Restaurants

Eating out – the Real Turkish Delight

Istanbul is not just the history buff but also the epicurean’s delight with food being the central pillar of everything in the city. Even the carpet merchants that invite you into their shops will offer you coffee! Sample the fare at some of these places on your next visit to Istanbul

Feriye Lokantasi: This is ‘the’ place to go to for hearty Turkish meat dishes with a side of fantastic views of the Bosphorus. Make it on a Sunday and you could revel in the buffet brunch.

Tugra: Tugra offers a wonderful array of Ottoman dishes and is an ideal venue for a special occasion. With a terrace that overlooks the Bosphorus and a menu that offers a huge selection of hot and cold meze, Tugra must not be missed.

The House Café: On Ortakoy's waterfront, The House Café has a trendy, casual ambience and is perfect for an eggs Benedict Sunday brunch or innovative pizza.

Leb-i Derya: On a shabby street off busy Istiklal Caddesi, this part ultra-stylish terrace bar, part lively restaurant serves up Ottoman cuisine with a twist. Make it for early evening cocktails and you would be pleasantly surprised.

Taximoda: The café-restaurant of the Taxim Hill Hotel, this New York-style café has huge windows overlooking busy Taksim Square, which open to form a terrace in summer. Most popular for coffee, cakes, sandwiches and a decent breakfast, this is a great place to watch the world go by in a central location.

Nature and Peace: In a carnivore's heaven like Istanbul, it is good to know that there are a few decent vegetarian places - although they have recently included a couple of meat dishes on the menu. In a backstreet in the heart of Taksim, Nature and Peace has a warm cozy feel.

The Perfect Room

Beyoglu on a winter night

Most hotels in Istanbul are concentrated in two areas: Sultanahmet and Beyoglu. You can also find good hotels north of the city center on the Bosphorus. If you are coming mostly for sight seeing then a hotel in Sultanahemt is your best bet and hotels in Beyoglu are more business type ones. You can get hotels in all shapes and sizes and suiting all budget in the city; here is a selection of some of the best luxury hotels in Istanbul:

Taksim Square

Ceylan Inter-continental Istanbul: a high-rise above Taksim Park with world class service, comfortable rooms with great views and a very central location.

Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel Istanbul: this one is a beauty right on the Bosphorus shore next to a restored Ottoman palace. Although it is some distance from most of the city attractions, the quietness and the splendid views of the Bosphorus from most rooms make it an attractive place in itself.

Conrad Istanbul: The Conrad is a very modernistic place with good Bosphorus views, easy access by taxi to business districts but farther from tourist sights. Offsetting that last one is the quality of its rooms and service.

Divan Oteli: Old-style ultra-smooth personal service in a smaller hotel near Taksim Square, next to Hyatt, Ceylan.

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet: The Four Seasons is an uber-posh place sitting in a historic building, smack in the middle of Sultanahemt. However, there are no rooms that afford views of the brilliant Bosphorus. The good news is that the new property – Four Seasons Istanbul at the Bosphorus is opening in mid 2008 and you can start booking your rooms from June 15th, 2008 here.

The Marmara: The Marmara hotel is situated right in the middle of Taksim Square, next to Atatürk Cultural Center. From here you have easy access to shops and nightlife along Beyoglu's Istiklal Caddesi and all the rooms have good views all around.

Hyatt Regency Istanbul: Fine mod-Ottoman building with nice pool, good location near Taksim Square and Nisantas shopping and nightlife, next to Divan, Ceylan.

Istanbul Hilton Hotel: The Hilton at Istanbul is one of the finest hotels in the city. It is set in more than 13 acres of hilltop gardens and staying here is the ultimate sousing of senses. With fine views, a great pool, and all the nightlife in Taksim and the shopping in Nisantas just a short walk away, this one gives you what you want.

Ritz-Carlton Istanbul: Istanbul's newest luxury high-rise between Taksim and Dolmabahçe has a great pool, moderately good views and the ultimate luxury in the leased apartments on top.

Sumahan on the Water: An exquisite, stylish luxury boutique hotel, designed as a labor of love by a husband-and-wife architect team, right on the Bosphorus with exceptional water and city views.

Swissotel the Bosphorus: Excellent Bosphorus views (overlooking Dolmabahçe, smooth service, 15-minute walk to Nisantas shopping and nightlife, this one is good value for money.

Istanbul accommodates visitors of all budgets equally well, even in the prime sightseeing district of the Sultanahmet Camii, or Blue Mosque. Try some of these:

Empress Zoe: An inventive little place sitting on the remains of a 15th-century hammam, this one has Anatolian-styled rooms complete with traditional kilim rugs. Splash out on the penthouse suite for a first-class view of the Blue Mosque (£86)

Buyuk Londra: This one takes you back to the elegant twenties when Istanbul was the darling of the la-di-dah set fussing about on the Orient Express. Check out the lobby bar for a late night session before going up to rooms that remind you of the hey days of the Empire. (£40 - £67)

Sultanahmet Palace: The Sultanahmet Palace is located in the quieter backstreets of the district and offers great service with comfort and style. The only hotel to have a marbled hammam-style bathroom for every room, as well as some knockout views of the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara.

Lush Hotel: This one is just a hop, skip and jump from the trendy bars and clubs of Taksim and is quirky little place in the heart of Istanbul's modern centre that circles the giant Taksim Square. The Lush is an offbeat place, with 22 rooms all decked out according to a different theme, from Ottoman grandeur to pop art designs, and more subdued quarters to boot. (£100)

Aya Sofya Pensions: The Aya Sofya Pensions run the length of a gorgeous, blissfully traffic-free cobbled street in the centre of historical Sultanahmet, right between the Hagia Sophia and the outer walls of Topkapı Palace. Clean, comfortable and inexpensive are the main attributes of this place which is next door to the curious restaurant-in-an-underground-cistern, the Sarnic. (£60 –£120)

Ansen 130: Set above a charming French the Ansen 130 commands a winning location behind the winding streets and outdoor cafes of the city's bohemian Tunel area. This 10-room hotel has the most stylish rooms in the city, complete with kitchen units. (£120)

Ibrahim Pasha: This comfy and welcoming little hotel faces the Blue Mosque in Sultanahmet and is a popular spot with travellers, so book in advance. (£86)

World House Hostel: This one is for the real shoe-stringers. Located in Istanbul’s old Italian Quarters, the hostel is in a great spot right opposite the Galata tower, a short walk from the buzzing Istiklal Caddesi and the picturesque Galata Bridge. (£31)

Nomade: If the sole purpose of your trip to Istanbul is to shop, then be sure to camp out somewhere near the Grand Bazaar: the Nomade is a great modern option in the old city, with small but tastefully chic rooms spitting distance from the action of one of the world's oldest shopping centers. (£70)

Bed & Breakfast

Ahmet Efendi Evi (€ 45), Misafir Suites (€112), Marmara Guesthouse (€ 45), Alaturka Hotel (€ 67), Tulip Guesthouse (€ 44), Berk Guesthouse (€70), Terrace Guesthouse (€ 55), Med Cezir Hotel (€ 77), Buhara Hotel (€ 57), Naz Wooden House Inn (€ 108).