heavy and sluggish or like one of those feelings where you feel you've really had enough of NY cheesecake. In fact, after a breakfast full of kaymak, I dream of eating it again and again. Another must-have classic Turkish breakfast item is menemen: scrambled eggs made with tomato, cheese, spices. Sucuk (spicy Turkish sausage) is a common favorite added to menemen so be sure to request for that. The menemen is flavorful while exploding with different combinations of spices which we could not tell what exactly they were except to just savor each spoonful of it. Hasan also makes the best lentil soup, ever. We have been hooked since.

The owner makes his special Kaymak, buffalo cream with honey in the front of the shop and it is to…read moredie for. He greets everyone and knows about 5 languages. This is a family-owned shop for over 50 years and the family also owns a farm, where they get the ingredients for their dishes. All of the food was amazing. The service was fantastic. You can't go to Istanbul and not have a meal here.

WOW! A Turkish friend messaged me, told me to go here, order the Ekmek Kadayifi (Bread Pudding with…read moreClotted Cream). I think it was around 15 TRL? The Pudding has a crumpet-like texture (also like a Chinese yeast-raised rice cake), soaked in super sweet syrup; the Clotted Cream was SO fresh & a nice counter to the sweetness. Probably very nice with Ayran or plain black Cay (tea) also. Picked up the pastry to-go after a long touristy day. This bakery/cafe seems to epitomize 'turkish cafe culture' to me. I'd like to go back on an afternoon, sit, sip tea (always free refills at all Turkish places), chat with friends, read & people watch. This area is not too far off İstiklal Street, a nice mix of local & tourist. A hilight, food-wise during my visit to Istanbul.

A must stop in the Autumn and Winter when it is Quince season. The poached Quince's in syrup…read moreserved with Water Buffalo clotted cream are sublime.

Jacqueline Cookies is located in the Beyoglu district of Istanbul. It boasts several choices for…read morefreshly baked cookies. They offer everything from the basic milk and dark chocolate cookie to the baklava cookie. I cannot recommend these cookies enough. These are perhaps the best cookies that I've tried. They're soft and still taste fresh even 3 days later. The baklava flavor is phenomenal...skip real baklava and go for a cookie! You can actually see the phyllo dough and walnuts on the top of the cookie. In order to ensure that your cookies are hot when you pick them up, make sure you call or text the shop. The bakers will make your cookies fresh so they are still hot when you arrive there. Also, you must contact them ahead of time if you want specific cookies or special cookies, such as the Baklava flavor. Overall, if you're in Beyoglu or Taksim, then you need to try this bakery. These are absolutely fantastic cookies and you will not regret it. Go for the baklava cookies!!

These cookies are amazing!! On the expensive side, but for large orders, they'll deliver! You can…read moretaste the quality and love in each one.

We were flying out of Sabiha Gokcen airport the following morning, which is why we ended up near…read morethe Maltepe metro stop. This restaurant (it serves more than desserts and drinks) was right around the corner from our hotel, and we popped in for dinner. Their menu is varied (mostly not Turkish) and the food was good (we ordered curries, pastas, omelettes, coffees, and a milkshake), but the service was fantastic! Our waiter was very attentive and gracious, and at the end of the meal, he even brought a complimentary tray of fresh fruit and tea. Much appreciated!

Huge selection of delicious pastries and Turkish sweets…read more Our family stopped at Karaköy Güllüoğlu for an afternoon dessert in July 2026. We got su böreği alongside a variety of baklava, and everything was exceptionally fresh and delicious. The seating area was clean with a very pleasant vibe. We can certainly recommend this place!

Just inject this good stuff directly into my veins! You just can't go wrong with any of their…read morebaklavas. The Turkish tea is just a great partner to these treats! I personally love the Midye Baklavas with Pistachio the most! The service was prompt and a pretty chill vibe by the Bosphorus.

This store appears multiple times under a couple different names here on Yelp, but Hafiz Mustafa…read more1834 / Hakkizade is a classy, relaxing dessert and coffee shop. I would highly recommend stopping by to try some classic Turkish sweets. All the menus come with English translations underneath each item, so it's very approachable for tourists as well. Additionally, there's a ton of seating and a clean bathroom available on the third floor. Knafeh (4.75/5): This was my first knafeh and it certainly won't be my last. It was hands down one of my favorite things I've tried the entire time I've been in Istanbul. It's sweet, crunchy, slightly savory with the cheese, and overall just an S tier food item. I'm going to be ordering this every time I see it. Tavuk Gogsu (4/5): This is the infamous Turkish chicken breast pudding and it's genuinely pretty good. If no one told you, you'd honestly have no idea there was chicken in it at all. It was really just reminiscent of a slightly more solid rice pudding that isn't overly sweet. Heads up: I did think the baked version would come out hot, but it's still cold. Baklava (2.75/5): I'm gonna be super honest; I think the baklava here is super average. Not any better than you're going to get anywhere else and even a little worse than individual baklavas at the Spice Bazaar.

Situated close to Taxim square this is one of the old Istanbul sweet shops. The sign says 1864 and…read moreI assume it's been there since. It's a shop full of sweets, Turkish delight and desserts. Taste everything and they speak no English but will gladly let you taste everything. Baklava here is really good and prices are also quite ok. I wish I could speak to the people and find out what all the various sweets were but they offered us plenty and we tasted plenty. It's a very busy shop and bit more organised. It's also not a big chain so the quality is just that bit better. A good place to buy sweets in town. Just be prepared for the tons of locals in there buying and tasting and arguing :-))

In August 2023, when I visited the store near Taksim Square I purchased a large red tin of mixed…read moretypes of Baklava. I ended up giving it as a gift when I landed in Israel. Since I have returned back to New York, City, I have placed orders directly with the store two different times; each time ordering three large tins of baklava and other Turkish sweets. Customer service: 100%. shipping perfect. Quality of product is as if it were baked in our own kitchen. delicious, varied and presented beautifully. well worth the DHL shipping fees! I will continue to order again and look forward to visiting the store the next time I am in Istanbul. Alan J. B. - Flushing, New York

You can't come to Turkey and not make a stop here. Baklava is amazing. So many different types to…read morepick from and plenty of packaged options for gifts.