This was my first night in Istanbul and I eased tired from traveling from cappadocia earlier in the…read moreday. This restaurant was close to my hotel and had great reviews on Yelp. When I arrived there was only one other customer inside. The restaurant decor was cute and I very comfortable. The staff were friendly and welcoming. This spot was a bit pricey just like most of the restaurants in this touristy area. I had certain Turkish entrees i wanted to try during my vacation. I ordered the Iskender kebab which is beef and pita bread covered with tomato sauce with yogurt on the side. I ordered a side salad to go with it. The dish was very delicious as you can tell in one of my pics. I chatted with some of the staff about life in Istanbul. I was offered some complimentary pomegranate tea before I left and it hit the spot. This is definitely a place to check out when you're in the area.

A MUST TRY. As an American, I have been SO impressed with food here in Turkey and if you are in the…read morearea, this restaurant is an absolute MUST-TRY if you're looking for great food. I had some of THEE BEST chicken kebab I've ever had in this country here. The beef kebab was also tender and flavorful. You cannot go wrong with any of these! The service was quick and prompt, and the servers were great at making recommendations. I came here in the winter so we sat indoors which felt a bit cramped however, there is also outdoor seating during the nicer weather months. If I'm ever back here in Istanbul, I would definitely come back. And if you're reading this, you NEED to try the Old Ottoman!

This is a little cafe with sweets and borek and coffee. It's quiet and clean. They had American…read moremusic. The food was good.

Serving Sultanahmet since 1961 Çiğdem Pastanesi sees its fair share of locals and tourists, a wide…read moreselection of sweets and savories similar to other local spots luring guests in where a tight space is found decorated with aged wood and iron. Surprisingly limited in English, uncommon on the street between Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar, prices are a bit higher than Patisserie further from city-center while the products themselves are fair-to-middling and highlighted by Syrup-soaked Halka Tatlisi with Jam at the center.

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.

Baklavas are real in here. Not too much sugar everything is…read morebalanced and fresh. Service was great. The ambience is great.

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

Yeah, I mean at the end of the day it's baklava. How many ways can you have it?…read more I don't know what I was expecting but those video clips had raised my expectations. Then I got there. I found that this place is on every corner, five of their competitors are on every corner too. It lost the prestige. Baklava! Baklava! Come get your baklava! The realization that this was lower than expectations even impacted my experience with Türkiye experience. I would avoid it. I see why tourists avoid it. I didn't see anyone there, except some others like me who had been impressed by the social media coverage.

High quality pastries that taste sooo good. I tried a few of their authentic pistachio pastries…read more(see photos) and they were very good with both their Tea and Turkish coffee! Highly recommend to go sit down and enjoy some traditional sweets!

This is a well known dessert chain in Istanbul and is somewhat fancy. There are so many places…read moreselling Turkish delight and baklava, but if you are looking for an experience where the staff wears a traditional uniform and everything is color coded, this might be the place for you.

We arrived from the airport around 1am. Checked in to our hotel. After 20 hours and three flights…read morewe were starving. When we asked hotel front desk they highly recommended this restaurant. Although it was pretty late we were greeted and seated right away. The hot tea was served in few seconds. After 15 minutes we got table full of the most delicious kebabs and grilled vegetables. The service was outstanding and friendly. Totally loved it.

Our first meal in Turkey. Great Late night find! Staff was very friendly and accommodating. Had…read morethe mixed kebab for 2, hummus, salad, and Baklava. Excellente!

I never eat künefe except this place. When I have an…read moreinternational friend to guide in Istanbul, I always take them to this place. I know this place offers real dessert that you could eat only in Anatolia. that's why Kunefis is one of the best ones to taste Turkish desserts. I haven't eaten foods there but special künefe. It is super uber delicious and fresh and gives the real taste. The service is also so kind and polite. The prices are just average. you'll not regret!

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.

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 :-))