We were craving Italian and it was hard to decide between another nearby place, which seemed very…read morenice as well, but I had walked by this place a few times and it was always busy, which made me think, perhaps it tasted better. But it was hard to tell because a lot of people are outside, having drinks and smoking and chilling and eating pizza. We learned from previous meals that eating outside means you'll be exposed to smokers so we ate inside and NO smokers & much more quiet and the food was extremely delicious. So glad to have come here! Our servers were friendly and cordial and spoke excellent English. We had two carbonaras and one special pasta with the muscles and lemon, but it was creamy somehow it was so extra delicious, I had a Pinot Grigio with that and it was the perfect meal for the last day in Turkey. I highly recommend going to this place and also trying the Caprese salad here which they add pomegranate seeds too. The mozzarella was super fresh and bright with the pomegranate and fresh tomato and basil. We also added a Panna cotta at the end just for a sweet bite and that too was excellent, very friendly staff. Give Paps a try if u are missing pasta while traveling.

Hello. Tired of eating Turkish cuisine yet? If so, head on over to the new city via the tram, get…read moreoff at the stop for the tower and walk on over, about 10 minutes to Paps. It's all Italian! Paps is a tiny place..as in 10 tables, in the size of a shoebox. They have outside tables too. I strongly recommend reservations if it is after 6 pm to eat. We were fortunate that the weather was cold and despite it being 7 we walked right in. Pouring rain will do that. Onto the food. With my dietary restrictions I made sure to have a piece of paper translated into Turkish so there was no confusion. Do this if you have any restrictions. I went with their spaghetti with clams, which I had them remove the fish roe ahead of time. They did this. This dish is under their specials. It was good, but the clams were tiny and without a seafood fork to remove the meat, a challenge. A couple were closed..never eat those. Serving size was good. I ate only half. The spouse had the spinach fettuccine with sage butter and parmarsean cheese flakes. She said it was good, but very creamy. She ate most of it. The bread options are yuck. The best is the tiny breadsticks you would see back in the day. The spouse opened with a salad as an appetizer and liked it. I demurred. Pricing wasn't outrageous, and since I pay with a credit card, you will always get a far better exchange rate than what the restaurants will pitch.

We came across this place when looking to satisfy a craving for some Italian food. Great…read morerestaurant! Will definitely come back!

Amazing Italian Food and great service !…read more We are vegetarian and ordered the Pizza Bianca and the Rossi. Both the pizzas were delicious, some of the best we have eaten. Paired with really good Wines as well. Would highly recommend this place. The icing on the cake was the outstanding Tiramisu for dessert. Definitely worth a visit while in Istanbul

Walking distance from our hotel and we had to try it. We were seated right away. Tables were really…read moresmall and the place seemed crowded to begin with. Had to pay for our own water. The pizza were a bit salty but it go well with the spicy olive oil! Drinks were not amazing but it was good and cute presentation! Over all, a 6 out of 10.

Trendy restaurant away from the craziness of Istiklal Ave with a welcoming atmosphere…read more I went for the basics and ordered an arugula salad and a Margarita pizza. Both were ok. While the prosciutto, dried tomatoes and walnuts were a great addition to the arugula, the salad was drowned in vinegar and buried under a disproportionate amount of cheese. As for the pizza, it was plain and the sparsely sprinkled fresh basil, barely-there tomato sauce or not-no-spicy olive oil did not really stand a chance against all the cheese. The service was very friendly and I liked the atmosphere sitting in a comfy chair tucked away in a corner upstairs. This place offers breakfast and is a coffee hangout during the day. Prices are very reasonable.

Genuinely the nicest relaxing dinner I've had in a while. Visiting Istanbul and had this…read morereservation the same evening. My plane had landed late and I messaged them asking to move my reservation back an extra hour and they did right away! Most lovely and helpful staff. The manager was also the nicest, came to check on us and even hand served me my dish. My mom enjoyed her pizza and I loved everything about this place

Came here to satisfy my margarita pizza cravings and it did just that - beautifully made marg pizza…read moremade in the clay oven which you can see from the dining area. We sat in the garden seating area and its such an aesthetically pleasing restaurant, we would have def tried other dishes but we came for the marg and left satisfied

Samdam Meyhane. Another hidden gem!…read more I've always been weary of visiting hotel restaurants. They are sort of known for being very expensive and serve run of the mill type of food, but I was pleasantly surprised when I came across Samdan Meyhane in Pera. I was out searching for somewhere that had an awesome view, when I discovered by complete accident this gem of a place. It wasn't decorated as you'd normally expect from a hotel, but instead bright coloured table runners on wooden tables arranged in such a way that it felt cosy. The view was out of this world too. A Stunning and picturesque panoramic vista lay before us. Topkapi Palace, The Blue mosque and the hustle and bustle of the Halic inlet lay at our feet. We'd arrived just in time for one of most magnificent of sunsets I've ever seen. After looking at the menu, we understood that it would cater for everyone's tastes, vegetarian or like myself an avid meat eater. A good selection of Mezzes (cold appetizers) were available at the glass fronted refrigerator. As usual, I always order stuff I can't cook at home, or is too time consuming We were also keen to try as much as we could, so I ordered the aubergine (eggplant) puree, which was superbly made. Smooth, smoky with a hint of sweetness and garlic. Stuffed vine leaves topped with sour cherries, an odd combination I hear you say, but it really worked well. We tried them on their own first, then decided that they tasted a lot better after squeezing the lemon garnish they had decorated the dish with. I would have liked to have seen lemon wedges instead of slices. Nevertheless, very tasty! We also ordered goat cheese wrapped in fried aubergine and courgettes (zucchini) topped with a fresh Pesto. It was fresh and interesting but it wasn't our favourite. Our favourite by far was this unusual herb/plant that was crunchy and had a tangy taste to it. Our waiter was really friendly and told us the name of it in Turkish, Kayakoruk. In English it's known as Rock Samphire according to google Our hot Mezzes were very creative too. Crispy Turkish Dumplings, stuffed with succulent meat and served in a yoghurt dip, Liver, pan-fried in butter, that just melted in our mouths and traditional Kokorec. Which is for all intense and purposes finely chopped lamb's intestine. Now I know what you are thinking, but this delicacy is a must try in Turkey and I would never advise trying it on the streets of Istanbul, but if you find a top notch restaurant that serves it, it's a must! You can imagine by now, my guest and I were absolutely stuffed. We made a rookie mistake and munched down on the freshly baked bread that they kept bringing over. We decided to order some wine and our waiter said their house red was a Merlot, so we kicked back and watched the scenery below. The sunset a blood orange was disappearing behind the blue mosque. It was really quite romantic. Even though we were quite full, I wasn't about to leave without trying some of the meat. After all, we were in no hurry and they place was very inviting, you could really just stay there all night. Soft music in the background wasn't disturbing and people were starting to arrive for dinner or just drinks. I asked our waiter if we could try a tasting platter, a small portion of the meat they had on the menu. He was very accommodating, helpful and said it wouldn't be a problem. About 20 mins later this massive platter appeared. (See photos) We weren't able to finish it all, but I'm glad we tried everything. There's no need to go into too much detail, but the steak, meatballs and lamb chops were of the highest quality. Perfectly seasoned and cooked at the right temperatures. No frills just top notch and lean. We grazed slowly and had a very romantic evening. If you are looking for an 'off the beaten track' sort of place, then I highly recommend Samdan Meyhane Pera (on top of the Rixos Pera hotel). Let's not forget too that it was not expensive at all. 6 Mezzes (hot and cold) 2 main courses and 2 glasses of wine came to around 150TL. It's not easy to find the quality, the view and the atmosphere for much less than double that.

Şamdan (which literally means candle holder) at the Rixos Pera İstanbul is breakfast room by day…read moreand Mey-hane by night. It has, hands down, one of the most spectacular views of the Golden Horn and is worth visiting for this purpose on its own. The restaurant is handsomely decorated in the current nostalgic fashion of the new Mey-hanes, or wine bars., of Istanbul with elements of the past mixing with the present. I have only had breakfast and afternoon coffee here. The breakfast buffet is good but limited in comparison with other, bigger, five star hotels. That said there are live looking stations for pancakes, crepes, etc., and of course for eggs. Surprisingly, my favourite egg dish, Menemen, was included in the buffet but was runny and a discredit to this otherwise delicious dish. Service however, is 5-star; warm, friendly, and super-efficient, making this trendy May-hane well worth a visit. Waste NOT. Want NOT.

If there's one thing I often love above just about anything else, it's finding the origin of a…read morecuisine, especially when it ties to a city or a region. Next to kebabs, turkish delight defines both Istanbul and Turkey on the culinary stage, and Ali Muhittin Haci Bekir is the origin of not only turkish delight, but of gummi snacks as we know them. Haci Bekir opened this exact spot in 1777, and the rest is literally history. Expecting an 18th century vibe with as much history as wonderful product, I was honestly a bit disappointed on both fronts. If you're looking for a historical experience and the best turkish delight you've ever had? I unfortunately can't say that you'll find either at Haci Bekir. Star 1: How were the service and atmosphere? Star 1? Strike 1. Considering this is the origin of turkish delight (as in, in the world), I was expecting a homely and authentic 18th century vibe. How was this stuff invented? How do they even make it? I was hoping to learn these things from staff who knew the history, and was gutted to find an entirely commercialized and bland shop with passive employees. I ordered my turkish delight, paid, and left. That was it. Considering what could have been? This was a huge disappointment. No Star Granted. Star 2: How were the portions relative to the cost? Considering how much the original spot could price gouge? I was pleased. I paid 32 turkish lira at the spice market for a kilo, and only 24 lira here. Both prices are a great deal, but I loved the fact that I wasn't getting ripped off by a place that could have easily done so. Star Granted. Stars 3 and 4: How was the food? I need to start this off by defining what my idea of perfect turkish delight is. A powdered sugar covered gummi bear? No. Turkish delight should be so soft that it requires the powdered sugar for you to even hold it. My turkish delight in the spice market was close to what i've had stateside, but what I had at Haci Bekir was weak. The flavor? mediocre. The consistency? a bit chewy, which is shouldn't be. Overall, this was a pretty disappointing visit. Single Star Granted. Star 5: Would you eat here every day if you could? I have a theory. Turkish delight is a rarity here in the states, so if you're going to serve it? It's got to be the very best. On the contrary, TD is absolute commonplace in Istanbul, so the abundance of it all leads to some down ticks in quality. I was hoping for a real show from the very origin of turkish delight, and I didn't get it with the service, the atmosphere, or the product quality. No Star Granted.

Pretty delicious turkish delights/lokum sold here! My personal favorite was the rose flavored one…read more There are a bunch on display that you can try before you purchase too.

A very dear friend of mine showed me this place when I first arrived in Istanbul - and I have…read morebecome a regular ever since. The cafe is 3 floors, and the top floor is kind of a rooftop. This is a very simple and casual place, which is why I love so much, plus you can enjoy your food or drinks in the sun :) There are plenty of stuff to choose from on the menu, but it somehow seems very simple at the same time. The food comes in great portions and I have never been disappointed there. I would anytime bring my guest to Cafe Bi Melek! The service is really good, and both customers and employees are always very nice. However, not many tourists are coming here (You are very unlikely to discover this place on your own), which also means that the employees don't speak very good english. But so far we always find a way to communicate.... This is a perfect place for breakfast, lunch or afternoon snacking. The coffee is not that great here, so a Turkish Cay is the safe choice if you are just going for a drink. The cafe do not serve alcohol.

Very nice place to have a respite! Good Turkish wine! Nice staff clean bathroom! Yayread more

We stoped in here on a whim. We had the wine tasting and cheeseboard. Both were great. The staff…read morewas very helpful.