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If you love baklava, this is where you need to go in Istanbul, Turkey. The baklava was SO good and authentic and just melt in your mouth worth it to eat insane amounts of calories kind of good! We ordered two items- the milk soaked baklava which was so moist, flavorful, soft yet buttery and tres leche soaked vibes and the second item was the ekmek kadayifi. If I could eat ekmek kadayifi every day for the rest of my life, I would be fat as heck but so happy I think :) the cream that came with this bread noodle like cake was as if Swiss meringue and clotted cream had a love child. SO GOOD, I have dreams of this dessert ahhhhh!! The atmosphere was vibing, very upscale long coffee dessert bar type. There were plenty of beautiful green and gold booths or tables to sit at and there weren't that many lines! You get what you pay for - meaning it was on the pricier side but totally worth it. Staff was friendly and guided us with what dessert licks would bring us the most joy. We had a lovely experience and I want to go back! We even bought this brand of baklava desserts at the airport for family because it was just the best quality out of all the brands. You definitely have to come here and try everything if you are in the area!
Hands down the number one and best baklava place in Istanbul. Everybody thinks it is the other one, but I am telling you that locals know that this is the number one spot. So much baklava, open late and the quality and time put in, especially for the reasonable price is so well worth it. You absolutely must come here on your trip.Between the layers of flakes and pistachios and even the cheese and meat ones that we got were so good.
This is a an iconic institution of baklava varieties shop that has been here for ages! In the front has videos and vintage boxes of their packaging. Super cute. The place has several different lines one for eating in and another for it to go. You will see various people walking around town with this iconic bag as they are taking it home. I was able to flag a guy who told us which line to go to and he was kind of able to explain the different things. Another line had something different that wasn't in my line , we tried about six different variations and they were all sort of similar pistachio sweet flaky phyllo dough. We did try the one with ice cream put in between the layers. I think it was maybe too many to try for someone who doesn't usually eat baklava, but we didn't want to miss out on anything special, we ordered three teas was perfect-to have with this. The vibe inside to sit was very comfortable and chill with lots of families coming here after dinner like an ice cream parlor. A must if you are in Istanbul.
We were told this was the go-to place for baklava in Istanbul so we made our way here after dinner one day. The place is huge and I can see why it is so popular. It was a Sunday night around 7:30pm and the place was full of families, groups of friends, other tourists, ordering baklava to enjoy. There is plenty of seating both inside in the two stories as well as outside in a giant patio. The line to order moved quickly and you just order what you want from a worker behind the counter and they pay at the adjacent cashier. We wanted to sample a variety of baklava so we ordered a bunch of them. My overall impressions were that the baklava here was definitely a lot more syrup heavy than at other places, making it a little hard to eat plain. I saw a lot of people had ordered either ice cream on the side or kaymak or tea and I wish I had done that to balance out the sweetness since it became overpowering. That being said, I really enjoyed the chocolate flavored baklava! They do not sell that in the US and I thought it was the most balanced of them all since the bitterness of the chocolate really helped make the dessert less sweet. I also enjoyed the pistachio roll with kadiyaf since the texture was very fun and it was generously filled with pistachios. I ended up ordering some dondurma (or ice cream) after to tone down the sweetness and it was amazing! Perfectly cream and the plain flavor was super mild. Now I know for next time that these are better paired with something else. Overall, even though I did find the baklava to be a little sweet for my taste, the quality is evidently amazing-- they use very generous fillings, high quality phyllo and nuts. They offer a variety of baklava, have amazing service and importantly have an ample centralized space for people to enjoy dessert together! Will come back next time I'm in Istanbul got more baklava with ice cream!
Karaköy Güllüoğlu was recommended to my friend by someone who used to live in Turkey. Actually the person that recommended this place requested kilos of baklava be brought back to the States for him. I can see why. Karaköy Güllüoğlu serves some of the best baklava I've ever had. Given the language barrier I didn't fully understand a lot of what I tried but it was all delicious (thank God I don't have any food allergies). The space is huge with ample seating and it is very clean. The service is very friendly and they even offered samples of their various wares. I actually ended up buying a few boxes to bring home to my family. The staff is well prepared for this as they pack the boxes well and even shrinkwrap them. The baklava remained unharmed packed away in my checked suitcase. Definitely recommend visiting if you're in Istanbul even if you're not the biggest fan of baklava. I wouldn't say I'm crazy for baklava but I actually regret not buying more. They're a little pricey but you gotta treat yourself sometimes, right?
It's a very hopping place! We stopped by around 8:30pm on a Friday and one of us got in line while the other person scouted around for seats and finally found some upstairs. The line moved quickly and the pasties were delicious and very reasonably priced. We paid $12.03 USD for all four pasties in the attached picture. The ice cream was lovely on the baklava. There's also a cute courtyard outside where you could sit in addition to the indoor downstairs and upstairs sitting areas.
This was a stop on my first day in Istanbul and I'm glad it was bc no other baklava has beaten it yet. This is a must. Obviously get the baklava but try a variety of their sweets as well. I enjoy the cake that looks soaked in a sweet syrup and combining that with the white cream on display that they have it was fantastic. And the area is worth walking around in too! The place has a bathroom upstairs. Had tissue when I went so that was great haha. And there's outdoor seating with nice lighting. Street parking is very tight.
Phenomenal. I was recommended this place by a friend and I told him I would check it out but I didn't really like baklava so I wasn't expecting to like it much. I way over-ordered as a result of being on a long walk and being absolutely ravenous upon arriving so ended up with a lifetime supply of baklava and was ashamed at how little time it lasted me. It was absolutely delicious - I got a mix of pistachio, walnut, and chocolate and all of them were absolutely rich with syrup, heavenly flavours and so decadent. The staff working were really nice and the packaging was great. The bag it came in is a nice souvenir in and of itself! The place is massive with ample seating and toilets upstairs and is a nice place to sit and have your dessert if you don't want to take it away for later. Eager to go back!
There are so many varieties of baklava here that it will make your head spin. Everything is sold by weight, and the small take-out box has a minimum of 300 grams, which comes out to about 7-9 pieces. My favorite piece is the kadayif because I like the crunchy spun pastry strings. 1 star off: After a few pieces, everything tastes like the pistachio baklava.
Located on the banks of the Bosphorus Karaköy Güllüoğlu is considered by many to be Turkey's premier purveyor of Baklava, a history dating back to 1843 yielding everything from the standards featuring Walnuts or Pistachios to Bride Packs and cold Chocolate-topped squares soaked in sweetened Milk. Still a lone storefront, though shipping throughout Turkey is available, the Güllü family's story dates back to Hacı Mehmed who first started making Candies prior to training in Damascus and handing down his original recipes made entirely by hand. Still family owned, grandson Mustafa opening Karaköy Güllüoğlu in 1949, it is inside a sparsely decorated room that locals and tourists gather to taste Istanbul's flakiest Phyllo, whether wrapped around ground Beef in the case of Borek or loaded with Nuts and Honey. Now producing upwards of two-tons of Baklava in a local factory daily, Gluten-free and low-Sugar iterations fitting current trends, prices range similar to other similar shops but for those arriving early the variance in texture from layer-to-layer and piece-to-piece is unparalleled.
Just inject this good stuff directly into my veins! You just can't go wrong with any of their baklavas. 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. read more
2 months ago
Baklavas are real in here. Not too much sugar everything is balanced and fresh. Service was great. The ambience is great. read more
10 months ago
2 years ago
If you love baklava, this is where you need to go in Istanbul, Turkey. The baklava was SO good and authentic and just melt in your mouth worth it to eat insane amounts of calories kind of good! We ordered two items- the milk soaked baklava which was so moist, flavorful, soft yet buttery and tres leche soaked vibes and the second item was the ekmek kadayifi. If I could eat ekmek kadayifi every day for the rest of my life, I would be fat as heck but so happy I think :) the cream that came with this bread noodle like cake was as if Swiss meringue and clotted cream had a love child. SO GOOD, I have dreams of this dessert ahhhhh!! The atmosphere was vibing, very upscale long coffee dessert bar type. There were plenty of beautiful green and gold booths or tables to sit at and there weren't that many lines! You get what you pay for - meaning it was on the pricier side but totally worth it. Staff was friendly and guided us with what dessert licks would bring us the most joy. We had a lovely experience and I want to go back! We even bought this brand of baklava desserts at the airport for family because it was just the best quality out of all the brands. You definitely have to come here and try everything if you are in the area! read more
3 months ago
6 months ago
1 month ago
Hands down the number one and best baklava place in Istanbul. Everybody thinks it is the other one, but I am telling you that locals know that this is the number one spot. So much baklava, open late and the quality and time put in, especially for the reasonable price is so well worth it. You absolutely must come here on your trip.Between the layers of flakes and pistachios and even the cheese and meat ones that we got were so good. read more
This is a an iconic institution of baklava varieties shop that has been here for ages! In the front has videos and vintage boxes of their packaging. Super cute. The place has several different lines one for eating in and another for it to go. You will see various people walking around town with this iconic bag as they are taking it home. I was able to flag a guy who told us which line to go to and he was kind of able to explain the different things. Another line had something different that wasn't in my line , we tried about six different variations and they were all sort of similar pistachio sweet flaky phyllo dough. We did try the one with ice cream put in between the layers. I think it was maybe too many to try for someone who doesn't usually eat baklava, but we didn't want to miss out on anything special, we ordered three teas was perfect-to have with this. The vibe inside to sit was very comfortable and chill with lots of families coming here after dinner like an ice cream parlor. A must if you are in Istanbul. read more
2 years ago
We were told this was the go-to place for baklava in Istanbul so we made our way here after dinner one day. The place is huge and I can see why it is so popular. It was a Sunday night around 7:30pm and the place was full of families, groups of friends, other tourists, ordering baklava to enjoy. There is plenty of seating both inside in the two stories as well as outside in a giant patio. The line to order moved quickly and you just order what you want from a worker behind the counter and they pay at the adjacent cashier. We wanted to sample a variety of baklava so we ordered a bunch of them. My overall impressions were that the baklava here was definitely a lot more syrup heavy than at other places, making it a little hard to eat plain. I saw a lot of people had ordered either ice cream on the side or kaymak or tea and I wish I had done that to balance out the sweetness since it became overpowering. That being said, I really enjoyed the chocolate flavored baklava! They do not sell that in the US and I thought it was the most balanced of them all since the bitterness of the chocolate really helped make the dessert less sweet. I also enjoyed the pistachio roll with kadiyaf since the texture was very fun and it was generously filled with pistachios. I ended up ordering some dondurma (or ice cream) after to tone down the sweetness and it was amazing! Perfectly cream and the plain flavor was super mild. Now I know for next time that these are better paired with something else. Overall, even though I did find the baklava to be a little sweet for my taste, the quality is evidently amazing-- they use very generous fillings, high quality phyllo and nuts. They offer a variety of baklava, have amazing service and importantly have an ample centralized space for people to enjoy dessert together! Will come back next time I'm in Istanbul got more baklava with ice cream! read more
3 years ago
Karaköy Güllüoğlu was recommended to my friend by someone who used to live in Turkey. Actually the person that recommended this place requested kilos of baklava be brought back to the States for him. I can see why. Karaköy Güllüoğlu serves some of the best baklava I've ever had. Given the language barrier I didn't fully understand a lot of what I tried but it was all delicious (thank God I don't have any food allergies). The space is huge with ample seating and it is very clean. The service is very friendly and they even offered samples of their various wares. I actually ended up buying a few boxes to bring home to my family. The staff is well prepared for this as they pack the boxes well and even shrinkwrap them. The baklava remained unharmed packed away in my checked suitcase. Definitely recommend visiting if you're in Istanbul even if you're not the biggest fan of baklava. I wouldn't say I'm crazy for baklava but I actually regret not buying more. They're a little pricey but you gotta treat yourself sometimes, right? read more
3 months ago
It's a very hopping place! We stopped by around 8:30pm on a Friday and one of us got in line while the other person scouted around for seats and finally found some upstairs. The line moved quickly and the pasties were delicious and very reasonably priced. We paid $12.03 USD for all four pasties in the attached picture. The ice cream was lovely on the baklava. There's also a cute courtyard outside where you could sit in addition to the indoor downstairs and upstairs sitting areas. read more
This was a stop on my first day in Istanbul and I'm glad it was bc no other baklava has beaten it yet. This is a must. Obviously get the baklava but try a variety of their sweets as well. I enjoy the cake that looks soaked in a sweet syrup and combining that with the white cream on display that they have it was fantastic. And the area is worth walking around in too! The place has a bathroom upstairs. Had tissue when I went so that was great haha. And there's outdoor seating with nice lighting. Street parking is very tight. read more
Phenomenal. I was recommended this place by a friend and I told him I would check it out but I didn't really like baklava so I wasn't expecting to like it much. I way over-ordered as a result of being on a long walk and being absolutely ravenous upon arriving so ended up with a lifetime supply of baklava and was ashamed at how little time it lasted me. It was absolutely delicious - I got a mix of pistachio, walnut, and chocolate and all of them were absolutely rich with syrup, heavenly flavours and so decadent. The staff working were really nice and the packaging was great. The bag it came in is a nice souvenir in and of itself! The place is massive with ample seating and toilets upstairs and is a nice place to sit and have your dessert if you don't want to take it away for later. Eager to go back! read more
There are so many varieties of baklava here that it will make your head spin. Everything is sold by weight, and the small take-out box has a minimum of 300 grams, which comes out to about 7-9 pieces. My favorite piece is the kadayif because I like the crunchy spun pastry strings. 1 star off: After a few pieces, everything tastes like the pistachio baklava. read more
3 years ago
Located on the banks of the Bosphorus Karaköy Güllüoğlu is considered by many to be Turkey's premier purveyor of Baklava, a history dating back to 1843 yielding everything from the standards featuring Walnuts or Pistachios to Bride Packs and cold Chocolate-topped squares soaked in sweetened Milk. Still a lone storefront, though shipping throughout Turkey is available, the Güllü family's story dates back to Hacı Mehmed who first started making Candies prior to training in Damascus and handing down his original recipes made entirely by hand. Still family owned, grandson Mustafa opening Karaköy Güllüoğlu in 1949, it is inside a sparsely decorated room that locals and tourists gather to taste Istanbul's flakiest Phyllo, whether wrapped around ground Beef in the case of Borek or loaded with Nuts and Honey. Now producing upwards of two-tons of Baklava in a local factory daily, Gluten-free and low-Sugar iterations fitting current trends, prices range similar to other similar shops but for those arriving early the variance in texture from layer-to-layer and piece-to-piece is unparalleled. read more
You won't find a single dry baklava here! Dating back 150+ years, this spacious dessert shop sells all types of baklava. You can order a box to go or to stay or singles. I ordered one regular baklava and two chocolate. Both were excellent, but the chocolate ones- wow! read more
2 years ago
Best ballava ever. Best quality Delicious and buttery. Buy them when you are in inside Istanbul. Don't get them at the airport, the price is 5 times more. read more
I'm not sure if I can rave about this baklava shop enough! It definitely feels like an institution! They have so many different types of baklava including chocolate and ice cream baklava that are all so great! I was skeptical about the chocolate baklava, but it ended up being my favorite! I also brought some back to the states and they were a perfect treat! My only regret is not having more or trying some of the other desserts while I was there read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
Oh my gosh, baklava heaven! This place was so great that we came twice and on our second visit we got a box to take home with us all the way to NY! Basically, everything is delicious so just have fun, try a bunch, and don't forget to order tea to wash down all that sugar! read more
3 years ago
It was amazingly delicious. The lines are long but moved quickly. The outdoor seating was very comfortable and pretty. read more
4 years ago
If I could rate this 10 stars, I would!! Beautiful cafe that serves all types of fresh baklava, spinach + meat borek, and Turkish teas. This is another Turkish restaurant that looks expensive but is pretty affordable. Very spacious cafe that's open late and a great place to grab a snack before dinner or for dessert - I visited in Ramadan so we went for iftar right before dinner. I was bringing back some to the U.S. for family and they have a great packaging system to keep it fresh during long flights. Highly recommend, a must-see for your trip to Istanbul! read more
7 years ago
Yummy Yummy Yummy baklava! AMAZING deserts! Fantastic baklava! Super delicious! So fresh! The best I've ever had! They have been making people happy since 1820, which is quite cool! I could eat the 1kg in one seating:) Recommend! Cheers:) read more
7 years ago
Very delicious Baklava. Gulluoglu is a very well known name in Turkish Baklava sector but Karakoy Gulluoglu is only one and it is unique for a reason, now I know. This was my first time eating at their shop. They have this amazing smell once you enter the shop. Very yummy. You need to pay first and then you pick up your order to eat there or take away. We ate some baklava with pistachio and rolls filled with pistachio which were both really really delicious and fresh We took two boxes of dry baklava for travel and presents. I like the fact that they have only one store and did not franchise. They really give priority to quality obviously. I would really recommend this place for a very authentic Turkish Baklava - or any other Turkish dessert offered here- tasting. read more
10 years ago
If you don't like baklavas, stop reading this review. I mean it. Go away. Seriously. LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BEST BAKLAVA YOU WILL EVER EAT... Not joking. Do you even know what's the right way to eat a baklava? Allow me to teach you. Hold and jab the fork in the middle of the baklava, gently bring it closer to your mouth, bite it having the bottom part of the baklava on top such as the sweetest, most juicy part touches your palate first. Now that you've passed the 101 Baklava for Dummies you can go ahead and order some more. I came here with a local friend, so I didn't dare to choose or make the orders myself. But I noticed that the two cashiers spoke decent English, probably because of the amount of tourists that come here. We order traditional baklavas, pistachio sweets, and something that looks like a churros. Everything is delicious, seriously. You won't even regret the amount of sugar you are eating. Prices are a bit higher than you would like but wth, just buy it and be happy. If you want to take a treat back to your country, they have vacuum and to-go packages. They won't taste the same after a +10h flight, but still amazing. read more
8 years ago
4 years ago
Came to this dessert shop specifically for the baklava. Although we don't care for extremely sweet desserts, we do love a good baklava when we get one! Where we live we go to a restaurant where they serve baklava but usually it's served warmed up, which is nice. However, in Turkey we never got baklava warm, it was always room temperature or kinda colder. Perhaps it's wrong (or perhaps it's personal preference) but I much prefer the dessert when it's warmed up. We decided to go for the baklava sampler and the chocolate baklava. We definitely did not eat all of the pieces, too much sweet. The best piece of the sampler was the traditional baklava for sure. There were a couple of pieces in the sampler, specifically the cylindrical looking green piece and another that looked like a triangle, which tasted like they had cheese (or perhaps some sort of cream?) in them, way off-putting for our taste. The pieces with the whole pistachio and the other one with walnuts were ok, nothing great. The chocolate baklava was also not great, not sure what I was expecting exactly but it wasn't my favorite. We also got a sherbet to drink which was not too sweet and balanced out the sweetness of the desserts. read more
4 years ago
The baklava here was so good that we came a second time during a short trip to Istanbul! This time we made it to the commercial location. It was about 8 or 8:30pm on a Sunday night during low tourist season (mid-May) and they were pretty packed. All the tables except the small standing ones inside were full. But the turnaround was fast, and we just waited a minute or two before we saw a table on the sidewalk open up. You seat yourself. There is no Wi-Fi. The system for ordering is pretty confusing as most of the staff behind the counters have very limited English. It took me a while to figure out that first, you pay at the register in the middle. They asked me whether I wanted pistachio or walnut and how many pieces. I also paid for tea here. I went to the counter all the way on the right (when facing the back of the restaurant), but that one's for bulk orders. My boyfriend got a box later and he paid per kg (about 30 TL for 0.5kg, which was about 15 pieces of the classic baklava). I was sent to the "Self Service" counter in the middle and at first he just gave me 3 pieces of regular baklava, but then I gestured I wanted specific pieces. He seemed kind of upset about this but gave me what I asked for. Then you go to the counter all the way to the left for drinks. It was 2.2 TL per piece (more expensive than the factory location a couple blocks away), and about another 5 TL for two tea's. See my photos for details on the desserts we got. read more
It's one of the original baklava houses in Istanbul and makes amazing baklava. It's busy, chaotic and everything is in one big shop. They have no branches and it's very popular with the locals. Everything here is self service and you get what you want and they scribble out a piece of paper with the amount and then you go pay at the cashier and find yourself a seat inside or outside. They make savory pastries filled with spinach, meat and cheese and they look amazing. I only had the baklava here and it was very good. They pride themselves on the fact that they do not have a second location and they make everything in house. Well worth a visit in town. Just be prepared for a busy place. read more
9 years ago
In the words of the internet..."I can't even" What on earth is a baklava burger you ask? It's your hopes, dreams, aspirations, the edge of a rainbow, a unicorns blessing, and a pinch of sugar on a plate. Don't leave Istanbul without trying one or at least getting some baklava from here. The ordering process can be somewhat confusing for a newbie (like myself) but employees are helpful and most understand English. read more
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More info about Karaköy Güllüoğlu
Rıhtım Cad.
Katlı Otopark Altı No:3-4
34844 Istanbul
Turkey
Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa, Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa Mh.
Directions
(0212) 2930910
Call Now
Visit Website
http://www.karakoygulluoglu.com/tr
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Karaköy Güllüoğlu Reviews in Other Languages
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Karaköy Güllüoğlu - bakeries - Updated May 2026
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