I loved this class. I got to meet a group of people interested in food and history and current…read moreevents - and learn how to cook delicious food. It was amazing. If you're in Istanbul and love cooking, take this class!

Selin is awesome. Her passion for food and travel makes her the perfect host for international…read morevisitors. She guided us through the Spice Bazaar to give us a background on what is at the root of Turkish cuisine before taking us on a scenic ferry ride to her kitchen in Istanbul's Asian side. Cooking with Selin was like cooking with family. We joked, drank wine, and tasted - all over our international love of food. It was great. Although we were making several dishes at once Selin's instructions and approach made it very enjoyable and felt like a breeze. We made an amazing lentil soup special for the cool and wet Istanbul day while prepping our eggplants for the meat stuffing that was already simmering on one of the stoves. We grated and chopped vegetables like a pro - but not as professional as Selin and her rose bud tomato, but still pretty great. I could go on about how great it was to feel like I had a family in a foreign country and how amazing the food was smelling but really the proof was in the pudding, and by pudding I mean stuffed eggplant, lentil Soup, pastry rolls, salads, and stuffed apricots with clotted cream. It was all so good and so flavorful. Spending a day cooking with Selin and Turkish Flavors was by far my favorite time in Istanbul - both on the Europe and Asia sides. It's not often you get the chance to spend the day cooking with someone who makes you feel truly at home their country, city, and apartment. Selin and Turkish Flavours can do just that and more. Highly recommend for foodies and those looking to feel at home in the largest city in Europe. For more see my full review which includes lots of delicious pictures! http://www.thislifeintrips.com/reviews/turkish-flavours-review/

This is an awesome bar hang. We always get the plate of mixed fried things with an Efes. :) I…read morehaven't tried the cocktails. Can't beat the prices and is a great hang.

Great meal, good crowd, nice music. It was busy on a Thursday, waiter didn't speak much english,…read morebut the food was some of the most flavorful we have had. We didn't have much idea what we were ordering but it the chicken krep and chicken but we're great. Thanks

The newly opened Babylon Bomonti is a great venue to grab a drink, and a show, and from what I hear…read morea bite to eat (not sure when the reasturant opens!?). Like their first location in Asmali, Babylon is not to big and not to small. Despite a packed crowd for Lee Field and the Expressions and only one bar, I didn't find it impossible to get a drink. Babylon is a great suggestion for guests visiting Istanbul wanting to have a fun night out! Easily a 5 star venue.

In a refurbished brewery. Off the beaten track in Şişli. About a 20 minute walk northwest of…read moreOsmanbey Metro. Easily accessible otherwise by taxi. Babylon Bomonti is an excellent music venue with great acoustics and sound and lighting that serves up quality international jazz and the best of the local scene. On April 30, we saw on the main bill the world-class Alfredo Rodríguez Trio playing to an almost full house, followed by crowd favourites Korhan Futacı & Kara Orchestra who played to a packed house. Tickets to the headline act were 45 TRY, but that allowed us to stay for the second band. Drinks inside the venue were pricey at 35 TRY for a glass of sauvignon blanc and 15 TRY for a regular bottle of EFES Pilsen. But the show was worth every lira. A brilliant night's entertainment that had the crowd calling for more from the Alredo Rodriguez Trio then really getting into the local band. Our first visit, but for sure not our last. The venue itself was a delight, with a couple of bars inside the former brewery that looked good and Delimonti, which appeared to be a high-end cheese and wine bar that we definitely want to try. The acts started about 30 minutes after the advertised time. So next time we go, we'll start with Delimonti about 21:00 then catch a band scheduled for 22:00 most likely at 22:30. Tonight we left about 01:30 before Korhan Futacı and friends finished. Taxis were queuing up to take us home. A great night out and a solid 5 stars.

From the owner: Şarap, Şarapeviread more

If you are in the Macka Park/Besikitas areas, do check this out! This is located in the backstreets…read moreof the Macka area near the Macka and The W hotel. They have casual seating inside and a few tables outside. I looked at their Google Reviews and Instagram and asked the chef to "make it like that one" which was a double cheeseburger with garlic onion paste. The fries here were insane, they have a nice red pepper/oregano like seasoning, its the common seasoning they put on most restaurants in Istanbul.